Texas A&M's 2026 training camp 'will determine' starting RB battle

One of the more underrated storylines entering SEC Media Days last week centered around Texas A&M's 2026 running back room after veteran Le'Veon Moss officially departed the program after the 2025 season, with former five-star recruit and redshirt junior back Rueben Owens in line to take over as the full-time starter after rushing for a career-high 639 yards and five touchdowns last season.

Entering the offseason highly underrated, Owens will directly compete with rising sophomore running back Jamarion Morrow, who shined in his limited role as a freshman and looked the part during the Maroon & White Game as the lead back. After missing all but one game during the 2024 campaign, Rueben Owens enters the most important season of his career, especially with the new 5 for 5 eligibility rule set to take effect this fall.

On Wednesday, when asked about the running back competition, Mike Elko stated that the Aggies' preseason training camp will determine if a running back-by-committee approach will be used, providing Owens and Morrow enough snaps during several scrimmages next month to stand out, given their unique skill sets that will benefit new offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins' play-calling.

“I think training camp will determine a lot of that stuff,” Elko stated at SEC Media Days. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in Rueben. I think Rueben has had a really, really strong offseason. We are excited about the development that he’s made. We’re excited to see what he’s looking like as we put the pads on and head into fall camp.

Outside of Owens and Morrow, redshirt freshman Tiger Riden, freshmen KJ Edwards and Carsyn Baker, and Arkansas State transfer D.D. Murray represent the running back depth. While KJ Edwards, who was a five-star prospect, brings elite traits and NFL-level speed to the roster, the expectation is that, no matter who is named the starter, Rueben Owens and Jamarion Morrow will take a majority of the backfield snaps.

Elko will likely not commit to a starting running back until the latter part of training camp. While Elko spoke highly of Rueben Owens' improvement this offseason, starting quarterback Marcel Reed, who also spoke on Wednesday, praised Jamarion Morrow, choosing the sophomore back as a player who could "stand out" this fall.

“I feel like Jamarion Morrow, he’s going to stand out a lot,” Reed stated. “He already had some crazy plays last year. But next year is going to be different for him.”

This is going to be a tight battle that could end up becoming a 50/50 or 60/40 split in terms of snaps between both backs, but on its face, Owens looks like the more versatile option, especially as a pass catcher, while Jamarion Morrow is the better one-cut option who thrives once he makes his move through the gap.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M's 2026 training camp 'will determine' starting RB battle