Texas A&M football hasn’t seen a player like Johnny Manziel in a long time. Forget all the allegations, all his controversies and look at what he did during his time at A&M. He was a gift of immortal characterization. He became a star, completely changing the course of Aggie football history. 

Fast forward to 2024, and we haven’t had a player like him in a while. Yes, some great players have played well for us, but none have brought the hype and acclaim like Manziel. What he did was legendary, and not many people have been able to compare to his stature. 

That all changed during A&M’s 2024 game against LSU. 

Our starting quarterback, Connor Weigman, got injured, and what already looked like a disastrous game made a turn for even worse. We were down 17-7 at halftime, and the belief for our team in Kyle Field was nonexistent. 

But, people forgot about the power a man named Marcel Reed possessed, and he made sure people would never forget him again.

Reed wasn’t just summoned from the sidelines like a bench warmer; he had been slowly proving himself over the course of the season. And this was his time to shine. When they called his number, he ran onto that field and never looked back. 

Two quarters later and the stadium of disbelief became a madhouse, every fan chanting his name as he took a game we were destined to lose and made it into a triumphant victory. It was a turning point that gave every fan hope, and it has carried on through to this season. 

The Aggies now sit at No. 5 in the AP Top 25 Poll. Reed is currently a dark horse contender for the Heisman Trophy, the same award that Manziel won, and he completely deserves it. He has turned this team into a powerhouse, and they’re currently undefeated. Fans are well aware of the team’s ceiling and the potential they have. A playoff spot is definitely in the cards, and a national championship doesn’t seem like a fairytale. 

While players like Mario Craver, KC Concepion, Cashius Howell, Le’Veon Moss, Taurean York and Will Lee III — I could keep going — have been instrumental for the Aggies’ success, none of it would’ve happened if it wasn’t for Reed. His leadership is clear in the locker room, and he sets the example for everyone — our success runs through him. 

We haven’t seen a player like Manziel in a while, but Reed is getting real close to it. 

I’ve seen the hype grow after each game, from the exciting first two blowout games this season, to the incredible final play against Notre Dame and the most recent victory against Mississippi State. More people are beginning to believe, and the spirit of Aggieland is growing in support of this team — and it’s all thanks to one person’s abilities that have allowed us to believe. 

So, after all of his successes so far and the glory he’s received, there’s one question to be asked: Is Marcel Reed going to be the greatest player A&M has seen?

No, and he doesn’t need to be. 

When a player like Reed comes around, people throw around a question like this because it creates hype. Attention gets centered around him, and the player becomes an imaginative beacon of hope for fans.  

Sports is a mental game — the more you think about how good you can become and what people say about you, the more it messes with you psychologically, and you are guaranteed to fall short of your intended target. It’s happened to too many people, and it’s been a trademark characteristic in careers not living up to expectations or ending.  

In Reed’s case, however, he’s proven himself multiple times. He stepped into a starting spot when he was needed and became established in the role. But that doesn’t mean he can’t fail, or live up to all the noise that surrounds him. 

So how would one combat this? By not feeding into pressure. 

The greats in our world don’t become great because they emulate someone else or become something they aren’t supposed to be; they become great because they’re singular in their craft. If everyone were a copy of a copy, which most people are, then it must be the people who set themselves apart from the rest of the pack that make them rise above the sea of replication. This is done by blazing their own trail, not following what others want them to be. 

What Reed doesn’t need to be is another Manziel. He doesn’t need to be in the Heisman conversation or the savior that Aggies have been looking for. He just needs to be unequivocally himself. When we allow the ever-growing pressure to feed into our consciousness, we lose ourselves and Reed doesn’t need that. 

So, as the Heisman talks and edits on TikTok flow for the rest of the season, being the leader this team needs and consistently setting an example for the expectation that comes with being one of the best teams in the nation is imperative for his success. All of that other pressure is just white noise. Be who you want to be, not what others want you to be. 

What we don’t need is a Johnny Manziel 2.0, or any other version of a player who has succeeded before him. What we need is Marcel Reed 1.0 — the only, and best, version of himself that the world needs to see. 

Joshua Abraham is a kinesiology senior and opinion columnist for The Battalion.