Arkansas Razorbacks at Texas A&M Aggies

Injuries noted

Arkansas Razorbacks: Steven Soles Jr. (questionable) — Defensive lineman/JACK remains questionable in the October 2 Friday update; the retrieved reporting does not specify the condition.; Jamonta Waller (out) — Defensive lineman remains out against Texas A&M in Friday's update. KBTX reports limited special-teams participation this season; condition unspecified.; John Howse IV (out) — Defensive back remains out against Texas A&M in Friday's update. KBTX reports he has not played this season; condition unspecified.; Maddox Lassiter (out) — Tight end remains out against Texas A&M in Friday's update. KBTX reports he has not played this season; condition unspecified.

Texas A&M Aggies: Mario Craver (questionable) — Wide receiver remains questionable in TexAgs' October 2 Friday update. RotoWire's October 2 reporting describes an undisclosed injury and attributes a game-time decision to Pete Nakos of On3; participation is not confirmed.; Tamarion Watkins (out) — Freshman linebacker is out against Arkansas with an undisclosed condition; Friday's report retained Thursday's designation.; Terry Bussey (out for season) — Wide receiver suffered a season-ending leg injury on the opening kickoff against Kentucky and remains out in Friday's Arkansas availability update.

QUARTERBACK

• KJ Jackson is ARK's confirmed starter

  7.12 Y/A

  KJ Jackson is ARK's confirmed starting quarterback. September 28 reporting of Arkansas' released depth chart for the October 3 Texas A&M game lists Jackson alone as first-team quarterback, with AJ Hill second team and no changes that week. 2026 line: 925 passing yards, 62.3% completions, 7.12 yards per attempt, 4-3 TD-INT over 4 games.

• Marcel Reed is TA&M's projected starter

  5.68 Y/A

  Marcel Reed is TA&M's projected starting quarterback. KBTX's October 1 game-week column identifies Reed as the returning starter and discusses Elko's continued support. The September 28 official press conference discusses improving Reed's performance. These support his expected start against Arkansas, but do not explicitly announce the October 3 starter. 2026 line: 738 passing yards, 55.4% completions, 5.68 yards per attempt, 6-4 TD-INT over 4 games.

TRENCHES

• TA&M: 151.5 rushing yards per game to ARK's 89.3

  62.3 YPG

  Texas A&M is running for 151.5 yards a game through four games, and Arkansas sits at 89.3. Both are down from last season, sharply so for Arkansas, which averaged 191.9 a year ago, while A&M was at 184.7. A drop that big over four games could reflect the opponents faced or a real change in how Arkansas plays. With A&M at home and the steadier ground game, it has the better shot to dictate a run-first script.

PACE & SCRIPT

• TA&M: 31.3 points per game to ARK's 23

  8.3 PPG

  Texas A&M is putting up more than a touchdown per game over Arkansas through four games each, and Arkansas has fallen off hard from the 32.9 it scored last season. Both offenses are down from last year, A&M only slightly from 33.8, so the bigger question is whether Arkansas has truly lost its punch or hit a soft patch against tougher defenses. Four games is a thin read, and a regression toward last season's number would close this gap. For this game, weigh whether A&M at home can force Arkansas to keep pace.

MISMATCH

• ARK: 275.3 pass yards a game to TA&M's 193.5

  275.3 VS 193.5

  Arkansas has thrown for 275.3 yards a game to Texas A&M's 193.5 through four games. Arkansas is right around last season's 262.9, so that passing game looks real, while A&M has fallen well off its 259.8 from last season. A&M's number has more room to bounce back than Arkansas's has to drop. Arkansas throwing on the road keeps them in it; whether A&M's air attack wakes up decides how much.

COVERAGE

• TA&M: 25.6% third downs allowed to ARK's 40.9%

  15.3 PP

  ARK is at 40.9% third downs allowed over 4 games; TA&M is at 25.6% over 4 games. Those are what each defense has allowed in this season's games through Oct 2.

REPLACEMENT

• Terry Bussey (WR) is out for the season for TA&M

  OUT FOR SEASON

  Wide receiver suffered a season-ending leg injury on the opening kickoff against Kentucky and remains out in Friday's Arkansas availability update. Craver's status unchanged, Watkins is 'out' on Availability Report update — TexAgs; originally published September 30, includes October 2 Friday update (2026-09-30)

• Jamonta Waller (DL) is out for ARK

  OUT

  Defensive lineman remains out against Texas A&M in Friday's update. KBTX reports limited special-teams participation this season; condition unspecified. Craver's status unchanged, Watkins is 'out' on Availability Report update — TexAgs; originally published September 30, includes October 2 Friday update (2026-09-30) Texas A&M linebacker listed as out in availability report ahead of Arkansas — KBTX; published 10:03 p.m. CDT (2026-10-01)

• John Howse IV (DB) is out for ARK

  OUT

  Defensive back remains out against Texas A&M in Friday's update. KBTX reports he has not played this season; condition unspecified. Craver's status unchanged, Watkins is 'out' on Availability Report update — TexAgs; originally published September 30, includes October 2 Friday update (2026-09-30) Texas A&M linebacker listed as out in availability report ahead of Arkansas — KBTX; published 10:03 p.m. CDT (2026-10-01)

• Maddox Lassiter (TE) is out for ARK

  OUT

  Tight end remains out against Texas A&M in Friday's update. KBTX reports he has not played this season; condition unspecified. Craver's status unchanged, Watkins is 'out' on Availability Report update — TexAgs; originally published September 30, includes October 2 Friday update (2026-09-30) Texas A&M linebacker listed as out in availability report ahead of Arkansas — KBTX; published 10:03 p.m. CDT (2026-10-01)

• Tamarion Watkins (LB) is out for TA&M

  OUT

  Freshman linebacker is out against Arkansas with an undisclosed condition; Friday's report retained Thursday's designation. Craver's status unchanged, Watkins is 'out' on Availability Report update — TexAgs; originally published September 30, includes October 2 Friday update (2026-09-30)

SITUATIONAL

• ARK: 275.3 team passing yards per game to TA&M's 193.5

  81.8 YPG

  Arkansas is throwing for 275.3 yards a game, a little above last season's 262.9, and Texas A&M has dropped to 193.5 after 259.8. The Arkansas number looks real. Texas A&M's fall over four games may reflect a change in approach or opponents, but its passing should climb back up. On the road, Arkansas is likely to rely on the pass to keep up.

TEAM RECORD

• SEC game: ARK 0-1, TA&M 0-2 in conference

  CONFERENCE

  These two share the SEC. ARK is 0-1 against it, TA&M is 0-2. 2026 standings through 2026-10-03.