Texas A&M DB Will Lee calls out 'disrespect' in preseason projections

Texas A&M wants its respect. On Friday, Aggies cornerback Will Lee III responded to the team’s critics with a concise message.

“Everybody wants to win. That’s the main thing,” Lee said. “Everybody is tired of seeing (people) say we are going to be an 8-4 team and stuff like that. It is really disrespectful, and everybody is taking that to heart. Everybody is coming out here everyday working hard and just trying to be the greatest team we can be and then change the history of Texas A&M football.”

Despite Texas A&M posting an 8-5 record in head coach Mike Elko‘s debut campaign with the Aggies last season, the team was voted to finish eighth in the preseason SEC poll. Likewise, Texas A&M was the eighth-highest ranked team in the preseason AP Top 25.

The lack of preseason hype around Texas A&M is slightly surprising, considering the team is returning a whopping 15 starters from last season. Most notably, the Aggies are returning starting quarterback Marcel Reed.

Reed exploded onto the scene last season after beginning the year as a backup QB. Reed tallied 1,864 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, compared to just six interceptions. His arm was far from his only threat. He also amassed 547 yards and seven scores in the ground game.

Texas A&M is not only returning a surplus of talent, but also added several key players in the transfer portal this offseason. In fact, Texas A&M reeled in the No. 16 class in On3’s 2025 Team Transfer Portal Rankings.

The group is highlighted by NC State transfer wide receiver KC Concepcion, who was the 2023 ACC Rookie of the Year. Simply put, Texas A&M appears to be more talented this year than in the 2024 campaign, when the team narrowly missed out on the SEC Championship.

The Aggies’ schedule shouldn’t stand in the way of them reaching new heights, either. While the team has a difficult non-conference game against Notre Dame, they don’t face either Alabama or Georgia in the upcoming season.

Alas, they are set to face No. 1 Texas on the road. Will Lee III isn’t the only one entering the 2025 campaign with a chip on his shoulder. At SEC Media Days, Mike Elko revealed how the Aggies’ disappointing finish last season has influenced the team’s mindset this year.

“We didn’t play the football that we needed to play to finish it. It’s been our mantra the entire off-season,” Elko said. “Mantras don’t turn into wins. But I do believe our kids have a really strong chip on their shoulders to change that story and finish this thing the right way.”