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CONTENTS FEATURES

CALIFORNIA GIRL FINDS NEW HOME IN AGGIELAND BY ROB HAVENS ‘88

NEW R.C. SLOCUM STATUE UNVEILED BY ROB HAVENS ‘88

BUCKY’S 10 THOUGHTS ON TEAM ENTERING THE NEW SEASON

FOOTBALL REWIND

Recaps on the first 7 games with our favorite shots. BY ROB HAVENS ‘88

IN EVERY ISSUE

ROB HAVENS ‘88

Publisher’s Note Snapshots Scoreboard The 12th Man

ON THE COVER: Safety Tawfiq Byard breaks through the smoke on the Aggies’ runout in the Citadel game. Photo by Rob Havens ‘88.

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Howdy Ags! We have passed the midpoint of our football season, and in this issue, we recap the first seven games with some of our favorite pictures. I also got to sit down with Aggie Volleyball’s own Eliza Sharp, who told me about her recruiting experience with the team as they were on the path to a national championship. She was a joy to visit with and a real jewel for Coach Morrison to add to the team. I also got to cover the unveiling of the RC Slocum statue. This one was special, as RC was the defensive coordinator at A&M when I was a student and began his head coaching career in 1989. Inside, you’ll get to read about his speech at the ceremony and, more importantly, find out more about his time at A&M and the lives he affected. Basketball is right around the corner, and we got to hear from Bucky about how things are going as they prepare for the new season. Last year was a lot of fun, and we expect this season will be even better! Lastly, this has been a very exciting time for my family. Our youngest son David just got his Aggie Ring! My wife and I raised three Aggies: Dan, Class of ‘17, Tyler, Class of ‘20, and now David, Class of ‘27. What a great time we had as all three boys, my beautiful wife, Gina, and my four-year-old grandson Jaxson got to watch him put that ring on for the first time. David was our miracle baby! The ER doctor told us he wouldn’t make it into this world. But he didn’t know God had bigger plans for him! His whole life, he has defied expectations, just like David in the Bible (his namesake). We are so proud of him, and watching my wife put that ring on his finger was a moment I’ll never forget! Congratulations David! We Love You!

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Aggieland Illustrated is an independently owned, Aggie owned and operated publication and in no way reflects the views or opinions of Texas A&M University. Aggieland Illustrated (ISSN 1932-9105) is published six times a year in the United States by Aggieland Illustrated, 3804 Gold Finch Circle, College Station, TX 77845-6220. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphics content in any manner without permission is prohibited. Photographs and manuscripts for publication are welcome but will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Address all subscription inquiries and change of address requests to Aggieland Illustrated, 3804 Gold Finch Circle, College Station, TX 77845. Allow up to eight weeks for response. ©2006-2025 AGGIELAND ILLUSTRATED ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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USA! Marcus Ratcliffe carries the American Flag for the Aggies as they run out onto the field for the Red, White & Blue game against Arizona State. Texas A&M’s run-out has become one of the best in the country as the 12th Man welcomes the team to the field. Photo by Rob Havens ‘88

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RED, WHITE & BLUE OUT The Aggie defense prepares to line up in front of a sold-out crowd donned in Red, White & Blue! Texas A&M remembers the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the response our fans showed afterward in support of our great nation. Photo by Rob Havens ‘88

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CELEBRATING A NATTY BANNER The 2025-2026 Aggie Volleyball team assembled to watch the National Championship Banner hung from the rafters at Reed Arena. Coach Morrison and staff, along with several members of the championship team, posed for a picture as the 12th Man applauded them for their amazing accomplishment. Photo by Rob Havens ‘88

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VOLLEYBALL After a tough start to a grueling schedule, Coach Morrison and the team got a big win over #4 Stanford, 3-1. The Aggies hosted a five-set amazing match against #6 Wisconsin, and then went on a six-match winning streak. The team has suffered some injuries this season, which has developed more depth on the squad. If this team can get healthy, they can do some big things in the NCAA Tournament.

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ALLEN SOFTBALL Trisha Ford and squad hosted a fall game vs Murray State. After a tight start, the Aggies blew the game open, winning 18-3. The team had 16 hits, including eight extra-base hits. Mya Perez led the way offensively, going 3 for 4 with a home run and five RBI’s.

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CHURCHILL SOCCER The Aggies have had a tough season in Bobby Shuttleworth’s first campaign, sitting at 4-8 overall and 0-5 in conference play. The Aggies have wins over Rice, Sam Houston, Air Force, and SFA.

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As Coach Jamie Morrison and his staff led last year’s squad through the NCAA tournament to a national title, they were still building this year’s roster. They found a diamond in the rough at Boise State in Eliza Sharp, who had entered the portal. According to Sharp, she came on her visit when the Aggies took on Nebraska and saw the big upset from her A&M Hotel room, where her sister and she jumped up and down on the bed celebrating the historic win. She got to hang out with the team the next day and committed before the national championship game was over. Sharp explained that she wasn’t highly recruited out of high school after a COVID-shortened 2-year career at Burlingame High School. She started playing volleyball in the fourth grade after watching her sisters play; she loved the game and didn’t want to be left out. Her tall frame, even as a youngster, aided her in playing the sport she loved. And even though she claims she was bad at all the other sports she tried, she found her way on the volleyball court. After growing up in California, Eliza began her collegiate career at Boise State, where she earned Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2025 after recording 250 kills and 140 blocks in 113 sets for the Broncos. She didn’t receive any attention from A&M coming out of high school, but says she woke up about an hour after her name was entered into the portal and saw a text from A&M. “I was shocked,” Sharp recalls. “I

was in disbelief, and I was so happy, but the next few days were chaotic, to say the least. I was on phone calls for three days straight, pretty much. I went on a couple of visits, but as soon as I came here, I was set; it didn’t take a lot of convincing to stay.” Obviously winning a national championship is a great selling point for your school, but for Sharp there was more than a natty that attracted her to A&M. “With most of the team leaving, it wasn’t necessarily about the national championship for me,” she explained. “It was about building, development, growth, and the foundation here, emotionally and physically being here at Texas A&M at Reed Arena with everything that we have; the coaches, the girls that I was going to come in and play with, that solidified my decision.” She didn’t know a lot about Jamie Morrison before their visit, but when they spoke on the phone, he made an effort to get to know her outside of volleyball, as a human being. Then he was able to share about his accomplishments and the development he has created in the program for the last few years, and as Sharp says, “It speaks for itself, it speaks volumes!” Her first impressions of Texas A&M were a little different because school wasn’t in session when she visited. Having grown up in the San Francisco area, she knew what it was like to have lots of people around, but she got a small-town feel at first; when she finally SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW ONLINE AT AGGIEMAG.COM

experienced Aggieland with the students here, she said “I was floored with how incredible it feels, it doesn’t necessarily feel like a small town, and you feel so much support, and we have so many people coming to our games.” Her interest continued to build as she saw everything A&M had to offer. “It built I think, just every little thing was just like, oh, that’s really cool, like this is awesome. It wasn’t one thing, I think honestly, which was a good thing, because everything made me want to be here! It wasn’t just a moment, like the weight room being really cool that’s why I want to be here or just the coaches are cool, or the dining or the locker room, or whatever facilities, everything made me want to come here!” Being here has been all she’d hoped for and more, she said “This is probably the happiest time in my life that I’ve experienced to date. I feel like I can thrive in every area that I’m being supported on so many different levels. I’ve made friends. I’ve gained family here, not just the team, but everybody here just makes the place.”

ROB HAVENS ‘88

She loves the War Hymn and being able to link up with the 12th Man. “Being able to move as one heartbeat for a moment and you can really feel the love.” Before coming here, Sharp said the biggest crowd was a maximum of 2,000 people at a match, but after a recent game against Wisconsin that drew over 9,000 people to Reed Arena, she got to experience the pressure that comes with performing in front of a huge

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crowd. She said it felt amazing and she thrives under circumstances like that, she was able to look around and said, “These people are here to watch me do the thing that I love most, and I get to turn those nerves into energy. To execute everything I’ve been working so hard on.” In just a short time, she feels like her game has definitely developed, especially as a blocker. “Hitting has always been a strong suit of mine, and running the slide. That’s been something that stood out to different coaches when I was in the portal, and blocking is something I knew I needed to develop, and it has. And I can feel it within myself; I feel it progressing every day, and Coach Morrison agrees. “We bring people into our program, and they develop mind, body, and craft.” Morrison explained, “That body piece she has developed into one of the best athletes in the country, and she’s developed into one of the best middle blockers right now in my opinion, in the country, and there is still a lot of room for her to grow. If you look at her numbers right now, they are good, but there are

little things that we can go about getting better at that make her, in my opinion, the best middle blocker in the country.” Sharp displayed that growth when the Aggies traveled to Florida to take on No. 4 Stanford. It was a special match for Eliza, as she grew up just 30 minutes from Palo Alto and attended many matches there. Her parents and sister all attended Stanford, which is where her parents met. She also had some friends on the team. Her family said it was weird cheering against Stanford but so fun. Sharp recorded a season-high 13 kills with four blocks to help the team take down The Cardinal three sets to one. As we wrapped up our interview, we asked Sharp what her goals were for this team, and she thoughtfully replied, “I want to keep seeing this team learn to trust each other. Because we’ve shown how powerful we can be when we do that and when we are good at communicating, and there is so much talent on this team that we can go as far as we want. The more we trust each other, the more powerful we’re going to be.” SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW ONLINE AT AGGIEMAG.COM

TREV ALBERTS

DR. SUSAN BALLABINA

R.C. SLOCUM STATUE UNVEILED

BY ROB HAVENS ‘88

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ROB HAVENS ‘88

The all-time winningest head football coach in Texas A&M history, R.C. Slocum, now has a statue outside the north end of Kyle Field. On September 4th, 2026, family, friends, former players, and fans gathered to honor this great man. Athletic Director Trev Alberts, President Susan Ballabina, and former player Jacob Green were all there to honor the legendary coach from the podium. As RC took to the mic, he recalled a story from former Aggie student Dr. Red Duke that was about a guy driving down a country road and seeing a turtle on top of a fence post, “You know he didn’t get there by himself; he had a lot of help!” as he laughed. “I feel like that turtle today; I’ve had a whole lot of help!” Slocum shared about the advantage of having great Christian parents who raised him, “I always thought I was special, because I am a child of God and Jesus loves me!” RC recalled living in government housing and being a shoe shiner as a kid. He learned early on the importance of education and hard work. A seventh-grade PE teacher changed his life when he encouraged him to come out and play football. That moment changed lots of lives, as one coach took an interest in a kid and encouraged him. He was so excited when he found out he could earn a scholarship to college that would pay for his school, a place to live, and food, and all he had to do was play football. His college football coach taught Sunday school the day after they played their games on Saturday. He said he never had a coach grab him, shake him, or curse at him, and as a result, he never did that to his players or allowed his coaches to do that. He said many of his players never had a manly figure in their life to correct them and let em know, “Son, I’m not gonna let you do that or stay out that late,” or have someone say, “Son, I love you, and I wanted to be that guy in their lives.” “Some of my players even called me dad.” “We won some games, but my bigger mission was that I knew one day I was gonna stand in front of the big head coach upstairs, and He’d tell me, ‘ Let’s talk about what you did down there. I gave you a hundred and something young men each year for you to lead, and let’s talk about that. I don’t care about not going for it on fourth down; I want to talk about those young men and what you did to influence them,’ and I wanted to have good answers when that time came, and I think I do.” He also talked about being dismissed and his Aggie son’s being upset. He sat them down, “Let’s have a meeting,” and said, “Texas A&M has been good to me and to our family and to you, and I don’t want to hear one word about it, and I didn’t, and because I took that stand and not taking off or going somewhere else in a fit of anger, pride, or whatever now, I got this picture of all these Aggies (points to his family) and they go on forever, I’m so proud of that so it’s just the matter of putting the right things first.” As he wrapped up, he mentioned several of the players that had gone on to be great coaches. “I was just a little small part of this thing. I had great coaches, and I had great players and a great school with great fans. Probably gonna have some great things happen, and we did!” SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW ONLINE AT AGGIEMAG.COM

BUCKY’S

THOUGHTS

ON TEAM ENTERING THE NEW SEASON We’re in better shape than this same time last year. We weren’t in great shape early. We’ve had more practices and been able to play more 5-on-5, so we’re farther along. We weren’t in great shape until eight games in last year. The goal is to be in great shape by game one. We’re going longer with no breaks; we’re in better shape right now. (Standouts in first scrimmage) Cade Phillips is coming back from injury; I saw his competitive will really shine through, really good to see. PJ Haggerty is going to the line at will. He’s a joy to coach, has a unique skill set, and is playing winning basketball. Jordan Pope played well. Role players like Lukas Walls and Neiko Mundey are playing at this level for the first time and did what they do well. Mackenzie Mgbako is going to have a really good year. He’s improved in a lot of things. His body is great; he’s powerful, shoots it well, and he’s making good decisions. He’s not trying to get outside of his bubble. The game is easy for him right now. Every year, you want to reach the team’s potential. What is their potential? I think if you can compete in our league, you can compete against anybody. The SEC will be the best league in the history of college basketball this year, and we have the second hardest schedule. You’re gonna find out. Can we stay together so that the best version of ourselves is at the end of the year? Our team will be a better rebounding team for sure. We’re longer! We’re stronger! We’ll be better at attacking the basket, better at finishing at the rim. Last year we 22

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were one of the smallest teams in Power Four Basketball. We were not a great slashing team. Marcus Hill was a slasher; Rashaun was a post player. Other than that, we didn’t have anyone else on the team you could give the ball to and say, “ Go get a bucket.” This team has several guys that can beat their man; I mean several! This year’s team will have players that can beat their man and go dunk it or get fouled, and the later the season goes, you gotta have that. Some of the strengths of these players are their ability to live in the paint. Our guys this year are long! They can play above the rim. I’ve seen more blocked shots in warm-ups than I saw in the entire season last year. We’ll be better around the rim and better at keeping the other team from scoring around the rim. If we take the right shots, we should average over 35% from three this year. Last year, opponents were able to hug shooters down the stretch, knowing that Marcus or Rashaun were the only ones who could create an advantage. This year, if they want to hug shooters, we can rack it, so the defense will collapse, opening up for more shooting. We track every shot these guys make from the time they get here, and the guys’ numbers are going up! Our biggest challenge is going to be the combination of players who are going to play. Not going to play 17 guys every night. We’ve always gone 10 deep. I’m not married to anyone. I’m gonna roll with the guys that are going to lay it down. That will be the thing, who earns those minutes, because it’s not going to be given!

2026

FOOTBALL REWIND BY ROB HAVENS ‘88

GAME 1 TEXAS A&M 50 - MISSOURI STATE 0

ROB HAVENS ‘88

The Aggies dominated Missouri State in the season opener 50-0, to give our defense their second shutout of the Mike Elko era. The defense only allowed 67 yards of total offense to the Bears while Marcel Reed and the gang rolled up 505 yards on offense. The Aggies showed their depth in this one; as the score increased, the Ags continued to roll out talent until the end of the game. Marcel Reed completed 21 of 30 passes for 233 yards with two touchdowns. A host of Aggies got in on the scoring as Isaiah Horton got things started with a 15-yard touchdown catch, his first as an Aggie. Special teams added a safety after a muffed punt rolled into the end zone. Mario Craver turned a bullet pass into a score as he caught the ball and muscled his way into the end zone. Terry Bussey added another on a sweep play to the left side. At the end of the third quarter, Jamarion Morrow fought his way into the end zone, and freshman Carsyn Baker busted in from 12 yards out for his first touchdown. The Aggies wrapped up the scoring when backup QB Brady Hart found a wide-open Aaron Gregory for the final touchdown.

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GAME 2 TEXAS A&M 48 - ARIZONA STATE 20

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Defense, offense, and special teams all played a big part in the Aggies 48-20 victory over the Sun Devils. The special teams unit helped get things going as they created a turnover on a muffed punt that allowed the offense to score the first touchdown of the game with a 2-yard run by Rueben Owens II. The Devils would tie it up before Reed and the Aggies went on a 13-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a 13-yard touchdown catch by Isaiah Horton. After trading field goals back and forth, the Aggies got another touchdown by Horton on a Reed pass from 13 yards out to make it 24-13. The Devils would tighten the score again at 24-20 before Mario Craver sparked the Aggies with a 33-yard touchdown catch. That’s when the defence took over, generating two pick-sixes that blew the game open. T.J. Searcy batted a pass up in the air, and Marco Jones collected it and sprinted 55 yards for a touchdown. After Olano added three with a 39-yard field goal, Julio Humphrey wrestled away an interception and raced 45 yards for the final score.

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GAME 3 KENTUCKY 31 - TEXAS A&M 21

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A tough third quarter was the difference in this one as the Wildcats upset the #9 Aggies 31-21. The Aggies scored first in the contest as Carsyn Baker scored on a two-yard carry for a 7-0 lead in the second quarter. Kentucky would answer with a six-play drive that went 75 yards to tie the score at seven. In the third, Kentucky would add three touchdowns while holding the Aggies to no points in the quarter. The Aggies finally found pay dirt in the fourth quarter as Reed scampered five yards for a touchdown, keeping the Aggies within two scores. But a Wildcat 52-yard field goal that hit the left upright and dropped in extended the lead and killed any chance for a comeback. Marcel Reed would lead the team down the field and fire a laser into the waiting arms of tight end Micah Riley for the Aggies’ final score. The Aggie offense generated 423 yards of offense, while the defense gave up 408 yards to Kentucky. Mario Craver caught 11 passes for 119 yards, and Marcus Ratcliffe led the defense with a season-high seven tackles.

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GAME 4 LSU 35 - TEXAS A&M 6

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AGGIE ATHLETICS

After clearing out the stadium in 2025 with a huge win over the Tigers, the Aggies found themselves on the other side of the route, as they suffered a 35-6 loss to LSU. Although the offense struggled to get into the end zone, the defense kept it close in the first half as David Olano hit a 24-yard field goal, and the Aggies headed to the locker room down 14-3. There was one play in the third quarter that changed the whole game. After the Aggie defense stopped the Tigers on a third-and-one on their own 43, Lane Kiffin appeared to be setting up for a short-yardage run. But Leavitt faked the handoff, pulled up, and found Harris behind the secondary for a 57-yard catch-and-run. The Tigers would go on to score two more touchdowns in the quarter, and the Aggies could only add one more Olano field goal to make the final score 35-6. A pair of interceptions in the fourth quarter ended any chance for a comeback. The offense only generated 197 yards while the defense allowed 506 yards.

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GAME 5 TEXAS A&M 34 - ARKANSAS 7

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JEROME HICKS

The Aggies earned their 800th win in program history when they dominated the Hogs 34-7. On a week when Texas A&M celebrated its 150th birthday, the team donned camouflage jerseys and helmets reflective of the grand military history of the school. Limping into the game after two consecutive losses, the Aggies were fired up to get back on track, and a sold-out crowd of 108,657 filled the stands to cheer them on. Dalton Brooks incited the crowd on the second play of the game when he intercepted KJ Jackson and returned the ball 38 yards to the Arkansas 28. Just a few plays later, Carsyn Baker would give the Ags their first points on a two-yard run up the middle. KJ Edward would increase the Aggies’ lead on their next possession when he scampered around the left side for a 20-yard touchdown run, his first of two scores on the day. Arkansas’ only score would follow when former Aggie Chris Marshall caught a 26-yard pass in the end zone. Marcel Reed was back to his old self, using his legs to make big plays, including a one-yard sprint to the pylon that gave the Aggies a 21-7 lead. Transfer kicker David Olano hit two 50-yard-plus field goals, including a career-best 57-yarder before the half.

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GAME 6 MISSOURI 27 - TEXAS A&M 6

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AGGIE ATHLETICS

The offense struggled to move the ball, and the Tigers wore down the Texas A&M defense to take down the Aggies 27-6 in Columbia. David Olano remained perfect on the season, adding a 53-yarder and a 27-yarder to his resume. Marcel Reed had two interceptions and completed 19 of 39 pass attempts for 187 yards. Things seemed to be going well for the Aggies early on, as Daymian Sanford intercepted an Austin Simmons pass and returned it 13 yards to the Mizzou 14-yard line. Unfortunately, the Aggies couldn’t take advantage of the turnover after Reed’s pass to Ashton Bethel Roman was broken up in the end zone, and the Tigers collected it for a touchback. The Aggies did take the lead in the first quarter, 3-0, but the Tigers would score 20 unanswered points, and a 54-yard touchdown with less than three minutes to play was the final nail in the coffin. Jordan Shaw led the Aggie defense with eight tackles. Texas A&M tight end Houston Thomas led the squad with four receptions for 30 yards, and T.K. Norman had a career-best day with 55 yards on three receptions.

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GAME 7 TEXAS A&M 41 - THE CITADEL 0

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Coach Elko’s goal in game seven was to rest some starters who were trying to recover from the bumps and bruises of a difficult season and let some young guys get some much-needed experience. The Aggies accomplished both of those goals in a dominating victory over The Citadel. The offense had four possessions in the first half and scored touchdowns each time. After coming back from an injury, Jamarion Morrow scored three touchdowns, gaining 54 yards on just eight carries. KJ Edwards led the Aggie rushing attack with 116 yards on 13 carries. Marcel Reed completed 8 of 13 passes for 130 yards with one touchdown pass in just one half of work. David Olano remained perfect on the season with two more field goals from 20 and 23 yards. Aaron Gregory had a great day, collecting six passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns, while TK Norman filled up the stat sheet as well, catching 5 passes for 88 yards. Backup quarterback Brady Hart played most of the second half, completing 8 of 12 pass attempts and throwing a touchdown pass to Gregory. Ray Coney and Tawfiq Byard led the defense with seven tackles apiece.

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