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MBA’s four-star quarterback prospect breathed a sigh of relief after signing with Texas A&M when the early signing period arrived Wednesday. He struggled with his final decision over the past four days as his recruitment completed a 180-degree turn. He had been committed to Ole Miss for nine months before flipping to A&M two days before signing his letter of intent.
Reed was solid with Ole Miss until three weeks ago, his father, Rod, said. The turning point was in the last week of November when Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin was rumored to be interested in Auburn’s head coaching job. Reed visited A&M the very next weekend.
“A&M was a top contender with me before I committed to Ole Miss. They took a (quarterback) commitment early and then he decommitted. They recruited me the whole season, people just didn’t really know about it until the end,” Reed said. “And when the rumors of Lane Kiffin going to Auburn started, things started picking up with (A&M) and Auburn as well. We took visits (to A&M) because we were uncertain about what was going to happen. Then we just fell in love with it.”
Down the stretch into signing day, after the Kiffin rumors emerged, A&M coach Jimbo Fisher and new Auburn coach Hugh Freeze made in-home visits to see Reed in Nashville. Kiffin did not. Rod Reed thanked members of the Ole Miss staff who recruited his son but didn’t name Kiffin.
His son’s final decision-making occurred at a time when MBA was preparing for final exams and the Division II-AAA state championship game.
“I had a lot going on and it was hard to put everything in perspective with that. You have to make a decision and what’s going to be good for you,” Marcel Reed said.
Committing to Fisher over the phone was a relief for the coach and the Reeds: “He said, ‘I think I’ll be able to sleep tonight now,’” Reed said.
The phone call to Kiffin was a difficult one. “It’s hard to make that flip, just because you’ve been (committed) somewhere for so long,” Reed added. “You’ve seen it forever then you just come to another (decision). I think it was the right choice just because of what happened.”
Texas ties also played a role. Rod Reed is from Marshall, Texas, where he and wife Tamika started their family. Marcel Reed has a grandmother and aunts still living in the Marshall area, which is roughly a three-hour drive to A&M’s campus. An aunt and cousin of Reed were able to drive to College Station during his visit there.
Additionally, the Aggies’ director of player personnel, Kevin Mashack, used to be a running backs coach and recruiting coordinator on Rod Reed’s staff when he was head coach at Tennessee State. And Andrew Bather, a former TSU receiver and receivers coach for Reed, is now an A&M player personnel assistant.
Fisher and A&M drew national spite when Alabama coach Nick Saban, citing no specific evidence, accused the program of “buying every player” in its 2021 class through massive Name, Image and Likeness financial collectives.
Rod Reed’s message for people who think his son’s decision was about NIL money: “I would tell those people we did not discuss any money figures or anything with Texas A&M. I’ve told anyone who recruited us, this decision isn’t going to be based on that. That part will come. Whatever opportunities come he’ll be grateful for them. But that wasn’t part of this decision.”
Marcel Reed threw for 2,198 yards and 27 touchdowns with six interceptions this season to go with 944 yards rushing and 15 TDs, helping him earn the honor of Division II-AAA Mr. Football in December.
The first Black quarterback to start at MBA and its first QB to start as a freshman, he played consecutively in 46 games after taking over the job in the team’s third game of the 2019 season.
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MBA’s four-star quarterback prospect breathed a sigh of relief after signing with Texas A&M when the early signing period arrived Wednesday. He struggled with his final decision over the past four days as his recruitment completed a 180-degree turn. He had been committed to Ole Miss for nine months before flipping to A&M two days before signing his letter of intent.
Reed was solid with Ole Miss until three weeks ago, his father, Rod, said. The turning point was in the last week of November when Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin was rumored to be interested in Auburn’s head coaching job. Reed visited A&M the very next weekend.
“A&M was a top contender with me before I committed to Ole Miss. They took a (quarterback) commitment early and then he decommitted. They recruited me the whole season, people just didn’t really know about it until the end,” Reed said. “And when the rumors of Lane Kiffin going to Auburn started, things started picking up with (A&M) and Auburn as well. We took visits (to A&M) because we were uncertain about what was going to happen. Then we just fell in love with it.”
Down the stretch into signing day, after the Kiffin rumors emerged, A&M coach Jimbo Fisher and new Auburn coach Hugh Freeze made in-home visits to see Reed in Nashville. Kiffin did not. Rod Reed thanked members of the Ole Miss staff who recruited his son but didn’t name Kiffin.
His son’s final decision-making occurred at a time when MBA was preparing for final exams and the Division II-AAA state championship game.
“I had a lot going on and it was hard to put everything in perspective with that. You have to make a decision and what’s going to be good for you,” Marcel Reed said.
Committing to Fisher over the phone was a relief for the coach and the Reeds: “He said, ‘I think I’ll be able to sleep tonight now,’” Reed said.
The phone call to Kiffin was a difficult one. “It’s hard to make that flip, just because you’ve been (committed) somewhere for so long,” Reed added. “You’ve seen it forever then you just come to another (decision). I think it was the right choice just because of what happened.”
Texas ties also played a role. Rod Reed is from Marshall, Texas, where he and wife Tamika started their family. Marcel Reed has a grandmother and aunts still living in the Marshall area, which is roughly a three-hour drive to A&M’s campus. An aunt and cousin of Reed were able to drive to College Station during his visit there.
Additionally, the Aggies’ director of player personnel, Kevin Mashack, used to be a running backs coach and recruiting coordinator on Rod Reed’s staff when he was head coach at Tennessee State. And Andrew Bather, a former TSU receiver and receivers coach for Reed, is now an A&M player personnel assistant.
Fisher and A&M drew national spite when Alabama coach Nick Saban, citing no specific evidence, accused the program of “buying every player” in its 2021 class through massive Name, Image and Likeness financial collectives.
Rod Reed’s message for people who think his son’s decision was about NIL money: “I would tell those people we did not discuss any money figures or anything with Texas A&M. I’ve told anyone who recruited us, this decision isn’t going to be based on that. That part will come. Whatever opportunities come he’ll be grateful for them. But that wasn’t part of this decision.”
Marcel Reed threw for 2,198 yards and 27 touchdowns with six interceptions this season to go with 944 yards rushing and 15 TDs, helping him earn the honor of Division II-AAA Mr. Football in December.
The first Black quarterback to start at MBA and its first QB to start as a freshman, he played consecutively in 46 games after taking over the job in the team’s third game of the 2019 season.
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