Texas A&M Aggies Hit the Ground Running as Preseason Workouts Begin Amid High Expectations, Harsh Lessons, and a Hefty Weight of Redemption — With a New Fire in the Weight Room and a Warning in the Air, College Station Prepares for a Season That Could Define the Program’s Future

“TIME TO GET GOING”: Texas A&M Aggies Hit the Ground Running as Preseason Workouts Begin Amid High Expectations, Harsh Lessons, and a Hefty Weight of Redemption — With a New Fire in the Weight Room and a Warning in the Air, College Station Prepares for a Season That Could Define the Program’s Future

 

| July 13, 2025

 

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS —

The message was clear. The sweat, the clanging iron, the laser-sharp focus on faces young and hardened alike — all echoed one simple but urgent mantra: “Time to get going.”

 

At exactly 6:00 a.m. sharp on Monday morning, the Texas A&M Aggies officially kicked off their 2025 preseason workouts, not with celebration or fanfare, but with grit, accountability, and quiet determination. The offseason is over. The excuses are over. And for a program long haunted by “what-ifs” and “not-yets,” the clock has officially started ticking on what may be one of the most consequential seasons in recent Aggie history.

 

A PROGRAM AT A CROSSROADS

 

Last season, the Aggies were plagued by inconsistency. Big wins were followed by crushing losses. Promising leads turned into second-half collapses. The potential was always there — the execution, less so.

 

And now, with a fanbase growing restless, an SEC gauntlet looming, and head coach Elijah Davidson entering his third year at the helm, there’s no more margin for error. The weight of the 2025 season hangs heavy — and the players are already feeling it.

 

> “We know what’s on the line,” said returning linebacker and team captain Zachariah Bryant. “This isn’t just another season. This is about proving we’re not just hype — we’re here to dominate.”

 

 

 

THE WORK BEGINS BEFORE THE SUNRISE

 

Inside the Aggies’ weight room — a facility that gleams like a shrine to iron and intensity — the players were greeted by a brutal early-morning workout crafted by new strength coach Marcus “The Machine” Hendricks, a former Navy SEAL-turned-performance guru known for reshaping underachieving programs.

 

> “You don’t win Saturdays by coasting through Mondays,” Hendricks barked during warmups. “You want to be great? Then act like it.”

 

 

 

Squat racks groaned under the strain of leg presses. Chains rattled. Sweat pooled on the floor. There were no social media cameras. No DJs. No hype men. Just hard work, discipline, and pain — the kind that lays the foundation for greatness.

 

YOUNG TALENT, OLD PRESSURE

 

While veterans like Bryant and wide receiver Malik Jefferson anchor the squad, all eyes are on freshman quarterback phenom Travis “Air” Dillard, a five-star recruit who flipped from USC late in the recruiting cycle and is already turning heads with his poise and arm strength.

 

> “He’s raw, but he’s got it,” said offensive coordinator Kyle Durham. “You can’t teach that kind of confidence.”

 

 

 

Still, Durham made it clear: no one’s position is guaranteed. Every rep, every drill, every minute matters.

 

And that’s the underlying message of this offseason: earn it.

 

THE WARNING IN THE AIR

 

It wasn’t just the heat or the weight of the plates that hung in the air on Monday morning. It was a warning — subtle but ever-present — that this season could either lift the Aggies into national relevance or collapse under unmet expectations once again.

 

Athletic Director Clarence Yates spoke briefly to the team during the afternoon meeting.

 

> “This university has invested in you. This fanbase believes in you. But belief without results is just a wish. Go earn it.”

 

 

 

The Aggies’ 2025 schedule is SEC-heavy and brutally unforgiving, with road trips to Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee, and a pivotal home showdown against the Texas Longhorns, who re-enter the rivalry riding high off last year’s Sugar Bowl win.

 

FIRE BREWING IN COLLEGE STATION

 

Still, despite the pressure, there’s a different energy in the building. A sharper edge. A greater focus.

 

> “Something’s changed,” said junior cornerback Isaiah Bolden. “We’re not talking as much this year. We’re just working. You’ll see it.”

 

 

 

And that’s what makes this preseason different from the rest — there’s no flash, no staged hype videos. Just steel and silence. Just pain and purpose.

 

THE ROAD AHEAD

 

With fall camp on the horizon and scrimmages lined up, the Aggies have less than six weeks to fine-tune, finalize, and unify.

 

But one thing is for sure: the tone has been set. The motto is real. And the mission is underway.

 

Time to get going?

For the Aggies — it already has.

And if what we saw on Day One is any indication…

The rest of the SEC better be ready.