For the first time in three years, Texas A&M appears to have a legitimate starting quarterback making its way into spring football. second grader Conner Weigman at least he seems ready to cement himself as a starter if he hasn’t already.
What Weigman showed towards the end of his freshman campaign last season has inspired some confidence. Former five-star Cypress, Texas, Bridgeland recruit had his best performance in a 31-28 loss to Ole Miss, completing 28 of 44 passes for 338 yards and four touchdowns. He also helped defeat SEC West Champion LSU (38-23) at Kyle Field. ESPN named him to its Freshman All-American team.
GigEm247 begins its spring series of previews of football positions with a look at the quarterback. While Weigman owns most of the spotlight, we’re also evaluating some of the options behind him. The Aggies begin spring football on March 20, with the spring game scheduled for April 15.
DEPARTURES
Haynes King | Played six games last season. Completed 104 of 187 (55.6%) passes for 1,220 yards and seven touchdowns; 29 carries for 83 yards and a score.
Eli Stowers | Played in two games last season. Didn’t record statistics.
RETURNING PLAYERS
Red Shirt Junior Max Johnson | Played four games last season. Completed 43 of 71 (60.6%) passes for 517 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions; four carries for 29 yards.
second grader Conner Weigman | Played in five games last season. Completed 73 of 132 (55.3%) passes for 896 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions; five carries for 22 yards.
NEW ARRIVE
Newcomer arriving in June Marcel Reed | Played 13 senior games for Nashville, Tenn. Montgomery Bell Academy last season. Completed 147 of 250 (58.8%) passes for 2,198 yards and 27 touchdowns with seven interceptions; 146 carries for 944 yards and 15 points. Four-star recruit, #20 quarterback in the class of 2023, according to 247Sports.
PROJECTS TWO DEPTH DEPTH MAP FOR 2023
1. Wiegman
2.Johnson
It would be quite a surprise if the fall two depth depth map didn’t look like this. Weigman blitzed enough last season, can make virtually any throw on the field, and has the highest ceiling. Johnson could be one of the better backup quarterbacks in the SEC with his 18-game starting experience and safer, more reliable style.
SPRING OUTLOOK
A&M replaces former offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey with Bobby Petrine This offseason will not affect any position other than quarterback. The differences in how the offense will look and how the quarterbacks will be managed under Petrino is arguably the biggest storyline of the spring.
Whether Weigman will also emerge from spring as the undisputed starter will be worth watching. While Weigman is confidently forecast as a 2023 starter, he has yet to technically establish himself as the #1 option. He only started last season after King and Johnson suffered injuries.
And as an Aggie trainer Jimbo Fischer When he has quarterback competitions, he usually doesn’t announce a starter until a few weeks before the season. Of course, Fisher may simply choose to name Weigman as a starter when he speaks to local reporters later this month.
Johnson, who is pushing Weigman for the starting job this spring, seems highly unlikely, but it can’t be completely ruled out. A&M might want to take a closer look at Johnson given his limited sample size last season. The sophomore transfer from LSU played a game fewer than Weigman due to injury.
LONG-TERM OUTLOOK
Nothing has held A&M back more than the post-Johnny Manziel quarterback position. The Aggies have not made the top 30 since finishing 20th in the 2014/15 season and have been outside the top 60 in seven of the last eight seasons.
Weigman has the potential to be a game-changing quarterback, and he could be an answer for the Aggies in the short and long term. He could potentially be their starting quarterback for the next three seasons, or two seasons if he gets the NFL draft a year early.
Featuring a talented cast that also includes wide receivers Evan Stewart, Moose Muhammad III And Ainias Smith, Weigman will be well positioned to succeed. Not to mention, Petrino has a long track record of developing quarterbacks into draft picks.
Who will ultimately succeed Weigman remains a mystery. Johnson has three seasons left of eligibility, but he makes more sense in the top backup role. There’s also more to learn about Reed and AJ Maddox’s verbal commitment in 2024. The Aggies could also add another quarterback in the 2024 class.