No. 10 Texas A&M is currently 7-1 and 5-0 in SEC play after mounting one of the more impressive comebacks in program history against LSU, defeating the Tigers 38-23 after trailing 17-7 at halftime.
However, none of this was miraculous, as first-year head coach Mike Elko opted to go with redshirt freshman quarterback Marcel Reed to replace struggling starting QB Conner Weigman. This led to five consecutive scoring drives, including three rushing touchdowns for Reed, who was virtually unstoppable in the second half.
Heading into Week 10, Elko revealed on Monday that he will not decide which quarterback will start against South Carolina on the road until this week’s practice is complete, as the Aggies will prepare for yet another primetime matchup on ABC, facing a Gamecocks defense that recently demolished Oklahoma on the road.
While this is both strategic and based on the hope that Weigman will work out the various issues that led to his 6/18 showing, former Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel provided his own opinion on the matter during his weekly appearance on Action Network’s BBOC podcast
A notable fan of Reed’s playing style, Manziel feels that the dual-threat signal caller is the hot hand that should stay in the driver’s seat until further notice:
“I think it would be really hard right now to go away from Marcel Reed and the energy and vibe that he brought to that team on Saturday,” Manziel stated.
However, the Aggie legend also noted that having two quarterbacks with different skill sets is an obvious advantage, especially if Weigman reestablishes his footwork and accuracy that led to his efficient passing day in the Aggies’ Week 6 win over Missouri.
“Right now, I would anticipate on Saturday Marcel Reed being the guy,” Manziel stated. “But it definitely is nice having the option to be able to go back and forth. You obviously have a very capable guy in Conner Weigman as well, and you don’t want to get to the point where Texas A&M is too one-dimensional and having to rely on running the football too much.”
You can catch Johnny Manziel on the BBOC YouTube channel every Monday and Friday.
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