Ahead of HC Mike Elko’s first season at the helm, Texas A&M is ranked in the Top 18 in Bill Connelly’s (ESPN) returning production rankings.
Texas A&M Football is entering a new era under head coach Mike Elko, as his inaugural 2024 season is now just seven months away, and Aggie fans couldn’t be more excited to see what he can bring to the job.
While A&M’s 2024 schedule avoids the likes of Alabama and Ole Miss for the first time since entering the SEC more than a decade ago, it’s the wealth of returning production, including gaining 22 players through the transfer portal over the last two months.
On Monday, ESPN’s Bill Connelly released his annual SP+ ratings rankings (subscription required) for the 2024 college football season, as the creator of one of the more accurate returning production models has the Aggies ranked 18th out of 134 FBS teams. According to Connelly, A&M leads the SEC with a returning production rate of 72% and an offensive (77%) and defensive (67%) return rating ranked 22nd and 35th in the country.
As noted in the article, the Aggies’ incoming transfers count in the returning production rating, led by former Purdue Edge Nic Scourton, who led the Big 10 in sacks (10) during the 2023 season.
To clarify things, here is how each position group will potentially look ahead of the spring football season starting next month.
Billy Liucci gives a rundown on why he thinks Conner Weigman can make a big jump this next season.
Texas A&M’s 2024 football season will come with a lot of a lot of question marks. However, outside of the defensive line, the quarterback room is the other position group with immense talent. While the actual game experience might be lacking, signal callers Conner Weigman, Jaylon Henderson, and Marcel Reed all showed the ability to make plays in the hybrid Jimbo Fisher/Bobby Petrino play-calling system last season.
While the competition in the spring will be interesting to watch, Weigman still holds the QB1 sport, with the backup position being an under-the-radar battle to keep an eye on. Billy Liucci of TexAgs recently gave us his insight into why he believes Weigman will make a big jump this next season.
We can get our first look at Conner in Collin Klein’s offense and what we can expect from this team during the spring scrimmage on April 20th.
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“The doctor called a couple of days ago. He looked at my CT scans and said the bones were all healed. It was good to get cleared from him.”
Texas A&M junior quarterback Conner Weigman was recently cleared to play after suffering a season-ending foot injury in Week 4 of the 2023 season.
Weigman chatted with Billy Liucci of TexAgs this week about a variety of topics, including his rehabilitation and the new era under head coach Mike Elko and his staff.
“Rehab has been good so far,” Weigman told TexAgs. “The doctor called a couple of days ago. He looked at my CT scans and said the bones were all healed. It was good to get cleared from him. We just need to start working with the training staff now and itās about getting back to feeling like myself again.
“Itās exciting to be back with the team and do the same workouts with the guys. Being on the side by myself was pretty tough because I couldnāt be with my teammates and in the fire with them. Iām excited about being back with them and getting the ball rolling again.”
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QB @ConnerWeigman details his rehab progress ahead of spring ball š
“The new regime is not playing around. I love it. Thereās discipline in the little details. The little things matter because they all add up. Itās cool to see how itās all coming together quickly,” Weigman said. “The portal transfers came out to be something like 28 guys. It has been cool. I try to eat breakfast every day with a new guy to try and build that bond and build that brotherhood. I remember how I felt when I first got here, so I just try to reach out to them.
“Iāve already been talking to the new defensive backs because I want to see what theyāve got. The competition at practice is going to be something and Iām looking forward to it.”
Weigman seems to be gelling with his new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach as well.
“Working with Collin Klein has been cool because he played the position at a high level. Just a few years ago, he was in the Heisman race with Johnny Manziel,” Weigman recalled. “Klein is a younger guy, so heās in tune with all the new-age stuff. Heās fun to sit and talk to about football. I remember watching him play in 2012.”
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āI feel like I can go for 50 catches and I want to get past that 1,000-yard mark,” Barber admitted. “I know I have to put in a lot of work.”
Texas A&M senior wide receiver Jabre Barber has been an Aggie for just over a week but he’s already formed a lofty goal for the upcoming season in College Station.
Barber chose Texas A&M in the NCAA Transfer Portal on Jan. 5. This week he spoke with Carter Karels, the Aggies beat writer for 247Sports, about his plans for the 2024 campaign.
āThere is not a guaranteed role. It is about coming in and being your best. I know I am up to compete,” Barber told Karels. āI can be versatile. I can play in the slot, as well as the outside, motion out of the backfield. Or as a wide receiver, motioning over and pulling me to the end to where I can just work as a 1-on-1 player between me and the DB. I can be all over the field, not just in the slot. I can do more than that and show my versatility.ā
Barber is 5-foot-10, 174 pounds and was a 2-star prospect coming out of Dothan High School in Alabama. He took a redshirt year in 2020 after appearing in three games at Troy.
Over the last three years, Barber has racked up the statistics for the Trojans. In 32 games, he tallied 132 receptions for 1,674 yards and 10 touchdowns. A majority of those numbers came this past year. During the 2023 season, he recorded 75 catches for 999 yards and 5 scores, just barely falling short of 1K.
āWhen I got into the locker room and looked at my phone ā I am in a group chat with my close buddies. They were telling me, āYou had 999 yards. You were one yard short.ā I am just like, āWhoa, what?'” Barber recalled. āI feel like I can go for 50 catches and I want to get past that 1,000-yard mark. I know I have to put in a lot of work. But I have a lot of belief in myself that I can do that and prove to my quarterback, Conner Weigman, that he can trust me to throw me the ball.ā
Barber explained to Karels that associate head coach and running backs coach, Trooper Taylor, made a significant impact in his decision to play home games at Kyle Field.
āSitting down and talking with the coaches, it started to feel a little bit like home,ā Barber said. āThe Duke coach, coach Trooper, he talked to me a lot. He made me feel like home a little bit more. So that is what made me a little more comfortable, how they made me feel welcome.ā
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USA Today college sports reporter Paul Myberg released his 2023 season grades for all 133 Football Bowl Subdivision teams on Wednesday morning and the grade he gave Texas A&M is harsh, to say the least.
USA Today college sports reporter Paul Myberg released his 2023 season grades for all 133 Football Bowl Subdivision teams on Wednesday morning and the grade he gave Texas A&M is harsh, to say the least.
The Aggies were 1-of-12 teams that Myberg gave a solid D to. Texas A&M (7-6) had the second-most wins in the group, only trailing USC (8-5). However, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and consensus No. 1 overall pick was not under center at Kyle Field this season.
Former head coach Jimbo Fisher was fired on Nov. 12, hours after the Aggies smashed Mississippi State by a final score of 51-10. At that point, Texas A&M was 6-4 overall with three of its losses against ranked teams: No. 11 Alabama, No. 19 Tennessee & No. 11 Ole Miss. The other defeat came in Week 2 at Miami.
Whether or not Fisher should’ve been dismissed is an argument for another day. The overall point is that a D grade is a bit harsh in my opinion. If the Aggies were still in high school, that would be considered a passing grade.
Texas A&M is a university though and to say the 2023 season was a complete failure is inaccurate. The Aggies lost their starting quarterback, sophomore Conner Weigman, in Week 4 to a season-ending foot injury.
Even after firing its leader, Texas A&M completed the campaign with a winning record. So to say the season was a complete failure is inaccurate. In my opinion, the Aggies should’ve received a C- for what they overcame during 2023.
Nevertheless, the Mike Elko era is officially underway and everyone in Aggieland is moving on to greener pastures in 2024.
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Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman has come a long way in the eyes of betters in Las Vegas as he has sky-rocketed up the Heisman Trophy odds.
Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman has come a long way in the eyes of betters in Las Vegas as he has sky-rocketed up the 2024 Heisman Trophy odds.
Entering his sophomore season in 2023, Weigman had (+10000) odds to hoist the most prestigious award in college football according to Draft Kings. After playing in four games for the Aggies this past season, he has cracked the top five of the way-too-early 2024 Heisman odds per FanDuel.
The incoming junior is now tied for fifth alongside three other quarterbacks with (+1800) odds. The other signal-callers include Michigan senior J.J. McCarthy, Oklahoma sophomore Jackson Arnold and Tennesee sophomore Nico Iamaleava.
Three quarterbacks are tied for the best odds at (+750): Texas redshirt junior Quinn Ewers, Alabama redshirt junior Jalen Milroe and Georgia redshirt senior Carson Beck. Oregon graduate transfer Dillon Gabriel sits alone with the fourth-best odds at (+1000).
Weigman is certainly the favorite to start under center for Texas A&M in the first season of the Mike Elko regime. However, he’ll have competition in camp from junior Jaylen Henderson and true sophomore Marcel Reed.
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The towering 6-foot-4, 330-pound Aggies offensive lineman announced via X on Tuesday afternoon that he recently had a successful procedure.
Texas A&M sophomore left guard Kam Dewberry announced via X on Tuesday afternoon that he recently had a successful procedure, though the specifics behind said surgery remains unknown.
The towering 6-foot-4, 330-pound Aggies offensive lineman was a 4-star recruit in 2021 coming out of Atascocita High School in Humble, Texas. As an underclassman in 2019, he was named a Sophomore All-American by MaxPreps after receiving a first-team all-district selection.
Dewberry appeared in seven games and made five starts in 2022 during his true freshman campaign. He earned the Aggie Offensive Top Newcomer award and was named a Freshman All-American by The Athletic. This past season, Dewberry played in all 12 games for Texas A&M.
With two of three potential starting quarterbacks, sophomores Jaylen Henderson &Ā Conner Weigman, also returning from respective successful surgeries, having Dewberry healthy for the 2024 season will be key for head coach Mike Elko and offensive line coach Adam Cushing. Whether everyone is ready to go by August is to be seen.
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Back in November, sophomore quarterback Jaylen Henderson said he was “ready to work” under new head coach Mike Elko and his staff in 2024.
Back in November, Texas A&M sophomore quarterback Jaylen Henderson said he was “ready to work” under new head coach Mike Elko and his staff for the 2024 season.
Despite getting injured on the first play of the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27, Henderson confirmed his proclamation on Wednesday morning. Per a report from On3 Sports college sports business & transfer portal reporter Pete Nakos, the superb sophomore will not be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal and intends to play again for the Aggies later this year, according to the A&P Agency.
Henderson suffered a humerus fracture to his right, non-throwing arm during a 31-23 loss against No. 20 Oklahoma State. He had a “very successful surgery” on Dec. 29. True freshman Marcel Reed took over for Henderson and accomplished history along the way.
If everyone is healthy by training camp, there will be a three-horse race to become the Texas A&M starting signal caller between Henderson, Reed and sophomore Conner Weigman.
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After Wednesday’s 2024 SEC schedule release, Texas A&M now knows how things line up and what quarterbacks they’ll face.
Texas A&M’s 2024 college football schedule has been released in its entirety, and outside of knowing the times for each matchup, Aggie fans can start to make their plans ahead of the first division-less SEC slate.
Even more important, this will be the inaugural season for the 12-team College Football Playoffs, as the field has finally expanded, providing the Aggies a legitimate shot at reaching the tournament for the first time in program history.
Amid new head coach Mike Elko’s first season at the helm, the ever-growing transfer portal, coupled with several de-commits in the 2024 cycle, have hampered the Aggie’s offseason momentum, but this is expected amid a regime change, and Elko is already beginning to add productive players from the portal this month.
Looking ahead to the position matchups next season, Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman should have the advantage over most of the defenses the Aggies face. After the news that Arkansas signal-caller K.J Jefferson will enter the transfer portal, the list of elite QB competition on the schedule shrinks, especially with LSU Heisman-winning QB Jayden Daniels departing for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Still, with Texas and Oklahoma entered into the conference, Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers, who will return next season, will definitely be a problem to end the year in the Lone Star Showdown. Oh, and for the first time since entering the SEC in 2012, Texas A&M will avoid Alabama and Ole Miss, which includes quarterback Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart.
Here are the Top 5 quarterbacks Texas A&M will face during the 2024 college football season.
Texas A&M starting QB Conner Weigman revealed his excitement to get to work under head coach Mike Elko in his recent TexAgs interview.
Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman is, by far, the most important player on the roster going into the beyond critical 2024 season, as new Aggies head coach Mike Elko will enter his first full season at the helm.
After the firing of now-former head coach Jimbo Fisher, Weigman’s future in Aggieland was realistically never in doubt, as his previous relationship with Elko during his time as A&M’s defensive coordinator from 2018-2021, helping recruit the former five-star signal caller in 2022.
After just four starts during the 2023 season, Weigman, who had already passed for 979 yards, eight touchdowns, and only two interceptions, sustained a season-ending lower-body injury just minutes before halftime amid the Aggies’ 27-10 win over Auburn back on Sept. 23.
Still sticking around the sidelines during the rest of the season, Weigman is now in the rehabbing stage after a successful surgery and is poised to return to spring football in the next couple of months if all goes well. Providing fans more clarity, Weigman joined TexAgs’ Billy Liucci on Friday for a 12-minute interview to discuss his return and his excitement to play under a familiar face in Mike Elko.
“I was excited because I’ve known coach Elko for a while, I played baseball with Mikey (Mike Elko’s son Michael), he was with the team when I was being recruited here, and just a really cool, down-to-earth guy, and it’s cool to see him back in Aggieland.”
While Elko has made several staff changes, including the dismissal of offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, an announcement regarding Petrino’s replacement should be coming sooner or later. Still, as of now, everything is based on speculation.
However, Elko has already gained the trust of Weigman and the rest of the offense, as whoever is deemed to become the Aggies’ new OC will hopefully bring a wealth of explosiveness to the offense in 2024. As Liucci noted his excitement that the offense will have a clean slate to work from, he asked Conner just how pumped he is on a scale of 1-10:
“I’m at a 10. All of us offensive guys are, and we trust him to make a good hire, and that’s what he’s preached to us that he’ll go get a really good guy and put us in a good position to succeed.”
As usual, Liucci and the rest of the TexAgs staff cleared up yet another rumor regarding the ongoing transfer portal chaos, so no matter what happens next, knowing that one of the most talented quarterbacks in the country will be back on his Aggie redemption tour next season is undoubtedly a sight for sore eyes. Here is the full interview:
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