Texas A&M kicks off the 2023 college football season in just under two months, and while the offseason is nearing its conclusion sooner than later, it’s time to preview what Jimbo Fisher and his staff will be working with from a roster perspective.
As arguably the most important position on any college football roster, there’s been no shortage of coverage on the Aggies’ quarterback situation, which boasts two very capable signal-callers that have made each other better through the offseason.
Returning production: Conner Weigman returns for his sophomore season after appearing in five games for the Aggies last season, having thrown for 896 yards and eight touchdowns without an interception for a 132.3 passer rating. The true freshman came in relief in Week 7 after an injury to Max Johnson forced ended his season early.
Johnson appeared in four games for the Maroon and White in 2022, throwing for 517 yards and three touchdowns without an interception for a passer rating of 135.7. The junior suffered a broken bone in his throwing hand in last season’s loss to Mississippi State, which eventually ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
Departures: Former starting quarterback Haynes King entered the transfer portal following the 2022 season and subsequently committed to Georgia Tech in December. King started the first two games of the season last year before losing the job twice, first to Johnson after the loss to Appalachian State and then to Weigman following the team’s defeat to South Carolina.
Final Observation: Much like Jimbo Fisher avoiding an outright answer to the question of whether he or Bobby Petrino will call plays this season, you’d be remiss to try and find out whether Weigman or Johnson will start for the Aggies in 2023. Fisher has echoed that both have had a tremendous spring, and veteran leaders such as Ainias Smith have emphasized that both are worthy starters and have made each other better through spring.
So where does that leave us? Barring a surprise decision heading into the fall season, I expect Weigman to get the starting nod, with Johnson an equally qualified starter backing him up. In many ways, it gives Texas A&M one of the better quarterback rooms in the country.
While nothing is set in stone when it comes to any starting job under Jimbo Fisher, Weigman’s end-of-season momentum and chemistry with the Aggies receiving corps should give him reasonable cause to get the starting nod and subsequently help this team carry that momentum into what will hopefully be a strong start to the 2023 campaign.
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