Aggies QB Conner Weigman Is Just Getting Started Entering SEC Play
Most players find ways to relax when leading by five touchdowns, but Conner Weigman is unlike most players.
Ask players on Texas A&M's roster and they'll all say the same thing. He's attentive to every play. He's locked in snap by snap. There's no time for laughter or joy, even when the game feels out of reach.
“I haven’t seen him try to joke around. Even at the end of the game, he was making sure people were staying in the game and encouraging everybody,” senior receiver Ainais Smith said. “He’s just a great leader.”
Weigman, the sophomore standout who won the starting job over Max Johnson following a promising finish in a lost 5-7 campaign, is a massive reason why A&M looks to be turning the corner on offense. He's a staple of what new coordinator Bobby Petrino is trying to build in College Station.
And he's likely the x-factor Saturday morning between a win and loss against Auburn. His success at Kyle Field certainly played a role in making the Aggies a touchdown-favorite over the Tigers.
Weigman, a former five-star prospect who grew up in Cypress and starred at Bridgeland, hasn't faced off against a Hugh Freeze-led team before. That doesn't mean he hasn't taken on Auburn.
Last season at Jordan-Hare Stadium, both offenses struggled to find balance in the passing attack. A late 16-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Preston put A&M down by three with minutes left on the clock, but the onside kick didn't go as planned, leading to a 13-10 loss
For Weigman, it only marked his second start. For the Aggies (2-1, 0-0 SEC) it marked their sixth consecutive loss, marking the longest losing streak for the program in five decades.
“My head was spinning last year trying to figure out what was going on,” Weigman said.
Wegman, who finished with 125 passing yards and a score, was shorthanded weapons. Smith, a security blanket for the young passer, was out for the season with a lower leg injury. De'Von Achane was out due to an ankle injury. Not to mention, multiple players were dealing with illness or other issues during the week.
This year, it's a fair fight for the second-year passer. He's built a rapport with fellow 2022 recruits Evan Stewart and Noah Thomas, along with trusting Smith in the short game. He's taken a grasp of sixth-year coach Jimbo Fisher's teachings and has listened to advice passed down by Petrino.
“Each week there’s a lot of things [he improves] and just his knowledge and picking things up and how quick he’s doing it just gets better and better and better, and his efficiency goes up,” Fisher said.
It's still early in his tenure, but Weigman seems to be the answer to the quarterback conundrum that's plagued the roster since Kellen Mond's departure in 2020. Through three games, he's completed 74 of 105 (70.5%) for 909 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. In five starts at Kyle Field dating back to his debut against Ole Miss, he's scored 14 touchdowns and has yet to have a turnover.
But it's Weigman's mentality that separates him from those who dubbed the title of QB1 before him. It's the little things like calling checkdowns before the snap or recognizing blitz packages that could make him the most dynamic playmaker to come through campus since Heisman winner Johnny Manziel.
Manziel, arguably A&M's most prominent icon, captivated the hearts of voters with upset wins over then-No. 1 Alabama and No. 12 Oklahoma en route to winning college football's most coveted award and an 11-2 record. Weigman, however, could be the reason why the Aggies claim their first SEC title.
“He’s only played in eight games. He’s got a lot of football to go, and we’ve got an SEC schedule to go and a lot of things left to do,” said Fisher. “But I love where he’s at. I love his demeanor … and his disposition. He’s a competitor, and it (comes) natural."
Auburn (3-0, 0-0 SEC) remains untested up to this point. Sure, the Tigers are undefeated, but they needed a fourth-quarter interception and a touchdown pass by Payton Thorne in Week 2 to defeat Cal, which hasn't finished with a winning record since 2019.
Thorne, a junior transfer from Michigan State who joined the program following spring football in East Lansing, is still adapting to the offense led by first-year coordinator Phillip Montgomery. Weigman, who spent the spring learning under Petrino, already has adjusted to the up-tempo, high-rising passing attack.
Even in a loss to Miami, Weigman impressed teammates with his determination to fight back. More importantly, the version that's scored 40-plus points in wins over New Mexico and Louisiana-Monroe is still a work in progress.
According to Fisher, he's made up of the proper stuff.
“He’s learning, and he doesn’t mind getting coached, and he doesn’t mind getting coached hard. When he makes mistakes, he admits to them. … He’s got the right DNA.”
