Aggies Maroon & White Game: What to Watch For, Preview

Lots of storylines will be at play ahead of Texas A&M's 2023-24 season, with the overarching one being how the Aggies plan to rebound after a disappointing end to last year. Here are three of the main things to watch for during the Aggies' spring game.

USA Today Sports

Texas A&M fans will get their first taste of Aggie football Saturday, with the commencement of the annual Maroon & White game to kick off the 2023-24 season. 

Last season, the Aggies had their worst year under coach Jimbo Fisher, falling to six straight conference opponents before finishing on a two-game win streak. The offense proved to be a consistent struggle for Texas A&M, while the defense did what it could to salvage a seemingly unfixable year that left many fans wanting to just hit the reset button. 

Over the offseason, the Aggies welcomed a new offensive coordinator in Bobby Petrino, which left a lot of questions regarding the new system the veteran coach would likely bring to College Station. D.J. Durkin will be returning at the helm of the defense, and after adding some talent via the transfer portal, the Aggies will once again look to get back into contention with some of the SEC's top programs.

Overall, lots of speculation, questions, and concerns have been raised regarding the Aggies after a horrific season, and while plenty of those are set to be answered, these are some of the top storylines to be on the lookout for during the Aggies' spring rehearsal.

Is Conner Weigman ready to be the Aggies' go-to guy under center?

In 2021, five-star recruit Conner Weigman was set to go to Texas A&M and join its fairly extensive list of five-star quarterbacks. While the Aggies haven't exactly had the best luck when it comes to five-star quarterbacks, Weigman was supposed to be different. 

He also wasn't supposed to be needed ... yet. 

A total collapse of Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher-led offense which featured Haynes King saw injuries, interceptions, and losses build up, preventing any kind of long-term success between the two. King's decline started with a broken leg against Colorado during the 2021-22 season and later became a sheer lack of performance that led Max Johnson and later Weigman to both see starts last year for the Aggies. 

Now, a quarterback battle is set to ensue, though Weigman has seemingly earned the starting nod, should he perform to the standard. 

The young quarterback showed flashes of solid play last season, tallying close to 900 yards and eight touchdowns in five games played. To top it off, he did so without throwing an interception.  

Weigman now has his chance to bring consistency to a Texas A&M program in desperate need of a turnaround, so fans can expect to see him with plenty of reps, and ideally, they will already notice an improvement in the young quarterback's poise as he prepares to step into his new role ahead of next season.

Who will be the next man up to replace Devon Achane? 

It isn't often that a football team can say its starting running back is also an All-American track star. 

Texas A&M can, having had three years with running back Devon Achane. The 21-year-old officially declared for the NFL draft following last season, leaving lots to wonder about the future of the Aggies' running back room. 

Luckily for Texas A&M, there is a next man up. 

Five-star recruit Reuben Owens is set to see his first game action since arriving in Aggieland, and no doubt will be looking to make his presence felt right away. The incoming freshman has a similar build to Achane — being small and quick — which will provide him an advantage in terms of shiftiness and evading defenders. 

Though he is skilled, Owens will be competing with both Le'Veon Moss and Amari Daniels, two players who already have experience with Jimbo Fisher, making the starting job still up for grabs. 

Aggie fans can look forward to seeing all three backs see action Saturday and will have the opportunity to see what the difference between raw talent and experience looks like on the field early on in the season. 

How big will the transfer portal pick-ups be for the Aggies' secondary?

College football has seen an increase in offseason excitement ever since the transfer portal began to take off in popularity. 

While the Aggies have lost a few key players in the past to the portal, this year, they have taken advantage of its capabilities to better their defense. 

Both former All-ACC cornerback Tony Grimes and four-star recruit Sam McCall are headed to College Station next season, providing a big boost for the Aggies' secondary that struggled all of last season. 

Texas A&M ranked in the bottom three teams in the SEC in total sacks and dead last in interceptions made, giving opposing offenses an easy way to score. 

Grimes and McCall will join the Aggies' team leader in pass deflections from a season ago, Tyreek Chappell, as a part of a revamped secondary for D.J. Durkin. Rounding out the secondary will be "top senior" safety Demani Richardson, along with Jardin Gilbert, who was responsible for half of his team's interceptions.

Aggie fans will get a chance to watch their team's new secondary and see firsthand how big of an impact the transfer portal can have on a secondary in need of change. 

Texas A&M's Maroon & White Game will be streamed on ESPN+ starting at 3:00 p.m.

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