Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman Continues To Work Back From Injury In Spring Practice

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman wants to earn the starting job once more as he fights back from a season-ending foot injury.

Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman (15) in / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Conner Weigman is committed to Texas A&M football. That was evident when the two-sport athlete decided to commit to the gridiron over the baseball field despite being a top prospect in both sports.

But after Jimbo Fisher was fired following two years of underwhelming results, Weigman had options. He wasn't promised the starting job under new coach Mike Elko. He also was coming off a season-ending foot injury, thus opening the door for either Jaylen Henderson or Marcel Reed to compete for first-team reps.

Weigman, a five-star talent at Bridgeland High in Cypress, wanted to be an Aggie. He wanted to play his college ball in front of 100,000-plus fans at Kyle Field before representing the Maroon and White in the pros.

Sep 16, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman (15) / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

His attitude and commitment to the program won over Elko before spring practice even began. Now, he's winning over the coaching staff with each pass in practice.

“I’ve been really impressed with his grit,” new A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein said Wednesday. “In coming off an injury like he has, in pushing through it and pushing himself through the recovery. He’s a very instinctual football player who has a great feel for space.

"He does a nice job buying time in the pocket and still being able to deliver the ball under duress when things aren’t perfect around him.”

Weigman, who required foot surgery following Week 4's win over Auburn, still is being cautious during drills. He's back on the practice field, which should be viewed as a win overall, but Elko isn't rushing him back taking a hit or even maneuvering outside the pocket.

He's back in the saddle. Good. That's the start A&M fans are looking for. And Weigman is looking to prove his value as the starting with a full season under his belt.

“Just being able to go back out there and being on the field playing the game I love, it’s truly a blessing,” Weigman said. “You don’t realize how much you love something until it’s taken away from you. I’m just excited to be back out there with my teammates and coaches.”

A promising first season wasn't the only thing taken from Weigman. The Aggies struggled to close out games behind Max Johnson and Henderson, leading to Fisher's firing in November. After Elko was hired away from Duke, offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino headed back to Arkansas.

Klein, who joined Elko after spending two years as Kansas State's offensive coordinator, was given a chance to meet with all four passers, including incumbent freshman Miles O'Neill. He will have a say in the quarterback room moving forward, but so far, Weigman's development in his accuracy has made it easy for him to remain the starter.

“It’s been fun getting to know him and getting to know each other through this process," said Klein.

If Weigman is the version of himself that he was for 14 quarters in 2023, A&M is in great shape for a new era of football. In Week 1's win over New Mexico, the five-star threw five touchdown passes. Two weeks later, he completed 86.2 percent of his passes and threw for 337 yards against Louisiana-Monroe.

That's the version Klein envisions running his offense this fall, even if he's still going through growing pains of the injury.

“He’s trying to do as much as possible,” Klein said of Weigman. “We’re all trying to do as much as possible to accelerate the growth curve, and every rep matters and everyday matters. We’re trying to maximize every one that we get.”

Weigman wanted to be the reason the Aggies were in the contender column. He wanted to be a reason as to why A&M hoisted its first conference title in over two decades. Transferring was never an option for him.

Even though College Station is roughly an hour away from Weigman's family, the sophomore considers it home.

"Everything you need to be successful is right here at Texas A&M," Weigman said. "I wanted to be able to be here and play with the guys that I came in with that are still here, and to able to do that next year is gonna be a lot of fun.”