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Texas A&M Aggies' Marcel Reed to Start vs. Arkansas in Final Southwest Classic

Marcel Reed will start his third straight game for the Texas A&M Aggies, raising the stakes even higher for the final Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium.

Matt Guzman

Sep 21, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) looks to pass the ball during the first quarter against the Bowling Green Falcons at Kyle Field.
Sep 21, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) looks to pass the ball during the first quarter against the Bowling Green Falcons at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
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ARLINGTON, Tx. — Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman will go another year without a Southwest Classic.

Ahead of kickoff at AT&T Stadium for what's set to be the final Southwest Classic, the Aggies released their final injury report — newly mandated by the SEC — which has Weigman downgraded to out.

As a result, Marcel Reed, who's been the No. 1 option for Texas A&M since the second half of its game against McNeese State, will get the start, marking his third straight.

Other injuries for the Maroon & White include Rueben Owens, Tyreek Chappell, Mark Nabou Jr. and T.J. Shanahan.

To begin the season, the Aggies' quarterback situation wasn't expected to play out in such fashion, but between Weigman's continued healing process and Reed's solid play, it seems the Aggies aren't in a rush to get their named starter back on the field.

"Conner is going to be listed as day-to-day and week-to-week," Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said back when the Aggies nabbed a win on the road against the Florida Gators. "We'll continue to manage the quarterback room in the same manner that we have and play the guy we feel gives us the best chance to win."

Right now, that seems to be Reed.

So, on the biggest stage of the season thus far the Aggies will take the field against a familiar opponent looking to rally behind a quarterback who's becoming increasingly familiar with the scheme and the expectation he's being held to.

If it doesn't work out, there will certainly be a storyline to follow before a highly-ranked Missouri Tigers squad heads to College Station. If it does, Reed just might keep riding high — though that's a maybe.

Suddenly, the stakes for the Aggies just got higher.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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