COLLEGE STATION -- Last season, Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher waited until the last second to name Haynes King the starting quarterback against FCS Sam Houston State.
This season, he needed two minutes to end the chatter entering game week against New Mexico.
Conner Weigman's late-season heroics carried over into the spring. The chemistry found on Saturdays in games with Evan Stewart, Moose Muhammad and others translated to success during the Maroon and White Game.
Weigman's reward? QB1 for the 2023 season. And it could be the start of something special in his A&M career. At least that's what players think.
"Conner does a good job making each angle [work]. Different throws and throws on the run," said senior safety Demani Richardson.
Weigman, who started four of A&M's final five games, could be the missing link that brings the Aggies back to the main stage. Most conversations from a national perspective are centered around the marriage of new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino and Fisher.
In retrospect, it should be on the offense as a whole, with Weigman serving as the maestro of the group. Petrino will play calls, Weigman will conduct the offense and Fisher will watch from afar, hoping that the recent changes provide a remnant of something promising for the Aggies in 2023 after a lost 5-7 season.
Programs know what type of talent Weigman can bring to an offense. He was sought after by nearly every school as a five-star talent at Bridgeland (Cypress) High. He tossed eight touchdowns against zero interceptions last season and led the Aggies to a 38-23 upset over No. 5 LSU to end the season on a high note.
And he did it with a floundering offense hindered by injuries. Must linemen missed games, forcing freshmen to grow up on the fly. Ainias Smith was out for the year. Both Stewart and Muhammad missed at least one game.
It didn't matter; Weigman made it work.
“Sometimes when you’re a freshman like he was last year him trying to help other guys … you do it, but I’ve got to take care of your own," Fisher said. "I’ve got to prove I can play out here.”
Weigman gets a clean slate with Petrino entering the building. Three years after coaching Missouri State, the former Arkansas and Louisville head coach is back at the Power 5 level.
Few question Petrino's ability to get the best play out of his offense thanks to his “feed the studs" philosophy, but it always starts under center. And the offensive mastermind has mastered a plan that often leads to promising results through the air with limited turnover.
Tyler Wilson. Ryan Mallett, Brian Brohm. Lamar Jackson. Do any of those names ring a bell?
It would be foolish to suggest Weigman runs away as the SEC's top passer en route for a trip to the Big Apple for a piece of hardware. Fans can believe that Weigman might be the best passer to lead the Aggies since Johnny Manziel was slinging it in the early 2010s.
But Fisher made it clear Weigman was the right man for the job. Perhaps he was last year as a freshman, but sometimes mistakes make one stronger.
Weigman made few last season in limited starts. He looks to make fewer as now the face of the offense.
"The main thing I've seen out of both [Weigman and Max Johnson] and the most important thing is their leadership qualities," Smith said. "They're not worried about who's winning the starting job. They just want to win. That's what you need in your quarterback: a winning mentality."
Kickoff against the Lobos is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Kyle Field.
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