The quarterback situation at Texas A&M is heating up after the Aggies' recent victory over LSU.
Head coach Mike Elko made waves when he decided to replace Conner Weigman with freshman Marcel Reed at halftime, and it’s safe to say that move paid off. Reed’s energy on the field completely turned the game around, helping the Aggies come from behind to win. Now, fans are wondering what’s next for the quarterback position.
After the game, Elko had a lot of positive things to say about Reed.
“You saw in his performance how he has handled the last couple of weeks... He handles the offense the way we want him to," he said via TexAgs.
It’s pretty clear that Elko saw something in Reed that made him confident to throw the freshman into such a big moment. And his legs? They were key.
Mike Elko on Marcel Reed: "You saw in his performance how he has handled the last couple weeks... He handles the offense the way we want him to."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 27, 2024
"We get two QBs ready always... We never pulled back on what we were doing with him."
“We needed to run the ball, and we needed Marcel’s legs,” Elko said.
But Elko was quick to make it known that it wasn’t all on Weigman. LSU’s defense was giving them fits, and the coach emphasized, “They were doing a good job of mixing up coverage. There were not a lot of open windows. It certainly wasn’t all on Conner.” It sounds like Elko is still keeping faith in his starting QB, despite the rough performance.
As for the team’s future, Elko isn’t tipping his hand just yet. “We get two QBs ready always... We never pulled back on what we were doing with him [Reed],” Elko explained.
Mike Elko: "They were doing a good job of mixing up coverage. There were not a lot of open windows. It certainly wasn't all on Conner (Weigman). At halftime, you figure out what you have to do."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 27, 2024
"It didn't look like it was going in a better direction. We needed to run the ball,…
That’s sure to keep the quarterback competition alive for now, and fans are already taking sides. Some are ready to see Reed take the reins for good, while others want Weigman to have another shot.
It’s shaping up to be quite the storyline for Texas A&M as they move deeper into SEC play. No matter who starts, it’s going to be interesting to see how Elko handles this quarterback situation as the season progresses.
What's most interesting is that Texas A&M is sitting atop the SEC standings. The Aggies are now 7-1 overall and a perfect 5-0 in SEC play. They will go on the road to South Carolina next week before playing New Mexico State on November 16. The Aggies will then close out the season with a road trip to Auburn and then a home game against Texas.
If things play out the way that many believe, that rivalry game with Texas could be setting up as one of the biggest matchups of the season with a College Football Playoff berth on the line.
Of course, it's fair to ask this question: Who will be the quarterback when Texas A&M plays Texas to close out the regular season?