Max Johnson, Conner Weigman dish on their reactions to the offseason coordinator change

The biggest storyline coming out of College Station this offseason revolves around playcalling. Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher will be handing the duties off to Bobby Petrino, hiring the former Arkansas State head coach to be the offensive coordinator. Petrino knows Fisher is ultimately the boss but he will be in charge when it comes to plays on Saturdays.

Petrino was in town for spring practice, getting acclimated with the Texas A&M quarterback room. But it’s now go-time with fall camp getting underway. The Aggies desperately need a bounce-back season and Petrino could make the difference. Him meshing well with starting quarterback Conner Weigman is critical.

Thankfully for Texas A&M, Weigman feels like the process is going well.

“I really didn’t know what to expect,” Weigman said. “There were a lot of rumors of a bunch of different names. I guess just trying to control what I can control, coming in and working my butt off each and every day. What happens, happens.

“I feel like it worked out for the best.”

In just five games as a true freshman, Weigman threw for 896 yards, eight touchdowns, and no interceptions. His best performance of the season came at Kyle Field against Ole Miss where a majority of his stats come from. The Aggies wound up losing but saw promising things from the young quarterback.

There is a sense of hope surrounding the program with Weigman starting and Petrino calling plays. A potential breath of fresh air could help overturn the 5-7 record from a year ago. Maybe Texas A&M could be considered a dark horse candidate to win the SEC.

Weigman might be going through his first collegiate coaching change but presumed backup quarterback Max Johnson is a pro at this point. He revealed Petrino will be his fourth offensive coordinator, split between Texas A&M and his time at LSU. The process is not anything new to him, with Petrino doing a “good job” thus far.

“I’ve had to go through it pretty much four times,” Johnson said. “This is my fourth one. I’ve been able to take it one day at a time and kind of focus on what I have learned in the past. Whoever is coming in, I have been able to research them and learn about them. Coach Petrino has done a good job of teaching us his system and how we’re going to go about that.”