ESPN's Pete Thamel explains how Conner Weigman's 'statement' game impacted Texas A&M's QB controversy

Conner Weigman returned as the starting quarterback after three games out for Texas A&M. It was a big play by his program and for him but was one that paid off in the end according to Pete Thamel.

Thamel assessed the quarterback scenario for the Aggies during the ‘College GameDay Podcast’ on Monday. With how Marcel Reed had been playing, the team could have stayed with him as their starter over Weigman. Instead, their approach made it pretty clear that he will continue to be their QB1.

“It sort of jump-started an interesting decision for Mike Elko. Marcel Reed was a good player. He led them in three games. Conner Weigman has been a good player at Texas A&M,” Thamel noted. “You could see that there was a debate. It wasn’t a no-brainer decision for A&M to bring him back and start him.”

“Them sort of quickly inserting him, making him a game-time, and going, I think, saved a bunch of debate, right. Now I think it’s pretty obvious that they’re going to roll with Weigman,” said Thamel. “It was a bit of a risk, to be honest, you know. If they sputtered on offense again and then went to Reed then you have like a full-blown quarterback controversy.”

Again, Texas A&M was 3-0 with Reed as he went 38-68 (55.9%) for 514 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions while running for 187 yards and two more scores. That pressed on Weigman’s position and could have coerced the Aggies to stick with him.

Weigman came back and quieted that conversation completely, though. He went 18-22 (81.8%) for 276 yards against Missouri on Saturday. While he didn’t throw a touchdown, it was more than efficient enough in a 41-10 win over the Tigers.

Thamel acknowledged him for that stat line considering how his collegiate career has gone and could have continued to go had he not played well.

“Credit to Conner Weigman, who you have to feel for, right. Comes in as this ballyhooed five-star, you know, and just has never been able to have a consistent period of health so we can really see, you know, how talented he is,” said Thamel. “I think that must have been his best career game, right. I didn’t go study the rest of them but that was as good of a statement game as he has had.”

Reed definitely made it a discussion and provided a lot of promise in what he could be for them in the future. However, in the present, Weigman is fully reinstated down in College Station.