Texas A&M can survive the loss of Conner Weigman, only if it can protect Max Johnson

Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman went from being day-to-day to out for the season with a foot injury he suffered just before halftime in the win over Auburn on Saturday, leaving fans across Aggie Land to shake their head and say, ‘Here we go again.’ 

Maybe not?

The Aggies have the luxury of having one of the most experienced backups in the country, so with Max Johnson now under center their season shouldn’t go up in smoke. Let’s not fire Jimbo Fisher just yet. 

Still, there’s no sugarcoating the loss of Weigman for Texas A&M’s offense. The former 5-star recruit raised the floor for the Aggies, showing promise late last season and looking even more comfortable in Bobby Petrino’s offense. The Aggies have a passing success rate that ranks 30th nationally in 2023 — a dramatic jump from the group that finished the season 101st in the country in 2022. 

The sophomore hasn’t been flawless this fall, and Weigman was struggling badly against the Tigers (8 of 14 at just 5.0 yards per attempt) before he got hurt, but he’d completed 69% of his passes this season and has 16 career touchdowns to just two picks. 

“He was having some pain and we did some X-rays. The MRI didn’t show anything, and we thought it was just a normal sprain,” said Fisher, explaining how they originally thought the sophomore wouldn’t be out long.

“He had some pain, so they got a CAT scan done that showed some things in there that we have to go in and fix and get done. So most likely, he’ll be out [for the year], but we feel very confident in Max [Johnson].” 

Texas A&M should feel “confident” in Johnson. Like a reliable relief pitcher, Johnson hung around and made a career of solid showings. Considering the other quarterback in the SEC in 2023, he could probably start for half the conference this year.  

Johnson actually breathed life into the Aggies’ offense Saturday, throwing two touchdowns, including a dime between two defenders to star Evan Stewart.

MAX JOHNSON THRU DOUBLE COVERAGE 🎯@AggieFootball | @MaxJohnson14 pic.twitter.com/bT4EkxPeUE

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 23, 2023

So the potential is there. 

Max Johnson’s career numbers are good. He’s thrown for over 3,000 yards with 26 touchdowns to just five picks in SEC play. 

But he’s also just 6-9 as a starter in SEC games. He’s been benched multiple times, and you know exactly what you’re getting from him — be it in 2020 or now: Johnson will reliably average around 7.1 yards per attempt, complete around 60% of his passes and not throw interceptions. 

He’s more than capable of leading Texas A&M to a win over Arkansas on Saturday. He did last season when he took over for King in the comeback against Miami and then beat the Hogs the next week. He can operate Fisher’s offense and take care of the football.

And yet, there’s a reason why Weigman was QB1 and not Max Johnson. 

TEXAS A&M’S CONCERNING RED FLAG OFFENSIVELY

For one, there’s a cap on Johnson’s ceiling. There just is. 

He was leapfrogged on the depth chart at LSU and then bypassed twice (first by Haynes King in 2022 and then by Weigman this fall) as QB1 for Texas A&M because he has limitations. 

Johnson is not an elevator, and that’s a problem for an Aggies offense that has obvious concerns around the QB. While Texas A&M has outstanding playmakers on the perimeter, the Aggies’ offensive line remains a liability. 

Considering Johnson’s lack of mobility, that’s not an ideal pairing.

Johnson doesn’t have Weigman’s arm strength, but he can mask that somewhat with his ability to get the ball out quicker and diagnose defenses faster. He’s played against all these SEC West schools, too, so he knows what to expect. 

But he can’t account for the fact that he simply doesn’t move as well in the pocket. Johnson was a quarterback who used his legs as a freshman at LSU in 2020, but that skill set has not been evident in the three seasons since — and playing behind a TAMU OL that hasn’t shown really any improvement in 2023 is a potential red siren alert. 

Weigman would hold the ball too long at times and take unnecessary hits (see: his injury), but the reason Texas A&M has allowed just seven sacks all year (No. 33 nationally) is because the sophomore could escape pressure. Conversely, Johnson has a career 9.2% sack rate per attempt, per SEC Statcat

The Aggies rank 13th in pass-blocking efficiency, per PFF. They allowed a league-worst 45% pressure rate in 2022 — and that number has only ticked down to 41% this fall. 

Arkansas is a sieve in the secondary, but the Razorbacks can get after the QB (14 sacks, No. 2 in the SEC). 

Over the five weeks, the Aggies will face Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and Ole Miss. Aside from the Gamecocks, the other four teams all rank in the Top 25 nationally in sacks. 

Max Johnson is a sustainable replacement for Conner Weigman. And on the surface, the Aggies’ offense shouldn’t go back into the gutter just because they lost their starting quarterback. 

But if their offensive line doesn’t start to show dramatic improvement, that’s not off the table, either.