Aggies Unveil Rosters For Maroon And White Game
COLLEGE STATION -- Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher believes the best way to measure talent is by having "good on good" competition. Expect to see plenty of that at Kyle Field Saturday afternoon.
The Maroon and White teams for A&M's annual spring game have been separated by first-team personnel. The Maroon team, led by first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino and a majority of the offensive coaching staff, heavily features potential offensive starters. The White team, coached by second-year defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, predominantly features key players from last season's defense.
Both Conner Weigman and Max Johnson are listed as quarterbacks for the Maroon team, meaning they'll split reps working with the first-team offense instead of on opposing sides. Both passers started at least three games last season and look to be neck-and-neck in the bout for the title of QB1.
"Max and Conner are awesome," senior tight end Max Wright said during his media session Wednesday. "Those guys push each other every single day. It's always beneficial when you have two guys who are as selfless as they are in the same program and who are always willing to push each other, hoping that the best guy is going to play for the program."
Weigman, a former five-star prospect from Cypress (texas), started four of the five final games last season en route to a 5-7 finish. He threw for 898 yards and eight touchdowns, including tossing four TDs in his first start against Ole Miss.
Johnson, a redshirt junior, took over for Haynes King in Week 3 against Miami. A former starter at LSU, Johnson threw for 517 yards and three TDs in three games before suffering a season-ending hand injury in Week 5 against Mississippi State.
Fisher, who enters his sixth season in College Station, said all positions — including quarterback — would be up for grabs throughout spring and summer practice. Both Weigman and Johnson have taken first-team reps throughout the allotted 15 practices this spring under the direction of Petrino.
The Maroon team also features receivers Evan Stewart, Ainias Smith, and Moose Muhammad III, running backs Amari Daniels and Le'Veon Moss, and tight end Jake Johnson.
A&M's defense finished with mixed results in 2022. While the Aggies posted the FBS' No. 1 pass defense in the nation, they also allowed teams to average 21.2 points per game. A&M also finished 14th among all SEC programs in run defense, holding opponents to a whopping 209 yards per game on the ground.
While A&M will need to replace the veteranship of defensive backs Antonio Johnson and Jaylon Jones, the defense as a whole is a year older and more well-versed in Durkin's zone-heavy scheme. The Aggies also returned focal contributors from a season ago, including safety Demani Richardson, linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, defensive tackle McKinley Jackson and defensive end Fadil Diggs.
A&M also added two potential replacements for Johnson and Jones in cornerback Tony Grimes (North Carolina) and Sam McCall (Florida State). Grimes, along with the four mentioned above, will headline the White roster, while McCall is listed as a player for both teams.
Other players of note on the Maroon team include cornerbacks Deuce Harmon and Tyreek Chappell, defensive linemen Albert Regis and Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, punter Nik Constantinou and kicker Randy Bond.
For the White team, several prospects to watch for include running backs Rueben Owens and Earnest Crownover, tight end Fernando Garza III, and receiver Micah Tease.
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