In most cases, if you lose your starting quarterback, for whatever length of time, panic usually follows. It’s only a natural reaction to not having the most important position player on the field.
That was the situation just before halftime on Saturday at Kyle Field, when Aggies 5-star signal-caller Conner Weigman went down with what is initially being called an ankle injury. The severity is unknown as Texas A&M looks ahead to the annual Southwest Classic against Arkansas at noon ET on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
But, unlike most situations, there was no panic on the Aggies sideline when Weigman went down. That’s because the quarterback situation at Texas A&M is not like most others. Where there’s usually quite a drop off between the starter and backup, that’s just not the case in College Station.
That’s not to say that in time, a healthy Weigman couldn’t develop into elite status and separate himself from not only his own backup but every other quarterback in the SEC. That’s the expectation anyway.
But Saturday was only Weigman’s 9th game of his collegiate career. He hasn’t had time yet to hone his skills into the player most anticipate he will become.
And remember, Weigman was in a battle just to win the starting job up until the season opener. All that to say this: If Weigman is the Aggies’ 1A, then backup QB Max Johnson is 1B. And the way Johnson came in to spark the offense on Saturday, maybe even 1AA, if that’s a thing.
Johnson certainly isn’t your average, everyday backup quarterback.
He’s a veteran.
This is his 4th season, though he’s still classified as a redshirt sophomore.
He threw 523 passes over 2 seasons at LSU before his transfer to Aggieland. He fired 35 touchdown passes while at LSU, including the late-4th-quarter dagger that beat the Aggies, 27-24, in the 2021 classic at Tiger Stadium.
As a freshman at LSU, Johnson appeared in 6 games, starting 2. He rallied the Tigers to back-to-back victories over Florida and Ole Miss to close out the 2020 season. He earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors after throwing for 239 yards and 3 TDs in that 37-34 upset of the No. 10 Gators in Gainesville.
Not bad for his 1st career start.
He was LSU’s starting quarterback for all 12 games of the 2021 season, throwing for 2,814 yards and 27 touchdowns.
No, Johnson isn’t your typical 2nd-stringer. He’s played this role before. He’s been both starter and backup.
“I was in these situations last year; the year before that at LSU,” Johnson said. “I’ve been in a lot of situations. I feel like I have learned from everything that I’ve been and gone through. I was ready for the moment.”
He was indeed, throwing for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns in just over 2 quarters while turning a 6-3 dogfight with Auburn into a 27-10 laugher. It was his 1st multiple-TD passing game as an Aggie, and 1 of those TDs went to his brother, Jake Johnson, who completed a 22-yard scoring play for his 1st career touchdown.
Johnson completed 7 of 11 passes with 0 interceptions. Since transferring to Texas A&M, Johnson has thrown 102 passes without a pick.
So, fear not Aggieland, while Weigman rehabs the ankle, the team can still press forward with Max Johnson at the controls. Saturday’s performance earned Johnson a QB rating of 217.57. For reference, USC’s Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy last season with a QB rating of 223.07.
Johnson will need another big game this Saturday to offset KJ Jefferson’s high-flying Razorbacks offense and continue the Aggies’ recent dominance in the series. Texas A&M has won 10 of the past 11 Southwest Classic showdowns.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
