Spring football couldn’t come fast enough for a Texas A&M program looking to put a disappointing 5-7 season behind it. On Saturday (3 p.m. at Kyle Field), head coach Jimbo Fisher kicks off his 6th season in College Station with the annual Maroon and White spring game.

It will serve as an interesting introduction to a new direction where Fisher is concerned, and that’s probably the biggest of a handful of storylines for the Aggies as they start the journey back to respectability.

Here are 5 of those biggest storylines for Saturday.

1. Bobby Petrino

Baggage and all, Petrino comes to Aggieland as a highly successful football coach and well-known for his prowess as a play-caller. Watching the chemistry, the communication and the rapport between Fisher and Petrino on the sideline Saturday, particularly where calling the plays is concerned, just might be more captivating than the actual game on the field.

How the 2 are able to pool their talents and move the offense in a positive direction will be critical to the success of the program for the 2023 season. If you find yourself looking toward the sideline more often than watching the action on the field, you won’t be alone. The interaction between these 2 strong-willed coaches should be fascinating.

2. QB Conner Weigman’s development

Not since Texas A&M joined the SEC has Aggieland been this excited about the potential of its quarterback. Weigman, a rising sophomore, is set to take over as the face of the program.

Let’s hope that Petrino/Fisher turns him loose on Saturday and showcases his talents. We only got a sample size last year. In 5 games, Weigman completed 55 percent of his passes for 896 yards and 8 TDs. Most impressively, Weigman threw 132 passes last season without an interception.

3. Who carries the football?

The Aggies have had a 1,000-yard rusher in each of the past 3 seasons. Will that streak continue in 2023? Amari Daniels returns as the Aggies’ most prolific running back from 2022. But the rising junior rushed for just 200 yards a year ago on 36 attempts.

Is he the answer? Freshman Le’Veon Moss carried 27 times for 114 yards last season.

Then there’s incoming freshman Rueben Owens, perhaps the most talented of the bunch, a 5-star from El Campo. It will be fun to see how the running back situation shakes out beginning Saturday.

4. Will transfers fill the secondary?

The Aggies led the SEC in pass defense last season, but can they follow it up with all the departures from the secondary, particularly at a corner?

That opens the door for transfers Tony Grimes (North Carolina) and Sam McCall (FSU) to step in and make an immediate impact.

Can they help solidify a secondary that already includes standouts Demani Richardson, Tyreek Chappell and Jardin Gilbert? Hopefully, we’ll know more about that on Saturday.

5. Will the OL finally come together?

The talent is there. The experience should be paying off. The potential for having one of the better offensive lines has been there now for a few years. Injuries have gotten in the way. Jelling as a unit has been somewhat head-scratchingly not forthcoming.

Is this finally the year? It’s time for the likes of Layden Robinson, Bryce Foster, Reuben Fatheree II, Trey Zuhn III and Kam Dewberry to play a full season together and reach their collective potential.