Over the last few days, the buzz has been building around former Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman. Earlier this week, Weigman, the #2 QB in the class of 2022, announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. Numerous recruiting insiders and people I’ve talked with believe his likely destination is the University of Houston to play for Willie Fritz.
The portal opens on Monday, December 9th.
Weigman spent three seasons in College Station, but his career has not panned out as many expected. Recruiting services considered him a future first-round pick out of Bridgeland HS in Cypress, but injuries have derailed his career to this point. Weigman has played in just 15 games and thrown just 393 passes. While Weigman was hurt this season, Marcel Reed emerged as a viable starter for the Aggies.
“I feel like my best football is ahead of me,” Weigman told ESPN. “I wasn’t able to reach my full potential where I was at. I know what I’m capable of and what I can bring to a team and program.”
2024 was a step back statistically for Weigman, throwing just three touchdowns to 5 interceptions in six games. Before this season, he had thrown 16 touchdowns to just two interceptions in nine games. Digging a little deeper than the numbers, Weigman still showcases the ability that scouts and schools around the country were excited about. Seven SEC and six Big 12 schools (including UH) offered Weigman out of Bridgeland.
The Good
Weigman has a quick release, but I believe accuracy and touch are his superpowers. He does a good job with ball placement outside the numbers when pushing the ball downfield. The ball is usually in a spot where his receiver can win, and the defender can’t make a play. Considering UH’s offensive struggles this season, this quality alone would be a welcome sight.
I’ve studied most of Weigman’s college pass attempts, and it is clear that he excels at giving his receivers a chance to make a play and shows his five-star potential with accuracy in getting it to a covered receiver. A talented passer like Weigman makes recruiting receivers – whether high school, from the portal, or the UH roster – much easier.
He is an above-average athlete at the position and while not as good a runner as Zeon Chriss, he can scramble for chunks of yardage when the play breaks down. Several times, he took off for big gains downfield for A&M. Neither Jimbo Fisher nor Mike Elko utilized him in the structured run game very much, but I think he can be a weapon there.
The Concerns
If the timing of a play was thrown off, Weigman’s lack of arm velocity presents issues. In that scenario, throws over the middle often required receivers to make adjustments, giving defenders a chance to make a play on the ball. That lack of velocity prevents receivers from gaining yards after the catch.
His lack of arm strength often causes the ball to float on deep passes. If he sees the play early enough, or it was a designed deep shot, arm strength has not been as big of an issue. But when he noticed a player open late downfield, the ball would take too long to get there, and it would give the defender time to erase any separation the receiver had created. A slight benefit to this is that it often resulted in penalties against the defense.
Weigman drifts back into the pocket to give a play more time to develop. He’ll get away with this sometimes because of his baseball background: He can throw from a lower arm angle and float a ball over a defender’s head. But more often than not, the late throw gives a defender a chance to undercut the receiver. Fortunately for him, defenders dropped numerous interceptions in 2024 in this scenario.
Verdict
Weigman’s issues are mostly centered around arm strength, but he is definitely a quarterback who can run an offense if kept clean and allowed to operate in rhythm. He would be the most accomplished passer on the roster.
The former Bridgeland Bear signing in Space City might entice other talented players to join him. There is talk that he’s already trying to convince offensive linemen and receivers to join him. And it would give the fanbase more good news with the recent addition of Slade Nagle as OC.
Of course, this process still has a long way to go. But the prospect of signing such a highly-regarded quarterback gives fans reason for optimism. The decision should be made early next week, shortly after the portal opens.
