Though just two weeks remain before Texas A&M opens the 2024 football season against Notre Dame, there are still questions about the Aggies’ starting lineup.
Conner Weigman will start at quarterback. Noah Thomas will be in the starting lineup at receiver. Offensive linemen Trey Zuhn III and Chase Bisontis, defensive linemen Nic Scourton and Shemar Turner, linebacker Taurean York and safety Bryce Anderson are locks to start.
But coach Mike Elko suggested on Saturday that other starters on the line, in the secondary and at linebacker might not be decided until the kickoff on Aug. 31.
“The positions in high-level competition will probably go all the way until kickoff, to be honest with you,” Elko said.
Elko acknowledged the majority of the starting lineup will be determined after a Sunday scrimmage, which will conclude A&M’s August camp.
“I think we’ll come out of tomorrow and sit down as a staff and try to finalize where a lot of things are,” he said. “That will probably set 90 percent of the starting 22.
“Who is the third, fourth, fifth O-lineman? Who is the true five in the secondary? Who is the second backer?
“Some of those battles will just kind of continue to go all the way through until kickoff. I don’t know that we’ll make any final decisions until we get closer to the game.”
Elko officially announced sophomore running back Rueben Owens will likely sit out the entire 2024 season because of injury.
“Unfortunately, he suffered a foot injury last week,” Elko said of Owens. “So, he’s going to be out for an extended period of time, most likely the season.
“There’s an outside chance that if the season extends beyond the regular season, we have a chance to get him back.”
Owens rushed for 385 yards and three touchdowns last season but was a good bet to have a “breakout year.”
Though he is a significant loss, Elko appears bullish on the running back satiation with Le’Veon Moss, Amari Daniels and transfer EJ Smith available.
Moss is the projected starter. Daniels led A&M with 532 rushing yards last season. Smith rushed for 218 yards in a share-the-load role at Stanford.
“I think, right now, we’re probably good with the three,” Elko said. “Le’Veon (Moss) has had a really strong camp. We’re really confident in him. Amari Daniels and EJ Smith were both leading rushers on Power 5 football teams last year. (Walk-on) Anthony DiNota will kind of slide into that fourth role.”
There has been speculation someone could shift to running back from receiver or the secondary in an emergency situation.
Elko acknowledged that has been discussed but doesn’t feel the Aggies have a running back crisis yet.
“We’ve had some conversations about what are the ‘what ifs’ if we start getting a rash of (running back injuries),” he said. “Where do you have to go? We keep that to ourselves, but obviously, those conversations are being had.
“As it stands, currently, I don’t think it’s a stressful situation.”
Aside from Owens’ injury, Elko said the Aggies have managed to stay healthy.
Five-star freshman prospect Terry Bussey started camp as a defensive back but reportedly has gotten action on offense — presumably at receiver.
Elko wouldn’t confirm a position change. However, he did say Bussey would have the football in his hands.
“He’s a kid that’s got a lot of value,” Elko said. “We know that. We’ve talked about his flexibility to do a lot of things for us. We’ve moved him around a little bit to try to get the ball in his hands a little bit more. Some different ways that we can do that. Where that ultimately lands is still a little bit up in the air.”
Among other things, Bussey is expected to return kickoffs.
First things first: Quarterback Conner Weigman is healthy.
Next in importance is he’s settling into offensive coordinator Collin Klein’s system.
“Conner is healthy, which is great for him,” Elko said. “I think he’s really comfortable in the system now. I think he’s really got a chance to go out there and operate at a really high level.
"He’s just continued to get better and better every time he goes out there. We’re really excited with who he is, what he’s capable of. He’s such a winner. He’s such a competitor.”
Weigman passed for 979 yards and eight touchdowns in three-and-a-half games before sustaining a season-ending foot injury last year.
Weigman feels he has made progress as a passer and in a leadership role.
“This year, I want to be a better leader,” he said. “The voice on the offensive side. Just step up and be that guy in the locker room. I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job with that.”
• Elko praised punter Tyler White for having a strong camp. He also described kicker Randy Bond’s camp showing as “phenomenal.”
• As previously mentioned, Terry Bussey is a strong candidate to return kicks. Cyrus Allen is likely to fit in that role, too. Elko mentioned Moose Muhammad III as a possibility — maybe a probability — on punt returns.
• Might sophomore Marcel Reed have moved up to the role as Weigman’s backup? Elko had high praise for Reed.
“Marcel Reed is extremely electric and dynamic of an athlete,” Elko said. “He’s shown against some really talented players out there his ability to get out of the pocket and make big plays. He’s also got a really big arm.”
To be fair, Elko also had praise for junior Jaylen Henderson, who played well in three starts last season.
• Senior cornerback Tyreek Chappell, who may be moving to nickel, briefly entered the transfer portal at the end of last season. He dropped out of the portal when Elko was hired to replace Jimbo Fisher.
“I wanted to see if I could get a fresh start,” Chappell said. “Once Elko got the job, I knew I was coming back. Elko… That’s my guy. He was the (defensive coordinator) my freshman year. I made (freshman) All-American. When he got the job, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m coming back.’”
