On today's episode of Locked On Aggies host Andrew Stefaniak breaks down how the Aggies could be without starting quarterback Conner Weigman on Saturday against the Florida Gators. If this ends up being the case, the Aggies will start backup Marcel Reed, who will be making his first career start.
Stefaniak then went on to talk about how Texas A&M tight end Donovan Green is not 100% coming off the ACL team, and the Aggies need him to get healthy sooner than later. He has the highest upside in this tight end room.
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[MUSIC PLAYING] It's the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Texas A&M could be without starting quarterback Connor Wigman against the floorgators on Saturday. You are locked on Aggies, your daily podcast on the Texas A&M Aggies, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome in to Lockdown Aggies. I'm your host, Andrew Stefaniak. Thanks for making Lookdown Aggies your first listen every single day. Today's episode is brought to you by Game Time. Download the Game Time app. Create an account in use called Lockdown College for $20 off your first purchase. On today's episode, ladies and gentlemen, we're talking about, hey, what's going on at the quarterback position? We're going to talk about what's going on with Donovan Green. He's still banged up. Break that down. And then we're going to answer some questions about what's going to happen if you have to roll with Marcel Reed. We're going to talk about an updated record prediction. And we're going to talk about some other things on today's episode. But first, we've got to get right into it. The college football rules have changed. You have to give an injury report. And Connor Wigman pops up on this injury report last night. Questionable. Questionable. Anyone that has seen the league, that fans of both of you shown us what knows that joke, love that. But questionable means it's 50/50 if he's going to play it on. And now, there's been no disclosure to what the injury is. Truly, Connor popped up on the injury report. Questionable, that is all we know. So here's breaking this down. First of all, Texas A&M's in a good spot for this. And hey, at Texas A&M fans, we all get it. Texas A&M loses their starting quarterback every single season. It's something you can count on just like Texas and Santa Claus coming on Christmas. You can count on it. And looking at this, once again, you've prepared for this. We've talked about it all off season. Texas A&M is in a great spot with Marcel Reed as your quarterback. I think Marcel Reed is going to come in and do a really good job. So if you ask me right now, my prediction, Andrew, does Connor Wigman play? Here's my thought. If he wasn't seriously in jeopardy of missing this game, because you can list probable, questionable, or out, make him probable. Probable means he's probably going to play. But he's a little banged up or something. You could have made him probable. I just have a weird feeling that if he's popping up as questionable, less than 48 hours to game time, I have a weird, weird feeling that he might miss his football game. Maybe the situation will clear up more today. But regardless, one thing it does do now is now Florida is preparing for Marcel Reed and Connor Wigman. And I'll tell you, everyone's-- after the Notre Dame game, I've seen in the fan base comments here unlocked on Aggies for you every day. I've seen a lot of folks commenting things like, let's just go ahead and make the move to Marcel Reed. I wasn't quite there yet. I was kind of in the thought of, let's let Connor play against. Let's let Connor play against Florida and see what happens. He looked pretty good against McNeese. Now he got a lot of play against another SEC team, or a SEC team, Notre Dame, obviously not a SEC team. But he'll play against another legit team and see what happens. And so I wasn't quite on the-- it's time to binge Connor Wigman trained yet, like a lot of people were. Now this is going to be really fun to watch. We've talked in saying the praises of Marcel Reed as one of the better backups in the SEC all offseason long. And now he's going to get his opportunity. And I'll tell you this, I think that looking-- Marcel Reed was shoved into action last year against Oklahoma State in the ball game. And I think that's going to serve him well. I don't know what his preparation has been like. Is he like Jordan Mason of the 49ers? He knew on Friday. Sorry, two 49ers fans. That was crazy. I'm sure they weren't cheating. But that's what I want to know is, when did we find out about the Wigman injury? Did something happen Wednesday? Something happened Thursday morning. But hey, at least Marcel Reed's got a little bit of time if he's going to be the one to go out there. Now, here's the deal. Whether Connor ends up playing or not, they're preparing Marcel Reed to play right now. So it's not like they're going to be like, OK, Marcel, we kick off in 20 minutes. We're going to rule out Connor, you're going. It's not going to be like that. They're going to prepare Marcel today and Saturday morning. And then I wonder if Connor will either be a game time decision or we'll see what happens. But the point is, Marcel Reed is preparing for this game right now as if he's a starter. That's a good thing. He's shined against Oklahoma State when he didn't have any time to prepare. Now, yes, on the flip side of that, Oklahoma State didn't have time to prepare for him. But still, point remains, he was able to get shoved in action against Oklahoma State team and come out and really shine. So I believe in Marcel Reed. I believed in him since the beginning. I thought we were going to see a much better performance out of Connor Wigman against Notre Dame. And I didn't think we were going to be having a, oh, should we think about changing starters conversation this early into the season? And honestly, I think we were going to have that conversation at all. But this is what scares me. Not scared about Marcel Reed as a player. I think he's incredibly talented. Well, actually, let's read this tweet from Carter Carroll talking about what coach Elko had to say about Marcel Reed. He has a high praise for his young QB. He talked about on the SEC teleconference. He said he has tremendous arm talent. He can make things happen with his legs. And he had a strong spring game and a pre and a solid pre-season camp. So I mean, at the end of the day, I think this coaching staff is confident in what they have in Marcel Reed they should be. He's a really good quarterback. I believe he's the future of this program when at the quarterback position after Connor moves on, whatever happens with him. So I think Tech Senate fans should feel good if Marcel Reed goes out there. Once again, my concern is not Marcel Reed, the talent he possesses. My concern is, will he be able to play well in the swamp? First SEC start, first career start. I mean, once again, the Oklahoma game, Henderson got the start. He came in after he got hurt in the first five. So first start, first career start against Florida in the swamp. Those fans are still bought in right now because you're not taken out of it yet. So I think the fan base is still bought in. I think they're going to have to have for this game. This is a really big game for both sides here. So I'm really anxious to see A, what ends up happening with this situation. And B, will Marcel Reed come out and play well if he does end up getting the start in this game? And I think he will. In segment three, we're going to talk about, hey, if Reed is the ends up starting in this game and he plays well, what do you do moving forward? And that'll be a conversation for down the road. Because you have to assume that this injury to Connor Rigman is not anything concerning when you talk about the long term, when you talk about long term for him. Like, it's one of those. He's 50/50 going to be good to go for this week. And then he'll be ready for the following game. And after that, you can assume. So that'll be a conversation here in segment three. But, you know what, I mean, once again, you know, strap him up, let's go, let's see what happens here. I believe in Marcel Reed. Like I said, I think he's really, really good. I think he's a guy that his upside is absolutely through the roof. He has just got to be able to prove it. He's just got to be able to show the world who he is. He's got to show the world, hey, I'm Marcel Reed. I'm really, really good. And this is my opportunity to step up and play well when my team needs me. And if he goes out there and plays well and gets a win for the Aggies over the Gators in the swamp on short notice when it comes to getting himself ready to start, there's a bright, bright future ahead for the Aggies Mobile Quarterback and Marcel Reed. So we're going to see what happens. It was funny, I was actually, I was going to record today's show yesterday. And then for some, something told me, I was like, now let's just, we'll get up and do it in the morning and I'll get some other work done. And then I'm glad I did because I'm glad we're able to break this down. So I'm really anxious to see what happens. It's going to be a fun football game. And once again, even if Connor starts, if Connor starts, there's a lot of excitement out there. There's a lot still to be seen. I mean, he's got a lot to prove in his football game. So there's a lot going on, whether it's Marcel Reed, whether it's Connor Rigman, quarterback plays, he's going to be huge in his football game for the Aggies and I can't wait to see how it plays out. We're going to talk about who needs to step up to help Marcel Reed if he does end up starting in this football game. And then we're also going to talk about Donovan Green and what coach Elko had to say about him and his health. We'll talk about those two things coming up or right here, unlocked on Aggies. But first, don't tell you about our friends over at eBay Motors, passion drive and patience. The formula for winning championships is also what keeps your rider out alive. eBay Motors has everything you need to maintain your vehicle and level up to people performance. Superchargers, roof racks, exhaust kits, LED headlights and more. 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You can't find anywhere else. Even those who aren't actively searching for a new role, but might be open to the perfect role in a given month, over 70% of LinkedIn users don't visit other leading job sites. So if you're not looking on LinkedIn, you're looking in the wrong place. On LinkedIn, 86% of small businesses get a qualified candidate within 24 hours, hire professionals, like a professional on LinkedIn. In, post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/lockedoncollege that's LinkedIn.com/lockedoncollege and post your job for free, terms and conditions do apply. So, to me, if more so read does end up starting in this football game for Texas A&M, which once again, if I had to put a number on it, I'd say it's around 50/50, but it's exactly what the percentages say for Connor Wigman's injury. The way that injury, you know, it's questionable in 50. So, you know, I think that the first thing that needs to happen is Colin Klein needs to create plays and create opportunities early in the game. And this is an all honesty with the same corner, but to get Marcel Reed comfortable early. And I've said the same for Connor because, I mean, you know, I think Connor's in a spot where he needs to play well and he needs to get comfortable early too. But for a guy making his first ever start on the road in the swamp against an SEC team, yeah, I think you're going to want to help him get comfortable early. So, you know, all three other positions on this offense need to help running the running backs, the running game, offensive line, receivers, tight ends. Everybody needs to help make Marcel Reed feel as comfortable as possible when he takes the field if he does end up getting the start on Saturday, you know, because this isn't easy. Making your first SEC start is not easy. And now you're having to make it on the road in the swamp against one of the, you know, I mean, I guess, I was getting ready to, I mean, you know, floor is not great. Against an okay SEC team is not easy. These guys got to step up and help them. What that means, receivers, you can't be dropping balls, running backs. If you have the opportunity, if you find the hole, you got to take advantage of it, you got to pick up some yardage, you got to get chunk plays, receivers, yeah, get open, give him easy passing lanes, tight ends, help block, get open for some, you know, dump offs for some, hey, there's nobody doing that, I feel like I'm going to get it to buy tight end for a six-yard gain and we'll live to play another day. Offensive line, give him time in the pocket. That's the key there. And I think if this offense, the rest of these players around Marcel Reed can help him, I think it will be huge for this young quarterback to settle in and play well if he does end up getting the start for the Aggies on Saturday. So the rest of the players around him need to help as much as possible. And that could help Marcel Reed settle in and play well in this football game. And they all got to remember, and you don't want to put a ton of pressure on the young quarterback in Marcel Reed, but man, this is still a must-win game, y'all. I mean, the outlook on this season is going to change drastically if you lose this game on the road. You know, I mean, we talked about heading into the season with your schedule, the upside of a nine and three record, eight and four being very realistic with a chance at nine and three, the both of those numbers get very, very scary. Nine and three, I'd say, is done. I feel pretty confident nine and three is done. And I'll be honest with you, at that point, you're probably trying to get concerned about eight and four. You can't lose this football game. You're a better team. I know it's on the road. I know it's a tough place to play. You're playing against a defeated Florida team, in my opinion. I think they're ready for a new coach there. I think this team is just ready for a change. I think this game is an opportunity for you to walk in to Gainesville and take down a team that is kind of ready. Maybe ready for a few basketball season down there. So this is a really good opportunity. It's a must-win game. If you want to overachieve this year, if you want to be able to look back at the season and say, "Hey, this was a good year," step one to doing that is taking down Florida. So for me, even if it's a Marcel Reed, if it's Connor Rigman, don't care. This is a must-win game for the Texas A&M Aggies. Because if you don't, yeah, you can still go seven to five. With this schedule, seven to five, in my opinion, I know it's a new coach. I know some might disagree with this. To me, with this coaching, I mean, with this schedule and the talent you have, and this seven to five would be a bit of a letdown. I'll be honest. So this is a must-win game. This gives you a chance to get the A&M four. Got to win this football game. So now it's a little bit of Donovan Green. Coach Elko had this to say about Donovan Green. Unfortunately, he's still just trying to kind of get back to the form that he knows he can be, trying to get that knee back and move in the way he is comfortable moving, and the way he used to be before the injury, or the way he used to before the injury. You know, I hate this for this young man for Donovan Green, because he's just, it just sounds like he is not, he's just not getting back to 100% as quickly as we thought he would. And that is really unfortunate. I did not expect it to end up taking him in this long getback going. And we talk about it all the time. And it's like, you know, you hit a fancy football. It's always scary drafting the running back coming off of an ACL tear, because it's just hard for them to get back to being themselves quickly. Sometimes that takes them a few months, maybe a whole extra year on top of the year a rehab to get back to being that player. I still believe in Donovan Green when he is back to being Donovan Green. He's not there yet. So I think the goal for him, keep getting healthy, keep figuring that, get him back on field, get him back to being himself, because he's too good of a player to not have on the field for this football team. So Donovan Green, rehab, gotta get healthy. I still think that whether it's the end of this year, whether it's next season, Donovan Green's upside is through the roof for this program. I still think he's a tied in. They can be playing on Sundays. I still think he's a guy that you could have be drafted on your fantasy football team down the road. He is that talented, but he's gotta get healthy. And what that means, that means rehab, that means doing things to get his knee back and being able to cut, being able to run, being able to block, being able to push off, and get open, being able to push off and block for your running backs. There's a lot that Donovan Green needs to be able to do to get back to being. And once again, Donovan Green, I'm just a little bit surprised. It's taken this long with the new age. I mean, once again, I'm clearly no doctor, but the new age of medicine, you're seeing players get back from ACLs sooner than later. So I figured by now, we're now probably a year in a month, maybe a year in a month and a half past this injury. So I'm a little surprised, and honestly, it might be a year or two months, so I'm a little surprised that he's not really, if not 100% really close, but Donovan Green is going to get back to 100%, and we know that he's gonna get healthy, and he's gonna be a really, really good football player for a long time. Got a couple mailbag questions to answer. We're gonna talk about those coming up right here. I'm locked on Aggies. But first, I gotta tell you about our friends over at Factor Meals. 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Head to factormeals.com/lockedoncollege50 and use code LockedOnCollege50 to get 50% off your first box, plus 20% off your next month. That's code LockedOnCollege50 at factormeals.com/lockedoncollege50 to get 50% off your first box, plus 20% off your next month, while your subscription is active. - Nah, not quite. - What's up? - Uh, sell my car and carvana. It's just not quite the right time. - Crazy coincidence. I just sold my car to carvana. - What? I told you about it two days ago. - When you know, you know. You know? I'm even dropping it off at one of those sweet car vending machines and getting paid today. - That's a good deal. - Oh, great deal. Come on. What's your heart saying? - You're right. When you know? - You know. - Sold. - Whether you're looking to sell your car right now or just whenever feels right, go to carvana.com and sell your car the convenient way. Terms and conditions apply. - So this question here, which I think is a really interesting one. I actually had someone DM me this on Twitter, X, what have you called it. Someone says, if Marcel Reed ends up getting the start and he plays really well, what do you do going forward when it comes to quarterback? Do you go back to Connor or do you stick with Marcel Reed? And I'll tell you, this is really, really, really, really, really tough. This is a really tough question, in my opinion. I think I look at this at that question and my quick response, my quick answer is, I think it depends how well we're talking with Marcel Reed. I mean, if he goes out here and he goes 31 for 35, well, I mean, he's not, they're not in trouble, I mean, times if he goes 24 for 29 for 351 yards and three touchdowns, runs the ball for another 39 yards and the Aggies blow the doors off the Gators. Yeah, I think it's gonna be really, really hard to go back to Connor Rigman after a performance like that. But if he goes out there and he's just okay, I mean, Aggies win or he's bad and the Aggies lose, that's when it gets interesting. So I think that's the answer. If he is exceptional, if he is insanely good in the Aggies win, it's gonna be really hard for this coaching staff justifying going back to Connor Rigman. If he's kind of like, eh, or bad, that's when I think you'd go back to Connor Rigman if Connor does end up missing this football game. So yeah, if you're wondering, is there a world where Marcel comes in and plays well and takes over the shop for good? To me, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. So I am really anxious to see who ends up playing and then if it ends up being a Marcel Reed, is Connor gonna get his job back or is this gonna be a Brady blood cell situation where Marcel Reed just takes it over. Someone then asked me my updated record prediction and I'll tell you this, a lot of it is going to come down to how the Aggies play on Saturday. If they lose to Florida, I'm probably saying seven and five. If they beat Florida, I'm still gonna say eight and four, but if you beat Florida, your chance, your outside chance at nine and three is still there. But once again, it's all gonna come down to how this offense plays. The offense has to be way, way, way better than it was against Notre Dame. That's just the reality here. If the offense plays well, you win, you get the win. I think that nine and three is still on the table. If the offense is bad, you win. I think eight and four is realistic and if you lose, I think you're probably looking at seven and five. So this game is gonna be really telling for the rest of the season for the Aggies. That's gonna do it for today's episode of locked on Aggies. Thank y'all so much for being here every single day. Really, really, really appreciate it. I hope everyone has an outstanding weekend. Enjoy this football game. It's gonna be a fun one. I'm fired up for it. Really can't wait to see A who plays quarterback B, how do the Aggies play? Must win game, you gotta show up. Hope everyone has an outstanding weekend. Thank y'all so much for being here, like I said, and we will see y'all on Monday right here. I'm locked on Aggies. Today's episode is brought to you by Game Time. Game Time is a new feature called Game Time Picks that makes getting tickets for your favorite live events even easier. Game Time Picks filters out the fluff to show you only incredible deals on great seats so you don't have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, use the code locked on for $20 off your first purchase. Download Game Time today. Last Minute Tickets, lowest price guaranteed. (upbeat music) A Prime Members, you can listen to this locked on podcast ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today. (upbeat music)
