Not many high school athletes have the chance to play major college football or enter the Major League Baseball draft. 2022 Texas A&M commit Conner Weigman had to choose between the two, and made his decision Sunday.
Weigman has decided to enroll at Texas A&M at the midterm and will forego the 2022 MLB Draft. The 4-star quarterback is likely to play both football and baseball at A&M, but told AggieYell.com Sunday afternoon that his dream of playing college football was the decisive factor.
"I've always wanted to play college football, so I just wanted to come early and get acclimated with the offense so I will be able to compete earlier," he said.
Even though a potential two-sport star who has drawn comparisons to Aggie legend Johnny Manziel on the football field would likely be a prime candidate to benefit from the new name, image and likeness rules, a high MLB draft pick would still command a significant salary and signing bonus. Weigman, a shortstop, would almost certainly have gone in the 10-round draft last year -- and only three players in the 2021 draft did not sign.
"It was tough, but felt like it was the right thing for me," he said.
What it means for the Aggies
It's a huge development for the Aggies, both in terms of 2022 recruiting and on the field for next year. When Tevin Carter committed to Memphis this week, it meant that all of A&M's potential options for a second quarterback were off the market -- a big problem if Weigman had decided to pursue baseball. The Aggies lost Kohl Stewart in the 2012 draft when Minnesota drafted him early in the first round, but A&M also had 5-star Matt Davis in that recruiting class -- as well as Manziel on campus. Weigman's decision to forego the draft eliminates any concerns about a class without a quarterback.
Getting him on campus early also increases the possibility that he'll be ready to contribute next season, which could potentially be a big deal. The Aggies currently only have two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, with Eli Stowers having moved to tight end. The loser of the quarterback derby between Haynes King and Zach Calzada may decide to move on after this season, making it all the more important for Weigman to be ready to go as quickly as possible.
And it doesn't exactly suck for new Aggie baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle, either. Adding a player who probably would have garnered a second- or third-round grade in next year's draft, who brings a plus bat to a critical position AND not having to use a scholarship on him is a major plus for a team undergoing a rapid transformation.
