It's a new era for the Texas A&M Aggies, and that's bringing plenty of optimism to College Station.
Jimbo Fisher is out and Mike Elko is in as head coach. Not surprisingly, that coaching change has led to a massive turnover of the Aggies roster, featuring significant departures and key additions via the transfer portal.
This year's Texas A&M team will look drastically different than last season's. So let's make some bold predictions about what to expect from the Aggies in 2024.
Conner Weigman gets Heisman Trophy consideration
Carson Beck, Jalen Milroe, and Quinn Ewers are getting most of the quarterback love out of the SEC. However, it could end up being Conner Weigman who has the best year of the group.
Weigman showed serious promise in his first two seasons for the Aggies. However, a season-ending foot injury killed any momentum he had on the national coverage front in 2023. Over two seasons on just 251 passing attempts, he's thrown for over 1,800 yards with 16 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
That should change this year. The former 5-star recruit comes into the 2024 season with a new coaching staff and clean bill of health. His new offensive coordinator is also Collin Klein, a former Heisman finalist with the Kansas State Wildcats and ascending coach in college football.
As long as he can stay healthy, Weigman should make enough noise to force his way into the Heisman conversation.
Nic Scourton becomes an All-American
If you haven't watched highlights from Nic Scourton's time with the Purdue Boilermakers, you're missing out.
Before transferring to Texas A&M, Scourton earned second-team All-Big Ten honors with 10 sacks in 2023. The film shows an electric, big-bodied pass rusher with multiple moves at his disposal, including a devastating spin move.
Now, Scourton will have the chance to take a big leap forward while playing for an SEC program. He'll face some bigger offensive tackles, but has the size and athleticism to be a legitimate problem for opposing offenses.
The Aggies have enough talent around Scourton to take some of the pressure off of him, allowing him to cook to the tune of another double-digit sack season.
Texas A&M competes for an SEC Championship appearance
Preseason rankings aren't optimistic about the Aggies in 2024. However, there's still a path for them to find their way into the SEC Championship game.
The SEC scrapping its divisions means that the top two overall teams in the conference will get to compete in the conference championship, instead of the top teams in the East and West. Playing in the same division as the Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers hurt Texas A&M's chances at playing in the game, but now they won't have to worry about a division title to get in.
Losing players like Walter Nolen and Evan Stewart have critics skeptical about the Aggies this season. However, with a breakout season from Weigman and a strong showing from a defensive player like Scourton, there's a real chance that Texas A&M could at least get into the conversation for the conference championship in Elko's first season as head coach.