Aggies Football: Jimbo Fisher on naming Texas A&M starting QB and more

Jimbo Fisher’s staple afternoon press conference hit a bit different this week as only a few days separate Texas A&M from their 2023 college football season opener. Before the Aggies take on New Mexico in Week 1, Fisher spoke with the media on a handful of topics, most notably announcing Conner Weigman as the team’s starting quarterback.

After a tightly contested battle that lasted throughout the spring and into fall camp, Fisher noted that he and the staff evaluated the process every step of the way. Only then, with a full picture to assess, did the team decide that Weigman had won the starting quarterback job over senior southpaw Max Johnson.

Despite the Aggies entering as presumed favorites on Saturday against New Mexico, Fisher took a few moments to break down the strength of the Lobos, particularly on defense. As a football program that excels in being physical on the front and on blitzes, Texas A&M’s offensive line, aka the “Maroon Goons” will need to be prepared.

Fisher made sure to tout the depth and leadership at linebacker, with two experienced leaders Edgerrin Cooper and Chris Russell Jr. equipped to mentor the likes of freshman Taurean York, who continues to impress beyond his years. Despite the season opener being a litmus test of what’s to come, Fisher hammered the point that the key is to play every game as if the season depended on the outcome.

Below is Jimbo Fisher’s press conference video from Kyle Field Media Center on Monday, as well as notable highlights from his time at the podium.

Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

“It’s great to get game week going. It’s great to be working on somebody else other than seeing yourself every single day.”

Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

“They do a great job. They’re very physical on defense. They’re tough to prepare for. Tons of fronts, motions and blitzes.”

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

“It’s a unique position… Quarterback is so different. Having two guys that can win, win at a high level and potentially win a championship for you helps you sleep well at night.”

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

“First games are a pain… You never know what people do in the offseason. They’ve got new people, new schemes and new coordinators. It’s the unknown because you haven’t seen (the opponent) play in a game.”

Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images

“The most important game is the one in front of you. The most important play is the next one. Those aren’t cliche things. The best players and teams are the ones that understand that. You have to think singularly. You cannot be outcome-oriented.”

Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

“You are what the film says you are. That’s what you find out about your team (in the first game). Hopefully it tells us that we’ve made great progress and that camp was successful.”

Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

“Is good enough ever good enough? No. There’s always something you can work on.”

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

“I feel very good. They’ve had good camps. We have experience there with (Edgerrin Cooper) and (Chris Russell). Those guys are all producing in scrimmages and practices. We’ve got good numbers and good people. I feel very good about it.”

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

“Right now, (Chase) Bisontis and (Trey) Zuhn will be in there.”

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

“All camp has been evaluated, and at the end of camp, we have to make a choice. That was it.”

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

“Just keep playing great football with great decision-making and great accuracy with toughness and leadership and the ability to help other players on the field.”

Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

“Every game is a big game. Every game is an important game. You only get 12 of them. You better cherish those 12 and play every one of them at the highest possible level.”

Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

“Getting the older guys back and the younger guys grown up creates that competition on the team. You’re only as good as your two-deep.”

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

“He was practicing and playing last week. We’ll see how he does and practices this week. He’ll give us a lot of different options if he’s ready to go.”

Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

“Playing linebacker is like playing quarterback. You’re making calls and checks. It’s tough to be the vocal guy as a freshman. (Taurean) York is able to make checks. He’s 18 going on 25, and I say that from a maturity standpoint… He has had an outstanding camp.”

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

“It’s a very tough choice. We have quite a few guys that are up there. We have more guys this year than ever before that we have to choose between. It’s a very, very tough choice, and we take it very seriously.”

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