Mike Elko cannot fiddle. The Texas A&M coach cannot straddle the road. There is just one reply at quarterback for the No. 10 Aggies the remainder of the season. 

That may be one Marcel Reed, the redshirt freshman who modified the Aggies’ — and maybe the complete school soccer —  season. 

Reed was the distinction within the Aggies’ greatest sport in years. Lose to a bitter rival (LSU) and Texas A&M is on fence for the SEC Championship Sport and Faculty Soccer Playoff. For greater than a half, that is what it appeared like: LSU took a 17-7 lead and Aggies starter Conner Weigman was ineffective (6 of 18 passing, 64 yards). 

Then Elko inserted Reed and every little thing improved — Reed’s confidence; Kyle Subject’s decibel stage; Texas A&M’s trajectory. 

On that final observe, there should not be dialogue at this level. Reed injected a lot power that the Aggies went on a 31-6 run within the remaining 23 minutes and throttled the Tigers 38-23. 

With 5 weeks left within the season, a Texas A&M staff picked ninth within the SEC’s preseason media ballot is the one staff undefeated in convention play. Final Saturday, Reed was the principle motive. He’s sooner, extra athletic and simply may need higher upside than Weigman, a sophomore. 

Reed was a quarterback microwave, immediately heating up a unit on an in any other case chilly evening offensively. He took simply 22 snaps however scored a speeding landing on three of them. He guided 5 scoring drives whereas the offense averaged 9 yards per play. Reed accomplished each of his passes for 70 yards. How’s that for effectivity? 

At this significant level within the season — examine that, in Texas A&M historical past — there is just one resolution to make. The Aggies have been jonesing for a difference-making quarterback for years. Jimbo Fisher, a quarterback maker in his profession, misplaced that contact in Faculty Station. 

That failure, greater than something, is perhaps the rationale Jimbo is sitting again counting his $76 million buyout nowadays. Even with all that money as a cushion, it should be annoying that Elko is chasing an SEC title whereas maximizing each present Aggie quarterbacks, guys that Fisher recruited. 

Set up Reed in a lineup that features a shut-down protection, and abruptly we’re speaking about pursuit of greater than Texas A&M’s first convention title in 26 years.

Predictably, Elko didn’t decide to a starter on Monday. 

“The chance is there for lots of issues,” the coach stated. 

Then, he dropped what ought to be thought-about a touch of what he is considering. 

“You already know what Marcel can do. It was not on Connor utterly,” Elko stated. “However you realize you have got this man who’s a particularly high quality succesful child and is a special dynamic. When the chance presents itself to make a change and attempt to inject some life into it, we’re actually snug he can do it.”

Definitely, Texas A&M’s passing sport must get higher, however it was telling that LSU by no means knew what hit it when Reed got here within the sport. It was prefer it had by no means entered Brian Kelly’s consciousness that Reed may play. However the quarterback had seen important time this season prior, going 3-0 as a starter in Weigman’s absence as a result of a shoulder harm. 

“Now we have to have a plan for Marcel prepared always,” Elko added. “You by no means know injury-wise how the sport goes to play … If Connor goes down and Marcel’s bought to go on the market and win us this sport. What does that seem like?”

We noticed a glimmer of a solution Saturday evening. 

“Getting that spark within the second half,” Reed instructed reporters, “There was no going again from that.”

Reed is that dervish that can’t, at his peak, be accounted for. How can a protection gradual him down when gamers like Reed do not know what they’re doing to do snap to snap? 

Circumstances rapidly decided Reed is arguably the important thing to the Aggies’ season. Largely, you begin Reed as a result of you may’t afford to not. He is the set off the bench who may switch if he stays there any longer. Elko is threading a needle between two guys he desires and the fact he might lose one no what his resolution could also be. 

At this level, Texas A&M and Elko cannot afford to lose Reed. South Carolina at evening this week might be a big problem coming off the LSU win. The Texas video games looms a month from now to shut out the season. 

Who would slightly have behind heart? Thread that needle, Mike. 

It could be good to maintain each, however talking of which, this is not Texas. There are solely so many Arch Mannings round, 5 stars who’re keen to again up a Heisman contender (Quinn Ewers) for 2 years.  

Within the time it takes to shout “Howdy,” Elko and the Aggies have one of many deepest quarterback rooms within the nation. However deregulated switch guidelines have made these varieties of choices nearly commonplace. If the backup is value a spit, his upside all the time prevails, it appears. 

It is as arduous writing these phrases as it’s for the Aggies teaching workers understanding them: if it involves that, is Weigman expendable? After LSU, Reed actually isn’t.

At stake is the Aggies’ most essential season in additional than 1 / 4 century. That is essential, too. Aggies in every single place have been listening to about that 1998 season since then as a result of it has been so lengthy since they gained massive. That yr, they gained 11 video games, upset Kansas State in additional time of the Huge 12 Championship Sport, threw the primary yr of the BCS right into a tizzy, and performed within the Sugar Bowl. They even made a film in regards to the man who caught the game-winning go in opposition to the Wildcats. 

Since then, the Aggies have gained 11 video games just one different time, that magic Johnny Soccer Heisman yr in 2012. 

Judging by physique language and observations, Weigman wasn’t pleased with being yanked. However hurting somebody’s emotions should not be an element. If his ego is bruised sufficient to enter the portal after being pulled, properly, Elko is aware of that is a chilly, arduous fact.

So is the truth that each coach value his whistle is attempting to recruit his present gamers on any given day. 

That is massive boy soccer, and these kinds of choices are nearly commonplace. Tom Brady finally changed Drew Bledsoe due to an harm. Oklahoma gained a nationwide championship 40 years in the past with a freshman quarterback named Jamelle Holieway. Would it not have been that method if one Troy Aikman wasn’t injured? We’ll by no means know. 

Over the summer time, Professional Soccer Focus named Weigman the No. 1 quarterback for the 2025 NFL Draft. Whereas that raised eyebrows then and positively now, the purpose is that Weigman was greater than succesful. Nonetheless is. 

However Reed has that “it” issue, that operating capability that hints at Lamar Jackson. 

There’s a nice artwork to dealing with what occurs subsequent. No massive deal. The near-term way forward for Texas A&M soccer is at stake. That is why Aggies in every single place need to social gathering prefer it’s 1998.