VYPE 2021 Baseball Preview: The Dual-Threat
He led the Bears to new heights on the football field as none-other than a… dual-threat quarterback. He can run and throw with the best in the State of Texas, passing for over 3,800 yards and running for nearly 600 yards.
Weigman led Bridgeland to a 12-1 season, a district title, and a Regional Semi appearance.
But, could he be better in baseball?
The big, athletic shortstop is rangy in the field and can mash at the plate. He has a live arm and can motor around the basepaths, making him a potential future Major League Draft pick next summer.
"I feel like I can go out and compete with anyone on any field of play," he said. "I feel like I'm the best on the field at any given time. You have to be like that at this level. You aren't going to have much success if you don't have that mindset."
Weigman has been laser-focused from a young age, knowing what he wanted.
"Since I was like four-years-old, I wanted to play baseball and football at the next level," he laughed. "Now, it's a reality and all I'm focused on."
The offers started pouring in early this school year. Virginia Tech was first to offer a year ago, followed by Tulsa, then Arkansas, Baylor, SMU, and UH in the Spring. When his junior football season began to erupt, it was Oklahoma, TCU, Florida, Auburn, Texas and then Texas A&M.
"Seeing guys like Kyler Murray or Pat Mahomes play both sports gives me confidence," he said. "But I want to be the first Conner Weigman. I wouldn't have committed anywhere I couldn't play both sports." Weigman committed to Texas A&M in early February and will play for coach Jimbo Fisher on Saturdays in the fall and coach Rob Childress in the spring. That's of course if he doesn't sign to play pro baseball next summer.
"People ask me, which is my first love?" he said. "It's really whatever season it is. I just never stop working. I love football, leading a team, and running and throwing. In baseball, I love the focus you have to have pitch to pitch."
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RECRUITING: Aggies winning H-Town recruiting battle in a landslide
Overall, Texas signed 13 of the Top 100 players from Texas, while Texas A&M brought in 14. Out of that number, only three - Derrick Harris Jr. (New Caney), Terrence Cooks (Shadow Creek) and Hayden Conner (Katy Taylor) - came from the Greater Houston area.
For the Aggies?
Jimbo Fisher and staff swooped into Houston and inked nine of the Top 100 players, with five of those being ranked in the Top 20 in Texas by 247 Sports.
"I believe that they are having so much success because players can go to Texas A&M, play in the SEC, stay in Texas and play in a system proven to have success in the NFL," Foster coach Shaun McDowell said. "And they just do a really great job of creating relationships and being visible with recruits."
Among the Top 20 players in Texas, the Aggies signed seven, which was the most by any single university. The next closest amount was four, which National Champion Alabama and perennial College Football Playoff selection Oklahoma tied for.
Texas only had one.
In that group of seven included No. 7 Tunmise Adeleye (frm. Tompkins), No. 8 LJ Johnson (Cy-Fair), No. 12 Bryce Foster (Katy Taylor), No. 15 Reuben Fatheree II (Foster) and No. 18 Shadrach Banks (North Shore).
"I think the proximity of A&M to Houston has always been an asset in their recruiting. In the eyes of some recruits, their move to the SEC separated them from the other Power 5 schools in Texas," North Shore coach Jon Kay said. "They have some coaches with strong ties in Houston. Coaches like Bradley Dale Peveto (who no longer works at A&M) and Darrell Dickey (dad and brother were both HC's in the Houston area) have always been mainstays in the Houston area.
"I think the success they had this year will only help the pipeline from Houston."'
247 Sports Recruiting Class Rankings (Class of 2021)
No. 7 - Texas A&M
No. 17 - Texas
No. 44 - Baylor
No. 53 - SMU
No. 61 - TCU
No. 64 - Texas Tech
No. 81 - Houston
Nol 93 - Rice
That is the other factor that is fueling this 12th Man surge - the Aggies went 9-1 overall this past season and finished on the verge of playing in the College Football Playoff in 2020. The Aggies' biggest win of the year came over then-No. 4 Florida (41-38) at home and their only loss came to eventual National Champion Alabama (52-24).
In the end, after an Orange Bowl victory over then-No. 13 North Carolina, Texas A&M finished No. 4 in the final poll and should be in the Top 5 in the country to start the 2021 season.
"I think they have done a great job of being aggressive in recruiting Houston players," Fort Bend Marshall coach James Marshall, whose former player Devon Achane was named the MVP of the Orange Bowl, said.
"The players see where that program is going and they want to be apart of it."
Overall, nine Houston area players did just that.
Along with those five previously mentioned, No. 60 Remington Strickland (Fort Bend Christian Academy), No. 63 Matthew Wykoff (Magnolia), No. 66 Albert Regis (La Porte) and No. 100 Fernando Garza (Katy) also signed with the Aggies.
"They are all over the place," Marshall said. "It's all about relationships with kids and high coaches and they are doing that very well."
The Class of 2021 has gone very well for the Aggies - being ranked No. 7 nationally (Texas coming in at No. 17) - and they have already started turning the page to 2022.
Texas A&M already has four hard commits - including Bridgeland quarterback and pitcher Conner Weigman - for the next class and take a wild guess where they are from.