Why Collin Klein’s offense will launch Weigman, Texas A&M football to untold heights
I think the assistant coach hire that a majority of Texas A&M football fans were the most excited for this offseason was the offensive coordinator. Mike Elko’s defense was a known quantity in the absolute best way, but after six years of offense that left a lot to be desired (outside of vanishingly short stints, that is), Aggie fans were ready for a hire that would kick the other side of the ball into high gear.
Mike Elko didn’t disappoint. He was able to pry away Collin Klein from his alma mater in Kansas State—clearly no small feat, as Notre Dame was reportedly unable to pull Klein away from the Little Apple when they made a run last year.
Klein brings a creative blend of offensive strategy to his system, mixing all different eras and styles to create his own particular mix; one which is exceedingly difficult for opposing defenses to deal with. One thing that is for sure: his system is far simpler for the signal caller than the one that has been in place for the Aggies during the last regime.
Even though the previous system for A&M was not exactly QB-friendly, we saw a glimpse of greatness from the guy at the position for the first three and a half games. This was brought to the fore when ESPN’s Bill Connelly, looking to make a point about current KSU quarterback Avery Johnson, tweeted out the following:
Writing about interesting 2024 QBs this week, and ... small samples and whatnot, but K-State's Avery Johnson did all he could to back up the recruiting hype with the snaps he got last season. pic.twitter.com/f0OhDmdxh0
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) February 26, 2024
The obvious thing here is that by virtue of Klein’s system, Johnson was able to put up these highly impressive numbers. But wait—who’s that down at #5?
Before detractors begin to complain about relative opponent difficulty, it should be said that QBR is opponent-adjusted, so the level of opponent has already been accounted for. It’s hard to argue with the talent that he shows on tape: he made some throws in the Miami game under pressure that were nothing short of eye-popping.
or
— string (@propjoesays) February 26, 2024
we could think about the fact that the guy who is #2 on the will now be coaching the guy who was #5 on the list and the guy who was #5 on the list got to #5 all while running an offense that required differential equations during each play https://t.co/pnGBLhyTS1
If Klein can get this level of production out of Johnson, just think of what he can do with Weigman and company in College Station. With a far more talented cadre of receivers and tight ends, the possibilities boggle the mind.
I don’t think I’m alone in saying that this is the piece of spring ball that I’m most excited to see. Who jumps off the field with their play? What kind of designs will we see in the spring game? I can’t answer those questions in detail, but I’m becoming more and more confident that the Klein and Weigman combo will wreck shop in the SEC in 2024.