COLLEGE STATION -- Texas A&M coach Mike Elko won't put too much emphasis on how one quarterback looked during the Marron and White Game Saturday afternoon amid inclement weather. He won't even use the 15 spring practices as a final verdict in determining a starter.
In most years, that's been a problem for the Aggies, who underwhelmed at quarterback in the final three seasons of the Jimbo Fisher after Kellen Mond's departure. From Zach Calzada to Haynes King to Max Johnson, the gunslinger was shooting blanks rather than delivering strikes.
This time around, Elko likes where the team resides at the most influential position.
"I'm happy that we have three quarterbacks," Elko said postgame as the maroon team picked up the 24-10 win over the white roster at Kyle Field. "There's not a lot of programs across the country that have three kids that can go out there and operate an offense effectively."
The Maroon and White game offered an internal glance at the changes coming to A&M under Elko. Among the downpour of weltering raindrops and frigid wind chill, Aggies everywhere found a highlight to hold on to.
Reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Nic Scourton came as advertised with 2.5 recorded sacks, though some would argue he finished with half of a dozen. Noah Thomas picked up the mantle as the heir of Ainias Smith, hauling in two touchdown passes while leading all receivers in receptions and yards.
Even the running backs broke open behind a sturdy offensive line. Le'Veon Moss punched in a 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and finished with 78 yards on the afternoon. Rising sophom*ore Rueben Owens ended the white team's seven-drive scoreless streak with a 61-yard scamper in the fourth quarter.
But fans care about quarterbacks. Even programs lacking talent but posses the right passers stand a chance of securing a conference title. Elko has faith in Conner Weigman, Jaylen Henderson and Marcel Reed to lead the charge.
Now, it's about determining the pecking order.
"It's a luxury to have three kids that have had very productive college football games on your roster," said Elko.
Weigman projects to start Week 1 against Notre Dame as he continues to work back from a season-ending foot injury. As the white team's quarterback, there were struggles. He finished 5 of 14 for 47 passing yards while evading Scourton behind a second-team offensive line.
Elko said when spring practice began that Weigman, who was limited to four games last season, earned the right to enter camp as QB1. He also mentioned that Henderson and Reed would compete for reps after filling in last season after Johnson's injury against Ole Miss.
The duo didn't just compete. They pushed. Henderson, who picked up wins over Mississippi State and Abilene Christian to round off the home series, finished 8 of 13 for a game-high 100 passing yards. Reed, who took over in the Texas Bowl after Henderson suffered an injury to his throwing arm, completed 10 of 14 throws for 88 yards and a score.
Reed found a diving Thomas for a 1-yard score with 13 seconds remaining in the first half to extend A&M's lead to 10. On the opening drive of the second half, Henderson tossed a floater to the back pylon of the north end zone.
"He has a very large catch radius," Elko said of Thomas. "He's gotten healthy. He had some offseason stuff he was dealing with toward the end of the year.
"If he can develop his body where it needs to be, he has all the makings of a guy we can use as a top target."
The Aggies, a potential College Football Playoff dark horse under the new 12-team format, have a top weapon. They have two talented running backs worth of first-team status. They feature what could be one of the best defensive lines in the country.
And they have the quarterback. Elko doesn't know which will be his permanent starter, but maybe that's a positive headed into summer. A spring game won't define which player presents the best-case scenario, either.
"We've evaluated a very large group of plays over the course of spring," Elko said. "I think that's what the evaluation is at quarterback more than just the spring game."
