Jimbo Fisher is facing immense pressure ahead of the 2023 season

Texas A&M’s spring football season came to a close on Saturday night after the conclusion of the Maroon and White Spring Game, where the White team, led by senior quarterback Max Johnson, defeated the Maroon team, led by presumed 2023 starter, sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman by a score of 33-19.

Even in what was simply an exhibition game, progress was made on both sides of the ball, and now all eyes will be on the transfer portal as head coach Jimbo Fisher will look to fill nearly 11 scholarship spots at linebacker, wide receiver, offensive line, and defensive back, all in need of substantial additions to their respective depth charts.

During Jimbo Fisher’s post-spring game press conference following the matchup, outside media attention of course focused on the low-hanging fruit concerning his humourous shots at some of the media members in attendance, yet his overall message of continued improvement and urgency to add through the portal in a more vocal manner leads us to the immense pressure the sixth year head coach is most likely feeling five months before the start of the regular season.

In an article from CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee, seven college football coaches were selected and ranked in accordance with the amount of (catching on yet?) pressure each coach has placed on them in 2023, and to no surprise by anybody paying attention, Jimbo Fisher is the first name on the list. Here’s what Sallee had to say regarding Fisher taking the top spot:

Make no mistake … Fisher is on the hot seat. He is 39-21 (.650) through five seasons in College Station, Texas, which is worse than his predecessor, Kevin Sumlin, who was 44-21 (.679) over the same span. What’s even more concerning is that he reeled in the best recruiting class of all time in 2022, promptly went 5-7 and saw a mass exodus of players this offseason — many of whom were from that class. His $95 million fully-guaranteed contract extension moved the meter when he signed it prior to the 2021 season; however, the SEC’s massive television contract that kicks in prior to the 2024 season will make it much easier to get rid of Fisher if the program continues to decline.