Haynes King – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Texas A&M Quarterback Battle: What we learned after the Spring Game

Max Johnson, Haynes King, and Conner Weigman make their case for the starting position as the 2022 season approaches

On Saturday, April 9th, The Texas A&M football squad wrapped up the 2022 Maroon and White Spring Game, giving head coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff a general understanding of who they are as a team, and what areas they need to focus on the most heading into fall camp.

From freshman wide receiver Evan Stewart’s offensive showing to walk-on Avery Hughes’s dominating defensive performance, the game had plenty of impressive moments. However, the most publicized, and soon-to-be scrutinized Quarterback battle between Max Johnson, Haynes King, and Conner Weigman made the headlines. Here are my three observations regarding each of their play, and what it means for each of them going into the season:

Conner Weigman won’t be sitting very long: Whether it was his pocket presence, arm strength, or ball placement skills while playing for both the maroon and white teams on Saturday, the future is very bright if Conner Weigman is the leading man going into the 2023 season, but things could change while continuing to learn the offense going into 2022.
Haynes King has some work to do: With the lack of in-game experience after the leg injury he sustained early last season, Haynes King must know how important the next three months are to his development. As a true dual-threat, King showed flashes in the spring game, including a touchdown run, although his passing was an issue, throwing two interceptions and throwing into traffic on multiple occasions. Confidence is key, and developing chemistry with his wide receivers needs to be emphasized.
Max Johnson is more than a pocket passer: The LSU transfer did not disappoint in his debut for the Aggies, showing why many put him slightly ahead of King for the number one spot, passing for two touchdowns and rushing for 69 total yards, including a 48-yard scamper which collectively made us all note his athletic ability. With his SEC experience, while throwing for 27 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions for almost 3,000 yards last season, he certainly is in the running to take the top spot sooner than later.

Overall, each of the three quarterbacks is different from a skill set perspective, yet all have a chance to thrive offensively, and it’s just a matter of time before we all know who that man will be.

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How Alabama can take advantage of Texas A&M’s QB troubles

Poor quarterback play has held Texas A&M’s offense back.

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Without sounding too much like the Bo Nix meme that has been going around social media for months now, this was the year for Texas A&M at quarterback.

Haynes King was recruited by alleged quarterback whisperer Jimbo Fisher and developed for two seasons while sitting behind Kellen Mond. He beat out Zack Calzada for the starting job this season, being dubbed the guy to take the Aggies to the College Football Playoff. His ability as a dual-threat paired with two of the best running backs in the country and an elite defense had College Station hopeful.

Until a fractured ankle against Colorado has sidelined King with an at best mid-October return on the table.

If I told you the Texas A&M offense has been bad since then, it would come off as a compliment.

Calzada has taken over as the starting quarterback and led the Aggies to an average of 14 points/game (three games) against Power Five opponents. Two consecutive losses to Arkansas and Mississippi State have taken the CFP hype to “hopefully, they’ll make a bowl game.”

Outside of the lackluster scoring, some of Calzada’s advanced numbers are worrying. Only 10.1% of his throws have gone beyond 20 yards this season. Texas A&M has some talented skill position players and should have a more explosive passing game than Fisher has put on display so far.

Holding onto the ball too long has been an issue as well, averaging 3.1 seconds per dropback. Arkansas and Mississippi State each had three sacks over the past two weeks.

Blaming just the quarterback would be unfair, though. Texas A&M’s offensive line has allowed pressures 38.5% of dropbacks. The already weak unit lost starting offensive lineman Luke Matthews for the season as well. It’s far from up for the Aggies.

Thanks to Greg Tepper of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football for the numbers.

That's not only on Calzada, obviously — he's pressured on 38.5% of his dropbacks, second-most among Texas FBS QBs. He's also holding the ball for 3.1 seconds per dropback, the longest among Texas FBS QBs. So it's…kinda everything.

— Greg Tepper (@Tepper) October 4, 2021

From the Alabama perspective, this screams another Will Anderson masterclass. A struggling offensive line plus a quarterback holding onto the ball for too long while refusing to push the ball downfield. Nick Saban should attempt to get Anderson off preseason All-American Kenyon Green and watch him feast.

Any kind of delayed blitzes will confuse the young and inexperienced Aggie front as well. Malachi Moore, Christian Harris, and Henry To’oto’o should be candidates to end up with sacks alongside Anderson.

Even if the pass rush is not able to get home, we know Calzada is going to be afraid to take deep shots. Loading the box to stop the dangerous run game of Isaiah Spiller can become the defense’s main focus. The quarterback poses no threat.

Alabama blowing out Texas A&M is nothing new. Six of the last seven have been decided by at least 18 points, including a 28-point win last season. Ignoring the quarterback struggles is too difficult to believe any other result will occur at Kyle Flood.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Griffin McVeigh on Twitter @Griffin_McVeigh.

College Football: 16 starting quarterbacks are from the state of Texas this season

The state of Texas trails only California in this regard. Here are the 16 starting QB’s this season from the Lone Star state:

The state of Texas is a hot bed for high school football talent. Continue reading “College Football: 16 starting quarterbacks are from the state of Texas this season”