Tag: Max Johnson

Initial injury report ahead of Texas A&M vs. Abilene Christian

Here is Texas A&M’s initial injury report ahead the Aggies’ last home game of the 2023 season vs. Abilene Christian.

When the news broke that Jimbo Fisher had been fired from Texas A&M (6-4, 4-3 SEC) on Sunday, everything relating to the 2023 season paused until assistant head coach Elijah Robinson was granted the interim postion for the remaining three games, as the Aggies are back to work this week to finish the season strong.

On Monday, Robinson, in his first official media appearance as head coach, focused on his new responsibilities, what he learned during his last five seasons under Fisher, and how the team responded to the news after learning of Robinson’s promotion:

“When we talked to the team and addressed them about the transition, I thought those guys handled it really well. Those guys embraced me. They weren’t happy about what happened, but they were ready to move forward.”

Now, looking ahead to the Aggies early kickoff vs. the visiting Abilene Christian Wildcats, this will be the last home game for the seniors, including safety Demani Richardson and standout wide receiver Ainias Smith.

In terms of A&M’s current injury report ahead of the game, Robinson did note that there has been no update regarding quarterback Max Johnson’s status. At the same time, no injured player from last weekend’s 51-10 win over Mississippi State will likely remain out against ACU.

However, being that this is the last time several starters will play in Kyle Field, I suspect we’ll see a different-looking lineup on offense and defense, but don’t put it past Johnson to fight his way back in the lineup. If he can’t go, expect quarterback Jaylen Henderson to make his second consecutive start after accounting for four touchdowns against the Bulldogs in his dazzling debut.

Here is Texas A&M’s complete injury list:

Texas A&M

  • QB Conner Weigman (Out, foot)
  • TE Donovan Green (Out, ACL)
  • QB Max Johnson (Questionable, Ribs)
  • DB Jardin Gilbert (Out, shoulder)
  • RB Le’Veon Moss (Questionable, hamstring)
  • WR Evan Stewart (Questionable, lower body)

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Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State: Quarterback/Injuries update, plus some pre game weirdness

Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson is officially out, while multiple starters on defense are deemed to return against Mississippi State.

Texas A&M (5-4, 3-3 SEC) will host Mississippi State (4-5, 1-5) on Saturday night. While the primary goal remains to earn bowl eligibility for the first time in two seasons, with the injury news regarding starting quarterback Max Johnson, things may be closer than expected.

So, Johnson, who Fisher previously stated would play this weekend, was officially seen in street clothes 30 minutes ahead of the Aggies’ 6:30 p.m. kick-off, meaning that former Fresno State quarterback Jaylen Henderson will likely start the game. However, offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino’s plan may include freshman quarterback Marcel Reed in the game plan.

Concerning starting cornerbacks Tyreek Chappell and Deuce Harmon, who missed last weekend’s loss to Ole Miss, both will return against Mississippi State while running back Le’Veon Moss, safety Bryce Anderson, and wide receiver Evan Stewart are confirmed OUT against the Bulldogs.

On another note, some pre-game weirdness during warmups showed a man wearing Max Johnson’s No. 14 while also throwing left-handed (just like Johnson), who is not a football team member. Was Jimbo Fisher trying to throw off the Bulldogs? Who knows.

Texas A&M will return to Kyle Field to take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.

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Texas A&M QB Max Johnson’s status vs. Mississippi State is still up in the air

Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson could miss Saturday’s night’s matchup vs. Mississippi State.

Even though Texas A&M head football coach Jimbo Fisher stated that starting quarterback Max Johnson, who sustained an apparent rib injury in the Aggies 38-35 loss to Ole Miss last weekend, is set to play vs. Mississippi State on Saturday night, trusting Fisher’s word may not be enough to garner confidence that Johnson is healthy enough to see the field.

For reference, after a rumor regarding Johnson’s rib injury made its way through social media just a day after the Ole Miss loss, Fisher surprisingly revealed that the veteran signal-caller was injured but would not miss any playing time during his annual Monday press conference.

“Max was able to finish the game, was a couple off tough shots, but we’ll wait and see how it goes. But he should be good. I’m planning on him playing and hopefully we’ll see as it goes day-by-day.”

Fast forward to Wednesday, Fisher stated that Johnson had been practicing during the week, which solidified that Max would start against the Bulldogs, Right? Well, Friday’s reveal from TexAgs Executive Editor Billy Liucci stated on TexAgs Radio that he does not expect Johnson to suit out on Saturday. At the same time, star wide receiver Evan Stewart is doubtful to play.

However, starting cornerbacks Tyreek Chappell and Deuce Harmon have practiced all week and are slated to return. Again, if Max Johnson cannot go, former Fresno State quarterback Jaylen Henderson, who only has one career pass attempt, will start in his place. Buckle up, folks.

Texas A&M will return to Kyle Field to take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.

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Five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State

Will the Aggies’ secure bowl eligibility? Here are five players to watch out for ahead of Texas A&M’s home bout with Mississippi State.

Texas A&M’s (5-4, 3-3 SEC) 2023 football season has been underwhelming, to say the least, as sixth-year head coach Jimbo Fisher has once again landed on the evergrowing “hot seat” list as his future at the helm is still somewhat unknown with three games remaining.

After falling to Ole Miss 38-35 last Saturday, Texas A&M has dropped five straight to the Rebels and the Aggies’ upcoming opponent, Mississippi State (4-5, 1-5 SEC). Yes, this is very ugly on its face, but a chance to beat the Bulldogs for the first time in two seasons will at least place a much-needed bandage in the form of bowl eligibility.

This will be the Aggies’ first primetime kick-off of the season, and at this point, it may not mean that much to those watching from home, but for Aggie fans attending the game, expect a raucous crowd with plenty of implications still on the line. While the Bulldogs have dealt with plenty of adversity, quarterback Will Rogers is still listed as day-to-day but is 2-1 against A&M, including three touchdowns in their 2022 meeting.

This week, we have provided several storylines to help provide the full scoop on what to expect on Saturday night.

Focusing on the players that need to make plays this weekend, here are the five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State.

Oh, so close… Texas A&M couldn’t find the inches this season, and Kelley Ford’s ‘What if’ Rankings proves that point

Texas A&M’s 2023 season has been an utter failure, but if, as Jimbo Fisher says, they found the inches, we’re looking at a once loss team.

Shield your eyes, Aggie fans, but Jimbo Fisher may have been correct when he constantly harped on “not finding the inches” during all four of Texas A&M’s (5-4, 3-3 SEC) losses the season.

While many will blame quarterback Conner Weigman’s season-ending injury earlier this year on the lack of progress, this team game starts and ends with the man at the top. Marred by a beyond-struggling offensive line, current starting quarterback Max Johnson is just plain beat up. Still, due to his unwavering toughness, the veteran southpaw will likely start this weekend vs. Mississippi State.

What’s even more alarming has been the incredible play in the defensive trenches, as the Aggie’s 15th-ranked defense ranks second in sacks (34). At the same time, star junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper has been an absolute stud, leading the team in sacks with seven and second in the country in tackles for loss (16.5), recording more than any linebacker in the nation.

Going back to the inches, Kelley Ford released his annual “What If” Wednesday Top 30 rankings for every program’s one-possession and OT loss in 2023, and as we know, three of the Aggies’ four losses were, yes, by one possession, including last painful Saturday’s 38-35 road loss to Ole Miss.

So, what if this team was coached by, let’s say, Nick Saban or Kirby Smart? Who knows at this point, but it’s pretty clear that Jimbo Fisher has failed to steady the ship in SEC play, and with three games left to prove his worth beyond this season to regain some support from the fan base, winning out, which includes winning in Baton Rouge vs. the high scoring LSU Tigers to earn their, yes, first SEC road game this season.

As I wrote earlier this week, nothing regarding Fisher’s future is set in stone, but if the program finishes 7-5 or better, expect (as of right now) that he will return in 2024.

Texas A&M will return to Kyle Field to take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.

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Jimbo Fisher provides several injury of updates ahead of Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State

Ahead of Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State, Jimbo Fisher provided several key injury updates during Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference.

On Wednesday, Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher made weekly SEC Teleconference appearance ahead of the Aggies’ Saturday night game vs. Mississippi State.

A&M must accomplish the bare minimum goal of earning bowl eligibility for the first time in two seasons. With a win against State, next weekend’s cupcake matchup vs. Abilene Christian should net them a 7th win and possibly their last before finishing the year against LSU on the road.

Making headlines earlier this week, Aggies’ starting quarterback Max Johnson, who reportedly suffered a somewhat significant upper-body injury in last weekend’s loss to Ole Miss, Fisher stated on Monday that Johnson was healthy enough to practice. As of Wednesday, Johnson is still set to start against the Bulldogs.

“Yeah. He’s practicing. They’re at practice and doing what we need to do.”

Outside of Johnson’s status, Texas A&M starting cornerback Tyreek Chappell and Deuce Harmon and star sophomore wide receiver Evan Stewart, who also sat out against Ole Miss, are on track to return this weekend, according to Fisher, barring any last-minute changes.

“We will see. Those guys are at practice. Some of those guys are practicing back and getting back into a groove.”

Lastly, Fisher’s son Ethan, who recently announced his verbal commitment to Samford University (Jimbo’s alma mater), brought a smile to our collective faces when discussing how proud he was as a Father, especially dealing with Ethan’s health issues over the years.

“I am extremely proud and very happy. There were some times (doctors were) not only saying he could never walk on a football field, but was he going to be here? … Very proud and love him so much.”

Texas A&M will return to Kyle Field to take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.

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Initial injury report ahead of Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State

After head coach Jimbo Fisher’s Monday press conference, here is the Aggies initial injury report ahead of Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State.

Texas A&M (5-4, 3-3 SEC) is coming off a loss that may stick in every coach and player’s mind for quite some time, falling to the 10th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels 38-35 in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

While the blame game continues to point towards the top, Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher knows that his seat is burning up week after week as the losses pile up, and even worse, mediocrity sets in for a program littered with resources to contend at the highest level.

On Monday, Fisher spoke to the media to further reflect on the loss and, more importantly, provide several injury updates about quarterback Max Johnson, running back Le’Veon Moss, cornerback Tony Grimes, and right tackle Reuben Fatheree II.

First and foremost, the inappropriate rumors regarding Max Johnson’s rib injury, which still remain somewhat vague, should never be taken seriously until accurately reported. So, without going into detail, Fisher did reveal that Johnson is dealing with an upper body/rib injury. Still, it’s not as severe as the rumors entailed, as Johnson should be ready to go ahead of Texas A&M’s Week 11 home matchup vs. Mississippi State.

“Max was able to finish the game, was a couple off tough shots, but we’ll wait and see how it goes. But he should be good. I’m planning on him playing and hopefully we’ll see as it goes day-by-day.”

Concerning Le’Veon Moss, the ascending sophomore is also listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, as Fisher noted as he avoided any ligament damage in the process.

There is good news and bad news surrounding transfer cornerback Tony Grimes, who has yet to see the field this season, as his first year in Aggieland will officially come to an end before even taking a live snap. Still, with his 2023 redshirt season going into effect, he will now have two more seasons of eligibility remaining.

Finally, right tackle Reuben Fatheree, who has been rehabbing throughout the season, is currently working on gaining his play strength back, keeping him sidelined for what is likely the rest of the year with only three games and possibly four, including a bowl game, remaining on the year.

Texas A&M will return to Kyle Field to take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.

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Jimbo Fisher plans to play QB Max Johnson vs. Mississippi State despite his recent injury

According to Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher, quarterback Max Johnson is injured, but could play vs. Mississippi State

It has now been confirmed that Texas A&M starting quarterback Max Johnson sustained a rib injury after the loss to Ole Miss, as head coach Jimbo Fisher confirmed the news on Monday afternoon during the Aggies’ Monday press conference. This is Johnson’s second major injury as a program member after breaking his hand during his second start in 2022. However, Fisher stated that he “plans to play” Johnson vs. Mississippi State this Saturday despite the injury

“Max was able to finish the game, was a couple off tough shots, but we’ll wait and see how it goes. But he should be good. I’m planning on him playing and hopefully we’ll see as it goes day-by-day.”

Johnson had endured more pressure than any Aggie quarterback in quite some time due to the continuous poor play on the offensive line. Even though Saturday’s 38-35 road loss to Ole Miss showed improved play, especially in pass protection, Johnson still took several body blows, while one of the results of the final hit had him writhing in pain during the Aggies final drive.

Stepping in for injured quarterback Conner Weigman during the Aggies’ Week 4 win over Auburn, the Aggie’s O-line continued to decline during SEC play, as Johnson would continue to find through minor injuries week to week, but after sustaining 11 QB hits in the loss to Tennessee, it became borderline painful to watch the veteran southpaw have to prepare week to week for another painful outing.

So far this season, Johnson has accumulated with 1,452, 9 touchdowns, five interceptions, and 62.9 QBR in five starts in nine games. The Aggies will now likely start former Fresno State QB Jaylen Henderson, who is currently listed as Johnson’s backup, while freshman QB Marcel Reed is also in the mix if Johnson isn’t able to go.

Texas A&M will return to Kyle Field to take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.

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Five takeaways from Texas A&M’s 38-35 road loss to Ole Miss

Despite an impressive second-half offensive surge, Texas A&M fell short on the road once again. Here are five takeaways from the loss.

Turmoil has set in after Texas A&M’s (5-4, 3-3 SEC) ninth straight SEC road loss after falling to Ole Miss 38-35 on Saturday afternoon, as the term “Aggie Battered Syndrome” has reared its ugly head, while sixth-year head coach Jimbo Fisher is feeling the brunt of fan frustration in what seems to be a weekly occurrence.

Entering one of the more intimidating venues the conference offers, the Aggies dealt with adversity early in the form of several critical injuries to the secondary, including starting cornerbacks Tyreek Chappell and Deuce Harmon. Two plays into the game, star wide receiver Evan Stewart reportedly sustained a now-confirmed thigh bruise before the game, keeping him out of the matchup.

Down 14-0 in the first half, a blocked field goal attempt returned by Aggie safety Jacoby Mathews cut into the lead, later leading to Le’Veon Moss’s 13-yard score to keep things within distance at 20-14. Quarterback Max Johnson played his heart out in the second half paired with an efficient running game, leading the offense to three touchdowns while throwing for 305 yards. Still, his valiant effort wasn’t enough.

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart (24/33, 387 yards, 2 TD) continuously exposed the Aggie secondary while connecting with wide receiver Tre Harris (11 rec, 213 yards, 1 TD) but missed opportunities, including a critical endzone interception from Johnson in the first drive after the half likely cost the Aggies their first road victory in over two years.

So, what next for the Maroon and White as they enter another frustrating impasse? Here are five takeaways from Texas A&M’s Week 10 road loss to Ole Miss. But hey, they finally got over the hump after not scoring a second-half touchdown in five games. Well done!

Everything Jimbo Fisher had to say after Texas A&M’s disappointing 38-35 loss to Ole Miss

Hear what Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher had to say after Texas A&M’s disappointing 38-35 road loss to Ole Miss on Saturday.

Texas A&M (5-3, 3-3 SEC) has once again reached a disappointing impasse for the 5th time in sixth-year head coach Jimbo Fisher’s career at the helm, enduring four-plus losses in five seasons. On top of it all, Saturday’s 38-35 loss to Ole Miss on the road is now the program’s fifth straight loss to a Mississippi school, while Fisher still has yet to defeat an SEC opponent on the road since the 2021 season—brutal stuff.

As bad as things may be, improvement, yes, actual improvement on offense was seen through the gritty play of quarterback Max Johnson, who, after struggling in the first half through the air, exploded the second half for 305 yards on 31/42 passing for a touchdown, but did throw a costly interception in the end zone that likely altered the game’s final outcome.

Aiding Johnson in the passing game, Grand Valley State transfer wide receiver Jahdae “All Day” Walker finally lived up to his briefly held nickname, recording eight receptions for 100 yards. In contrast, do-it-all receiver Ainias Smith, the heart and soul of the Aggie offense, had six receptions for 83 yards, including several clutch catches that led to multiple scores.

While Texas A&M’s 7th-ranked defense continued to give the offense opportunities, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart and wide receiver Tre Harris (11 receptions, 213 yards, 1 TD) took full advantage of the Aggie’s injuries at cornerback, as starters Tyreek Chappell and Deuce Harmon missed the game due to injury.

After the game, Fisher provided context (i.e, “we need to execute) after the loss, as the Aggies’ will have to wait another week to earn their sixth win and bowl eligibility, facing Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11. Here is Jimbo Fisher’s post-game press conference.

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