'He Can Play Better': Texas A&M QB Haynes King Provides Mixed Results In Sam Houston Win
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COLLEGE STATION -- What should Texas A&M fans take away from the return of sophomore quarterback Haynes King? That’s somewhat a two-part question.
In terms of deep ball accuracy, King impressed in the Aggies’ 31-0 win over Sam Houston. All three touchdown passes came on throws of over 30 yards through the air.
In terms of consistency, King needs work. While the deep ball is trending in the right direction, his decision-making skills aren't. On multiple occasions, the Longview native threw into double coverage. He missed wide-open receivers in the short game because of his desire to go deep.
In a sense, King’s performance mirrored that of the Aggies’ overall outing. He has the potential to be one of the Southeastern Conference’s best passers. The No. 6 Aggies (1-0) have the potential to be one of the nation’s best teams.
Both still have plenty of areas to fix.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said postgame.
King, the initial starter of the 2021 season, beat out LSU transfer Max Johnson and freshman phenom Conner Weigman for the title of QB1. Fisher isn’t ready to pull the plug on King entering next week’s matchup against Appalachian State, but his consistency must improve.
It’s not as if King’s outing was all bad. His 364 passing yards marked the first 300-plus yard performance from an A&M quarterback since Kellen Mond in 2020. He also averaged 11.7 yards per throw and connected with six different receivers.
Fisher has said for years now how he wants A&M to add more of a vertical element to its passing game. King met the challenge head on and didn’t disappoint. His first touchdown pass came on a 66-yard throw to sophomore Yulkeith Brown.
His second? A 63-yard throw to senior Ainias Smith.
His third score, a 43-yard pass to Smith in the fourth quarter, might have been his cleanest throw of the afternoon. He worked through every progression before finding the veteran down the seam unguarded for an easy six points.
“The plays he had downfield, [he] hit guys in stride, made plays, and [was] looking downfield, which I was happy about,” Fisher said.
King's biggest flaw hasn't changed since his first start last season against Kent State: decision-making.
He tried finding freshman receiver Evan Stewart downfield in the second quarter but was picked off by Bearkats safety BJ Foster.
On his second interception, King misread the defense, leading to an easy interception by Sam Houston’s Kameryn Alexander.
“He … had two critical mistakes,” Fisher said of King’s turnovers interception. “He’s got to be a little more vertical with the ball. ... Got to stay more vertical with it or dump it down with the first down call."
King will receive most of the negative comments due to his position, but much of the offense needs to make adjustments by the time the Mountaineers arrive. The offensive line allowed far too many pressures up the middle. The team also struggled to find any balance in the run game, averaging just 2.3 yards per attempt.
Quarterback play is essential in the SEC this fall. With Alabama’s Bryce Young, Georgia’s Stetson Bennett, Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker and countless others starting their seasons off on the right note, King will need to be better for the Aggies to contend for a conference title.
For now, Fisher is content with King. If he hasn't improved entering Week 3 against the Miami Hurricanes, things could change.
“I thought he did a real nice job of hitting some big plays,” Fisher said. “It’s a solid performance. He can play better than that. He can play better than that.”
The Aggies return to Kyle Field on Sept. 10 against Appalachian State.
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