As Fall Camp Begins, Jimbo Fisher Letting Aggies QB Battle Work Itself Out
COLLEGE STATION -- Jimbo Fisher said he does not expect there to be a timetable as to when he'll name a starting quarterback for Texas A&M entering the 2023 season. The answer will reveal itself in the coming days on the practice field.
"They'll tell you when they're ready," Fisher said Wednesday during his introductory press conference to fall camp. "You'll see it."
Haynes King won the starting job entering both 2021 and 2022 but didn't finish the year calling the shots. A leg injury in Week 2 against Colorado sidelined him for the rest of 2021, while insufficient play opened the door for Max Johnson and Conner Weigman in 2022.
King now hopes to win the starting job at Georgia Tech. In College Station, Johnson and Weigman are battling for the title of QB1 as practice begins in preparation for A&M's season opener against New Mexico on Sept. 2.
On paper, Weigman could have the advantage due to late-season heroics. The former five-star dazzled in his first start against Ole Miss with a four-touchdown performance. He ended the year on the right note with a 38-23 upset win over then-No. 5 LSU to give the Aggies something to hold their hat on in after finishing 5-7.
But Johnson was initially given the first crack to take over the offense starting in Week 3. The former LSU starter led A&M to back-to-back wins over top 25 opponents in Miami and Arkansas, respectively. If not for a season-ending thumb injury suffered in Week 5 against Mississippi State, who knows if Weigman would have ever seen the field.
Fisher, who's feeling the urgency to win now as he enters his sixth season with the program, isn't letting last season's theatrics factor into his decision. Little things like command in the huddle, attention to correcting mistakes, and consistent positive repetition will play a substantial role in which passer takes the field in front of a packed Kyle Field against the Lobos.
"People say I want [the quarterback] to be a game manager. You have to be a game manager. That's the greatest compliment you can have," Fisher said. "Then it comes to the plays you make out it...you have to understand when it's third down, red zone, there's time on the clock, field position, all the different way calls change.
"At the end of the day, the key is to move the football."
A&M's offensive struggles weren't all on the shoulders of the constant quarterback changes. The offensive line was riddled with injuries. Freshmen receivers were asked to step up following a season-ending injury to Ainias Smith. Play-calling in the passing game was sub-par at best, too, leading to the Aggies finishing 101st in scoring.
The run game thrived at times behind De'Von Achane's legs, especially in the Aggies' season finale upset. He's now looking to carve out a role with the Miami Dolphins, meaning the passing attack must take a step forward until A&M finds a stable replacement for the All-SEC rusher.
Fisher said he feels confident in his options to replace Achane, highlighting junior Amari Daniels, sophomore Le'Veon Moss and freshman Rueben Owens, a 2023 five-star signee out of El Campo.
"It's a talented group," said Fisher. "Not a lot of experience as far as [reps] goes, but I like where they're at. The guys can run the football."
Fisher will have final say on which passer takes the reins and hopefully stabilizes the offense, but new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Bobby Petrino could have an opinion. Expected to serve as the Aggies' primary play-caller, Petrino has been hands-on with both Weigman and Johnson since he arrived on campus this spring.
"Bobby's a great guy, a smart guy and a hell of a football coach," said Fisher. "He's doing a great job and our players are relating to him well. Things are going well."
An entire offseason working in Petrino's offensive system likely means an uptick in the concepts. According to Fisher, the tricky part is making sure experience won't lead to mental mistakes.
"Greatness is measured with consistency and performance over a long period of time," said Fisher. "Can you consistently execute for a game? Can you do it for a season? Can you do it for a career? That's what greatness is."
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