Trust King: Aggies Pleased With Texas A&M QB's First Outing
Texas A&M tight end Jalen Wydermyer believes that Haynes King's mind separates him from other first-year quarterbacks.
After one play, the freshman QB pulled Wydermyer to the side to tell that if he were to bend a bit more against a certain coverage, he'd be able to get him the ball and get him to the end zone.
"That's just something he took leadership of and to tell me something," Wydermyer said Monday. "That's what I like to see out of quarterback."
Wydermyer, a junior, spent the first two years taking advice from Kellen Mond. Mond's persistence for perfection helped the Dickinson native become one of the more well-rounded tight ends in the country during the 2019 and '20 seasons.
It's time for Wydermyer to return the favor, and he did following the first interception against Kent State on Saturday night.
“I told him it’s a long game, and there are a lot of things to work on,” Wydermyer said. “I (said), ‘The game just started, and you can rely on me and your veterans to take care of you — to catch the ball or just protect you in the pocket.’”
READ MORE: Aggies Gain Back Top Cornerback For Road Trip To Colorado
King's first start for the No. 5 Aggies (1-0) came with plenty of upside. It also came with immediate concerns thanks to the turnovers. By the time he finished the evening, King had thrown three interceptions.
Then again, two touchdowns, along with 292 passing yards has to count for something.
It did for A&M coach Jimbo Fisher.
“Outstanding, and the moment was not too big at all,” Fisher said. “He was totally in the game, and if something went wrong, he could walk over and tell you what went wrong and why it went wrong. The communication was excellent all night.”
King completed 21 of 33 passes, and helped propel the Aggies to a 41-10 win over the Golden Flashes. Flashes is a good word to define the night as a whole from the current heir apparent to Mond.
A touchdown, a punt, a turnover, repeat. At least the Aggies have a win entering Week 2 in large part due to King.
“I love Haynes King,” running back Devon Achane said. “He was nervous, just like I was in my first game. I was just in his ear, keeping him hyped up. I was telling him to do the same things he does in practice. And that’s what he (started) doing — making plays."
A&M finished with 595 yards of total offense. Isaiah Spiller and Achane each posted more than 100 yards on the ground. Achane recorded a pair of touchdowns.
READ MORE: Colorado Defensive Players To Watch vs. Texas A&M
A consistent team on third down in 2020, the Aggies did it again in the opener. Last season, A&M converted a 62% on third down. The Aggies went 9 of 13 (69.2%) in the fist game, including two conversions in the red zone that led to scores.
"Understanding the importance of that down and how to perform on those downs, again those are critical plays in the game," Fisher said. "That's something we emphasize and hopefully we can continue to do well on."
Performances like that are enough to win against teams from the MAC. How about against a team from the Pac-12? The Aggies travel to Denver to face Colorado on Saturday.
King can't have three-turnover outings again. Soon, the Aggies enter SEC play, where winning can lead to the College Football Playoff.
It's too soon to tell if King will live take the Aggies to the promised land. Then again, it was uncertain how far Mond would take the Aggies after taking over for Nick Starkel in 2017.
READ MORE: How to Watch And Listen To No. 5 Texas A&M vs. Colorado
Mond threw for just 105 yards and a touchdown in his first start against Nicholls State. The following game, he threw for 301 yards and three scores in a win over Louisiana.
Another A&M quarterback went 23 of 30 passing with 173 yards in his first start against Florida. The next game, he'd finish with 418 total yards of offense and six touchdowns in a win over SMU,
Yes, Johnny Manziel.
King's potential coming from Longview is appears comparable to Manziel at the same point in their careers. Only time will decide the outcome over the long haul.
Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the All Aggies message board community today!
Follow AllAggies.com on Facebook and Twitter!
Want More Aggies News? Check Out The Latest In Texas A&M News Here
