Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher announced this week a new starter in Aggieland, Haynes King. After a summer-long QB competition, King edged out sophomore quarterback Zach Calzada. King, who served as the backup to Aggies starting quarterback Kellen Mond last year, has now been named as his successor. The redshirt freshman brings appeared in two games for the Aggies last season and will now take over the reins. But what does King bring to the Texas A&M offense?
King was the #3 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 recruiting class and was also #46 overall in that class. In high school, Haynes King led his school to its first Texas state title in 81 years. With a sub 4.50 forty-yard dash, King brings an exciting upside to an already exciting offense.
While Kellen Mond broke records in his four years under center in College Station, he was far from exciting. He was a glorified game manager for an underachieving Aggies era. Haynes King appears to be the opposite of that. Already drawing comparisons to Johnny Manziel, King hopes to bring in a new and exciting era of Aggie football. His ability to extend plays is one of the talking points that help draw that comparison.
“Haynes is going to be a guy that can really extend plays and probably keep the defense a little more honest or a little more scared with his ability to make plays with his feet.” Offensive Coordinator Darrell Dickey said.
The Exciting Aggie Offense
Similar to Manziel, King is making his debut with an electric Aggie offense. Texas A&M’s offense is ranked among the top ten College Football backfields. Ainias Smith and Isaiah Spiller give Texas A&M an immediate threat on the ground. Add Haynes King to that mix, and the Aggies running game should be one of the scariest in the SEC.
However, the Aggies talent doesn’t end there. Along with an exciting ground game, King has threats through the error with Lombardi Watch List Tight end Jalen Wydermyer and fellow tight end Caleb Chapman. Each give their new starting quarterback excellent options downfield. Ainias Smith is also an offensive force receiving out of the A&M backfield.
All of these combine for one of the most anticipated season of Texas A&M football. King’s development will be one of their keys for success. What steps will he take? He has a great first matchup to prove himself week 1 against Kent State on September 4th.
The upside alone brings an excitement at the quarterback position that has been missing for the last four seasons in Aggieland. While Mond hold A&M records, he was also incredibly inconsistent and held the Aggies back at times. Can a more dynamic quarterback like Haynes King help them compete for a title or challenge Alabama like Manziel once did? Only time will tell. However, it looks to be exciting for the #6 ranked Texas A&M Aggies.
