Will Texas A&M Start Haynes King at QB Against the Miami Hurricanes?
Heading into Week 3 of the 2022 season, teams are still figuring a few things out. That's an understatement for Texas A&M, which was just stunned by perpetual underdog Appalachian State at home and saw its ranking drop from No. 6 to No. 24 overnight.
One of the biggest question marks for the Aggies right now: Can Haynes King get it done at quarterback?
King's been the starter for two games now and there's a reason some Aggies' fans are asking to see backup Max Johnson in action when the Miami Hurricanes head to College Station, Texas on Saturday.
In the season debut against (FCS) Sam Houston State, King threw for 364 yards and three touchdowns, but also got picked off twice. Last week against App State, he managed only 96 yards through the air with no scores and fumbled twice, although A&M was able to recover both of those.
Appalachian State's defense made it look like the Aggies were moving through molasses. In fact, Texas A&M only scored once while on offense. With King as the field general, a lot of the blame has to fall on him.
Locked on Canes host Alex Donno had Locked on Aggies host Joey Ickes on the show Thursday to talk about A&M's quarterback situation and what might happen come game time.
"Nobody really knows...Jimbo Fisher's not really that incentivized to tell anybody, other than his team," said Ickes. "I would assume that Haynes King probably gets the start, but I would also assume that the leash is quite short in this scenario."
King is a known commodity for the Aggies and they undoubtedly have their reasons for picking him as the starter over Johnson, who transferred in from LSU to take the job. But it's sink or swim for the sophomore now, and against Miami's defense, he'll have his work cut out for him.
The Aggies' offensive line had its fair share of trouble against Appalachian State, giving up two sacks and six total tackles for loss. The inability to pass protect makes King's mobility and ability to leave the pocket a huge factor in his being named starter. If Miami's defensive front is at full strength, it could attack that weakness up front and make life very difficult for King.
No matter what, the Canes are likely preparing for either QB, or both, which can be a difficult task. Texas A&M, however, is tasked with the far more difficult challenge of preparing themselves for either huddle caller this weekend.
Trying to make a switch on such short notice could leave the Aggies vulnerable to some mental mistakes. Miami will need to take advantage if the Canes want to come out of Kyle Field with a 3-0 record this Saturday night.
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