Jimbo Fisher Explains Aggies Signing of Transfer QB Jaylen Henderson

During an interview Monday evening, Jimbo Fisher explained why it was important for the Aggies to add the former Fresno State quarterback.

The addition of Fresno State quarterback Jaylen Henderson likely came as a shock to most Texas A&M fans entering the summer workouts. After all, why add a fourth QB on scholarship when the third still has yet to arrive on campus? 

The answer is quite simple when broken down to the bones; Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher wanted another gunslinger added to his roster for the impending season. The sixth-year coach is the one handing out scholarships, so he'll get the final call on which players are added before the start of the new campaign. 

“I’ve always wanted to keep four on scholarship, and in today’s time, that’s hard because guys leave,” Fisher told reporters Monday evening at the Houston A&M Club. “But being able to get guys from a numbers standpoint – you have to have it.”

With the addition of Henderson, A&M enters the year with two proven passers, one mostly unknown option, and a kid coming from the high school level. Sophomore Conner Weigman and redshirt junior Max Johnson are the proven prospects — albeit they still have much to prove under new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. Henderson, who's played in five games in two years, is the unknown. 

Marcel Reed, a four-star signee from the 2023 recruiting cycle, might be a part of the Aggies' foreseeable future, but for now, he doesn't even qualify for the "unknown" category since he remains in high school. The Nashville native is expected to arrive on campus next month for summer workouts following his graduation from Montgomery Bell Academy. 

Henderson, who went 5 of 8 as a passer during his time with the Bulldogs, told 247Sports that he intends to fight for the starting job come Week 1 against New Mexico. Good. More competition should strengthen A&M's chances of a more productive offensive season after finishing bottom-five among SEC programs in nearly every statistic. 

Still, Weigman and Johnson are the front-runners for a reason entering June. Both saw action in 2022 and impressed in limited roles. The two have already become entrenched in Petrino's teachings and have worked in the first and second-team offense for an entire offseason. 

Weigman, a highly-touted five-star passer from Cypress, looked to have the highest ceiling in his five starts last season, throwing for 898 yards and eight touchdowns against zero turnovers. He also led the Aggies to a season finale upset victory over then-No. 5 LSU. 

Johnson, who started 17 games between 2020-22, has a lower ceiling but perhaps a more consistent floor. Last season in three starts, he averaged 164.6 passing yards per game and threw at least one touchdown pass while completing 60 percent of his throws. Johnson likely would have retained the starting title if not for suffering a broken hand in Week 5's loss to Mississippi State. 

Fisher, who enters his sixth season in College Station, mentioned that injuries derailed not just A&M's offensive production but also its trajectory at the start of conference play. Weigman, Johnson, and former 2022 starter Haynes King all recorded at least three starts last season due to lack of production or injury. 

“Last year, how many did we need? We went through and lost three,” Fisher said. "You're talking about the Florida game where we had to play Haynes King because Conner was sick. He had turf toe so bad... first half he played tremendously, and then he had his turf toe hit, and then he wasn't functional." 

King, who won the starting job out of camp in both 2021 and 2022, has since transferred to Georgia Tech. Technically, Fisher carried five quarterbacks on the rosters last season, but former four-star Eli Stowers had spent the better part of two seasons at tight end while junior Blake Bost was a walk-on with one pass attempt. 

Stowers is now back working with quarterbacks as a member of New Mexico State's roster. Bost, who was projected to start for A&M in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest after Zach Calzada entered the transfer portal, should battle with Henderson for the title of QB No. 4. 

Of course, Fisher has said from the jump that whichever quarterback gives A&M its best chance to win the SEC will start. 

"You take depth across the board, but guys don't want to come here to add depth," Fisher said. "They want to come to play. Those situations are going to occur, and it creates competition which is going to make you better."

Henderson might be new on campus, but he might be the missing link when the Aggies return to Kyle Field to face the Lobos on Sept. 2. 

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