No quarterback decision yet, Jimbo Fisher not ready to name starter
The identity of Texas A&M’s QB1 remains a QB wonder.
Head coach Jimbo Fisher called an afternoon press conference for Wednesday afternoon to essentially say nothing.
He would not reveal the winner of the three-man quarterback competition between Haynes King, Max Johnson and Conner Weigman. He also would not reveal when he would reveal the winner.
Asked if he had decided on a starter, Fisher simply answered: “No.”
Asked if he has decided but is just not ready to announce it, Fisher said: “I haven’t told you who our starting quarterback is.”
Asked when he would announce a starter, he responded: “When I’m ready.”
Later, Fisher seemed to hint that he has indeed made a decision.
“We have a good idea of what’s going on. How it’s going on. We watch practice every day,” Fisher said. “We’ll announce it when we’re ready.
The Aggies open the season in 10 days against Sam Houston State on Sept. 3 at Kyle Field.
In previous years, Fisher has typically announced the starting quarterback 10 days before the season started.
“All three quarterbacks, I thought, are playing well,” Fisher said. “(They’ve) Had really good days yesterday in practice. Worked a lot of situations. End of the game situations. I thought they managed that good. Managed the clock good.”
King, who was named the starter last season but sustained a season-ending injury in the second game, is in his third year in Fisher’s system.
Johnson transferred from LSU, where he was a starter last season. He passed for 2,814 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Weigman is a true freshman. He was a five-star recruit who was rated among the nation’s top quarterback prospects.
Fisher said the capabilities of each does not make his decision more difficult. Rather, he said it makes him more optimistic.
“It makes you more confident in the scenario of things that go on,” Fisher said. “You have a multitude of guys that you think can play well and do things.
“You’re learning each guy. What each guy does well; what each guy doesn’t do as well. How would you call the game for him, how would you call the game for him, how you’d call the game for the third.
“I think all three are growing. When you have depth and you have guys that can play, it’s a very good thing, especially at that position.”
Fisher noted that in past years he had rotated quarterbacks during games as an offensive coordinator at LSU and Auburn. He also had changed starting quarterbacks from game to game.
However, he indicated that’s not his intention this year.
“That’s not the plan,” Fisher said. “Hopefully, the guy you name can play the whole season, but you feel very confident in the group of guys we have if something happens to one of them.”