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Aggies with a new QB option?
As has been noted (many, many times), the Aggies don't have any skill position players committed for the 2023 class. Since Eli Holstein flipped to Alabama, they've set their sights high on several Rivals 250 quarterbacks and struck out.
They've got their eyes on a new target, and this one may a guy they can lock down if they sell them on the new scheme.
Maize (Kansas) 4-star QB and K-State commit
Avery Johnson is the player in question. Adam Gorney asked me about him today and I was able to find out that, yes, the Aggies are working on him. There's a fair amount of confidence that they'll be able to flip him eventually, but of course they've got to figure out their own situation too.
Johnson is no slouch; he's a Rivals 250 guy and recently committed to the Army All-American game. He's got a pretty strong arm and can definitely run. My concern is his completion percentage is only around 55%, but the physical tools are there.
Apparently, he was very good at the Elite 11 and is positioned to become the #1 dual-threat QB in the nation in the next ratings update. The most recent #1 dual threat QB was Conner Weigman.
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Stewart seems increasingly solid
It wasn't all that long ago that it seemed like Evan Stewart was going to be on his way out the door at the end of the season. That presumption seems to have seriously changed of late, as has his demeanor. Stewart, from what I've heard, really has done a 180 since the suspension for the Miami game. He's not only starting to put up big numbers that you'd expect from a No. 1 wideout, but he's actually starting to emerge as a leader. If you look at his social media (cringe), he's clearly a lot more positive towards the program. If he joins forced with the likes of Donovan Green and Bryce Anderson, we could see a solid group of leaders emerge in this class.
Weigman to start tomorrow
This shouldn't be a surprise, but just to be sure, Conner Weigman is scheduled to start tomorrow for the Aggies. He's had the 1st team reps all week and, like we've said, there's really no going back if he's healthy. Especially when Haynes King isn't. King is battered in the truest sense of the word, with ankle, shoulder and rib issues. Still, he's been out there because his team has needed him. We've heard he's pretty down because he feels like he's let the team down with his performance, which is pretty tough.
Other players back, while the status of others remains uncertain
A&M should get Kam Dewberry, Bryce Anderson and Jardin Gilbert back tomorrow after they missed last week with the flu. Mark Nabou performed pretty well in Dewberry's absence, but Anderson and Gilbert were seriously missed last weekend. Donovan Green also missed last weekend, and it seems like he'll be back. The status of LT Overton, Tunmise Adeleye and Antonio Johnson remains up in the air.
What you've all been waiting for...
I'm still not going to get really exact with who A&M is targeting for their offensive coordinator job, but I'll give you a few names that generated some interest. You all can debate whether you think they're respectable candidates.
Some of the names I've heard bandied about include North Carolina's Phil Longo, who was the OC for Sam Houston's explosive offenses before heading over to do the same and Ole Miss;
Baylor's Jeff Grimes, who was the O-line coach and running game coordinator for LSU before going to BYU and making that offense explosive. He runs a multiple-formation offense that only runs a handful of plays, but does it out of different looks.
TCU's Garrett Riley, one of the younger guys on this list and a former Texas Tech player (class of 2012). Riley helped Sonny Dykes get SMU's offense going after success at App State under Eli Drinkwitz, and now he's had immediate success with the Horned Frogs.
Incarnate Word's Mark Leftwich, who played QB at UTEP from 2013-15 and took over a high-flying offense this year. They haven't skipped a beat, scoring no less than 35 points in any of their games this year. The Cardinals are 9-1.
Wake Forest's Warren Ruggiero. He's been at Wake since 2014, which means Jimbo is familiar with him. He's done a fantastic job the past several seasons, maximizing the talent's he's got.
Aaron Roderick at BYU. They were 17th in total offense last year and, at 49, he's not too young or too old.
