Kenny Hill will replace Johnny Manziel as Texas A&M Aggies’ starting QB
Perhaps the most interesting and competitive battle entering the 2014 college football season is the race to replace Johnny Manziel at quarterback for the Texas A&M Aggies.
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The battle between sophomore quarterback Kenny Hill and true freshman Kyle Allen was considered “dead even” heading into the weekend. Hill is a good athlete who has experience, playing in four games last season. Hill is 6’1 and 215 lbs. and is a local product from Southlake Carroll High School. Allen obviously has no experience but was considered the country’s top quarterback recruit in the class of 2014. The 6’3, 200-pounder attended Dessert Mountain High School in Scottsdale, Arizona and chose the Aggies over offers from just about every power program in the country. Allen enrolled early and participated in spring practice, hoping that would give him the edge he needed to win the job.
On Saturday, Aggies’ head coach Kevin Sumlin officially announced Hill as the starter.
BREAKING: @coachsumlin names Kenny Hill the starting QB #12thMan http://t.co/a4EYSCjMiw
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) August 16, 2014
Last season, Hill appeared in games against Sam Houston State, SMU, Vanderbilt and UTEP, all while the Aggies had comfortable leads. He completed 16 of 22 passes (72.7%) for 183 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He rushed for another 37 yards and seven carries. However, just because Hill will start when the Aggies travel to South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks on August 28, doesn’t mean Allen doesn’t have a chance to win the job. Sumlin is going to be keeping the competition going.
.@CoachSumlin: (1/2) “Competition was close and that competition will continue to help us improve."
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) August 16, 2014
.@CoachSumlin: (2/2) "“I have talked to both quarterbacks as well as the team and we will prepare with Kenny getting the first-team reps.”
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) August 16, 2014
Competition is always a good thing and with two talented players like Hill and Allen, they should only get better.