Texas A&M football: Who wins the Aggies quarterback competition?

With Kellen Mond off to the NFL, who will Jimbo Fisher choose to lead the Texas A&M offense this season?

Last season was the best season in the Jimbo Fisher era for Texas A&M football. Their only loss was to eventual national champion Alabama and the year was capped off with an Orange Bowl win and top-five ranking. A large part of their success was due to the maturation and development of quarterback Kellen Mond.

Mond completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 2282 yards and 19 touchdowns to three interceptions. Mond grew every season under Fisher. His completion percentage improved every season, and his interceptions decreased by 66 percent last season.

Mond is off to the NFL Draft, and there is a hole at quarterback this season.  Expectations are high in College Station after the success of 2019.  The Aggies’ hopes for this season are tied to whoever plays quarterback.

Who will win the Texas A&M football quarterback competition?

It is a three-way battle to fill the vacant quarterback job at Texas A&M. The most tenured quarterbacks are redshirt sophomore Zach Calzada and sophomore Haynes King. Freshman Eli Stowers might have the most upside of the group but brings the least amount of experience.

King took the few snaps available during last season, completing two passes for 59 yards and one touchdown. This battle will begin in earnest in the spring but likely won’t be decided until fall camp. King is a dual-threat with elite traits similar to Mond and could make for a natural successor.

Calzada does not have elite athletic traits, but the Georgia high school stand-out has an elite right arm. Fisher’s pro-style offense is more reliant on arm talent than athletic prowess. Stowers possess the arm and the athletic talent but needs time to develop.

Ultimately, the quarterback competition in College Station could linger into the season is none of the options seize the opportunity in front of them. Should that happen, Texas A&M’s SEC title hopes could crumble. However, if the successor to Mond can step in without missing a beat, the Aggies could content with Alabama in the West.

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