As the Texas Longhorns reel in 5-star recruit Quinn Ewers, presumably their future starting quarterback, many peoples’ thoughts turn to the Aggies next QB. Kellen Mond has one more season with the Ags. Currently at second string, Zach Calzada is the presumed heir to the position, having already spent one year learning the system. However, the Georgia native ought to not get too comfortable. As any athlete knows, there is always someone behind you gunning for your position. For Calzada, his immediate threat is Haynes King.
King hails from Longview, where he reigned with an iron fist. Under King, the Longview Lobos were dominant, going 37-2 and winning the 2018 6A D-II State Championship. Last summer, there was a nationwide buzz and excitement, as people awaited his commitment. After a long, tense wait, he finally chose the Texas A&M Aggies over the Tennessee Volunteers. Fast forward a year later, and King has already been on campus for seven months, working out and learning Coach Fisher’s playbook.
Even though he was a highly sought-after recruit, King’s future in Aggieland is anything but certain. The Aggies have also earned a 2021 commitment from Eli Stowers, Denton-Guyer’s star quarterback who, unlike King, received offers from Clemson, Georgia, and LSU. There are three career ooutlooks for Haynes King that are most likely to take place. Each are possible, but which one will come to fruition? That’s for the football gods to decide.
3 Career Outlooks For Haynes King
Outlook 1: Sit For 2; Start For 2
Barring catastrophic events, (par for the course in 2020), King will sit out his freshman year. Mond is on many Heisman watch lists, and has by-far the most experience than any other quarterback on the roster. If the current trend continues, Calzada will take the reigns as quarterback after Mond is gone. Having sat for two years, it will naturally be his turn to start. This will put King on the sidelines for one more year. By then, he will have learned the playbook and developed physically. Going into his junior year, it will be a battle with Calzada for the QB1 position. Athleticism and wow-factor can often be the determining factor in position battles. King has the advantage in those categories, so a dethroning of Calzada would not be surprising.
Of course, King will still have to fend off Eli Stowers who will vying for his chance under center. If King is successful, don’t be surprised if Stowers transfers. It would make sense, for the Denton, Texas native, and he would surely be welcomed to any program across the nation.
Outlook 2: Sit For 1; Start For 3
As stated, athleticism can play a massive role in determining a starter. King was a four-star athlete, with football not being his only focus. Now at Texas A&M, he is able to focus entirely on the gridiron without any other sports getting in his way. This may allow him to cover more ground than is expected. Heading into fall of 2021, a quarterback battle may take place in College Station, something Aggie fans haven’t seen since the Kevin Sumlin administration. Stability is nice, but having two great players for one position isn’t a bad problem to have.
King just might beat out the older Calzada for the starting quarterback spot in 2021. Fans would not be surprised either way. The elder player is polished and has shown promise, garnering lots of excitement. The younger is lightning in bottle, showing the ability to make difficult throws and extend plays with his feet. Plus, Jimbo make think long-term and work in King as soon as possible.
If King does claim the starting spot from his sophomore year and on, again, expect Eli Stowers to transfer. He is simply too good of a player to sit for more than two years. If King reigns for three years in College Station, Stowers won’t start until his redshirt junior year at the earliest.
Outlook 3: Sit two, Lose To Stowers, Transfer
Anything can happen in the world of football, and a player’s path might not turn out the way most are expecting (i.e. Tate Martell). There is always the possibility that King gets hurt or doesn’t perform as well as most are expecting, and is surpassed by another player. That’s the risk athletes take every day; they know it. That’s why they work so hard all year long: so their spot isn’t taken by the next guy.
If Calzada is able to fend off King for more than a year, things could get interesting in the quarterback room. What happens if Stowers comes in and takes to the offense like a fish to water? What if someone gets hurt? A plethora of things can happen between now and then. The highly desired Haynes King could decide his time would be better spent elsewhere. He only took an official visit to three schools: Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Auburn. In two seasons, Bo Nix will likely be in the NFL. King can run just as well as Nix and throws a more accurate football. While it may not be probable at the moment, it’s certainly possible. As is anything, really.
