Texas A&M’s Starting Quarterback Will Be Out Against Alabama

Getty Texas A&M's starting quarterback, Max Johnson, will be out against Alabama and could miss the rest of the 2022 season.

Texas A&M suffered a huge injury blow ahead of a critical game October 8 against the Alabama Crimson Tide, losing their starting quarterback — possibly for the rest of the season. Max Johnson, named the starter for the Aggies’ Week 3 matchup against Miami, broke a bone in his throwing hand October 1 and left the game in the fourth quarter of the team’s 42-24 loss to Mississippi State.

ESPN Radio host Ian Fitzsimmons reported the news in an October 6 tweet. “I am told Texas A&M QB, Max Johnson has a broken bone in his throwing hand,” Fitzsimmons said. “Sadly, he might be done for the season – at the least the foreseeable future.”

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher may turn to benched starter Haynes King — who threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter against Mississippi State — to lead the Aggies against an elite Alabama defense that ranks third among Power Five schools in total offense allowed.

Texas A&M Could Debut a Freshman Quarterback Against Alabama

Jimbo Fisher appears likely to debut a member of his talked-about 2022 recruiting class — one Nick Saban accused the Texas A&M coach and the school’s boosters of buying — in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. That would be Conner Weigman, a four-star prospect out of Bridgeland in Cypress, Texas.

According to an October 6 Sports Illustrated story, Fisher did not say whether King or  Weigman would start.

Fisher beamed about Weigman when speaking to reporters on October 6, including Gigem247’s Jeff Tarpley. “We give him reps every week with the twos,” said the Texas A&M coach, per Tarpley. “He’s knowledgeable, sits right by me on the plane when we travel, he can do things in the meetings and is really progressing. He understands everything, what we’re doing, and how we’re doing it, and is getting better and better. I think he is going to be a very good player.”

“We feel comfortable with him in the game and can play very well with Conner,” assured Fisher.

Weigman has no game film to study at the collegiate level, but the dual-sport (baseball) prospect has a history of high school dominance in the football-centric Lone Star State. Per Midland Regions recruiting analyst Gabe Brooks, via 247Sports, Weigman amassed nearly 9,000 passing yards on 1,000 passes in game action, as well as 2,000-plus rushing yards over 3 seasons.

Jimbo Fisher Believes in Haynes’ King Ability to Lead Texas A&M

Haynes King’s less-than-impressive return from an injury that kept him sidelined for one full game and one quarter in 2021 during Texas A&M’s Week 1 opener this season against FCS Sam Houston State, which followed a season-altering loss to the Sunbelt’s Appalachian State, has many wondering if he can be the answer in College Station.

Fisher doesn’t have that same worry despite 2 interceptions against Mississippi State. “Haynes came and led us straight down, made a great drive” said Fisher on October 6 to reporters. “His decision making was good. Unfortunately he had a couple of breaks where the ball tipped the wrong way but he was doing the right thing. He came in and led well and took us to two touchdown drives as a matter of fact.”

Alabama, given what we’ve seen in 2022 outside of the first half of the Texas game, is the worst possible opponent to reinsert a struggling signal-caller (King) against for Texas A&M. Debuting a freshman quarterback (Weigman) in garbage time could, however, be a good way to build confidence for the future of the program if he can rise to the moment of playing the No. 1 team in the nation on their home turf.