Who will be the successor to Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M? This is one of the biggest questions surrounding the Aggies entering year three as a member of the SEC. So who will it be? It looks like a two-man competition, which was evident once Matt Joeckel decided to transfer (to TCU) in May.
Kyle Allen and Kenny Hill appear to be the leading candidates for the job this summer, as profiled in a team snapshot preview published by The Dallas Morning News. The two candidates could not be more different in their approach to the offense. Will Kevin Sumlin end up going with a pro-style quarterback and hope for the same results he once had with Case Keenum at Houston, or will he go with the more mobile option and look to continue playing a style of football that was put on display with Johnny Football making magic happen, winning a Heisman Trophy in the process?
Hill ran into some legal trouble this offseason following a public intoxication incident during the spring. He was suspended by the Aggies but has been reinstated. Hill has slightly more experience after backing up Manziel last season when the starter was given a rest. Will the off-field trouble come into play? If it does, Allen appears to be a capable candidate as well. Allen has the skill and the upside potential but lacks the experience despite enrolling early.
Texas A&M will have another potential candidate for the quarterback job in 2015 after receiving a verbal commitment from dual-threat player Kyler Murray. With the recruiting of Murray it would seem to suggest Sumlin would prefer to open up the offense with a more mobile quarterback. Of course, Allen was one of the top quarterback recruits as well and he plays a pro-style offense, so it may be anyone’s guess which way Sumlin ends up going. It could simply boil down to which quarterback is able to move the offense more consistently and effectively. Will Texas A&M work better with a pro-style quarterback or a dual-threat? That is actually the more important question to address this summer.
So, who do you think will lead the Aggies offense when Texas A&M opens up the 2014 season on Thursday, August 28 at South Carolina?