I went to bed a bit earlier than normal last night, because no news breaks at like midnight, right? Wrong, Cam. WRONG.

In a late-night report, news broke that Texas A&M would be making a move to switch quarterbacks. Citing sources in the Aggies’ football program, The Battalion — a student-run newspaper in College Station — broke the news that Max Johnson has been named the Aggies’ starting quarterback for this weekend’s game against the Miami Hurricanes.

In addition to The Battalion’s report, as I was waking up and writing this piece, Billy Liucci, co-owner of TexAgs.com, a Texas A&M website, went on a radio show and also reported that Johnson would be starting tomorrow against Miami.

This is a big move, as quarterback play has been a sore spot for Texas A&M so far this year. A transfer from LSU, Johnson has nearly 4,000 yards passing and a 35-to-7 TD/INT ratio across 19 collegiate games. The 6’5” 225lb lefty is the son of former NFL QB Brad Johnson, and is the nephew of former Miami coach Mark Richt. This relationship had Miami involved in Johnson’s recruiting a few years ago, but the younger Johnson picked LSU instead of Miami.

After losing to Appalachian State — and while losing for that matter — the performance of Texas A&M’s previous starting QB Haynes King was being heavily dissected. The athletic 6’3” QB was able to put up 364 yards and 3 TDs vs Sam Houston State in the opener...but also turned the ball over twice on interceptions. Against Appalachian State, King had a 65% completion rate, but on only 20 passing attempts. The offense was slow and plodding, unable to sustain drives, and possessed the ball for only 19 minutes in the shocking home loss to the Mountaineers.

When asked if he considered making a change at QB during the Appalachian State game, Texas A&M Head Coach Jimbo Fisher stated the he was considering it, but the Aggies “never had the ball” — talking to the 41 to 19 disparity in time of possession — to enact such a change. With a full week of practice ahead of a major non-conference game against a national brand team such as Miami, Fisher finally had time to work with the offense and evaluate a QB change, and that change will be forthcoming if The Battalion’s report proves true.

Regardless of whether King or Johnson — or 5-star true freshman Connor Weigman, the player with the highest ceiling for performance in the long run — take the field for Texas A&M’s offense, Miami will have to deliver a solid performance to stifle their schemes and emerge with a win.

Obviously, QB is the glamour position in the world of football, so everybody will be watching how this shakes out as the Canes travel to face the Aggies on Saturday night.

Go Canes