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Kevin Sumlin needs third true freshman project in Kellen Mond to work

By Collin Wieder

Aug 27, 2016; Loganville, GA, USA; IMG Academy quarterback Kellen Mond (11) runs against the Grayson Rams during the second half in a high school football duel of top ranked teams at Grayson Community Stadium. IMG Academy defeated the Grayson Rams 26-7. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 27, 2016; Loganville, GA, USA; IMG Academy quarterback Kellen Mond (11) runs against the Grayson Rams during the second half in a high school football duel of top ranked teams at Grayson Community Stadium. IMG Academy defeated the Grayson Rams 26-7. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kevin Sumlin failed with his first two highly touted quarterbacks. Both saw time as true freshmen but failed to sustain. Kellen Mond is Sumlin’s last hope.

Kevin Sumlin hasn’t had a consistent two-year starter for Texas A&M since Johnny Manziel. It’s easy to see in the win-loss column that this sentiment rings true. The Aggies were 20-6 under Manziel and were 24-15 in the last three seasons. Sumlin needs true freshman Kellen Mond to break this trend soon.

Although the IMG product hasn’t earned the job, Mond should be at A&M long enough to make his impact known. Heading into the 2017 season, the Aggies will have a three-way battle between redshirt freshman Nick Starkel, experienced senior Jake Hubenak and Mond. Among those three, no one fits Noel Mazzone’s offense better than Mond given his skill set.

Sumlin certainly needs more success from this true freshman. Previous five-star quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray failed to succeed in College Station. Both saw varying levels of success, but Sumlin’s indecisiveness cost him both signal callers. For Sumlin’s sake, he needs a better career from Mond.

Kellen’s Stats and Measurables

As a four-star quarterback, Mond transferred from Reagan High School in San Antonio to IMG Academy for the 2016 season. He went 11-1 at Reagan before leaving for the Ascenders after Christmas break.

Mond was smart with the football, throwing for 1,803 yards, 19 touchdowns and just three interceptions this year. However, his accuracy was suspect, completing just 55 percent of his passes. He made up for his up-and-down accuracy with 757 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.

Texas A&M’s offense worked well with a similar quarterback this year in Trevor Knight. Knight, who also attended Reagan, used his explosive running ability to a diversify the Aggies’ offense. This offense will have two playmakers in running backs Keith Ford and Trayveon Williams who benefitted from a running quarterback.

At 6-foot-3, 200-pounds, he’s a big enough player to take the running game punishment. Furthermore, an offseason on-campus should add to his muscle and weight before the 2017 season.

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He played against an extremely strong schedule with a combined opponent’s record of 101-34. Mond led the Ascenders to an 11-0 season including two wins over state champions as well. His numbers aren’t inflated with bad opponents and this should help his move to the collegiate level.