Kevin Sumlin Names Johnny Manziel Starting Texas A&M QB Over Jameill Showers

Kevin Sumlin named his starting quarterback and it’s Jameill Showers…no, it’s Johnny Manziel! Swerve!

Well, that was unexpected. After reports had Jamiell Showers looking like the starting quarterback for Year One of Texas A&M’s foray into the SEC, Manziel swoops in a little over two weeks from the opener against Louisiana Tech. CBS Rapid Reports’ Larry Hartstein first reported Manziel had the upper hand early Wednesday.

This is the first quarterback controversy Sumlin’s had as a head coach. At Houston, he had left his air raid offense in the capable hands of Case Keenum all but 2010. David Piland filled in after Keenum suffered an early season injury. Oklahoma did have fluid quarterback situations in each of Sumlin’s two seasons as offensive coordinator, though, with Rhett Bomar’s dismissal before the 2006 season and the competition between freshman Sam Bradford and junior Joey Halzle in 2007.

There could be some similarities gleaned from the Bradford-Halzle competition to Manziel-Showers. Manziel is a redshirt freshman, like Bradford in 2007. Showers has seen previous playing time, albeit in limited capacity. But Manziel has a lofty benchmark to meet if he is going to be any more like Bradford.

Talk about pressure. The three star prospect from Kerrville, Texas leads the Aggies in their debut campaign facing defenses largely considered the most fierce in college football. The lead from Suzanen Halliburton’s Austin Statesman write-up sums up the scenario brilliantly:

"Texas A&M will be starting perhaps the most significant season in its history with a quarterback who has never thrown a pass in a college game."

He may not have any collegiate throws to his credit now, but Manziel will rack them up en masse immediately. He takes the keys to an uptempo offense that resulted in the Nos. 2, 1, 7 and 1 passing attacks from 2008 through 2011. Sumlin’s UH teams passed in the neighborhood of 700 times a season during his four years there.

Manziel is also now heir to a quarterback who is at the center of the pro football world. A&M product Ryan Tannehill is prominently featured on HBO’s NFL training camp reality series “Hard Knocks.” Manziel also has a talented reserve once considered the clubhouse leader, waiting immediately in the wings should the youngster struggle initially.

Sumlin has confidence in him, though. He summed up the decision saying: “My policy is simple, really: the best player plays.”