The Texas A&M Aggies named sophomore Kyle Allen the team’s starting quarterback to begin the season.
Kyle Allen finished the season as the starting quarterback for Texas A&M with five starts down the stretch and will open the season as the Aggies starter after beating out Kyler Murray for the starting job.
Related: Kyle Field and the 30 Greatest College Football Stadiums
Allen came to College Station as a top-10 recruit and the nation’s No. 1 pro-style quarterback and fared well as a freshman with 16 touchdowns to seven interceptions in nine games. In the five starts he made, Allen completed 59.7 percent of his passes for 1,058 yards with 13 touchdowns to five interceptions.
Allen ended his first year on a high note with 294 yards and four touchdowns in the bowl win against West Virginia and with his production as a freshman he would have been guaranteed a starting job the next year at just about every other program in the country.
More from SEC
- Most heartwarming social media reactions to Nick Chubb’s injury
- College Football Playoff: Projected top 4 after Week 3
- Biggest winners and losers from College Football Week 3
- Florida Football: 3 takeaways from important win over Tennessee
- #10 Alabama football: 3 takeaways from close road win against USF
But when A&M has the nation’s No. 1 dual-threat quarterback recruit in Kyler Murray who is arguably the greatest high school quarterback in the state of Texas, nothing is guaranteed, so Allen had to go out and prove himself all over again in the spring and fall.
I presumed Allen would be the starter all along, but as Gabe Bock of TexAgs.com, this competition was as close as you’ll see outside of Ohio State and is curious how Murray fits in the plans this year.
Kevin Sumlin played Allen last year in certain game situations when Kenny Hill was the team’s starter and still playing well, so I would anticipate seeing Murray get his chance to lead the team in certain packages just as Allen was.
I don’t know how much he’ll play in the opener against Arizona State, but he should see extensive playing time against Ball State and Nevada in the second and third game before opening SEC play against Arkansas.
If nothing else, it’ll keep the pressure on Allen to perform and gives Murray a chance to get his feet wet so if Allen gets injured or struggles against elite SEC defenses, Sumlin has Murray ready to go and you can never have too many good quarterbacks as we saw with the Buckeyes last year.
Allen and Murray will have arguably the best group of receivers in the nation to work with so both should have the opportunity to thrive when they’re on the field as they could be one of the sleepers in the SEC this year.
They’re on the outside looking in for the top 25 poll, but don’t be surprised if you see them ranked in the top 15 by the beginning of October with Allen the primary reason.
Next: Top 20 Throwback Uniforms of All-Time
More from Saturday Blitz
- Michigan State vs. Maryland: Location, time, prediction, and more
- ACC Power Rankings: Can #4 FSU overthrow Clemson at Death Valley East?
- Most heartwarming social media reactions to Nick Chubb’s injury
- Ranking college football’s top 10 quarterbacks after Week 3
- Things are going to get much darker for the Houston Cougars