Haynes King, one of the top quarterbacks for the 2020 recruiting class, officially announced his decision to commit to the Texas A&M football.
Haynes King rates as one of the best quarterback prospects in the country, as he’s rated as the No. 1 quarterback in ESPN’s ranking. His commitment now vaults the Aggies’ 2020 recruiting class into the top 10 in the country.
The four-star projects as a dual-threat quarterback, who has incredible speed at the position combined with an ability to make all the throws on the football field. He’s elusive and has shown an ability to extend plays and make excellent throws on the run — 247Sports compares his game to Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Not only is King a great quarterback prospect, but a great athlete. He excelled in the 400-meter dash and relays, and was clocked with a 4.5 40-yard dash time, which is faster than what quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and Colin Kaepernick ran at the NFL Combine.
His athleticism is unquestioned, he’s regarded as having a high IQ playing for his dad in high school and is someone who performed at the highest level high school football has to offer (King led his school to a 6A Texas state championship last season). King has the intangibles to help Texas A&M reach their lofty expectations set when they hired Jimbo Fisher.
What this means for A&M
In terms of production for the Aggies, King acts as the post-Kellen Mond future. Mond enters his junior season with A&M, and really developed under his first season with Jimbo Fisher. He passed for 3,107 yards and had 31 total touchdowns last season and his production under Fisher last season has Aggies fans with lofty expectations heading into 2019.
When paying 75 million dollars, it was clear that Texas A&M had ambitions for one goal and one goal only: win a national title. Fisher was brought in to produce a competitive football team, that includes recruiting the best players in the country.
In his first recruiting class with Texas A&M, Fisher had the fourth-ranked class in the country. Getting King now puts A&M at No. 9 in the nation, giving him a strong start early in the recruiting cycle.
In terms of system fit, King is an interesting piece for Jimbo Fisher’s scheme. The veteran coach has been known to develop some good quarterback prospects, and one of his best attributes as a coach is his ability for his system to fit the players, though he does prefer a pro-style system that he ran when Jameis Winston was helping him win a national championship.
King, meanwhile, was probably best suited in an RPO system, as his quick, instinctive decision-making allows him to show off his physical attributes. He will have to make adjustments and progress his game, while Fisher also bends his playbook to the skill set of King.
Luckily, he’ll have a full year on campus to learn life on campus, and learn from an experienced staff and experienced quarterback, assuming Mond does return for his senior season. King will need to use that year effectively to get stronger, as he’s only listed at 185 pounds, and learn to make throws in the pocket to realize his full potential, but this could be a great marriage between a high IQ player and high IQ coach.
Fisher is building a strong program in College Station, as he looks to bring in another top 10 class. He’s doing the job he was paid handsomely to do, and has the Aggies well on their way to joining the powerhouses of the SEC.