Texas A&M Football: Jake Hubenak should be Aggies’ starting quarterback

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Texas A&M football needs a quarterback. With the injury to starter Nick Starkel, Jake Hubenak is the man for the job.

During the UCLA game/second half debacle, starting quarterback Nick Starkel went down with a foot injury. As we know now, the injury was severe enough to require surgery. In his stead, freshman quarterback Kellen Mond was thrust into action, and the UCLA comeback was completed after a team meltdown in the second half.

Mond is, by all means, the quarterback of the future, who will compete with Starkel for the starting spot later this year and in the offseason. But that’s next year. For the time being, Jake Hubenak should be the starting quarterback for the Aggies with Mond serving mop up duty when Texas A&M plays cupcake non conference opponents.

The offense is going to be centered around the running game, as it should be, but I think Hubenak gives the Aggies the best chance to win games this year.

Jake Hubenak

First off, let’s look at what Hubenak has done for the Aggies offense. 1,200 yards at a mid 50 percent completion percentage with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. Last year, he saw major action in three games, after Trevor Knight went down with an injury. In those three games, he threw for 600+ yards, and tossed five touchdowns and threw two interceptions. The stats are good but not great. He isn’t going to kill a team through the air and put up 400 yards passing.

But, when looking deeper, Hubenak could be the guy that helps to compliment a potent rushing attack. He was deadly off the play action pass in 2016. That should open up after running backs Trayveon Williams and Keith Ford finish gashing defenses. Intermediate throws, such as deep ins and post routes, as well as throws across the middle to speedsters such as Christian Kirk, are right in the wheelhouse of Mr. Hubenak.

While he isn’t going to win games because of his arm, he sure isn’t going to lose them. He needs help, and if the running game looks anything like it did on Sunday (382 yards on 63 carries, a 6.1 yards per carry), he will have it.