Texas A&M Football: Kevin Sumlin needs to make a change at quarterback

Texas A&M football got a new problem when Nick Starkel entered the Mississippi State game. Can Kevin Sumlin avoid a quarterback controversy?

Texas A&M Football is now heading into November with just as many questions as they did to open the season. The biggest question still to be answered is will Kevin Sumlin ever figure out how to properly manage the quarterback position?

Kevin Sumlin has had plenty of quarterback issues since Johnny Manziel declared for the NFL draft in the spring of 2014. Seems to me that the Aggies are the only program in the SEC that consistently have quarterback concerns.

Sumlin’s quarterback woes

Let’s go back and breakdown the problem which probably has done the coaching staff in.  In 2014, Kenny Hill took over the reigns. He lasted until the Alabama game and that would be the last we saw of him in College Station.

In 2015, Kyle Allen started the season but was constantly looking over his shoulder with Kyler Murray standing on the sideline. They both would transfer at the end of the season which gave the job to Jake Hubenak until graduate transfer Trevor Knight came to town for the 2016 season.

Entering this year, the staff once again had to decide on a quarterback. Would it be Hubenak, Nick Starkel, Kellen Mond or Connor Blumrick? Coming out of the spring the job was still up for grabs and to me there lies the problem.

Starkel would finally be named the starter the week of the UCLA game. He would last all of 35 minutes before going down with a leg injury. That would begin the Mond era in Aggieland and it would not start very well. I wonder with all the repetitions being split during the spring and fall, how much of the offense did Mond really learn? As we all sit here eight games in, the Aggie offense is very one-dimensional with Mond in the game.

What should Texas A&M do about the offense?

Here’s where Aggies begin scratching their head about this offense. Without Mond, the Aggies are not 5-3. There’s a very good possibility they are 3-5 maybe even 2-6, but here’s where the coach in me comes out. Has he really progressed? The answer to me is no. Does he look comfortable in the pocket? The answer once again is no, he looks confused and this is what ultimately will end the Sumlin / Mazzone reign.

The offense has done very little to give the young quarterback easy throws to the receivers. I tell you if I see another game plan with an emphasis on swing passes to the running backs I’m going to lose my mind. This offense does not have the line play to consistently drive the field so there needs to be a plan that gives the quarterback easy reads. We’ve yet to see that.

Now heading into November and with Starkel back what happens with the position? I’ve struggled with the answer since the Mississippi State game ended. I never thought a Sumlin coached team would gain 33 yards in a half or only scored 13 points in the first half over the last four games. Yes, the Aggies won three of those games but everyone finally saw the magic run out against the Bulldogs.

The offense needs a spark and I know my decision would be unpopular with most but I would give the keys back to Starkel. My reasons are very simple, the Aggie run game is non-existent and Starkel brings an element in the passing game that’s been lacking. Whichever quarterback the staff decides to go with has a big job ahead of them.

Next: Kevin Sumlin has a quarterback problem

Sumlin and the staff have mishandled several quarterback situations and now they’re staring at the one decision that will more than likely decide whether the staff is here in 2018 or coaching somewhere else. What will they do?