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Texas A&M football: Can Connor Blumrick hold onto backup QB spot?

By Jeff Shull

(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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We’re getting many answers to our questions heading into Texas A&M football’s 2019 season, including who will be backing up Kellen Mond in 2019.

Texas A&M football has many lineup spots to fill after a fairly successful first season under Jimbo Fisher. They went 9-4 in his first year and were far more competitive in SEC play than in the final few seasons under previous head coach Kevin Sumlin. The Aggies finally beat LSU, finished second in the SEC West and had a winning record in November.

Those normally are not achievements to excite over, however, given the first two of those hadn’t happened under Sumlin and the last hadn’t since 2013, they are seen as steps in the right direction. Progress.

That said, several key components to the 2018 roster are gone. Senior starters Keaton Sutherland, Donovan Wilson, Daylon Mack, Kingsley Keke, Landis Durham, DeShawn Capers-Smith and Otaro Alaka, plus future NFL players Trayveon Williams, Erik McCoy, Jace Sternberger and Tyrel Dodson each left after their junior season.

Gone also is backup quarterback Nick Starkel, who transferred to Arkansas and is expected to compete for the starting job there. That leaves an opening for someone to become the new backup for Kellen Mond. I originally stated this competition would come down to James Foster and Zach Calzada, both high profile recruits from the 2018 and 2019 recruiting classes, respectively.

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However, Connor Blumrick clearly made an impression on Fisher last season as he has been the quarterback taking reps with the second team offense.

He certainly looks the part. His 6-foot-5, 210 pound frame is ideal for a quarterback, but does he have the skills to hold off Foster and Calzada? Fisher has raved about the latter two when asked, but hasn’t said much publicly about Blumrick. The fact he is leading the second team offense could speak to how much younger the other two guys are. Maybe they aren’t ready.

Blumrick was the No. 952 player in the 2017 class and redshirted his first season. In terms of talent and standing in his recruiting class, it would appear Foster and Calzada each offer more upside. But that won’t determine the backup quarterback job. The player who wins it will be the guy Fisher trusts to win in case Mond gets hurt this season only.

Next. Position battles to watch this spring. dark

Fisher has been noncommittal on the position thus far, and we could be waiting until the Week 1 depth chart until we have the final answer.

Jeff Shull is the Site Expert for the Gig Em Gazette on FanSided. Follow him on Twitter, and be sure to follow the Gig Em Gazette on Facebook and Twitter.