Texas A&M Football: Could freshman QB Eli Stowers be the answer?

After an offseason filled with uncertainty at the quarterback position, Jimbo Fisher finally gave Texas A&M Football fans an answer by announcing that Haynes King would be the starting quarterback. King got off to a promising performance that didn’t look quite as great on the stat sheet.

The redshirt freshman threw three interceptions but made up for this ugly statistic with consistent passing on virtually every other play. Throughout the entirety of the game, King threw for nearly 300 yards against a feisty Kent State defense.

His second performance, however, got off to a rocky start. The offense couldn’t get going and King completed just a single pass for eight yards before being thrown to the ground and injuring his leg. This would eventually turn out to be a broken leg that will keep him off of the field for about a month.

Texas A&M Football QB Zach Calzada didn’t have a great game as King’s replacement

There are plenty of excuses to throw around, but one thing remains true — Zach Calzada had a rough outing against Colorado. Texas A&M could not get into an offensive rhythm and through three and a half quarters, they mustered up just three points.

Calzada did, however, redeem himself with the Aggies’ go-ahead touchdown drive, where he looked extremely sharp. This ended in an absolute dime that Calzada dropped to Isaiah Spiller, who had also had a rough game up until this drive.

Unfortunately, this was all overshadowed by a brutal offensive performance by virtually everybody involved and the only factor that changed was that Calzada was under center. So even though Calzada will be the starter next week, it’s worth digging into a few questions revolving around the position. Here’s one that’s been on everyone’s mind.

Should Texas A&M Football HC Jimbo Fisher turn to freshman Eli Stowers this season?

One game is too early to get on the “bench Zach Calzada” bandwagon, I can admit that. Still, it’s worth looking into the possibility of trying a new player at the quarterback position at some point, especially if the offense is as stagnant as it was a week ago.

Plus, the benefits of starting freshman quarterback Eli Stowers come in spades.

For starters, Stowers fits the scheme. While Calzada is more of a pro-style player, more reminiscent of Kellen Mond than Haynes King, Stowers is a dual-threat and an incredible athlete — evident by the fact that he’s been working with the tight ends this season. With Stowers in the game, it may be easier for this team to find a rhythm.

Stowers does come with a handful of downsides though. For starters, he looked extremely shaky in the Aggies’ Maroon and White game this spring. The true freshman threw a few wild passes, though he looked sharp as a runner. As a true freshman, this can be chalked up to the fact that he may not know the playbook well enough — another weakness.

Still, if Calzada isn’t able to produce and has another sub-50% completion game, is it worth turning to the true freshman in Stowers?

It’s unlikely that we’ll find out, as Fisher will want his starting quarterback to maintain as much confidence as possible. Still, this could be an interesting storyline down the road.