Max Johnson Will Not Go for Texas A&M Football vs Mississippi State; Jaylen Henderson Tapped as Starter
Earlier today, news broke via Pete Thamel that Max Johnson, the backup quarterback for Texas A&M football, will be held out of today’s game versus Mississippi State due to an injury. In his stead will be transfer quarterback Jaylen Henderson, formerly of Fresno State.
Henderson was ranked as a three-star prospect per 247Sports as both a high school prospect and a transfer. He measures six foot three, 220 pounds, and wears number 16. He is originally from West Hills, California. In his time as a backup at Fresno State, Henderson recorded only 8 passing attempts for 49 yards. He brings with him a reputation as a dual-threat quarterback, recording 68 yards on 14 carries in 2021, his most active year to date. In one cleanup appearance for the Aggies, Henderson recorded 7 yards on 1 carry against ULM.
This is now the second year in a row where Texas A&M football is forced to start the player who began the season as their third-string quarterback, and the third year in a row where that player took any snaps at all. In 2022, Conner Weigman started the Aggies’ 8th game of the year against Ole Miss, after both Haynes King and Max Johnson went down with injury. In 2021, Blake Bost was forced to enter a close game against Auburn for a few plays after Zach Calzada (King’s then-backup) went down briefly with injury, but he only ever handed the ball off a couple of times. Of course, Weigman acquitted himself extremely well against Ole Miss and later in the season against LSU; to the point that he entered this season as a starter. The expectations for Henderson are not quite as high, but he will get a chance to display the skills that have earned him a scholarship on this team tonight against the Bulldogs.