IN FOCUS: Quarterbacks
Aug 08, 2017 | Football
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This is the first in a series of position-by-position previews.
On top of the Aggies 'things-to-do' list this training camp reads 'find a starting quarterback'.
Jake Hubenak, Nick Starkel and Kellen Mond are competing to take the first snap in the Rose Bowl against UCLA.
Hubenak is the only one with game experience. In 13 career contests, he's completed 56 percent of his passes for 1,283 yards. Hubenak has tossed 9 touchdowns against three interceptions.
Starkel redshirted his first year in the program. Mond, after competing against the country's best high schoolers at IMG Academy, enrolled early for his true freshman campaign.
"It's going to be fun to see them compete," says offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone. "I've told them all along, life is performance based. It's a pretty simple formula. You go out and complete footballs, make great decisions and you get us in the end zone. That's what we need to see someone get done for us."
Another signal caller new to the program is Connor Blumrick from Pearland, Texas. A foot injury took away his senior year of high school in 2016. He'll look to get up to speed in the offense.
JAKE HUBENAK
- Classification: Senior
- Hometown: Georgetown, Texas
- High School: Georgetown HS
- Previous Collegiate Experience: Oklahoma State (redshirt, walk-on, 2013); Blinn College (2014)
- Highlights: Aggies' top returning passer from 2016 ... 7 games played last year, starting two (Ole Miss, UCLA) ... completed 59 percent of his throws for 884 yards and 6 TDs ... stepped in for the injured Trevor Knight late in the second quarter against Mississippi State and threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns on 11-of-17 passing ... threw for more than 200 yards in each of his two starts -- 213 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-27 passing vs. Ole Miss and 248 yards and a score on 19-of-32 attempts vs. UTSA.
- Career (A&M): 13 games, 3 starts. 101-179, 1,283 yards, 9 TDs, 3 INT.
- Mazzone says: "One of the hardest workers we've got on the football team. The consummate team guy. Whatever you ask him to do he'll do. In the offseason, with Trevor being gone, I think he's really stepped into that leadership role. I think with a year of the offense under his belt he should be pretty comfortable with it. I'm anxious, during camp, to see if he takes the next step developing and being an SEC quarterback."
NICK STARKEL
- Classification: Redshirt Freshman
- Hometown: Argyle, Texas
- High School: Liberty Christian Academy
- Highlights: was on travel squad in '16 as true freshman, but did not appear in a game ... enrolled early out of high school, stepping on to campus in January of 2016 ... in three varsity years at Liberty Christian, threw for 4,745 yards and 48 touchdowns.
- Mazzone says: "Nick's got some tremendous tools. Great arm strength, he's smart, he understands. Before Trevor, I started years with a true freshman in Josh (Rosen at UCLA), and then a redshirt freshman in Brett Hundley (also at UCLA). Sometimes the hardest thing is they want to make every play to win the football game. That's not how you play that position. You take what they give you, let the game come to you. Sometimes Nick needs to be a calming effect for us out there. I love his energy. I love how enthusiastic he is about playing the position. Where he's come from, in January to this point, has really been good."
KELLEN MOND
- Classification: True Freshman
- Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
- High School (as senior): IMG Academy [Bradenton, Fla.]
- High School (previous): Reagan HS [San Antonio]
- Highlights: enrolled in January and went through spring drills ... played final season of high school ball at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where he set single season records for passing TDs (20) and rushing TDs (18) while amassing 2,711 total yards (1,936 passing, 775 rushing) ... previous three years were at Reagan High School in San Antonio, where he was district MVP as a junior (1,991 passing yards, 26 TDs).
- Mazzone says: "(He's a) Very, very talented young man. Probably the best dual threat guy we've got, he can also hurt you with his legs. I thought he was the one that let the game come to him over spring. Now I think he's starting to feel comfortable with where he is, who he is and what needs to be done."
CONNOR BLUMRICK
- Classification: True Freshman
- Hometown: Pearland, Texas
- High School: Pearland HS
- Highlights: foot injury sidelined him for almost entire senior high school season ... was first-team all-district the year before at Pearland, tossing for almost 1,500 yards ... despite the injury was still rated as one of the top QBs in the state coming out of high school.
- Mazzone says: "He came off the injury, and healed a lot quicker than we thought. The guys got a tremendous ceiling. He's obviously behind the other three because he hasn't had the reps they've had. We'll keep him in the mix, spoon feed him a little bit and see how he progresses."
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