Texas A&M was the first SEC team to open its fall practice Thursday, and the biggest storyline revolved around the QBs.

The Aggies’ QB competition features sophomores Nick Starkel and Kellen Mond, and both started multiple games in 2017. But they enter fall camp in a “dead-even race,” according to head coach Jimbo Fisher.

“They got to win the team. … It’s a dead-even race,” Fisher told the media after Thursday’s practice. “They started with the same offense, a new offense that neither one of them have ever seen before. Both guys have started probably about the same number of games. … Both guys are very good players.”

The Aggies head coach is waiting for that aha moment when one of the QBs is moving the offense in-sync and the team rallies around that player. It’s going to happen, and that may come in the first game of the season, too. It may not matter who starts the first game.

Starkel threw for 1,793 yards, 14 TDs and six INTs in 2017, while Mond threw for 1,375 yards, eight TDs and six INTs. Both QBs will split first-team reps evenly until Fisher makes a decision. Fisher, though, felt like his QBs progressed since spring practice.

“Passing game-wise, it was pretty good, but what I really saw was the protection and run-game checks were really, really good,” Fisher said. “I saw a big jump in that (area).”

Texas A&M opens its 2018 season against Northwestern State on August 30th at 8:30 p.m. ET.