With so much outstanding young talent on the Aggies’ roster, playing a full 4 quarters in a normal game-type situation, at least in the first half, gave coach Jimbo Fisher a better opportunity to see what they could do under normal conditions. It was a good idea and gave us a good initial look at what to expect, especially in the battle for quarterback, in Saturday’s pass-happy scrimmage won by the Maroon, 30-24, over the White team.

Quarterback play was obviously 1 of the 5 biggest takeaways from the game.

1. Quarterback play was fairly even

Statistically, Max Johnson had the better of it, but all 3 QBs had their moments. Five touchdowns were scored in a 1st quarter that took an hour to play. Defense picked it up from there, but all 3 in the group had success.

Overall, quarterbacks and wide receivers are not on the same page, but that’s to be expected at this stage. There’s plenty of time for improvement, but considering it was somewhat of a problem last season, as well as dropped passes, it remains a bit concerning.

Haynes King is in for a battle to win back his starting position. Although he picked up where he left off before the injury ended last season almost before it began, scoring on a first-half touchdown run, over the long haul he didn’t distance himself from the pack. His size is still somewhat of a concern, but he doesn’t lack in confidence.

Max Johnson has the edge in experience. Johnson still lacks in his development of pocket presence and reminds me somewhat of a smaller Nick Starkel. He’s not the best quarterback in the conference, but still serviceable and can make the occasional big play as evident by his 49-yard run that seemed to relax him and get him going.

He is more experienced than the others, but Johnson threw late and behind receivers, underthrew the long ball, and overall was more effective with his legs than his arm. As expected, experience over the other 2 is his best attribute.

Freshman Conner Weigman needs reps. Perhaps the most athletic of the group, Weigman made some freshman mistakes but still has the talent and presence far beyond his years. He may not be quite ready just yet for the rigors of SEC competition, or maybe with an offseason and fall camp he will be. Either way, we got a glimpse of why more than a few consider him the future at the position for Texas A&M.

2. Amari Daniels is emerging

With starting running back Devon Achane at a track meet, and LJ Johnson nursing a hamstring, Daniels took advantage of his opportunity and some good run blocking to have an impressive spring game.

Whether Johnson can heel up and become the backup to Achane remains to be seen, but Daniels showed on Saturday that he, too, can handle the job if given the chance. A strong burst and tough runner, Daniels is a pleasant surprise this spring.

3. Evan Stewart is as good as advertised

One of the many 5-stars from the Class of 2022, Stewart displayed the speed and hands on Saturday, that could potentially give the Aggies another big-play option along with Ainias Smith.

Stewart, named the spring offensive MVP, made some big plays and appears ready to give the Aggies some depth at wide receiver to take some of the pressure off Smith.

4. Linebackers impressive

Tarian Lee and Edgerrin Cooper in particular, were impressive. Lee was active, athletic, and a hard hitter. Cooper was all over the field with a nose for the ball.

The two moved closer to the front of the line as Texas A&M seeks a new group of leaders on defense.

5. Avery Hughes leads the secondary

The undersized and unlikely hero in the Aggies’ secondary was a sophomore looking for his first tackle and his first interception in the regular season. Hughes’ eyebrow-raising 3 interceptions were quite impressive, and taking the last one to the end zone for a pick-six, was the icing on the cake in a most impressive showing.

Positioning himself in the right place at the right time, Stewart took advantage of some errant throws from the group of quarterbacks still battling it out for a starting role.