Texas A&M quarterback Jaylen Henderson is reportedly’ready to work’ under new head coach. Mike Elko
When a new head coach is hired, changes must be made to the prior coaching staff, and now that the Mike Elko era at Texas A&M Football has officially begun, those changes have already taken effect.
On Tuesday, it was reported that after only one season in Aggieland, offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino would not return the next season and was almost immediately hired as Arkansas’ new OC, which, yeah, is highly ironic.
While Petrino’s departure will have little impact on the majority of the Aggies’ roster, sophomore quarterback Jaylen Henderson, whom Petrino personally recruited to join A&M after a brief stint at Fresno State, took the departure in stride and, in an interview with AggiesToday, stated that the rising signal-caller is eager to work under whoever Elko chooses to become Texas A&M’s new offensive coordinator.
“This is unfortunate. I adore Coach Petrino and thank him for believing in me and bringing me to A&M. This is going to be my fifth OC, so I’ll simply have to prove myself and get to know whoever comes in. I’m enthused about the new playbook and ready to get to work.”
Henderson threw for 704 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions in four games, including three starts, in 2023, while also running for 104 yards and two scores. Henderson is likely to be the No. 2 quarterback entering the 2024 season, trailing only starting quarterback Conner Weigman, who will be returning from a season-ending injury after only four starts.
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Assessing Texas A&M’s quarterback room following Conner Weigman’s season-ending injury
Conner Weigman’s injury, which Aggie supporters expected to last three to four weeks, ended his season. It was formally reported Wednesday morning that Conner Weigman’s ankle injury is on a weight-bearing bone, which will keep him out for months rather than weeks.
Conner is gone for the rest of the season, so veteran southpaw Max Johnson takes over as the Aggies’ starting quarterback. Johnson is more than capable of leading this squad, as demonstrated numerous times since his arrival on campus. He will also be a fantastic resource for Weigman as he navigates his injury. Johnson’s season was cut short last year due to a hand injury, allowing Wiegman to finish the season.
When Weigman went down, Max was the obvious pick, but the following question was a little more mysterious. Who is going to back up Max? The two front-runners on paper were sophomore Fresno State transfer Jaylen Henderson and true freshman Marcel Reed.
Henderson is an intriguing alternative, and he has seen play against ULM this season, but he has only five games under his credit after two years with the Bulldogs. He is a 6’3″ dual-threat athlete weighing 220 pounds.
The other option is true freshman Marcel Reed. He is considered a long shot for two reasons. First, a few other quarterbacks, including Henderson, are on the roster. Jimbo might want to avoid scheduling games against Reed’s redshirt. Second, he needs to gain strength and size for SEC play, as he is now 6’2″ and weighs 180 pounds. The skill is evident, as the four-star prospect was crowned Mr. Football in Tennessee and led his team to multiple state championships.
We’re not going to leave you waiting, though, because Jimbo has already decided to employ Jaylon Henderson as his primary backup moving forward. That is not to say Reed will not play this season, but if everything goes as planned, Reed will be able to sit, improve, and strive for playing time next season.
