Texas A&M QB Haynes King enters transfer portal: Why third-year sophomore is making move now

Texas A&M quarterback Haynes King has entered the transfer portal on Friday The Athletic has learned. Later Friday, freshman cornerback Denver Harris and freshman offensive tackle P.J. Williams announced their intentions to enter the portal. Here’s what you need to know:

• King won the starting quarterback job in preseason camp each of the last two seasons. His run last year was cut short in the second game of the season due to a leg injury, and he was benched after two starts in 2022.
• A third-year sophomore, King returned to play four more games this season after LSU transfer Max Johnson suffered an injury during the Aggies’ Oct. 1 loss to Mississippi State.
• King suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder in A&M’s 30-24 loss to South Carolina on Oct. 22, but started on Nov. 5 against Florida in place of freshman Conner Weigman, who took over the starting job in late October. Weigman ended the season as A&M’s starter.
• Harris was a five-star recruit in Texas A&M’s 2022 recruiting class, which was the highest-rated in modern history according to the 247Sports Composite. He started five of the first six games of the season and made The Athletic’s midseason All-American team but missed multiple games because of suspensions.
• Williams was a four-star recruit in 2022 but played only A&M’s season-opening win against Sam Houston. He also missed multiple games resulting from a suspension.

Backstory

King was a four-star recruit in the 2020 class coming out of Longview, Texas. The son of longtime Longview High School coach John King, Haynes was the fifth-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 247Sports Composite and the No. 131 player in the country.

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In his time at A&M, coach Jimbo Fisher often remarked on King’s speed, toughness, grasp of the offense and leadership. Fisher often called King “a throwback” for the way the quarterback approached practices and games.

After winning the starting job as a redshirt freshman prior to 2021, a lower leg injury suffered in a Week 2 win over Colorado knocked King out of the final 10 games. He rebounded to win the job again prior to 2022 but was replaced by Johnson after a stunning upset home loss to Appalachian State. He was 13-of-20 passing for just 97 yards and no touchdowns that day, but the A&M offense was only on the field for 38 snaps.

King helped the Aggies come within a play of upsetting Alabama on Oct. 8, starting in place of the injured Johnson, but King and receiver Evan Stewart were unable to connect on a pass attempt in the end zone as time expired.

Landing Harris was a significant recruiting win for the Aggies when he signed in December 2021 and had a promising start to his career, becoming a Day 1 starter, but he missed A&M’s Week 3 win over Miami because of a violation of team rules. Harris, along with Williams, received an indefinite suspension in October because of a locker room incident at South Carolina. Neither Harris nor Williams played the remainder of the season. — Khan Jr.

Why is King transferring now?

With multiple years of eligibility left, King will look for a chance to start elsewhere. Injuries disrupted his A&M career, and though he was benched in September, the Aggies’ offensive problems extended well beyond simply quarterback play. Despite his considerable physical talent, he was never able to find his footing for an extended period in Aggieland.

Once Fisher turned to Weigman, a five-star recruit from the 2022 class, it became clear that he is the quarterback of the future. Weigman started four of the final five games of the season and Fisher and the Aggies are optimistic about their potential with him behind center, meaning King would likely have been stuck in a backup role if he stayed at A&M. — Khan Jr.

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What is Texas A&M’s portal situation?

Since the season ended, 12 Aggies have entered the transfer portal or announced their intentions to do so, Most of them have been reserves or players who have only played limited snaps at A&M. Three of the transfers — Harris, Williams and linebacker Ish Harris, who didn’t play a game this season — were part of the 2022 recruiting class.

Denver Harris’ loss is significant given his talent level, though not unexpected given his multiple suspensions. Among the other notable departures are receiver Chase Lane, a rotational receiver and spot starter who has 48 catches in three seasons, and Tunmise Adeleye and LJ Johnson, both top-50 national prospects from A&M’s 2021 signing class. Adeleye, a defensive lineman, played three games in 2022, starting two, but had his season disrupted by injury. Johnson played a combined 10 games and logged 31 carries in two seasons at A&M and didn’t play in the final five games of 2022. — Khan Jr.

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(Photo: Butch Dill / USA Today)

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