Report: Max Johnson to Start over Haynes King at QB for Texas A&M vs. Miami

Texas A&M is reportedly making a quarterback change after last week's shocking home loss to Appalachian State.

According to Brett McMurphy of Action Network, Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher has decided to start Max Johnson over Haynes King against the No. 13 Miami Hurricanes on Saturday.

King, a sophomore who won the starting job out of training camp, struggled mightily in the 17-14 loss to App State, going just 13-of-20 for 97 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

Even in the Aggies' season-opening 31-0 win over Sam Houston State, King experienced some ups and downs, throwing for 364 yards and three touchdowns but also getting picked twice.

In place of King, Texas A&M is going with a more experienced player in Johnson, a junior who's playing his first campaign at TAMU.

He is the son of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Brad Johnson and spent the previous two seasons at LSU. While with the Tigers, Johnson appeared in 18 games and put up some solid numbers.

He completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 3,884 yards, 35 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. That included throwing 27 touchdowns and six picks in 12 contests last season.

Texas A&M is clinging to the No. 24 ranking in the nation, but it would almost certainly drop out of the Top 25 with a loss to the Hurricanes.

Miami is off to a 2-0 start with blowout wins over Bethune-Cookman and Southern Mississippi, but Texas A&M represents its toughest test yet.

Saturday marks a potential must-win game for the Aggies if they want to remain in the hunt for an eventual berth in the College Football Playoff.

King may have a higher ceiling, but Johnson has been through some tough SEC battles on big stages, which perhaps makes him the safer choice to start against a highly ranked team in Miami.