Jimbo Fisher has to be in Coaching Heaven right now. Fisher has stated on numerous occasions he enjoys building more than maintaining, and Texas A&M offers him a tremendous amount of raw materials with which to build. (And is paying him a record amount to do so.)
While he and his staff load up on the recruiting trail -- the Aggies' 2019 class currently claims 25 commits and sits at No. 3 nationally -- the Texas A&M coaches are rolling up their sleeves to coach a team that has was consistently good but miles away from great under the previous staff. Fisher has done so by removing the bells and whistles that, under Kevin Sumlin, were celebrated harbingers of Texas A&M embracing modern college football. No, now the Aggies are going to work. "This ain't Utopia," Fisher said when asked about putting the Aggies through seven straight practice days to open training camp.
While the entire staff deconstructs the team they inherited, Fisher has given himself what has to be one of the most thrilling assignments of his career: a quarterback battle. Texas A&M played two signal callers in 2017 -- redshirt freshman Nick Starkel won the job out of camp but injured his ankle in the opening night loss to UCLA. True freshman Kellen Mond played in relief of Starkel, but Starkel returned later in the year. The players entered camp even, but each represents a different opportunity -- Starkel is the better passer (his completion rate was 10 points higher, yards per attempt 2.6 yards greater and his QB rating 50 points higher), but Mond is a genuine threat in the running game. Fisher has won with both types, and at Florida State put together a string of three straight quarterbacks he recruited out of high school going on to become first-round picks: Christian Ponder went No. 12 overall in 2011, E.J. Manuel No. 16 overall in 2013, and Jameis Winston as the top overall pick in 2015. On Monday, Fisher explained how he's been coaching Mond and Starkel over the past week. What followed was a 1-minute quarterback clinic. "You throw the ball with your feet," Fisher said. "You get your hands in position, but you throw the ball with your feet and hips and let your body work. Until you do that, you'll be inconsistent."
If you're a Texas A&M quarterback, this is your life now: Rapid-fire coaching points, shot at you machine-gun style in a West Virginia accent. Adapt to it, and there's a pretty good chance someone will pay you handsomely to play quarterback in a few short years.