A look at possibilities in Texas A&M quarterback recruiting in 2023 class

One cycle after bringing in five-star quarterback Conner Weigman, the recruiting efforts at the quarterback position have been less than fortunate for Texas A&M. The Aggies secured an early commitment from four-star Eli Holstein but would eventually see him depart from the class.

Since that time, there has not been much movement on the quarterback board, but now is the time of year that tends to change.

I will take a look at three possibilities for Texas A&M to pursue if they are set on having a signal caller in this class.

Austin Novosad, Dripping Springs (Texas) High

Head coach Jimbo Fisher and offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey took a big step in the recent weeks, offering Dripping Springs (Texas) High consensus four-star Austin Novosad.

Novosad, currently committed to Baylor, has seen his options expand in recent months with Ohio State offering and hosting him for an official visit. Georgia also hosted Novosad for an unofficial visit but has not extended an offer. Notre Dame threw their hat in the ring just yesterday.

“I grew up going to those games, so just kind of a dream to get that [Texas A&M] offer,” Novosad told AggieScoop’s Tim Verghese. “It’s definitely exciting, you know, for the family and stuff.” 

“I’ve been talking to Coach Dickey for a couple months now, since Eli [Holstein] decommitted,” he added. “Our relationship has grown, all the way up to the offer. We’re definitely closer for sure, so that’s been great.”

Novosad makes the most sense from nearly every angle. He is close to College Station, grew up an Aggie fan and the family would most likely be on board. But just because Novosad makes sense, it does not mean it is a cake walk recruitment. Texas A&M, primarily Jimbo Fisher, will have to show Novosad he is a priority. Right now, he is the No. 1 target, but does he feel that way?

JJ Kohl, Ankeny (Iowa) High

JJ Kohl, an Iowa State commit, is one of the most intriguing arm talents in the 2023 class. In a class filled numerous headliner names such as Arch Manning, Malachi Nelson, Dante Moore, Nico Iamleava, Jackson Arnold and Jaden Rashada, the likes of JJ Kohl can be overlooked.

Kohl, ranked as the No. 13 quarterback in the 2023 class and the No. 250 overall, it is my opinion he is underrated. His talent was put on display at the Elite 11 Finals, where he showed he can be a top signal caller.

On3 gave Kohl the nod at having the best “arm talent” among the group of 20. Arm talent was defined as an all-encompassing ability to throw the football at the Elite 11 Finals. That includes release, ability to generate velocity, layering throws with touch and accuracy. “JJ Kohl was the best in that regard over the course of the three days, highlighted by a dominant performance in 7-on-7. The Iowa State commit was 13 for 16 for a remarkable six touchdowns,” said Dir. of On3 Scouting and Rankings, Charles Power.

Power also said “To be clear, this was not some kind of fluky, stat-padding performance. Kohl made the most impressive throws we saw all week. He showed a full catalog of throws to all areas of the field. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder has considerable arm strength, easily driving the football downfield on vertical shots. While many of the others were content in taking check-downs Kohl was taking aggressive, downfield shots and made it look easy. His ability to read leverage and naturally adjust to the increased speed was also highly encouraging.”

Kohl committed to Iowa State in April but Texas A&M might be the type of school that can shake things up.

Chris Parson, Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood

Parson, ranked as the No. 12 quarterback in the class by On3, started his high school career in Texas. In fact, he started the 2019 state championship for powerhouse Duncanville as a freshman. His sophomore season, he played for Red Oak High School, also in the Dallas area, before moving to Tennessee.

Parson is currently committed to Florida State but has been receiving a number of offers recently.

Like the two previous prospects, Parson was also a participant in this years Elite 11 Finals.

“Chris Parson showed to be a high-energy competitor on more than one occasion at the Elite 11 Finals. The Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood signal caller won the hole shot competition on Tuesday night. While he struggled a bit during the pro day workout on Day 2, we saw a bounce back in 7-on-7. Parson turned in one of the better 7-on-7 sessions on Thursday, hitting 14 of 17 passes for three touchdowns. The Seminole commit elevated his game in competitive situations over the three days,” Power wrote.

In my opinion, Parson would be a perfect prospect to bring in one class after Weigman, who projects to be a multi-year starter. Parson has talent but also will need development. He is a mobile quarterback and can give you the ability to run special personnel packages where a running quarterback is needed.