Jimbo Fisher credits Max Johnson for not entering transfer portal

Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher commends backup quarterback Max Johnson for his commitment to the program. Johnson lost a battle for the starting job to Conner Weigman this offseason but patiently waited for his opportunity to come.

It did on Saturday when Weigman went down with an ankle injury against Auburn. Johnson stepped up in his place in the second half to throw for 123 yards and a two touchdowns and lead the Aggies to a 27-10 win.

At his press conference Monday, Fisher was asked what it meant to see Johnson accept his role rather than enter the transfer portal. That technically wouldn’t have been possible when he lost the QB battle, as the spring window was long closed by then, but the coach said Johnson wouldn’t have considered it regardless.

“That’s the way it always used to be,” Fisher said. “Now the portal, everybody says ‘If I don’t get my way, I take off.’ There’s reasons to go. Don’t get me wrong. I totally agree with that. But again, that’s a great situation for him. At the time when he didn’t win the job in August, he couldn’t have got in the portal anyway. But he wouldn’t have went anyway. That’s not who he is. He’s gonna sit there, compete and play and do the things he’s gotta do.”

Weigman is reportedly “day-to-day” with the injury, so Johnson may get the opportunity to start in Week 5 against Arkansas. If he does, it would be just his fourth start since he transferred to Texas A&M from LSU last season.

Johnson has been no stranger to adversity throughout his college career. He started all 12 games for the Tigers as a sophomore in 2021 but made the decision to transfer after LSU hired Brian Kelly and brought in Jayden Daniels at the position. Max Johnson then took over as the Texas A&M starting quarterback in Week 3 of 2022, but suffered season-ending injury just three weeks later.

Despite all of that, he never gave up hope even after Weigman won the starting job in fall camp. Fisher believes it’s a testament to what can happen if a player sticks it out rather than jumping on so quickly to another opportunity, which has become commonplace with the transfer portal.

“Just because it didn’t go right in the beginning — that’s the only thing about the portal that scares me,” the coach said. “Work ethic or a guy’s better than me at the time or whatever the scenario is, then I pick up and leave. That’s the part of it that really bothers me. When you’re young and fighting through adversity, fighting through time and an injury happens, you’re playing and all of a sudden you become the guy. Where is that part of our world left?

“When you get in the real world and you’ve got a job and you do what you’re doing, if the boss don’t tell you what you want to hear are you gonna change papers? You can’t. It’s not that easy. We make it so easy early in their career. Late in their careers, I get it. There may be a situation early that happens. Just because I didn’t win the starting job or just because I’m not playing enough right now — just grind it out a little bit. Have a little work ethic. Scenarios occur and situations change daily in this game.”

That’s exactly what happened with Johnson. Now he’ll potentially have a chance to prove himself further and build upon last week’s performance if Weigman can’t go. Fisher has belief he will again rise to the occasion if needed.

“Max, no, that doesn’t surprise me one bit,” Fisher said. “How he thinks and what he does and has confidence in himself to know he’s gonna get his opportunities. My hat’s off to him and I have the utmost respect for him.”

Texas A&M kicks off against Arkansas at noon ET on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.