As critical as last year’s win over the Aggies was, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn doesn’t think it was the game that had the greatest impact on the Tigers’ season.
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He started 10 games as a sophomore, but he lost the starting job last season to Mayfield, a Texas Tech transfer and Heisman Trophy favorite.
The problem: Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray – young, five-star quarterbacks – were on the A&M roster.
So Sumlin conveyed to Knight a thanks-but-no-thanks message, a glad-you-called-but-sorry response. And Sumlin and Knight were back on the phone. “He definitely saw a need for a quarterback”.
► “It was a situation where Texas A&M filled a void for Trevor Knight as a guy who wanted to play, as a graduate transfer, a guy who wanted to play at a high level, be around a program that he thought fit his skill set with some coaches he thought fit his skill set and some teammates that he wanted to play with, got him a little bit closer to home since he’s from San Antonio”. He has jumped into a leadership role, surging to the top of a squad that has gone 7-9 in the SEC the past two seasons. Most importantly, after claiming Manziel that he would get sober starting July 1, Manziel has stayed out of the news. Knight hasn’t played a down for A&M, but the coach sent him to college football’s largest media event this week. “But the greatest teacher is experience and I think what has helped Trevor is some of that gunslinger has won games and some of that gunslinger cost him his job and has put him in the situation that he’s in”, Sumlin said during SEC Media Days on Tuesday. It could be the first since Kentucky brought then-freshman quarterback Jared Lorenzen in 2000. My dad is a low-maintenance person. The junior received kudos Monday from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey for being an athlete who “lives well beyond the game of football” as a poet, avid reader and budding philanthropist. Knight was asked about it more than three times Tuesday during his half-hour chat with print reporters.
Dobbs, a rising senior, completed 59.6 percent (205 of 344) of his passes and threw for 2,291 yards (15 touchdowns, five interceptions) in 2015.
“I think it’s a compliment to everyone in our program of how far we’ve come”, Jones said.
Injuries – and the battle to regain his starting spot after mending – were “a killer” for Knight’s confidence. Just being in a new conference, new place, new team, new offense, and being named the starter again.
“Timing is everything”, Sumlin said.
“I want to start today off and talk about one of the greatest coaches of all time, regardless of the sport, and that’s Tennessee’s very own coach Pat Summitt”, Jones said. It was pretty simple, he earned it. “That’s a good way to earn respect, both in the weight room and film study”. Getting the opportunity to go play against them at their place this year is going to be a whole lot of fun for me. “That’s what we needed”. “Come in and play like you’ve been here for four years”. After all, this is it. “He’s a grown man”, the obvious implication is that Knight is a massive change from what the Aggies have had at quarterback – at least when it comes to essential intangibles – over the last few years. From Manziel’s performance in 2012, Marcus Davis’ fourth down catch and Kris Frost’s near horse collar tackle of Manziel in 2013, Julien Obioha’s controversial fumble recovery in 2014 and Ricky Seals-Jones’ hit on Jeremiah Dinson last season. “It was a unique balance stepping in and not acting like you’re the guy right away, but also realizing you’ve only got a year to do this”.
Christopher Walsh is a lead SEC college football writer.
LSU offered him a scholarship out of high school in 2011.
“My whole process was looking for something flawless for my senior year”, Knight said.
He’s not the only one.
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“LSU has our number”, he said.
