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Texas A&M and Clemson were both a quarterback away from College Football Playoff contention in 2021. Instead, they were limited by finishing in the bottom third nationally in passing efficiency, passing yards and completion percentage. However, their respective spring games revealed that new roster additions are ready to quickly shake up the quarterback competitions. 

All eyes were on Clemson over the weekend as the No. 1 overall pro-style quarterbacks from the 2020 and 2022 recruiting classes faced off. Junior D.J. Uiagalelei was disappointing in his first season as a starter last year, and he completed 47% of his passes in the spring game while relying mostly on check-downs. 

Early-enrollee Cade Klubnik pushed Uiagalelei on Saturday, connecting on 15 of 23 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown in his first real action while showing off an impressive arm. He would have connected on more pinpoint passes down the field if not for some drops. The offensive staff seemed comfortable putting his talents on full display, and he showed a strong connection with tight end Jake Briningstool. 

Down in College Station, Aggies incumbent Zach Calzada transferred to Auburn and Jimbo Fisher took in his first quarterback transfer since arriving at Texas A&M. Redshirt sophomore Haynes King won the quarterback battle out of camp in 2021, but the former Texas 6A high school state football champion was overshadowed by two new additions to the quarterback room this offseason. 

LSU transfer Max Johnson only completed 13 of his 31 passes, but he hit for two touchdowns: a 40-yard pass to receiver Jalen Preston and a 13-yarder to tight end Blake Smith. He completed six straight passes in the middle of the game and had the most consistent control of the offense. Freshman quarterback Conner Weigman flashed his impressive upside right away, throwing a 32-yard touchdown to Yulkeith Brown on his third pass attempt. Weigman completed just 7 of 19 passes, but six of them went for more than 10 yards. 

King, conversely, completed 11 of 33 passes and had an interception on each side while playing for both teams. He only threw for 130 yards, good enough for 3.9 yards per pass attempt in a disappointing performance for a signal-caller entering his third season in the offense. 

Clemson and Texas A&M were both preseason AP Top 10 squads in 2021 and popular playoff picks, but quarterback play dropped the pair to a combined 18 wins and kept both out of the AP Top 25 for much of the season. The spring game gave some early optimism that revamped quarterback rooms can help them turn a corner in the 2022 season. 

What else happened on Saturday?

  • Auburn: Oregon quarterback transfer Robby Ashford wasn't given much of a chance against former SEC starters Calzada and T.J. Finley, but the Hoover, Alabama, product certainly looked the part. Ashford completed 12 of 16 passes for 132 yards passing while flashing escapability and a big arm. Early-enrollee Holden Geriner also showed some promise with 71 yards passing and a touchdown on 11 attempts. The quarterback battle on the Plains might be more open than we thought. 

  • Florida State: The running backs took center stage in the Seminoles' first live action of 2022, as Oregon transfer Trey Benson rushed for 77 yards on seven carries. In all, 270 of Florida State's 428 yards in the spring game came on the ground. FSU appears right on track to replace running back Jashaun Corbin. The passing game, on the other hand, never quite got off the ground. 

  • Nebraska: The Cornhuskers played things close to the vest, as first-string quarterback Casey Thompson only threw four passes in the modified offense vs. defense spring game. Six different quarterbacks threw passes and coach Scott Frost acknowledged that the challenges of melding his system with new OC Mark Whipple in such a short time frame made for a hectic spring.