Four-star QB Haynes King commits to Texas A&M

Haynes King kept a close eye on several SEC schools -- and after wrestling with a decision for much of June and July, the decision is finally in.

The four-star Longview (Texas) High School dual-threat committed to Texas A&M over a host of SEC schools, namely Tennessee and Auburn, as well as Duke. King is a top-40 prospect in Texas and a top-10 dual-threat in the country.

The Aggies have now landed their 10th in-state pledge in the 2020 class and their top quarterback on the board.

After landing an offer from the Aggies in the spring, King raved about his fit in Jimbo Fisher's offense, which is comparable to his high school system.

"Because we're somewhat of a pro-style offense (at Longview) and they run a pro-style offense (at Texas A&M), we run mostly the same stuff," King told Rivals. "On Saturdays, we watch and notice that they run a lot of the same stuff. That means a lot. Coach Fisher is a good coach, too."

King took his first official visit to Aggieland, which set the bar for the following trips to Tennessee, Auburn and Duke. The Vols finished second in this race, but of course, remain in a good position behind center moving forward with four-star Harrison Bailey, a Rivals100 quarterback, already embedded in the class.

Auburn also holds a commitment from a signal-caller, though that didn't prevent the staff from making King a big priority in recent months. Duke's David Cutcliffe used his relationship with the Mannings as a major selling point, which gave King plenty to consider leading into a decision.

King finished up his official visits at the end of June and was forced to delay announcing his decision. The struggle persisted through the Elite 11 and The Opening Finals and deep into July. He wound up not making a decision when he expected as he continued to wrestle between his top schools.

Ultimately, King opted to remain in-state, play in the closest SEC school and chose a pro-style offense under Fisher is what separated Texas A&M in the end.

After the spring evaluation period, Texas A&M determined King as the top passer in the Lone Star State for 2020. Jimbo Fisher got the newly minted four-star dual threat on campus and found an ideal fit for his pro-style offense, which features three receivers ranked in the Rivals250, including in-state prospects Troy Omeire and new five-star Demond Demas who are both ranked inside the top-100.

Watching King in-person this spring was an eye-opener. He's clearly a rhythm passer, so consistency will be a big aspect in his development. When King found a rhythm, he showcased a big arm paired with excellent athleticism and made some extremely impressive throws all over the field. He has a great vision of the field to see routes and coverages unfolding and is a smart decision-maker.

King has a big arm and can throw outside the numbers and down the seams. He also has the ability to make some “wow” throws on the money with exceptional accuracy down the field. He throws with phenomenal touch and can throw on a line, which only a handful of the best quarterbacks in the country can claim. Often, it’s the ability to anticipate throws and knowing whether to throw with some zip or touch. He completed 71 percent of his throws as a junior and is very efficient, which caught the attention of the Texas A&M coaching staff.

King is a dual-threat that relies on his mobility. He clocked a 4.49-second 40 time this spring and often is forced to throw on the run in his high school offense. King has great accuracy on the move and times his throws very well. Expect to see a good deal of that when he arrives in College Station.

The Texas A&M staff loved that King was an elite competitor and had unique intangibles covered for his position. Also, King thrived in an advanced offense, which they felt would translate to the SEC.

The biggest question mark on King heading into his senior season is consistently being accurate on his throws. When he’s out of rhythm, accuracy is an issue.

Tennessee finished second in the heated race for King and there was a growing amount of confident that King would wind up in Knoxville after his official visit. In fact, King named the Vols as the team leading in his recruitment. He sat atop the Vols' board for a quarterback in 2020 and now will have to shift gears at a crucial position.

Auburn holds a commitment from a quarterback, but told King they were willing to take a second quarterback if -- and only if -- that quarterback was King. Auburn also had King on the top of its board and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham frequented Longview a bunch in the spring.