Why Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher is saying 'we love him' about Marcel Reed, former MBA star
The first freshman quarterback to start a game for Montgomery Bell Academy, the first Black starting quarterback in the history of a storied high school program that owns 10 state titles, the 2022 Division II-AAA Mr. Football of Tennessee, is a freshman again.
Marcel Reed, a 6-foot-1, 175-pounder who helped lead MBA to three state championship appearances, is entering his first season as a member of the Texas A&M football team. He originally had committed to Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss before changing his allegiance to the Aggies in December.
A decision Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher is thankful the all-state football and basketball player made.
"We love him. He's a football (and) basketball guy," Fisher said said Monday during the first day of SEC Media Days in Nashville. "He comes from a coaching background. His dad was a coach for a long time, so he gets it.
"I've seen him off the field, in the weight room or outside the office, just stop and talk with him. He's very happy to be there. We're happy he's there. I think he has a great upside."
Reed is a son of former Tennessee State football coach Rod Reed. He finished his high school career with 6,357 passing yards and 62 touchdowns. He also ran for 2,277 yards and 38 touchdowns.
Fisher said Reed, the only quarterback in A&M's 2023 recruiting class, has been putting on some weight as he prepares for his first college season.
"Natural thrower of the football, that's what they're saying," Fisher said. "Guys say he's running well, training well. He looks bigger."
Reed wrote in The Tennessean about the reasons behind his decision to decommit from Ole Miss in favor of the Aggies.
"Coach Jimbo Fisher is a well-known coach with great history behind him and I want to be a part of that," Reed wrote. "My family and I thought it was the best decision for me and that it was somewhere I could be successful whether I was playing football or not."
HIS WORDS: I'm Marcel Reed: Why I signed with Texas A&M football
HISTORY HIS STORY: Marcel Reed broke age, race ceilings at MBA, next up Ole Miss and playing for Lane Kiffin
DANDY DOZEN: Meet The Tennessean's 2022 Dandy Dozen, the top Nashville area college football prospects
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher said about Marcel Reed, former MBA star
