Jimbo Fisher

Despite rumors about his job status over the course of the season, Jimbo Fisher was never close to being fired by Texas A&M because of his contract.

Per The Athletic's Sam Khan Jr. and Andy Staples, firing Fisher was "never on the table" because his buyout was "too prohibitive" for the school.

Expectations were sky high for the Aggies coming into this season. They had the top-ranked recruiting class in the country and were ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press Top 25.

Those hopes were dashed almost immediately with a 17-14 home loss to Appalachian State on Sept. 10. It looked like the Aggies righted the ship with solid wins over Miami and Arkansas, but they lost six consecutive games from Oct. 1-Nov. 12.

As Texas A&M was mired in its losing streak, reports about Fisher's job status and contract began leaking out.

Connor O'Gara of Saturday Down South (h/t Jim Weber of LostLetterman.com) provided the year-by-year buyout breakdown terms of Fisher's deal:

Texas A&M signed Fisher to a four-year contract extension in September 2021 that raised his annual salary from $7.5 million to $9 million. The deal runs through the 2031 season.

By comparison, Evan Bland of the Omaha World-Herald reported the University of Nebraska paid Scott Frost around $16 million after firing him on Sept. 11.

Bland noted the cost for Nebraska would have been around $8 million if it waited to get rid of Frost until Oct. 1 when the buyout halved.

Fisher has been successful during his first five seasons at Texas A&M, but he has struggled to compete regularly with Alabama and Georgia atop the SEC. This season marked his first losing year with the program (5-7).

The Aggies won at least eight games in each of his first four seasons, but they haven't played in the SEC Championship Game since joining the conference in 2012.

Wide receiver Chris Marshall was one of the most highly touted players in the 2022 recruiting class for Texas A&M, but he will have a new home next year.

According to 247Sports' Jeff Tarpley, Marshall plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal this winter. He is a former 5-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 3 wideout in 247Sports' composite coming out of Fort Bend Marshall High School in Missouri City, Texas, last year.

Marshall appeared in six games for the Aggies this season and recorded 11 catches for 108 yards. He didn't appear in the final five games of the year after he was one of three players to be suspended on Oct. 25 for their involvement in what was described as a "locker room incident" following Texas A&M's loss to South Carolina.

The Aggies' 2022 recruiting class was initially considered to be one of the greatest of all time. Marshall was one of eight 5-star recruits for Texas A&M, which set a new record for an incoming class. However, the team had a disappointing 2022 campaign in which it finished with a 5-7 record, leading to a mass exodus this offseason.

Per 247Sports, 22 Texas A&M players have entered the transfer portal so far. That list includes 5-star cornerback Denver Harris, 4-star offensive lineman PJ Williams, running back LJ Johnson, edge rusher Donnell Harris, defensive lineman Tunmise Adeleye and former starting quarterback Haynes King.

It appears that Texas A&M will be in transition next year. The 2023 recruiting class is ranked 18th overall by 247Sports and features just two 5-star prospects in defensive lineman David Hicks and running back Reuben Owens. Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher faces a daunting road as he hopes to lead the team to a better showing next season.

Texas A&M legend Johnny Manziel thought Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher should've turned to another page of the playbook for the final play of Saturday's game against Alabama.

Haynes King's pass to Evan Stewart fell incomplete as time expired, helping the Crimson Tide stave off the upset bid and win 24-20. Manziel was among those calling out Fisher after the game:

The coach defended the call, telling reporters it had worked earlier in the game:

If King released the ball earlier, he might have had Stewart for a game-winning score. By the time he got rid of the ball, it would've taken something special to find the freshman wideout. And it's not as if one or more other Aggies receivers were running free in the end zone, either.

King hasn't played well this season, with Fisher turning to Max Johnson after two games, and he only started Saturday because Johnson suffered a hand injury. Knowing that, it might have been better to call a play that didn't require the sophomore signal-caller to make the kind of throw that was needed on the last play.

Fisher's response will also do little to quell the growing narrative that he's too stubborn to recognize his own limitations and bring a new voice to play-calling duties.