Jameill Showers came out of Texas A&M's 2012 spring practice as the likely starting quarterback for the Aggies that fall. He had backed up Ryan Tannehill in 2011 and hopes were high that the strong-armed Showers could keep the offense running at a high level.
But everybody who follows college football knows what happened: Redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel won the starting job during summer camp and proceeded to become the most recognizable player in college football.
Showers (6-foot-2, 200 pounds), a junior, played in seven games as Manziel's backup last season, then graduated in the spring and decided to transfer to UTEP, where he was eligible immediately for the Miners. UTEP plays at Texas A&M this week, but the Manziel-Showers matchup won't happen because Showers suffered a dislocated shoulder in this past Saturday's loss to Rice and will miss the rest of the season.
Showers had thrown for 1,263 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions, and also rushed for four TDs in the Miners' first seven games this season. Sophomore Blaire Sullivan (6-4, 210) will make the start for the Miners against A&M; it will be his first start of the season, but he started twice last season as a redshirt freshman.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
