As No. 12 Texas A&M (1-0) and No. 1 Clemson (1-0) prepare to face off Saturday (2:30 p.m. central, ABC), the coaches for the Aggies and Tigers agree on one thing: the other guy has a very good quarterback.

Mond stellar showing last year in engineering a furious A&M comeback nearly ended Clemson's hopes for an undefeated season -- and possibly a national title -- in week 2. But the Tigers escaped with a 28-26 win and a strong impression from the Aggies' then-sophomore quarterback. During his weekly press conference, Swinney indicated his respect for Mond's abilities hasn't diminished over time.

"The quarterback really hurt us last year. He is big and strong and he can really run. He can hurt you in both the passing game and the run game," Swinney said. "If you look at his progression as a passer, Jimbo’s done a good job with him, and you look, as the season went, he can really throw the football. Obviously with a year under his belt with Jimbo, he’s going to be very well coached, and really on their system … He’s an excellent leader, he’s a very smart player, he’s got great instincts for the game.”

Clemson defensive coordinator Brett Venables was just as effusive in his praise for Mond.

“He’s got a great feel for their offense going into their second year. His ability to execute is at a really, really high level without making mistakes. He’s a great runner, a very dangerous runner and can extend plays. The receivers do a great job at helping him extend plays,” Venables said. “A really, really good system that is going to have balance in it. He just does a great job. Boy, he can throw. He’s got a huge arm. He can throw from one hash to another on a dime. And great touch, an excellent player. We won’t see anybody that’s better than him all year.”

Lawrence threw for just 93 yards on 5-9 passing last year as the Aggies largely confused the true freshman appearing in just his second game. That's not the same Lawrence the Aggies will face this time around, and Fisher knows it.

"“Everyone awes at the physical skills. He can throw the football, he’s big, he’s rangy, but man he’s so accurate, he makes decisions and he has that 'it' factor to me," Fisher said during an appearance on the SEC Network. "He has that poise, that composure, and how to speed it up and slow it down when you have to. People don’t understand, usually guys that age, don’t have that. It’s usually going real fast, or I’m just not quick enough to do it. And on top of that, the thing that people don’t talk about with him, his athleticism. He can keep plays alive with his feet, but he can also scramble and make yards, and he’s very big, which allows him to take punishment, too. So he’s got every tool possible. He’s a great young man, it seems like leading that team. He seems very confident and not arrogant, in a humble way. I think he’s one of the great players in all of college football.”