Auburn starts John Franklin III at quarterback

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) Quarterback John Franklin III made his first start for No. 11 Auburn against Vanderbilt, but an injured Sean White replaced him in the second half.

Auburn announced just before the game that White had an unspecified injury and wouldn't start. Franklin, a junior college transfer, was 2-of-4 passing for 9 yards and lost a fumble in the first half. He also rushed for 59 yards in the half.

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn didn't indicate during the week that White was injured, and he was announced as the starter before the game.

The sophomore came in leading the Southeastern Conference in passing efficiency while passing for 1,511 yards and eight touchdowns against just two interceptions. He was completing 68.5 percent of his passes.

Add us as a preferred source on Google