Can the Auburn quarterback question be answered on A-day?
The stage is set. Auburn’s defense, which should be one of the most elite defenses in the country, will spot the Auburn offense approximately twenty-one points. The winners will eat steaks. The losers will eat hotdogs.
There are lots of moving parts that go into putting a quality football team on the field. We refer to them as “rooms” now. Running back rooms, offensive line rooms, so on and so forth. There are a ton of unknowns about this new Auburn team that might begin to take shape on Saturday. We will get better looks at the young freshmen that we have heard great things about such as Keldric Faulk, Kayin Lee, and Connor Lew. We might get to see Rivaldo Fairweather catch a ball and realize how much potential he has. Brian Battie might show his legendary one-cut speed.
When that dust has settled, and everyone heads home, and in spite of all we might see, the first question most everyone will ask come Sunday will be about who Auburn’s quarterback is going to be.
Is it one of the three?
Robby Ashford was penciled in as the starter by nearly every “expert” I met during the offseason. He has been hampered by a shoulder issue this Spring. Even if that weren’t the case, he really cannot showcase his running skills in these no contact on the quarterback sessions. When you cannot throw and cannot run, you cannot impress. When you cannot impress you are in limbo. That doesn’t impress a new coaching staff. By all accounts, he is nowhere.
T.J. Finley has already been named the starter of Auburn once, under a different staff. Can he do it again? Highly unlikely. Coach Freeze has spoken about how he can tailor this offense for any quarterback. While that might give everyone the warm fuzzies, Finley is a traditional passer. Yes, he has a monster arm. Yes, He outstanding height and looks like a tight end who can sling it. However, I am not sure anyone believes that there is any shred of truth in the thought he can be successful running an RPO offense such as this as it is designed. He just isn’t that guy.
Holden Geriner has gotten all the hot press this Spring. He seems to have turned a corner. In high school he was very much a dual threat quarterback. There probably aren’t a lot of defenses in the SEC terrified of his speed, but with his arm, rumored football IQ, and a no wasted motion tuck it and run ability, he might be the best choice of the three. Does that equal getting handed the keys of an SEC football team? Time will tell.
Time to break out the crystal ball
Coach Freeze has been a breath of fresh air in press conferences. He states continuously that he wants to be transparent and comes across as willing to tell the truth about the state of the Auburn football team. It doesn’t take a profiler to see his physical demeanor change whenever the quarterback room comes up. He has not once looked happy about their performances or comfortable with what he has to work with. Can he build the offense around who he has? Yes. Does he want to? We should know as soon as the Spring portal opens up. With that in mind, a little peak into the future of what might won’t hurt anything. If the 2023 starting quarterback isn’t currently on the team, who might it be?
Jules
Jules is a French word derived from Latin that translates directly into “youthful.” It is a word that is stuck in my mind tonight. It pops into my head every time I see Hank Brown. He personifies “youthful”. He IS one of Hugh Freeze’s picks and comes highly touted after serving under former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer. His high school stats are stuff of legend. Many have prognosticated that he will redshirt. That would run him directly up against another phenom quarterback commit Walker White. That is a scenario that most likely would lead to losing a good quarterback the first time the portal opens or a de-commitment. Brown has all the size, arm, and ability of the current quarterbacks on the roster. He could come this Autumn and light a fire in the room that may have already lost one or possibly two quarterbacks. Plus, did I mention he is Hugh Freeze’s pick? It deserves to be mentioned twice. A freshman starting in the SEC isn’t unheard of. Is Brown “that dude?”
Jewels
Back to the world of realistic possibilities. It is very likely that at least one of the current quarterbacks exit via the portal at the end of April. (The portal timeframe changed yesterday). It is also just as likely to see a quarterback come in through the portal. Now, there are some names that could fit both the mold of being Coach Freeze’s “guy” and have the requisite skills to turn this Auburn team into something very competitive. These guys are the possible jewels in all of this. It would be impossible to play out every scenario that could happen here, but there are some athletes that immediately jump out as good fits.
Just to name a few
Any quarterback Georgia currently has that doesn’t feel like he is the number one guy after Spring. Georgia has a stable of SEC-caliber quarterbacks that have been sitting behind Stetson Bennet for a while. There is also a serious redshirt freshman that can ball and wants to now. It seems silly to type such a thing, but there are several guys that could be leaving the Bulldogs depending on Kirby Smart’s choices. ANY of which would be an outstanding addition to Auburn. Not to mention, add to the rivalry.
Spencer Sanders. Ole Miss ended up with three quality quarterbacks. Sanders Is the one of the bunch that is a grad transfer and could transfer out if he doesn’t win the job. He would be no slouch in Freeze’s scheme and could easily slide into the starting role and be productive. Winning football, no waiting.
By this point, some of you are screaming at your screens wondering how a quarterback that didn’t make it on an SEC team could start at Auburn. Tighten your chinstrap friends: None of our current quarterbacks could start for any other SEC team right now. Whoever transfers out will be taking a ride down to somewhere they could start. So, while you are good and irritated, wait, there is one more SEC team that could provide Auburn with a starter.
That team across the state whose name we do not mention has a few very viable options that might be hitting the portal if a decision is made in Spring practice. Jalen Milroe or Ty Simpson will more than likely get the nod. The one that doesn’t may bolt. If they both stay, there are three more guys there with SEC-caliber skillsets. Much like Georgia, someone is going to want to leave and play. Think of THAT rivalry boost.
Casey Thompson would be a wish list jewel. A sixth-year senior with a ton of experience. He is in a tough situation right now at Nebraska, where he is sitting out after a shoulder procedure and watching a new coaching staff that is very fond of the “new guy” they have. Thompson is a moonshot as he and his father both committed in the media to the idea of working through the Nebraska off-season. However, if things go south in Spring ball, he is a grad transfer and would be a perfect fit for Auburn.
Evan Prater is another interesting prospect. He is in a battle with the Cincinnati Bearcats' starting quarterback that was injured most of last year. Prater showed promise and toughness in the backup role that would translate wonderfully to Auburn, and he might just want a way out if he isn’t QB1 come the end of Spring.
The never-ending story
There are too many more to list. The real choice, if there is one, more than likely isn’t on that list. Rest assured that while I didn’t provide my exhaustive list, the coaches at Auburn have a better one.
Here is the caveat to this entire story: Does it even matter? If we waved a magic wand and have an injury-free off-season and Fall camp, Auburn will have an elite defense that will be schemed beyond belief and will keep offensive coordinators up at night. Auburn will have a really, really good running back room. One of the best in the country. They are stacked fairly deep at receiver and have more than can see the field. The offensive line, while needing depth, should be one of the better ones that have been on the field in years for the Tigers. Tight ends that can do what is asked of them, led by one that might be one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the country (Fairweather). And just for kicks, a kicker that should be solid as well. Why do we all feel as if we need a dynamic quarterback to win games? Maybe we shouldn’t. The NFL has rarely had an interest in most of the game manager quarterbacks, yet there were quite a few that have won a lot of college football games over the years. Either way, A-day will only lead to more questions. One-hundred and forty-nine more days' worth of them.
Isn’t it great?
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