An updated look at Auburn football's quarterback battle

Here is a fresh look at Auburn's QB competition now that Dematrius Davis has transferred.

Lance Dawe | Mar 24, 2022

An updated look at Auburn football's quarterback battle /

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Every quarterback on Auburn's roster competing for the starting job was recruited by Bryan Harsin.

Considering Harsin has only been with the Tigers for a season, that sentence may come as a shock to some.

Auburn has now had two quarterbacks transfer out of the program since Harsin's arrival, including legacy QB Bo Nix and more recently four-star Dematrius Davis. The Tigers will now operate with a room full of transfers and high school recruits who have come to play for Bryan Harsin.

On top of that, all four of the quarterbacks have a chance to make their case for QB1 come September 3rd. Spring and fall camp should be very interesting.

Now that Dematrius Davis has entered the transfer portal, let's take a look at Auburn's quarterback battle.

TJ Finley

Class: Junior

Height: 6’7”

Weight: 250 lbs

Notes: Finley appeared in nine games for the Tigers last season (three starts), throwing for 827 yards and six touchdowns. After throwing the go-ahead touchdown against Georgia State, some fans were clamoring for Finley to replace Bo Nix as the starter. Finley eventually got his shot after Nix was injured vs Mississippi State, but he struggled in games against South Carolina, Alabama, and Houston.

As the only competing quarterback with any experience in Bryan Harsin's system, Finley should have a leg up on the other three QBs in the race. What will potentially hold him back is his inaccuracy throwing the ball downfield and his slow decision making. Both of those things can be corrected with another spring and fall camp.

Zach Calzada

Class: Sophomore

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 208 lbs

Notes: After starter Haynes King suffered a season-ending injury against Colorado, Calzada took over as the QB1 for Texas A&M last season. In 11 games he completed 56.1% of his passes for 2,185 yards and 17 touchdowns. Calzada posted a career high in passing yards, completion percentage, and quarterback rating in a 41-38 win over No. 1 Alabama.

Fans seemed to have mixed reviews about Calzada, but most seem to agree he'll likely be the starter this season. Outside of his heroics against Alabama, the former A&M signal-caller wasn't particularly impressive. Considering his offensive line was 26th nationally in sacks allowed per game and he had a plethora of weapons surrounding him, it's confusing as to how A&M's offense wasn't more explosive.

It's going to be a while before we see Calzada at 100%, as he just had surgery on his non-throwing shoulder. Hopefully, he'll be fully ready to go once fall camp arrives.

Robby Ashford

Class: Redshirt Freshman

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 212 lbs

Notes: The former Oregon quarterback has transferred to The Plains with aspirations of competing for the starting job. Ashford sat on the bench at Oregon and did not appear in a single game during the 2020 or 2021 seasons.

His high school film is promising. Ashford is the most mobile quarterback in Auburn's room, and he possesses nice touch throwing the ball. Now that Davis is gone, Ashford will hopefully get more meaningful reps.

Holden Geriner

Class: Freshman

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 212 lbs

Notes: Geriner is a four-star quarterback out of Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Georgia. He was the Atlanta Journal-Constitution AAAA Offensive Player of the Year, throwing for over 3,300 yards along with 36 touchdowns during his senior season.

If Geriner gets a shot at quarterback, his skillset is arguably the best suited for Harsin's scheme out of any QB on the roster. He's excellent at distributing the ball quickly and would thrive in Auburn's passing offense.

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