Five quarterback battles Auburn fans should have their eye on
Auburn is going into this season with a HUGE question mark at who they will start at the Quarterback position. In his first year as the Tigers’ head coach, Hugh Freeze has to decide between Robby Ashford, TJ Finley and Holden Geriner, but maybe he doesn’t have to choose any of these guys.
Due to the growing usage of the transfer portal, several teams around the country have brought in transfer quarterbacks, in hopes a new face will better their chances of competing on the national stage.
With Auburn potentially looking for a more proven quarterback, it can be expected that Freeze and company target some quarterbacks that transfer out post-spring.
If it’s true that Hugh isn’t sure of either Ashford, Finley or Geriner’s ability, there are five schools that have quarterback battles going on that Auburn should keep a close eye on:
Ohio State Buckeyes - Devin Brown vs. Kyle McCord
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With CJ Stroud headed to the NFL, Ryan Day will go into the 2023 season with a new quarterback. Kyle McCord has backed up Stroud throughout his tenure as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback, and the highly-touted recruit from the class of 2022 Devin Brown will be battling it out for the starting job in Columbus.
In 2022, McCord and Brown both saw the field, but only McCord threw the ball in relief of Stroud. McCord is also projected to be the starter for the Buckeyes in 2023, but with McCord beginning his junior season and Brown a sophomore, I’d find it safe to believe that the loser of the battle could enter the portal.
Texas Longhorns - Quinn Ewers vs. Arch Manning
© Aaron E. Martinez / American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK
Texas has one of the youngest and highest rated quarterback rooms in the country with both Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning battling it out for the starting job for the Longhorns. Ewers has the edge, since before he suffered an injury last season, he was the starting quarterback and showed a lot of promise, but now he has the top quarterback from the class of 2023, Arch Manning, breathing down his neck.
Ewers is starting his redshirt-sophomore and Manning his true freshman year. So, if Manning were to win the job, Ewers could enter the portal. Manning could also take the redshirt, and wait for Ewers to potentially declare for the 2024 NFL Draft if he performs to his hype this season.
UCLA Bruins - Ethan Garbers vs. Dante Moore vs. Collin Schlee
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Now if one of the top quarterbacks in the class of 2023 were to lose this quarterback competition, he wouldn’t enter the portal. UCLA has had Dorian Thompson-Robinson on roster for half a decade, and now coach Chip Kelly has to decide if he wants to start true freshman Dante Moore, or if he wants to look towards his more experienced options: Collin Schlee (transferred in December from Kent State) and Ethan Garbers (transferred from Washington in after the 2020 season).
With Dante Moore signing with the Bruins and Chip Kelly bringing in transfer quarterback Collin Schlee, that could mean that Ethan Garbers could be on the chopping block to enter the portal (...again). If Moore does end up starting, which with his talent level it would be a crime to keep him off the field, both Garbers and Schlee could find themselves back in the portal.
Nebraska Cornhuskers - Casey Thompson vs. Jeff Sims
Year one of the Matt Rhule era is starting for the Cornhuskers, and Rhule started off his tenure by bringing in three-year starter from Georgia Tech, Jeff Sims, to battle it out with last year’s quarterback Casey Thompson. Thompson and Sims have both had their ups and downs in their careers, but both off a lot of upside in their abilities
With both of these guys potentially looking to end their career with one last good season, in order to look for a shot at an NFL roster, this battle could be one of the most important. Either one could be back in the portal if they were to lose the battle. In Sims’ case, we have seen multiple players transfer multiple times in one off-season, Arik Gilbert transferred to Florida and Georgia after leaving LSU after the 2020 season.
Georgia Bulldogs - Carson Beck vs. Brock Vandagriff vs. Gunner Stockton
Joshua L Jones Syndication, Online Athens
Georgia is going into the 2023 season with one of the most anticipated quarterback battles in the country, following their back-to-back championships and Stetson Bennett declaring for the NFL Draft.
That leaves “new” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo with a three-man race in Athens. Carson Beck went into the 2022 season as the backup to Bennett, and has the most in-game experience than any other quarterback on the roster. Vandagriff threw two passes in 2022, and is the highest rated quarterback coming out of high school (2021) on this team.
If Beck or Vandagriff wins the job for 2023, you can expect the other to enter the portal.
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