Marshall wont start
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AUBURN | Quarterback Nick Marshall will not start Auburn's opening game against Arkansas Aug. 30, Gus Malzahn announced after Friday's opening preseason practice.
Malzahn did not elaborate on how long Marshall would be held out but insisted the senior remains No. 1 on the depth chart. He also announced senior cornerback Jonathon Mincy wouldn't start against the Hawgs.
They were both involved in separate offseason incidents.
"Nick Marshall is still our quarterback, Jonathon Mincy is still our cornerback, but that's part of their punishment," Malzahn said. "...I'm not ready to say (the extent of their punishment), all I can say right now is they're not going to start."
Marshall and Mincy will also face internal team punishment but Malzahn didn't offer any specifics. "The rest is between us," he said.
Marshall was cited for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana on July 12 during a traffic stop in Reynolds, Ga. Marshall paid the fine a couple of weeks later and will not have to appear in court.
Sophomore quarterback Jeremy Johnson will start against Arkansas. He played in six games with one start as a true freshman last year completing 29-of-41 passes for 422 yards and six touchdowns with two interceptions.
"Jeremy Johnson is going to have a bigger role regardless," Malzahn said. "We've talked about him and his ability and how we feel about him so we feel really good about our quarterback position as a whole."
Marshall led Auburn to a 12-2 record and the SEC Championship last fall completing 142-of-239 passes for 1,976 yards and 14 touchdowns with six interceptions. He also rushed for 1,068 yards and 12 touchdowns.
He led Auburn to a 35-17 win over Arkansas last season completing 7-of-8 passes for 118 yards and one touchdown, and rushing for 59 yards on nine carries.
Marshall enrolled at Auburn last June after a year at Garden City (Kan.) Community College. He played as a freshman at Georgia in 2011 before being dismissed in February of 2012 for a violation of team rules.