Starting first
Advertisement
AUBURN, Ala. | Jeremy JohnsonClick [rl]Here to view this Link. will take the first snap with the first-team during Auburn's first spring practice Tuesday.
But starting first doesn't necessarily mean Johnson will finish first.
The junior, who has served as Auburn's backup quarterback the past two seasons, will have to beat out three other talented players and step up his role as a team leader in order to secure the starting position.
And that goes for every position on the team, returning starter or not.
"Yeah, the first day, he'll take the first reps, but hey, every position is going to be open," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "That's the great thing about spring. We're going to put the ball down, let guys compete.
"You know, we've got a bunch of young, inexperienced guys that we think are going to be very good football players, but in the spring, that's when you evaluate everything and give everybody a chance to compete for positions."
The two players expected to put up the biggest challenge to Johnson this spring are redshirt freshman Sean White and sophomore Jason Smith.
White redshirted last season, but still got plenty of work with the second-team offense and travelled with the team to road games.
"Jeremy will have a leg up. He's the only one who has played in any games," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said. "But I'll say this: I think there's a lot of potential for Sean White."
Smith enrolled at Auburn in January after a standout season at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Unlike Johnson and White, Smith possesses a very similar dual-threat skill set as Nick Marshall, Auburn's starter the past two seasons.
"He's got some outstanding skills," Malzahn said. "We're going to give him a chance to compete for the quarterback spot. He's very talented, very athletic, and we're glad that we have him."
That athleticism could land Smith at the wide receiver position if he doesn't make a strong push at quarterback. But Malzahn is determined to give him a full spring to compete at quarterback before considering a move.
Also in the mix at quarterback this spring will be true freshman Tyler Queen, who graduated early from North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Ga., and enrolled in January.
Auburn's spring practice will conclude with the A-Day game April 18.
