Auburn Has Bright Future with Gus Malzahn Stockpiling Multiple Talented QBs

The bright orange orb you see rising up from the Plains isn't the sun—it's the glow emanating from the future of the quarterback position for the Auburn Tigers.

Head coach Gus Malzahn worked wonders with dual-threat QB (and former cornerback) Nick Marshall over the last two seasons, winning the SEC title and nearly a national title in 2013.

Marshall's successor, Jeremy Johnson, is already being touted as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate in 2015. As noted by Odds Shark, he's listed at 20-1 to win the most prestigious individual trophy in college athletics—ahead of Ohio State's Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett.

Not bad for a guy with a grand total of two career college starts.

Johnson is known as a pro-style passer, but the 6'5", 240-pounder can use his legs more than he gets credit for.

"He's a very good runner in his own right," Malzahn said prior to his Tiger Trek event in Atlanta in May. "He runs a high 4.5. He can run it very well if he has to."

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The present looks great for Auburn at the quarterback position, but the future looks even brighter. 

All Sean White, whom Johnson beat out this spring for the top spot on the depth chart, has on his trophy shelf is the 2013 Elite 11 MVP award and a nice, shiny MVP trophy from the 2014 Under Armour All-America Game.

White isn't going to dazzle people on the ground. He is more of a traditional quarterback who stands in the pocket and delivers the ball on time and on the money.

"Sean is incredibly smart and savvy," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee told Bleacher Report. "He has great accuracy and anticipation, and the arm strength to make every throw on the field. [He's a] great competitor and has the grit you want a quarterback to have. He competes very well and is a better athlete than people give him credit for."

The eventual battle that will take place among White, 6'2", 230-pound freshman pro-style passer Tyler Queen and the newest Tiger will be fascinating to watch whenever Johnson decides to move on.

Who's that newest Tiger? 

Auburn got a commitment from 4-star dual-threat quarterback Ervin "Woody" Barrett on Friday. The sixth-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the nation from Orlando, Florida, chose the Tigers over intrastate rival Alabama, and at 6'2", 225 pounds, he is the kind of quarterback who can thrive in Malzahn's offense.

"He's got a really big body and great frame," Barrett's coach, Bob Head, told Wesley Sinor of AL.com. "He doesn't have any fat on him. He reminds me of a Steve McNair or Vince Young type body; he looks like a linebacker."

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Or, if Head wants to make a more appropriate comparison given Barrett's college choice, he's similar to former Tiger Cam Newton.

Bleacher Report national recruiting analyst Damon Sayles is high on Barrett's ability as a dual-threat weapon in Malzahn's offense.

"Barrett epitomizes the phrase 'dual-threat quarterback,'" Sayles wrote. "The West Orange High School product moves very well in the pocket, and when he's flushed out, he's a problem for defenders because of his power and speed. Barrett throws an accurate mid-range and deep ball, and he throws with a lot of zip."

This has created a fascinating quarterback situation on the Plains. 

Obviously, Johnson has the quarterback position on lockdown until he decides to move on or exhausts his eligibility, but the future gives Malzahn and Lashlee options.

White brings a more efficient passing game to the table and can bring Malzahn back to his days as Tulsa's offensive coordinator in 2007, when he produced the first offense in FBS history to boast a 5,000-yard passer (Paul Smith), 1,000-yard rusher (Tarrion Adams) and three 1,000-yard receivers (Brennan Marion, Trae Johnson and Charles Clay). 

Barrett is more of a bruiser who can thrive in an offense similar to the one Malzahn coordinated with Newton in 2010 that won the SEC and national titles. 

This gives Auburn options moving forward. 

The staff is fantastic at molding the offense around the quarterback. Since the two "quarterbacks of the future" excel in different areas, it gives Malzahn and Lashlee flexibility with what they want to do moving forward based on other personnel and which recruiting hotshot can be responsible with the football.

The combination of the Auburn staff and "options at quarterback" is terrifying.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.