Which SEC Team Will Have the Most Intriguing QB Battle This Offseason?
For the third straight season, the SEC will have some of the most intriguing quarterback battles in the country.
Alabama will be looking for its third starting quarterback in three years, Texas A&M added former Oklahoma Sooner Trevor Knight to battle Jake Hubenak, Florida has a four-man race that includes two FBS transfers and Georgia has veterans Greyson Lambert and Brice Ramsey in-house to battle with 5-star early enrollee Jacob Eason.
On top of those obvious battles, Arkansas and Mississippi State have to replace veteran stars, South Carolina and Missouri are searching for answers and LSU desperately needs Brandon Harris to take the next step.
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Which one is the most intriguing?
None of the above, because Auburn's four-man battle tops them all.
Head coach Gus Malzahn tried to find more balance with Nick Marshall in 2014, but that plan backfired with losses to Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama.
Jeremy Johnson was supposed to be the cure that ailed Malzahn, but the junior tanked early, was benched in favor of pro-style passer Sean White and the Tiger offense struggled mightily all year in the passing game (173.7 yards per game).
Johnson is a pro-style passer who does have the ability to run, despite that attribute not being used as much as it should have been in 2015. White is a pure pro-style passer, but he doesn't have the wheels. The duo will be joined this January by true dual-threat quarterback John Franklin III out of East Mississippi Community College. He served as Florida State's scout team version of Marshall prior to the BCS National Championship Game two years ago. The last member to join the battle will be true freshman Woody Barrett, who also is a dual-threat from Orlando, Florida.
Four contenders. Four different sets of skills. Four different sets of weaknesses.
Sign me up.
Jeremy Johnson
Johnson obviously has the experience. No, it didn't go according to plan in 2015 when he threw 10 touchdowns and seven picks, got flustered far too often and was benched in favor of White. But Johnson did spend virtually a full offseason as the starter in practice with Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, which is still good experience compared to the other contenders.
On top of that, he closed the season strong, providing a late spark for an ineffective White in Auburn's 31-10 win over Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl.
But the lows for Johnson were more like craters, and Malzahn can't have that in a critical year for himself and his program.
Sean White
White looked solid as a passer in a pinch for Johnson last year when he threw for 1,164 yards, and a little more prep time this offseason should help him be a bit more consistent. But he had leg and shoulder injuries down the stretch, and he isn't nearly the running threat of either dual-threat contender or Johnson, for that matter.
John Franklin III
Franklin, a 6'2", 180-pounder, has the familiarity with the offense that Malzahn should run thanks to his time serving as Florida State's scout team version of Marshall prior to the 2014 title game, but he's still extremely raw and will have to prove that's the direction the offense needs to go in a crowded battle. What's more, he wasn't the full-time starter at East Mississippi last year and never was in Tallahassee, so it's been a while since he's had the keys to the offense all to himself.
"Coach (Malzahn) told me he needed somebody and he got Cam (Newton), then he needed somebody and got Nick Marshall," Franklin said in December, according to Wesley Sinor of AL.com. "Now he needs somebody so he came and got me. I'm just ready to go to work and earn my spot the right way and get the ball rolling with everything."
Woody Barrett
Barrett is the perfect balance of a runner and passer, and could become the quarterback of the future. But he's a true freshman who will make true freshman mistakes, and the staff probably can't afford that. Barrett has a big arm, can run over, around and through defenders, but has to work on his accuracy if he's going to be a difference-maker as a true freshman.
In addition to the different styles of quarterbacks in the mix, the pressure facing Malzahn adds even more flavor to the already-spicy battle. If that wasn't enough, Bruce Feldman of FOXSports.com reported on Friday that former Texas Tech quarterback Davis Webb is visiting Auburn in February and will make a decision on where he will play in 2016 in March.
Auburn faces Clemson, Texas A&M and LSU during the month of September, and it's absolutely imperative that Malzahn gets this pick right before the season starts. A repeat performance of last September that saw the Tigers fall to LSU and Mississippi State, and struggle with Jacksonville State, won't sit well on the Plains.
It's not just a matter of finding the right player; it's deciding on the right style.
Malzahn would be best-served abandoning the goal of proving that his system works with a pro-style passer, embracing the identity of a dynamic offense with a running threat at quarterback and going with either Franklin or Barrett.
The fourth-year head coach of the Tigers will be pulled in many different directions by his quarterbacks over the next nine months, and watching how it plays out will provide plenty of offseason drama.
Get your popcorn ready.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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