The Auburn QBs- a frank analysis @ trackemtigers.com

[IronMan70 3,322]

Here is another good posting over at trackemtigers. This time, the author gives us his analysis and frank opinions on the QBs as well as some very frank opinions on how he thinks coaches have handled some QBs. Even if you don't agree with every one of his opinions, I don't, he provides a decent overall review as he lists what he believes are the pluses and minuses of each QB.

note: red font = me making a couple of small corrections to his copy

Yet Another QB Controversy on the Plains

By CapnVegetto Posted on: May 8th, 2013 @ trackemtigers.com

" As the summer rolls around and we are all sweltering in the sun, longing for the beautiful colors of fall to begin to show, it just wouldn’t be normal without a quarterback controversy at Auburn. It’s kind of like getting gas after eating at Denny’s, or rain showing up in the Sahara desert just because I declared I wanted to play golf on that particular day, or celebrity couples getting divorced, it’s just an inevitability that we Tiger fans have just gotten used to the last few years.

This year it’s different than the last few years, because we actually have some hope. We all knew Gus Malzhan would be bringing high caliber talent to the Plains, because we all know that elite QB’s will line up to play in his system. If Gus is successful, you can bet the farm that every single year we will have 4 and 5 star quarterbacks from all over the country clamoring to come to Auburn dreaming of being the next Cam Newton.

This year’s crop could just be the beginning of Auburn being known as Quarterback U, instead of our former nickname, ‘Running back U’. I am reminded of how many RB’s we sent to the NFL in the 90′s, not to mention how many were successful. When was the last time a school had 2 RB’s drafted in the 1st round in the same year? Hell, there was a time when Auburn University had Cadillac Williams, Ronnie Brown, and Brandon Jacobs all in their backfield at the same time. That is ridiculous.

The same type of elite power could be in our future, if Malzahn’s success is as I believe it will be. Kids want to go where they can be exposed to national media, have gaudy stats, contend for titles, and play against the best. Auburn, with some time to recover from the Chizik mess, will certainly be able to offer all of that.

We have several names coming to the Plains that could very well be the next elite QB that stuns the nation, or it could be nothing. We all know that how many stars you had by your name means absolutely jack squat after signing day. Trovon Reed was a 5 star. How’s he done? Lots of expectations, very few results. Last year’s Heisman winner? A 3 star. An interesting stat I heard when I was watching the Pro Bowl in 2011. How many former high school 5 star recruits were playing in the game? Answer: ONE. Derrick Thomas. How ’bout that!

Anyway, all this blather from me is leading down to one thing, my opinions of this year’s crop of Quarterbacks. Pros, cons, and my best realistic guesses on what to expect. We don’t have a lot of information on anybody, either a high school career or a few games of work at the most. Quite frankly, all any of us can do at this point is guess. So, with that being said, here are my guesses:

KIEHL FRAZIER

I still believe Kiehl has the athletic tools necessary to be an elite quarterback in the SEC. The big question is, does he have it between the ears? He’s a smart kid, he understands the offense, but he doesn’t seem to be able to handle the pressure of being a starter. A lot of his between the ears problems I attribute DIRECTLY to his HORRENDOUS mishandling by Gene Chizik and his staff. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Chizik screwed him up royally. He should have been starting the entire second half of 2011, gaining the experience he needed, preparing for the future, and making the mistakes he was making last year with an entire off season to look at them, learn from them, and get better. But because of Chizik’s short-sighted and amateurish management of the team, Frazier was thrown into the fire with a far inferior team last year, his confidence was shattered, and in my opinion, never really got a fair shot. I don’t know if he will ever be able to recover, and I don’t know that we’ll ever see the player that he could have become, thanks to Chizik’s foolishness. That being said, in my opinion, he’s got the best shot. It remains to be seen as to whether or not he can capitalize.

Pros: He knows Malzhan’s system better than anybody. He’s been in the system the longest, he’s been at Auburn the longest, he’s an upperclassman, and he has experience.

Cons: He’s had a shot and hasn’t capitalized before. The fact that he has all of this going for him, and he has NOT emerged from Spring practice as the clear frontrunner speaks volumes. Wallace is hot on his heels, if not dead even with him, and he hasn’t stepped up and FORCED Chizik Malzahn to concede the spot to him.

Conclusion: He just might not be good enough mentally. He might not be tough enough between the ears to handle the job. Of course, we once said that about one Jason Campbell, and we were happily dead wrong. For Kiehl’s sake, I hope we are.

JONATHAN WALLACE

He took the reins during last year’s disastrous season, and while he wasn’t able to win a SEC game, he was able to drag the team up to a couple of respectable showings. A lot of people fell in love with him, thinking he was the second coming. You have to remember, he was filling in for CLINT FREAKING MOSELY. Hell, I could have gotten a better response than Mosely did. I personally think there was a lot of ‘at least he’s not Mosely’ going on there. From what I saw of Wallace, he was an average on his best day Quarterback that was an above average athlete, and well above average on mental toughness and leadership. He took a bad team that didn’t believe in anything and at least got them going again. Honestly, if Auburn had a Frankenstein department and could graft Wallace’s head on Frazier’s body, I think we’d have our QB.

Pros: He’s very tough mentally, a VERY good athlete, and has proven he has what it takes to be a QB in the SEC. I’d like to see what he could do with a little bit of team around him.

Cons: Despite his atleticism, his QB skills are average on his best day. We don’t know how he’ll do in Malzhan’s offense, but I suspect he’d do fine. He doesn’t have Frazier’s knowledge or experience in Malzhan’s offense, though.

Conclusions: I don’t believe he’ll be the starter. I don’t believe he’ll play QB at the next level, and I think as a QB in the SEC, he’s a solid backup and nothing more. Frazier has a better chance than he does, although I do like the kid, respect his mental toughness, and definitely believe he is an asset to the team.

JEREMY JOHNSON

Welcome to Auburn, Mr. Football. He’s big, he’s fast, he’s athletic, and he’ll redshirt. No chance of being a starter with the crop we have there now. Also, Gene Chizik was a functional idiot when it came to managing personel, Malzhan is not. He knows that Johnson is the QB of the future at Auburn, and he’ll more than likely save him a year with a redshirt. Unless he comes into practice and is just a world beater, he’ll spend a year carrying a clipboard and learning, which is exactly what he should be doing. Of course, if he DOES turn out to be a world beater, I know Malzhan isn’t afraid to start a true freshman. He isn’t Chizik. The best player will play, which is how it should be. Will that happen, I doubt it. But it COULD happen.

Pros: He has every single athletic tool necessary to be a future superstar. He was a winner in high school, with gaudy stats and doesn’t appear to be a troublemaker.

Cons: He has ZERO experience. He could be Tim Tebow or Johnny Manziel, or he could be Trovon Reed or Ryan Leaf. We’ll never know until he shows up. True freshman as special as the ones I listed are as rare as a shooting star shaped like a 4 leaf clover. They are out there, but it doesn’t happen much.

Conclusion: El Redshirto. No starting job, no playing time this year. Watch out for the future, though.

NICK MARSHALL

I’m inclined to be optimistic about Marshall simply because the last JUCO quarterback we picked up, although I can’t quite remember his name, seemed to do OK. Of course, I am trying like hell to reserve judgement because Marshall has a lot of ‘flavor of the month’ stench about him. Everybody is remembering Cam and getting excited, but people are forgetting that the first time he was in FBS he didn’t make it as a QB. They forget that he threw 20 interceptions last year. There’s a lot of question marks about this guy, whereas when that other JUCO guy came to Auburn, what was his name? Rhymes with Spam? When he came there was ZERO questions about his on-field JUCO performance. He was a world beater that won the JUCO national championship while making defenses look stupid. The only reason he didn’t get a shot at Florida was because he was behind that Tebow guy. Marshall doesn’t have that.

Pros: Lots of athletic tools. Experience. Maturity. He’s been THE MAN on his JUCO team and has proven he can handle starting.

Cons: Unproven in the bigtime as a QB. Lots of interceptions last year. Past character problems although they seem to be behind him. Lack of experience in Malzhan’s offense compared to Frazier.

Conclusion: It’s between him and Frazier for the starting job. If he’s got it between the ears, and picks up the offense quickly, I think he could be the man, and I think he could be good.

FINAL CONCLUSION

It’s a coin flip right now between Marshall and Frazier. Frazier is better on paper and knows the offense better, but the fact that he’s not wowing right now speaks volumes and he is most definitely vulnerable. Marshall could most definitely capitalize on that vulnerability if he shows up and looks as good as people think he can. Wallace is a close third behind those two, with Jeremy Johnson bringing up the rear. I can tell you, though, if no QB steps up to be a star this year, Johnson will be squarely on the radar next year.

Any way you slice it, though, there is a lot of hope for the future. War Eagle!! "

link: http://trackemtigers...4990#more-14990

[WarEagle1983 2,195]

Nice write up. Certainly don't agree with everything but he has stated a lot of points on what has been brought up and stated on here regarding all of the QBs. Didn't care for how he just wrote JW off. Sorry but i rather have a guy who "has it btw the ears" and can go make plays rather than one who is less likely to just becuase he may be more skilled or knows the offense. No matter what...the QB has to execute.

Another thing is that I don't think many who state NM will be the starter think he is the next coming of Cam at all. Plus NM's INTs are way over exaggerated IMO and if people claim Gus is the great offensive mind that he is..then why can't he help correct NM's INT issue? Didn't he do that at Arky St.? Some may say then he should be able to fix KF.....that may be a little bit harder to do to fix a QB's psyche but certainly there are things that can be done to help but we will not know if KF is able to take the pressure until he gets on the field.

I do agree that Chiz helped screw up KF but can't just omitt Gus out of that either...they both had a hand in it and Lefty just put the icing on the cake regarding KF. You blame one...blame them ALL! I never liked how they brought KF in just to run the wildcat. He should've redshirted just like JJ will be doing. They are ALL to blame for KF and i highly doubt he will recover and quite frankly i'm ready to move on from KF. Why does JW continue to get written off? I get he doesn't have the skills as KF but time and time again...all i hear is compliments about the kid and he has a least achieved being neck and neck with KF but yet still doesn't get consideration? Just don't get that....maybe he gets the Tewbow stamp or something..idk.

I think any of the 3 QBs can lead us to .500 but I only have faith that 1 can lead us to beyond that and neither played in the spring game. As more and more information comes out about NM from coaches that have either coached him, coached against him or seen him play...they have nothing but great things to say about him regarding his QB skills. I'm not looking for a Cam in NM...just a QB that is accurate, consistent, lead the team and make good sound judgements as the QB. Sure will be nice when we as Auburn fans can have a nice quiet summer regarding who our QB will be...I'm longing for that day to come! WarEagle!

[TheBlueVue 177]

Nice write up. Certainly don't agree with everything but he has stated a lot of points on what has been brought up and stated on here regarding all of the QBs. Didn't care for how he just wrote JW off. Sorry but i rather have a guy who "has it btw the ears" and can go make plays rather than one who is less likely to just becuase he may be more skilled or knows the offense. No matter what...the QB has to execute.

Another thing is that I don't think many who state NM will be the starter think he is the next coming of Cam at all. Plus NM's INTs are way over exaggerated IMO and if people claim Gus is the great offensive mind that he is..then why can't he help correct NM's INT issue? Didn't he do that at Arky St.? Some may say then he should be able to fix KF.....that may be a little bit harder to do to fix a QB's psyche but certainly there are things that can be done to help but we will not know if KF is able to take the pressure until he gets on the field.

I do agree that Chiz helped screw up KF but can't just omitt Gus out of that either...they both had a hand in it and Lefty just put the icing on the cake regarding KF. You blame one...blame them ALL! I never liked how they brought KF in just to run the wildcat. He should've redshirted just like JJ will be doing. They are ALL to blame for KF and i highly doubt he will recover and quite frankly i'm ready to move on from KF. Why does JW continue to get written off? I get he doesn't have the skills as KF but time and time again...all i hear is compliments about the kid and he has a least achieved being neck and neck with KF but yet still doesn't get consideration? Just don't get that....maybe he gets the Tewbow stamp or something..idk.

I think any of the 3 QBs can lead us to .500 but I only have faith that 1 can lead us to beyond that and neither played in the spring game. As more and more information comes out about NM from coaches that have either coached him, coached against him or seen him play...they have nothing but great things to say about him regarding his QB skills. I'm not looking for a Cam in NM...just a QB that is accurate, consistent, lead the team and make good sound judgements as the QB. Sure will be nice when we as Auburn fans can have a nice quiet summer regarding who our QB will be...I'm longing for that day to come! WarEagle!

You and I seem to be on the same page but believe me our opinion is not a popular one. I definitely believe any of the QBs can lead us to 6 wins but when was 6 wins ever anything a target number of wins? I'm not going to get into dissecting what was written except to say that if NM doesn't live up to the hype we may be in for another long season. Obviously, I have no way of knowing that but my confidence in the 2 guys currently on campus isn't exactly what I would prefer. BTW, we also agree on JW. I'd much rather have a guy with the intangibles than the guy who is considered the better athlete. I sure hope Gus has our run game clicking on all cylinders..I think we're going to need it in a big way this year!

[AU-24 3,137]

The buck stops with Chiz, that's just the way it is. Chiz ran Gus off, brought in a totally different offense, with highly rated and way under developed O-linemen and wideouts!

Yes, KF should have played the entire season to gain the experience if nothing else!

[TheBlueVue 177]

The buck stops with Chiz, that's just the way it is. Chiz ran Gus off, brought in a totally different offense, with highly rated and way under developed O-linemen and wideouts!

Yes, KF should have played the entire season to gain the experience if nothing else!

That's an easy call to make in hindsight but they were trying to win a game. KF clearly was not getting it done. Its unfortunate for him the way the season turned out and the way he was handled but it is what it is and its time to move on from 2012. The question now is who is the best one to help the team win this year. We'll see how that turns out but we need much better production from that position if we aspire to win more than 6 games.

[WarEagle1983 2,195]

Nice write up. Certainly don't agree with everything but he has stated a lot of points on what has been brought up and stated on here regarding all of the QBs. Didn't care for how he just wrote JW off. Sorry but i rather have a guy who "has it btw the ears" and can go make plays rather than one who is less likely to just becuase he may be more skilled or knows the offense. No matter what...the QB has to execute.

Another thing is that I don't think many who state NM will be the starter think he is the next coming of Cam at all. Plus NM's INTs are way over exaggerated IMO and if people claim Gus is the great offensive mind that he is..then why can't he help correct NM's INT issue? Didn't he do that at Arky St.? Some may say then he should be able to fix KF.....that may be a little bit harder to do to fix a QB's psyche but certainly there are things that can be done to help but we will not know if KF is able to take the pressure until he gets on the field.

I do agree that Chiz helped screw up KF but can't just omitt Gus out of that either...they both had a hand in it and Lefty just put the icing on the cake regarding KF. You blame one...blame them ALL! I never liked how they brought KF in just to run the wildcat. He should've redshirted just like JJ will be doing. They are ALL to blame for KF and i highly doubt he will recover and quite frankly i'm ready to move on from KF. Why does JW continue to get written off? I get he doesn't have the skills as KF but time and time again...all i hear is compliments about the kid and he has a least achieved being neck and neck with KF but yet still doesn't get consideration? Just don't get that....maybe he gets the Tewbow stamp or something..idk.

I think any of the 3 QBs can lead us to .500 but I only have faith that 1 can lead us to beyond that and neither played in the spring game. As more and more information comes out about NM from coaches that have either coached him, coached against him or seen him play...they have nothing but great things to say about him regarding his QB skills. I'm not looking for a Cam in NM...just a QB that is accurate, consistent, lead the team and make good sound judgements as the QB. Sure will be nice when we as Auburn fans can have a nice quiet summer regarding who our QB will be...I'm longing for that day to come! WarEagle!

You and I seem to be on the same page but believe me our opinion is not a popular one. I definitely believe any of the QBs can lead us to 6 wins but when was 6 wins ever anything a target number of wins? I'm not going to get into dissecting what was written except to say that if NM doesn't live up to the hype we may be in for another long season. Obviously, I have no way of knowing that but my confidence in the 2 guys currently on campus isn't exactly what I would prefer. BTW, we also agree on JW. I'd much rather have a guy with the intangibles than the guy who is considered the better athlete. I sure hope Gus has our run game clicking on all cylinders..I think we're going to need it in a big way this year!

True. Just saying that i at least have that much confidence in all 3 QBs we have. I certainly want the guy who is capable of doing more but just saying that i highly doubt we will be a 3 win team again. lol. Agree about the running game. IMO we'd be crazy NOT to lean on the running game regardless of who the starting QB will be. Mason, CAP, Grant and possibly one of the freshmen getting some run as the season goes on. I hope we "ground and pound" as much as possible. Put the QB in position that if they are not up to par they will not be asked to do too much. However, when it comes time for the "big boy teams" the QB is going to need to do more than just manange the game. I'm curious to see if we will have a QB that can do that this year or will we have to wait until next year to have that guy. It should be interesting....that's for sure.

[AU-24 3,137]

The buck stops with Chiz, that's just the way it is. Chiz ran Gus off, brought in a totally different offense, with highly rated and way under developed O-linemen and wideouts!

Yes, KF should have played the entire season to gain the experience if nothing else!

That's an easy call to make in hindsight but they were trying to win a game. KF clearly was not getting it done. Its unfortunate for him the way the season turned out and the way he was handled but it is what it is and its time to move on from 2012. The question now is who is the best one to help the team win this year. We'll see how that turns out but we need much better production from that position if we aspire to win more than 6 games.

Agree, for the most part; just think KF could have been handled different/better by the adult

leadership, but it is time to move on.

[aucanucktiger 1,916]

We have several names coming to the Plains that could very well be the next elite QB that stuns the nation, or it could be nothing. We all know that how many stars you had by your name means absolutely jack squat after signing day. Last year’s Heisman winner? A 3 star. An interesting stat I heard when I was watching the Pro Bowl in 2011. How many former high school 5 star recruits were playing in the game? Answer: ONE. Derrick Thomas. How ’bout that!

Does it hurt this "journalist's" credibility that Derrick Thomas died in 2000?

[SumterAubie 3,118]

We have several names coming to the Plains that could very well be the next elite QB that stuns the nation, or it could be nothing. We all know that how many stars you had by your name means absolutely jack squat after signing day. Last year’s Heisman winner? A 3 star. An interesting stat I heard when I was watching the Pro Bowl in 2011. How many former high school 5 star recruits were playing in the game? Answer: ONE. Derrick Thomas. How ’bout that!

Does it hurt this "journalist's" credibility that Derrick Thomas died in 2000?

I'm glad you pointed that out. I was thinking 'didn't Derrick Thomas die years ago?'.

[IronMan70 3,322]

We have several names coming to the Plains that could very well be the next elite QB that stuns the nation, or it could be nothing. We all know that how many stars you had by your name means absolutely jack squat after signing day. Last year’s Heisman winner? A 3 star. An interesting stat I heard when I was watching the Pro Bowl in 2011. How many former high school 5 star recruits were playing in the game? Answer: ONE. Derrick Thomas. How ’bout that!

Does it hurt this "journalist's" credibility that Derrick Thomas died in 2000?

I'm glad you pointed that out. I was thinking 'didn't Derrick Thomas die years ago?'.

No question he made a few errors in his post. I caught a couple myself and corrected them in red. But I don't think he represents himself to be a journalist, just someone at the site they allow to make posts on the front page.

[mcgufcm 4,109]

He meant Derrick Johnson. Former Texas linebacker, made the Pro Bowl (and first team All-Pro) in 2011 with the Cardinals.

[ertrader 218]

Not to mention it took about 30 seconds to figure out both Adrian Peterson and Calvin Johnson were 5-star recruits, and those are just the first two I looked at.

[mcgufcm 4,109]

Yeah, I can't fix that one. I thought maybe he meant "started" the 2011 Pro Bowl, but Calvin Johnson started. Plus, I'm almost positive that Julius Peppers was a 5* player as well (he also started). Let's just say he missed the boat on that particular point.

[gr82b4au 5,583]

I like the discussion about the QBs. A few notes:

1) How can he talk about NM's interception problems last year and not talk about Frazier's interception problems.

2) I agree that JW is a solid back-up. The problem is... so is Frazier. Heck - from what I saw/read about spring, JW is playing better.

3) If NM does not arrive until late in the summer, or is not able to win the starting job, we are in deep trouble.

I am not sure we would win 6 games with the QBs we have right now. They have heart and they give it their best, but in this league we need better. That is just the way it is.

[BornAU76 429]

J. Wallace will be much more suited to run the offense this year after a year in the system and some game experience under his belt...yes, i was there at the A-Day game and watched both KF and JW very closely. I just don't see either one of them leading, just as Malzahn has stated. NM and JJ will definitely shake things up this summer...the pressure will be on. My money is on NM but I feel JW could win that spot. I'm still just so undecided on KF...I hope he gets it this year, I really do, but I just don't know if he is the future here.

This should be one of the more exciting QB races we've had in a while...whoever wins I will cheer for and trust Gus!

[AUSWEN 0]

Count me in the group that disagrees with a few things in this article. I think he gives KF too much credit, and JW not enough. If we were playing today I think JW would start. That said, I honestly think that both NM AND JJ have a better chance of starting. I am firmly in the NM camp, and have been from the beginning. One of the things that I disagree with most people on is that I think JJ could also have success if he was pushed into starting early. Yes he is a freshman, which is typically not a good thing for a starter, and yes he should redshirt. BUT, if for some reason NM can't get it done, JJ is more athletic TODAY than the other options and he throws a better ball TODAY than they do as well. Say what you want about the speed of the game and knowing the offense. Those things certainly take time, but when it comes to the raw building blocks JJ is already ahead of everyone except NM IMO. I honestly think that the real battle this fall will be between NM and JJ. If NM gets it, JJ will redshirt and JW or KF will be backup. If JJ gets it, NM changes positions and gets pt wherever he lands. Either way I see the other two in backup roles.

[IronMan70 3,322]

Count me in the group that disagrees with a few things in this article. I think he gives KF too much credit, and JW not enough. If we were playing today I think JW would start. That said, I honestly think that both NM AND JJ have a better chance of starting. I am firmly in the NM camp, and have been from the beginning. One of the things that I disagree with most people on is that I think JJ could also have success if he was pushed into starting early. Yes he is a freshman, which is typically not a good thing for a starter, and yes he should redshirt. BUT, if for some reason NM can't get it done, JJ is more athletic TODAY than the other options and he throws a better ball TODAY than they do as well. Say what you want about the speed of the game and knowing the offense. Those things certainly take time, but when it comes to the raw building blocks JJ is already ahead of everyone except NM IMO. I honestly think that the real battle this fall will be between NM and JJ. If NM gets it, JJ will redshirt and JW or KF will be backup. If JJ gets it, NM changes positions and gets pt wherever he lands. Either way I see the other two in backup roles.

You make some very good points. Even though most of us probably don't agree with all his points and I am certainly one of them, I thought one of his best observations was this one below in the JJ analysis section.

"Of course, if he DOES turn out to be a world beater, I know Malzhan isn’t afraid to start a true freshman. He isn’t Chizik. The best player will play, which is how it should be. Will that happen (he is speaking of JJ starting here), I doubt it. But it COULD happen."

[jared52 4,358]

I didn't really see anything new that hasn't been said by someone on this forum during the offseason. Everyone has their opinions on all those guys and they run the gamut from KF is going to be muh better, to JW will be the starter, to NM is the next closest thing we have in this group to Cam. I don't really see guys jumping on the start JJ bandwagon though. If AU is 2-5 leaving College Station, TX, there might be a few who jump on it though.

I'm not sure what is going to happen in the fall. I know what happened last fall and only one of the QBs on the roster looked remotely like a college-level player. Only thing we can hope it that one emerges an Gus's offense is able to help that one succeed.

[SumterAubie 3,118]

When i think of Jonathan Wallace, Randy Campbell comes to mind. Campbell was not physically gifted but managed to lead Auburn to 20 wins over two years in '82 and '83. Of course it was easy to hand the ball off to Jackson and James but Auburn didn't lose any games because of his play. He had football sense. I get the same impression fof JW.

[augrad68 165]

One big factor that nobody mentions is the quality of the offensive line. No QB can perform at a high level when he is running for his life because he has a bad offensive line. Give me a great OL and I could be a decent QB also. If our OL performs at a high level, it definitely raises the level of play of the QB. It makes his life easier and lets him concentrate on plays instead of escaping a sack.

[Dixie1860 27]

I am not worried about the QB position with CGM here. He is not going to let our QB's beat us with mistakes. He puts guys in positions to succeed based on their capabilities and will get the best out of whoever ends up the starter. I know that is a bunch of Sunshine but that is how I feel. I did not feel that way last year even though I was optimistic, the fact that CGM was not here worried me and for good reason. No question we have to be strong on the OL for the QB, whoever he is, to succeed. I am in the minority in that I believe it is between KF and NM period. I love JW, my Dad and Uncle played at Central (Phenix City) many moons ago and I always pull for their guys at the next level. He just isn't able to throw the ball downfield. You don't throw deep all the time but when you do it has to be Money!

[aucanucktiger 1,916]

Simple fact errors aside, this writer doesn't make sense IMHO. It's old hat and I agree a true frosh QB should not start in the SEC, but while he writes JJ should NOT start his freshman year, he also takes the novel, intellectual route of (yawn) blaming Chizik for ruining Frazier by NOT starting Kiehl second half of his true freshman year (to, er, get his frosh mistakes out of the way?). Our choice this year between Frazier, Wallace, JJ & Marshall are SO much better than Chizik & co.s choices in 2011 (Frazier, Moseley and Trotter)?

[TheBlueVue 177]

If arm strength is the primary criteria than NM is the automatic starter. One thing the KF supporters do on a consistent basis is make reference to his arm strength. IMO arm strength simply cannot be the point of difference upon which a starter is declared for the simple reason that Gus only throws deep 4 or 5 times a game. That being the case, I'm not for putting a guy in there just because he has the strongest arm. I want a competitor, who is not afraid to fail and who can lead vocally. It seems to me the position has been woefully weak in that regard since Cam left.

[WarEagle1983 2,195]

When i think of Jonathan Wallace, Randy Campbell comes to mind. Campbell was not physically gifted but managed to lead Auburn to 20 wins over two years in '82 and '83. Of course it was easy to hand the ball off to Jackson and James but Auburn didn't lose any games because of his play. He had football sense. I get the same impression fof JW.

+1

[homersapien 12,329]

I didn't really see anything new that hasn't been said by someone on this forum during the offseason. Everyone has their opinions on all those guys and they run the gamut from KF is going to be muh better, to JW will be the starter, to NM is the next closest thing we have in this group to Cam. I don't really see guys jumping on the start JJ bandwagon though. If AU is 2-5 leaving College Station, TX, there might be a few who jump on it though.

I'm not sure what is going to happen in the fall. I know what happened last fall and only one of the QBs on the roster looked remotely like a college-level player. Only thing we can hope it that one emerges an Gus's offense is able to help that one succeed.

I agree with this. ^

And I didn't care for his gratuitous put downs of Chizik and Mosley.