Auburn Football: Spring Practice Stock Report
Jan 3, 2014; Irvine, CA, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Jonathan Wallace (12) at practice for the 2014 BCS National Championship game against the Florida State Seminoles at UC Irvine. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
UP: QB/WR Jason Smith; DOWN: QB/WR Jonathan Wallace
Jason Smith signed with Auburn as a member of the 2015 recruiting class after playing quarterback at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. A talented and athletic signal caller, Smith would be a threat to compete to replace Nick Marshall as the Tigers’ starting quarterback if head coach Gus Malzahn hadn’t been grooming NFL prototype Jeremy Johnson for the job over the past two seasons.
However, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Smith is dangerous enough to make an impact in 2015 anyway and Malzahn wants to find ways to get him on the field.
Despite plans to play QB for Malzahn, the sophomore has been catching punts this spring. During the second week of practices, Smith also shed his orange no-contact jersey and has also been taking reps at wide receiver.
“He’s going to play (receiver) some,” Gus Malzahn said last week. “We are still going to have him do quarterback. He’s done a good job, but he’s the type we definitely need to have on the field. He has a lot of skills as far as just athletic ability. This spring, we’ll have him do both, but he’s still getting reps at quarterback.”
Though not an official position change yet, Smith’s chances for playing time are much greater as a wideout and on special teams than they would be behind center – especially since redshirt freshman Sean White is reportedly giving Johnson everything he can handle in the competition for the top spot on the quarterback depth chart.
On the other hand, Jonathan Wallace has made a permanent transition from QB to wide receiver. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound rising senior spent the majority of the 2014 Auburn football season fourth on the QB depth chart after losing ground to White in fall camp. The team’s starter for the final four games of the 2012 season, Wallace caught as many passes in 2014 (one) as he threw.
Wallace should see a bigger role in 2015 as the Tigers try to replace the production of Sammie Coates and Quan Bray, but he’s also now in danger of falling behind Smith in the pecking order.
Next: Tony Stevens