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Auburn football: Ranking Tigers’ starting quarterbacks since Cam Newton left the Plains

By Rob Maxwell

At his best, Nick Marshall reminded Auburn fans of how difficult it can be to defend a serious dual-threat quarterback. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
At his best, Nick Marshall reminded Auburn fans of how difficult it can be to defend a serious dual-threat quarterback. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Jeremy Johnson tantalized Auburn fans with his big arm and size, but he never was able to put it all together on the Plains. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

4. Jeremy Johnson (2013-16)

By the numbers: Jeremy Johnson completed 179-of-282 passes for 2,223 yards (63.5 percent), 20 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.

FlyWarEagle analysis: A big, strong-armed quarterback, Johnson’s tenure at Auburn will mostly be remembered as a failure. Blame it on Nick Marshall. Why? First, Marshall put together a spectacular 2013 season. But Marshall was cited for marijuana possession just before SEC Media Days the following season and Malzahn suspended him for the first half of the season opener against Arkansas. So Johnson got the start and torched the Razorbacks for 243 yards on 12-of-16 passing with a pair of TD passes. A future trip to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation seemed in the works, right? People got way ahead of themselves and projected that Johnson not only would be a Heisman sleeper the next season, but that he would just be on the Plains for another season before jumping to the NFL.

But as well as 2014 started for Johnson, 2015 was equally as ugly. He threw two interceptions in the first half of the opener against Louisville. But the Tigers led 17-0 at the half and stretched it to 24-0 in the third quarter. He finished 11 of 21 for 137 yards, a TD and three interceptions as the defense held off a late Louisville charge, 31-24. The following week, Johnson threw for 236 yards, two scores and two more picks as Auburn beat FCS opponent Jacksonville State in overtime.

Still, Auburn was 2-0 until traveling the following week to LSU, where the Tigers fell behind 24-0 at the half and Johnson threw for just 100 yards and tossed his sixth interception in three games.

In 2016, Sean White emerged as the best choice at QB and Johnson saw limited playing time. He was a quarterback who’d lost his confidence.

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