Auburn football: What you need to know about backup QB announcement

Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn told reporters Sunday that Malik Willis has earned the backup quarterback job this fall and will enter Week 1 behind Jarrett Stidham on the depth chart.

On a Sunday, this is news. But it’s not unexpected.

And depending on how you look at it, it’s either a really big deal or not a big deal at all.

The obvious should be pointed out before we get into both discussions: We’re talking about the backup quarterback, not the starter. Right off the bat, that’s a good thing. Auburn returns one of the nation’s top signal-callers in the country in Stidham.

Why naming the backup QB is a big deal

Last season, Stidham’s first as Auburn quarterback, his backup was Malik Willis, a last-minute addition to the 2017 recruiting class. The freshman turned heads early last fall in practice and showed big-time playmaking ability when he got on the field.

Willis wasn’t expected to play at all, but when Sean White was dismissed from the Auburn football program, he immediately was on the clock. In seven games, he ran 16 times for 221 yards (13.8 yards per rush), a touchdown and a long run of 67 yards. He completed 6-of-7 passes for 45 yards and a touchdown.

With speed and a big arm, he reminds many Auburn fans of Nick Marshall. When last season ended, it appeared obvious that Willis would be not only Stidham’s backup in 2018, but their heir apparent to the job in 2019, assuming Stidham leaves for the NFL.

Then Auburn signed 4-star dual-threat QB Joey Gatewood and the Bartram Trail (Fla.) quarterback enrolled early, got a lot of reps in spring practice with Stidham sidelined and appeared to have a legitimate shot at winning the backup job.

Both Willis and Gatewood picked up valuable experience from spring until now. Cord Sandberg’s arrival provides Auburn with an additional depth, although it should take Sandberg some time to shake off the rest after spending six seasons playing minor league baseball.

But handing the backup keys to Willis and having Gatewood around since January is a big deal because of two very big things:

• What if (yes, we have to go there) Stidham is injured? He was knocked around some last season and played banged up late in the season before having offseason surgery on his left shoulder. Auburn is in way better position to absorb an injury that sidelines Stidham for any amount of time than it was a year ago.
• If the Auburn football team is as good as expected in 2018 and the offense is piling up yards and scoring a lot of points, that means Stidham will have the opportunity to rest in some second halves, giving Willis (and even Gatewood with the new redshirt rule) valuable playing time in preparation for 2019 when there will be a serious battle for the starting job when Bo Nix arrives on campus and Sandberg gets his cleats under him.

Why naming the backup QB is not a big deal

This is simple.

For just the second time in Malzahn’s tenure at Auburn, he has the obvious starting quarterback returning. Nick Marshall was the guy in 2013 and 2014 and Stidham returns as just the second 3,000-yard passer in Auburn history.

Willis was the logical choice to be the backup and everyone knew it.

Gatewood might be the future. At 6-5, 237 pounds with a cannon for an arm and dual-threat running ability, he physically reminds us of Cam Newton. We all know there will never be another Cam Newton. But if someone can come really close, that’s a really good thing. Gatewood split time at quarterback in high school and everything we hear says that he’s a raw prospect. Spring practice was big for him and it could go a long way in 2018 if he can get some playing time against Alabama State and/or Liberty.

If Stidham remains healthy, Willis should still receive some situational duty as well as mop-up playing time. Gatewood could get the latter, too.

But the big takeaway everyone should take from the announcement that Willis will be the backup quarterback is this: The Auburn football program is on much more solid footing at quarterback than it has been for some time.

That’s a big deal.