Ever since former three-year starting quarterback Bo Nix entered the transfer portal, Auburn football has been working to recruit new talent for the QB room on the Plains. It seemed likely that newly-hired offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Austin Davis would want to bring in a portal quarterback, and after the Birmingham Bowl, it became clear that’s exactly what the Tigers need.
After taking an official visit to the Plains last week, head coach Bryan Harsin and the coaching staff secured a commitment from former Texas A&M Aggie Zach Calzada. The quarterback threw for 2,185 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2021 but will start fresh in Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2022.
However, reports indicated that Harsin and Davis are not yet satisfied with QB depth and are still recruiting talent from the transfer portal. Their top priority at this point is former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams.
Reign of Troy reports that there are four main schools in contention for the former Sooner, including Auburn, Miami, LSU, and UCLA, but according to 247Sports, Williams’ father said that his son is in no rush to make his decision:
"His father said they were in no hurry. UCLA, which seems to be one of his options, is on the quarter system. That means he could sign in March and still be eligible for spring practice and the coming season. He’s done a good job of keeping his intentions under wraps."
With Auburn’s semester system, the first day of the spring semester begins on January 12, and the final day to enroll in classes is January 19.
Should Auburn football miss out on Caleb Williams, Auburn Live indicates that Oregon transfer Robby Ashford is the next target in line. No matter who they end up getting, it’s clear that quarterback depth is not going to be a problem for the Tigers in 2022.