2022 is going to be extremely interesting for the Auburn football program.
Bryan Harsin has already cleared plenty from his initial coaching deck, with several coaches voluntarily leaving the program as well.
Derek Mason’s departure was the most significant of the voluntary variety, while Nick Eason’s defection to his alma mater Clemson may have had a hand in Caden Story considering those Tigers (as well as Florida) after not committing to Auburn on National Signing Day.
Mike Bobo’s firing should have a massive effect on the offense, and his replacement, Austin Davis, is a QB specialist.
That’s perfect since there is quite the QB conundrum on the Plains at the current moment.
With three-year starter Bo Nix now an Oregon Duck, the position is most certainly fluid right now. No one on the roster is the definitive answer under center come September.
Let’s focus on the positives, though. All five likely options–no offense to Trey Lindsey or Sawyer Pate, but yes there are five–bring unique strengths to the table:
Auburn football QB TJ Finley’s greatest strength: Big-game experience
TJ Finley has stepped onto the field for the most-watched game of the 2021 college football season (and since 2019) and held a lead on the eventual CFP #1 seed in the fourth quarter of said contest.
Finley also helped avoid an early-season disaster against Georgia State, taking over for Bo Nix and avoiding a colossal upset as 27-point favorites. In his freshman season, he threw for 250+ yards and two touchdowns twice in wins for LSU after taking over the position for the reigning national champions.
There’s no denying Finley has been in the SEC trenches in a way no one else in the QB room has.
Auburn football QB Zach Calzada’s greatest strength: Consistency
Zach Calzada’s Texas A&M tenure took time to really get going. It certainly didn’t happen immediately during his emergency assignment against Colorado Week 2 of the 2021 season after Haynes King went down with a season-ending injury.
Once it did, which we’ll say started during their four-game SEC winning streak starting against Alabama, you knew you were getting a 50-60% completion rate, a few touchdowns, maybe an interception, and a well-paced offense that complemented the defense enough to finish with a winning season in College Station.
Calzada is far from the most exciting option in the QB room, having not as strong an arm as Finley or anything near the wheels of Robby Ashford, but you know what you are getting with him more than anyone else.
Auburn football QB Robby Ashford’s greatest strength: Highest ceiling
Robby Ashford is exactly what the term ‘dual-threat’ is supposed to entail. Ashford has the speed to be a running back, but has that knack for finding his man down the field to the point where being anything but a QB would be capping the amount of amazing plays he could produce.
He never got a chance to see the field for Oregon under Mario Cristobal, but as the hometown hero from Hoover, he naturally has more fan support on the Plains.
He’s more of a wild card than his other upperclassmen counterparts, but he may have the highest ceiling of anyone.
Auburn football QB Dematrius Davis’ greatest strength: Similarities to Russell Wilson
New Auburn OC Austin Davis could find Dematrius Davis to be a familiar force in the QB room once he sees the former four-star dual-threat from North Shore, Texas.
Unlike Robby Ashford, who has a prototypical athletic build for a dual-threat, Davis is bulkier and less elusive. That said, his arm is arguably bigger, and he certainly had the ability to put up monstrous stats in high school as a two-time state champion.
Davis’ chance to shine in a crowded room filled with upperclassmen is to evoke Russell Wilson’s name in the mind of former Seattle Seahawks QB coach and current Auburn OC Austin Davis.
Auburn football QB Holden Geriner’s greatest strength: Momentum
Holden Geriner is the lone gunslinger to never be present at a college football game in uniform. The 2022 commit is coming off of a Georgia 4A high school state championship at Benedictine Military School in Savannah.
He comes in with the most momentum, having never been held out of any games or knocked off by elite SEC competition. While he may have the longest odds to win the job, he has the most momentum, for what that’s worth.