Auburn football is facing a 5-way quarterback competition heading into spring practice, one that will likely result in at least one QB on the roster departing for a different program by the fall.
The Tigers will return TJ Finley and Dematrius Davis from last year’s roster and added former Texas A&M Aggie Zach Calzada, former Oregon Duck Robby Ashford, and incoming true freshman Holden Geriner.
TJ Finley will likely have a leg up heading into the competition in the spring seeing as he’s the only one of the five QBs with experience on the field in orange and blue. Despite the lackluster offense that operating with Finley at the helm towards the end of the Tigers’ 2021 season, Finley has been praised for his work ethic and ability to be a team player.
But will that be enough to win out over the talent coming to the Plains? Zach Calzada was the only quarterback to beat both Auburn and Alabama in 2021, but also suffered four losses and didn’t put up very impressive numbers with the Aggies.
On the other hand, the remaining three quarterbacks on Auburn football’s roster heading into the spring have absolutely zero experience on the collegiate stage. Robby Ashford never saw the field at Oregon, and Dematrius Davis redshirted after spending his true freshman season in line behind Bo Nix and TJ Finley.
However, Phillip Dukes of Auburn Undercover reported earlier this week that Dee Davis continues to turn heads in spring workouts and if spring practices started tomorrow he would be the clear number two.
But after Davis didn’t see any game action as a true freshman is it possible that incoming true freshman Holden Geriner could win the QB battle, or does his newness discount him from seeing the field in 2022?
Auburn Wire provided some insight on Geriner’s insane stats as a senior at Benedictine Military School:
"As a senior, Geriner threw for 3,377 yards and 36 touchdowns. He isn’t just a passer. He can run when he needs to in RPO or zone-read concepts. Geriner is physical enough to withstand the punishment or fight off would-be tacklers. In the pocket, he can navigate to avoid the rush while keeping his eyes down the field."
When Austin Davis was hired as Auburn football’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, there was much talk that Geriner was one of the main draws for Davis to get to the Plains. Despite his young age, the incoming QB could surprise a lot of people and could potentially make a huge impact with the Tigers in 2022.