Analyst ‘wouldn’t be shocked’ if Coastal Carolina QB landed with Auburn football

Robby Ashford may have competition in the Auburn football QB room during the upcoming 2023 season — with the Plains being a potential landing spot for Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall.

McCall entered the transfer portal on Monday, December 12, and was quickly linked to Auburn football by Keith Neibuhr of AuburnLive.com (subscription required). McCall was a 3x Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, and led the Chanticleers to double-digit wins twice. For a brief period during the 2020 season, the idea of Coastal Carolina crashing the College Football Playoff was a thing.

For Tiger fans hoping to add depth to a depleted QB room that has already lost Zach Calzada to the portal and is expecting a T.J. Finley transfer following the public disagreements both he and his father had with how things were going during the 2022 season, Neibuhr seems bullish about McCall landing with AU:

"“The Tigers absolutely are a team to watch here. It would not be surprising if Auburn is his ultimate landing spot. I am told he also has interest in UF. I would lean towards AU at this time.”"

Auburn football having a new quarterback would be par for the course of new coaching hires

Bryan Harsin clearly wanted to have his own choice under center for Auburn, adding T.J. Finley from the transfer portal during his first recruiting cycle. Finley wasn’t able to usurp Bo Nix, but he did eventually become the starter. Once he was benched, another Harsin addition, Robby Ashford, got the call.

With Hugh Freeze now in charge, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Ashford removed from the QB1 role in favor of someone Freeze and new offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery personally choose themselves. QB Devin Leary from NC State is also on the team’s radar, so clearly there are wandering eyes on the new coaching staff.

Ashford stepped into the starting role admirably after Finley’s benching, but it appears the Freeze regime wants someone with a more proven track record to be leading Auburn football into its next era.