The Auburn football quarterback room was ranked ahead of both Alabama’s and Georgia’s in College Football Network’s Cam Mellor’s 2023 SEC QB rankings. With either Robby Ashford or TJ Finley as the potential starter, the Tigers’ signal-callers were seen as superior to either Jalen Milroe or Ty Simpson for the Crimson Tide and Carson Beck for the Bulldogs.
Mellor worries about Milroe’s accuracy in the passing game, openly wondering if the inexperienced Simpson will have to step in eventually. Beck’s inability to unseat Stetson Bennett in the Dawgs’ QB competition has Mellor worried about his prospects as the unquestioned starter.
With that said, it wasn’t complete optimism from CFN’s rankings regarding the Auburn football QB room — even with Mellor seeing Finley having a new lease on life under Hugh Freeze — with doubts being shown about Ashford’s arm and either being named starter keeping AU outside the top 10. “The duo for the Tigers may push each other to be better overall, but is their better even good enough to crack the top 10 in the SEC at this time?” Mellor asked.
Auburn football quarterback questions could be answered post-spring
A-Day will be a major test for Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze and his new coaching staff. With a new set of rules, the Tigers will have to prove that the in-house answers are up to snuff for Freeze and co. If they’re not, Freeze will be aggressive in the transfer portal to fix whatever holes present themselves.
Freeze is beholden to the brain trust for giving him a second chance in the SEC after his first opportunity at Ole Miss ended in controversy. As evidenced by Bryan Harsin’s dismissal in his second season while on a six-year deal, Freeze can be let go if the job isn’t being done and AU’s reputation is suffering.
The quarterback questions need to be answered. It’s the most obvious position on the field to assess, and if the Tigers QB room doesn’t look up to the task during A-Day — and Freeze has already given a brutal assessment of it — expect more arms linked to Auburn in the transfer portal.