For several seasons now, the Auburn Tigers football team has not been able to find a quarterback that feels like the perfect fit. From TJ Finley to Robby Ashford to Payton Thorne to Jackson Arnold, things haven't been the same since Bo Nix was QB1.
Former head coach Hugh Freeze wasn't able to crack the quarterback code, failing to turn things around with Thorne and Arnold, his chosen signal callers. There is plenty of optimism for the man up next in freshman Deuce Knight, but whether or not he chooses to compete under new head coach Alex Golesh is still up in the air.
Golesh was asked about the quarterback position in his press conference on Monday, and he talked about the importance of "fit" when it comes to the job, and said that he and his staff are still working to determine whether Knight and fellow Auburn QB Ashton Daniels will stick around for the next season.
“Yeah, there’s a lot that goes into the QB spot," Golesh said. "And you’re right, we walked into a situation where there’s uber-talented guys that we’ve got to continue to work through with them on, ‘This is what we want to do offensively. This is how we feel like you fit.’ And then, you want to make sure you fit them, too. I think the biggest thing at that spot is having guys that are high level, intelligent, playmakers that have a skill set that you can build an offense around.
"We have an offensive vision of what we want this to be, but as I've said this before, we’ve evolved every single year based on what the quarterback's skill set is, and what your personnel around him is. We’re still working through every single guy that’s still here in terms of whether they’re a fit and whether we’re a fit for them. That does take time."
Golesh went on to say that he and his staff are working as quickly as possible to determine the needs for the quarterback room, but the goal remains the same at the end of the day.
"The intent for us to have a one, a two, and a three that are as talented as possible, but also bought into what we’re doing, also able to lead, also can functionally do it to give us the opportunity to go in and win games.”