The story of the spring for Auburn football fans is the battle to claim the starting QB spot. Though that competition likely won't be decided until fall camp, that isn't stopping everyone from talking about who will be calling the signals for the Tigers this fall.
The two contenders for the job are junior Jackson Arnold, a former blue-chip high school prospect who was unimpressive in his two collegiate seasons at Oklahoma, and 5-star 2025 signee Deuce Knight.
Of course, Knight is the exciting option for fans. He was the No. 28 overall player and No. 5 quarterback in his class, and most Tiger fans want to see him get a shot to impress right out of the gates.
Meanwhile, Arnold began 2024 as Oklahoma's starter only to get benched during a September loss to Tennessee. Though he would eventually get back on the field for the Sooners last fall, he ended up with only 1,421 passing yards and 12 passing touchdowns in ten games played.
Some of those struggles were because of an unprecedented wave of injuries at wide receiver for the Sooners. However, Arnold is two years into his career after being a 5-star signee, and he is yet to become more than just an average college QB at best.
Now, another new Tiger, Eric Singleton, has weighed in on the QB battle, and he didn't do anything to douse the flames of the competition.
According to a post on X by On 3's Justin Hokanson, Singleton said this week, "It's definitely been a great battle. ... I don't know who the QB is going to be."
Eric Singleton on Auburn's QB battle between Jackson Arnold and Deuce Knight:
— Justin Hokanson (@_JHokanson) April 9, 2025
"It's definitely been a great battle. ... I don't know who the QB is going to be."
Singleton says he isn't sure who the better QB is right now. And remember, Ashton Daniels will get his say, too.
Singleton is an offseason addition who transferred to Auburn from Georgia Tech. Last season, he caught 56 passes for 754 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games played. For his career, he has hauled in over 1,000 yards receiving, and many expect him to bring some firepower to the Auburn attack this fall.
However, there is no idea who will be throwin the ball to him. What's more, the fact that this competition is still apparently wide-open might not be a good sign for the veteran, Arnold.
We all know that coaches prefer to have experienced quarterbacks. They are usually less mistake-prone and more reliable than underclassmen. That's especially true when comparing them to true freshmen who have never taken a college snap.
However, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Knight might be special enough to force his way onto the field immediately. He is supposed to have a huge arm and all the athleticism needed to make big plays with his legs.
But will head coach Hugh Freeze be courageous enough to trust a true freshman in a season that will begin with Freeze on the hot seat after back-to-back losing campaigns? That would be a bold strategy.
However, giving the keys to Knight would be a popular move among the fans, given that everyone always wants to see the shiny new toy in action as soon as possible. Still, the fans aren't ultimately who will decide whether Freeze gets to keep his high-paying SEC job.
This is the most critical decision of Freeze's head coaching career, so it likely won't be made anytime soon. There are a ton of practices and workouts remaining before a starter must be named, but if a player like Singleton, who sees the Auburn quarterbacks in action every day, is unsure who will win the job, then this might truly be a wide-open race.