Auburn's QB room is going to be the linchpin that leads the Tigers to their winning season this year, which is why head coach Hugh Freeze is crossing every "T" and dotting every "I" when it comes to his signal-callers this season.
With Jackson Arnold's fall camp motto already taken care of, Freeze turned to address the current quiet QB2 battle underway in the Plains during his post-practice presser on Saturday.
And with Arnold set and preparing for QB1, the next pressing question is who would be the backup QB among blue-chip freshman Deuce Knight and Stanford transfer/former four-star prospect Ashton Daniels.
The Tigers' head coach shared a blunt assessment of the QB2 race contenders post-practice sessions, being unforgiving for even a single pick.
"I thought the other two played really well too. I thought there were some really good things from both Ashton [Daniels] and Deuce [Knight] also. And we have one pick, which we got to have cleaned up, and he should not have," Freeze commented.
While pointing out their mistake, Freeze lauded them simultaneously, hoping for them to improve their plays.
"I could see that happening, and we'll get it cleaned up because the whole deal with these guys, they're so talented: Jackson [Arnold], Deuce, and Ashton, is we don't have to force things. We just have to make plays that are there because you got good people around them that you don't have to try and force things," Freeze continued.
All that said, Freeze had a simple message for his QB room: "Just make the plays as they come to you and we'll be fine."
The QB2 battle will be a thing to look out for in Auburn. Daniels is the more experienced one among the two, but Knight coming this close as his competitor as a freshman already speaks volumes about the talent he brings.
Daniels will be eligible next season, so it will be only natural for Freeze to name him the backup QB, with a chance to start if Arnold gets injured, before he declares for the NFL.
But then there's Knight whose football finnese is too good to be ignored. If push comes to shove, Knight should be the option Freeze would turn to.