Bryan Harsin's handling of the Auburn football quarterback situation in 2021 and 2022 -- making things so miserable for Bo Nix that the Pinson native transferred to Oregon only to become a Heisman candidate and the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NFL draft to the Denver Broncos -- was the first thing Split Zone Duo's Alex Kirshner thought of after Nix's pro dream became officially realized.
"Bo Nix getting drafted in the top 15 is amusing from an NFL perspective but much, much funnier from the perspective that Bryan Harsin ran off 'a top-15 NFL pick QB' so he could have Robby Ashford and TJ Finley play QB for him," Kirshner tweeted.
The 2022 Tigers quarterback battle bled into the season, with TJ Finley winning the starting job but losing it after a disastrous showing against Penn State in Week 3 of that season. Robby Ashford did as well as he could under Harsin, with the locker room not being united at all and the results showing on the field, but excelled under interim head coach Cadillac Williams during the final four games of that season.
Of course, both were rendered irrelevant on the Plains during Hugh Freeze's first season as head coach in 2023. Finley transferred to Texas State and saw his numbers take off. Ashford was sparingly used even though he quickly established himself as a red zone threat early on.
Every Bryan Harsin QB with Auburn football transferred besides one
Finley transferred. Ashford transferred. Nix, who was recruited by Gus Malzahn but started for Harsin in his only full season, transferred. All but one Harsin-recruited QB has stayed with the Tigers long-term: Holden Geriner.
Geriner could still transfer before the 2024 season, but as of now, he's the No. 2 option in AU's backfield. He's made strides this spring and had a good showing at the A-Day spring game.
Geriner is Harsin's legacy at this point. If he pans out, there will be a silver lining for a forgettable two years from the Boise native at the helm of the Tigers.