Gus Malzahn says Nick Marshall will suffer the consequences; status for opener uncertain

Auburn was the first school to take the mic at SEC Media Days as the defending champions and the national runners-up, but the Tigers did so without quarterback, Nick Marshall, who was pulled on Sunday evening following his citation for marijuana on Friday.

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Marshall was cited for “less than an ounce of marijuana” following a traffic stop and removing him from Media Days was the first step in the “consequences” the Heisman candidate will have to face.

“I know he’s very remorseful, and that’s a start,” Malzahn said, “but we have high expectations for our players, especially our quarterbacks.”

Malzahn reiterated that it is a privilege to be selected to attend the unofficial start to college football and he isn’t going to reward his starting quarterback three days after embarrassing himself and the program for his citation, it was not an arrest, but it is still a bit of a black eye for a player who has had off-the-field issues in the past dating back to his time at Georgia.

Marshall expressed remorse and became emotional after he was caught with marijuana, so the hope is that the player Malzahn referred to as a “model citizen” prior to Friday will use this as a teaching moment and a wake-up call that he needs to make better decisions, especially with a team, university and fan base putting their trust in him.

That trust needs to be regained and a formal statement from Marshall addressing this since he could not on Monday at Media Days will be the first step in that process.

Malzahn did not elaborate if Marshall would be subject to a suspension to begin the season. The Tigers open the season at home vs. the Arkansas Razorbacks who have lost 12 straight SEC games.