As spring practice begins at Auburn, new quarterback Jarrett Stidham is the key to a make-or-break season for the Tigers and head coach Gus Malzahn in 2017.
As the Auburn football team kicked off spring practice last week, newcomer Jarrett Stidham took the initial quarterback reps with the first-string offense.
It sounds like a small thing, but the move was an interesting one. Returning starter Sean White is recovering from injury and did not practice, so he wasn’t available to take that first spring snap, but head coach Gus Malzahn made a conscious decision to put Stidham in ahead of the QBs on the roster for the Tigers last season. John Franklin III, who attempted 26 passes and played in all 13 games last season, including one start, redshirt freshman Woody Barrett, and sophomore Tyler Queen all have the edge in seniority in terms of their history with the Tigers. And, as silly as it sounds, seniority is often a factor in these kinds of decisions. The first snap of spring practice isn’t all that important anyway — or is it?
Malzahn could have tabbed one of the three players that donned a blue jersey last fall to stand in that first huddle of the spring. The many reporters on hand would have written another name down, and likely would have asked Malzahn why Stidham must wait. Malzahn probably would have answered with some vague reference to seniority or loyalty, and would likely have noted that the coaching staff didn’t know enough about the newcomer to put him in with the first-teamers right away. After all, he arrived from junior college just two months ago.
The fans, which have been waiting impatiently all winter for football, probably would have clamored for Stidham in the message boards. But they would have understood why Franklin, Barrett or Queen took the first snap.
However, because it was Stidham, he’s the story. Malzahn isn’t shying away from the questions about his new quarterback. He’s not showing concern about putting pressure on the young Texan. Though Malzahn hasn’t named Stidham the starter, and probably won’t at any point this spring, the move sent a message: Stidham has the tools to do the job. Also, the 2017 season is make or break for the Tigers and their head coach, so there’s no time to waste.
The highly-touted Baylor transfer will have every opportunity to prove he is the answer at quarterback for the Tigers. And the sooner Stidham establishes himself as the starter, the better for everyone involved.
Stidham’s road to Auburn
Stidham was the crown jewel of the 2015 Baylor recruiting class. Ranked as the No. 38 player overall by 247Sports, and second among dual-threat quarterbacks, the Texas native arrived in Waco as the quarterback of the future. The future came early as starting QB and Heisman Trophy candidate Seth Russell suffered a neck injury in the seventh game of the 2015 season.
After seeing limited action in each of those first seven games as Russell’s top backup, Stidham ascended to the top of the depth chart and made his first career start in a 31-24 victory at Kansas State. It was a sparkling starting debut as Stidham completed 23 of 33 passes for 419 yards and three touchdowns — including an 81-yarder — without an interception. He also added a rushing TD.
Overall, Stidham completed 75 of 109 pass attempts (68.8 percent) for 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns with two interceptions as a true freshman. With their starter already injured and little depth at the QB position, the Baylor coaching staff didn’t often ask Stidham to show off his running ability. Still, he gained 70 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns on the ground.
Unfortunately, Stidham suffered an ankle injury in his third start that knocked him out of action for the remainder of the year. Baylor was 2-1 in those three games, and 9-1 in the 10 games Stidham played with the Bears.
Then came the firing of Art Briles. Though Stidham initially committed to stay in Waco, he later opted to transfer, and sat out the 2016 season while taking classes at a junior college. He eventually picked Auburn over Texas A&M and Florida, heading to the Plains in January.
The Auburn quarterback competition
Stidham is entering a crowded QB situation at Auburn, and he hasn’t played competitive football since November 21, 2015. However, according to Wesley Sinor of AL.com, Stidham attempted to stay sharp by practicing with a local high school team while he weighed his options.
As for Stidham’s competition for the job, Sean White has started 17 games over the last two seasons, including 11 last year. By Week 4 of the 2015 season, White proved to be a better option than preseason Heisman candidate Jeremy Johnson, and established himself as the permanent starter in early 2016. As a sophomore, White completed 133 of 208 passes (63.9 percent) for 1,679 yards and nine touchdowns with only three interceptions.
On paper, those numbers are solid. It hasn’t come easily for White though, particularly against top competition. Against Clemson, Texas A&M, Georgia and Oklahoma last year (all losses), White completed a combined 38 of 78 pass attempts (48.7 percent) for 328 yards (82.0 per game), zero touchdowns and two interceptions.
Another concern about White is his durability. No one will question his toughness; White suffered a broken forearm in the Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma and stayed in the game. But, he has struggled with numerous injuries over the last two seasons. In 2015, White was hampered by knee and ankle injuries. A shoulder injury plagued him in the second half of last season, forcing him to miss a start against Vanderbilt and miss all of the Alabama A&M game and the Iron Bowl against Alabama. Yes, Stidham’s freshman season ended due to injury, but White has made getting hurt a habit.
Though White had the support of the coaching staff in 2016, many Auburn fans clamored for the more athletic Franklin, or Woody Barrett, who redshirted. A common cry from the Tigers faithful was that Franklin or Barrett would have been a better fit the mold of Malzahn’s run-heavy offensive scheme.
Franklin threw for just 204 yards and a touchdown in limited opportunities, but was very effective as a runner. An electric playmaker with the football in his hands, the 6-foot-1, 186-pound rising senior amassed 430 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 46 carries – an incredible 9.3-yard average.
But, despite the promise Franklin showed, it appears his days at quarterback are numbered. He isn’t likely to beat out White and Stidham, and would therefore get more playing time elsewhere. Also, the Auburn coaching staff could use another playmaker at receiver and, according to reports from Day 1 of spring practice, Franklin has indicated a willingness to change positions. He has already spent time practicing as a gunner on the punt coverage team.
As the team prepares for the A Day spring game in April, as well as the Sept. 2 opener against Georgia Southern, the Auburn coaching staff will evaluate all its options at quarterback. However, there is already evidence from Stidham’s games at Baylor, as well as two years of film on White and one of Franklin, that the newcomer has the most talent and upside.
Stidham has a very strong arm, he made good decisions more often than not — with a few freshman mistakes mixed in as well — and he is athletic enough to elude pass rushers in the pocket and make an impact in the QB run game – a key factor the Tigers lacked with White as the starter. We’ll need to see how he fares following a year away from college football, but all signs point toward Stidham taking control of the starting quarterback position.
The time is now for Malzahn
Like it is at most major FBS programs, success at Auburn is closely tied to the quarterback position. With Cam Newton behind center — and Malzahn calling plays as offensive coordinator — Auburn won the national championship and Newton won the Heisman. In 2013, with first-year starter and JUCO transfer Nick Marshall behind center for Malzahn during his first season as Auburn head coach, the Tigers nearly captured another national title but fell to Florida State in the championship game.
Newton and Marshall proved that Malzahn and Auburn don’t need much time to install a new quarterback. For some fans, there may even be a superstitious desire to start Stidham given that he, like Newton and Marshall, transferred to the Plains from junior college.
However, the most important reason Stidham should start for Auburn is that he gives the Tigers the best chance to win. And, with a lackluster 23-17 record — including an 0-3 mark against Alabama — over the past three seasons leading to an increasingly warmer seat, Malzahn needs to win big in 2017.
The signs are there that Malzahn is feeling some pressure; he relinquished the play-calling duties to long-time right-hand man Rhett Lashlee during the 2016 season, then allowed Lashlee to move on to Connecticut to further stretch his wings as an offensive coordinator. Malzahn later tapped former Southern Miss and Arizona State OC Chip Lindsey to be the new play caller.
Lindsey, who was a member of Malzahn’s 2013 SEC champion coaching staff as an offensive analyst, guided the Sun Devils to 390.75 yards of total offense per game and 5.21 yards per play last season. Those statistics represent a step back for Auburn, as the Tigers gained 440.77 total yards per contest and averaged 6.13 yards per play in 2016, but there is still reason to be optimistic.
Lindsey shares Malzahn’s vision of a hurry-up, no huddle offensive system, but has shown a tendency to put the ball in the air more often to showcase his quarterback’s strengths. Also, with his experience both in the desert and at Southern Miss, Lindsey is also likely to inject some new ideas into the mix that should in turn inject some new life into an Auburn offense that looked stale at times under Malzahn and Lashlee.
Auburn Tigers 2017 outlook
Looking ahead, quarterback isn’t the only position of concern for Auburn at this point in 2017. The pass rush as a whole, and the defensive line in particular, will miss potential NFL first round draft pick Carl Lawson and athletic defensive tackle Montravius Adams, who combined for 13.5 of the Tigers’ 25 sacks last season. Auburn must also replace Johnathan Ford, who led the team in tackles in 2015 and 2016 and ranked third with 48.5 stops last season, as well as Joshua Holsey – who started at every position in the defensive backfield during his time at Auburn.
On offense, Auburn must replace leading receiver Tony Stevens. A 6-foot-4 target, Stevens caught 31 passes for 487 yards and three TDs last year. The Tigers also must do some shuffling on the offensive line since starters Alex Kozan and Robert Leff graduated.
However, that’s pretty much the rundown of the losses on both sides of the football, meaning Auburn is in great shape from an experience standpoint. Should Malzahn hand the keys of the offense to Statham as expected, he’ll have plenty of weapons at his disposal.
The Tigers welcome back hulking running back Kamryn Pettway, who gained 1,224 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, and Kerryon Johnson, who added 895 rushing yards and 11 scores. Elsewhere, despite lacking impressive statistics overall, Auburn returns its next top four pass catchers after Stevens, which consists of three rising sophomores and a junior. The quartet — Darius Slayton, Kyle Davis, Eli Stove and Ryan Davis — combined for 75 receptions, 958 yards and four touchdowns. Also, Nate Craig-Myers was a highly touted recruit in the 2016 class, and could be a big-time breakout candidate after catching four passes for 70 yards and a TD as a true freshman.
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Giving Stidham as many opportunities as possible to win the job this spring will go a long way to stabilizing the offense in 2017. He’ll be able to develop chemistry with the entire unit, and Malzahn and Lindsey will have the time to properly evaluate their newest option. Overall, extra reps for Stidham should give the Tigers momentum heading into the season opener against Georgia Southern, the Week 2 clash at reigning national champion Clemson, and a tough SEC slate that includes road games against Missouri, LSU, Arkansas and Texas A&M.
With so much on the line, it’s no wonder Stidham took the field with the first-team offense on Day 1.