SEC Football: Biggest offseason question for every team

Auburn Tigers, 8-5 (5-3)

How big of an impact will Jarrett Stidham have at Auburn?

It’s a bit unfair since the competition is ongoing, and incumbent starter Sean White has been more good than bad when healthy, but it’s a foregone conclusion that newcomer Jarrett Stidham will be the starting quarterback for Auburn in 2017.

Stidham’s advantages are already pretty clear: he has a stronger arm, is just as accurate, and is more mobile than White. Also, what advantages White has in terms of experience at Auburn is slightly diminished because new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey will be calling plays instead of head coach Gus Malzahn. Former offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, who took over play-calling duties from Malzahn last year, left for UConn over the offseason.

There’s also plenty of time for Stidham to develop chemistry with his receivers this summer, and he has a head start thanks to being able to work primarily with the first-team offense this spring. White was limited after recovering from a broken forearm he suffered in the Sugar Bowl.

With Stidham the de facto starter, the only issue now that the hype machine is revving up for the former Baylor quarterback is whether or not he’ll have an impact like Cam Newton and Nick Marshall in his first season with the Tigers, or if he’ll fall victim to huge expectations a la Jeremy Johnson.

It’s not smart to base one’s expectations on a spring game performance, but the way Stidham played at A-Day was certainly no reason to worry. He completed 16-of-20 passes for 267 yards, scored on a fumble recovery (a running back fumbled, not Stidham), and earned MVP honors.

Newton and Marshall led the Tigers to the national championship game, so it would be a stretch to predict the same for Stidham this season. But, he should make Auburn a dangerous team in the SEC West.