Auburn, Kentucky Still Seek QB1
Oct 13, 2012; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Jalen Whitlow (13) looks to pass against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the first quarter at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Of the two wide-open SEC quarterback races this August, one seems to be close to narrowing while the other remains shrouded in mystery.
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn made the quarterbacks live – meaning defenders were able to hit them – during a scrimmage earlier this week. That’s what happens when a first-year coach must quickly evaluate four quarterbacks – especially if the two who participated in spring ball didn’t impress.
The Tigers scrimmaged again on Saturday, though the workout was closed to the media. Thus, all we have are player accounts that indicated junior-college transfer Nick Marshall and true freshman Jeremy Johnson were the best two options.
Malzahn said afterward that he hopes to trim the field, which could be bad news for Kiehl Frazier and Jonathan Wallace. Frazier and Wallace had the reps to themselves during spring camp but did nothing to claim the QB1 position.
Malzahn has said since the start of August camp that he would like to stop giving first-team reps to four quarterbacks as quickly as possible. That could come during the next full practice.
Conversely, the Kentucky race has no end in sight. The three candidates – Jalen Whitlow, Maxwell Smith and Patrick Towles – continue to split reps with the first-team offense on different days. The most recent scrimmage scrimmage saw Smith play with the 1s.
Kyle Tucker of the Louisville Courier-Journal wrote that he thought Whitlow looked like the best of the bunch on Saturday.
Other QB1 races – particularly those in Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Missouri – remain “open,” though reports seem to indicate they might be more settled.
Justin Worley has received the bulk of the work with the 1s for the Volunteers. Austyn Carta-Samuels has long been assumed to get the starting nod for Vanderbilt. At Missouri, James Franklin has been atop the depth chart but coach Gary Pinkel has declined to confirm that Franklin would start the season opener against Murray State.