Auburn Football: 5 Takeaways from 2019 spring football

1. QB battle whittled down to two, but far from decided

Entering the spring, the quarterback competition was wide open with four players vying for the starting gig. Junior Malik Willis, redshirt freshman Joey Gatewood, redshirt freshman Cord Sandberg, and true freshman Bo Nix have all been competing for the gig.

Willis spent the last couple of seasons backing up Stidham, and seemingly had the inside track for the starting job, but he seems to have fallen off the pace at the conclusion of spring practice.

Based off of the spring game, it looks like Malzahn and Dillingham have narrowed the race down to two: Gatewood and Nix, with the pair splitting first team reps during the first half of the A-Day game this month.

Gatewood has drawn the unenviable comparisons to Cam Newton like several Auburn quarterbacks before him who were big, fast, and had strong arms. There’s only one Cam, though, and comparing young players to him is only setting them up for failure.

Gatewood isn’t Cam, but he might also be the real deal in his own right. He’s a talented runner who is a load to bring down in the open field and he has the arm that should fit well with Auburn’s impressive group of receivers who can all stretch the field.

Nix impressed during the spring as well. The five-star prospect is an Auburn legacy and is the fan-favorite to win the gig. Would Malzahn trust his offense, in a year that if he doesn’t win big will be the end of his tenure, to a true freshman? Maybe not five years ago, but coaches have shown more and more of a willingness to hand the keys to kids fresh out of high school.

The last two national championships were won by true freshmen quarterbacks.

While the race appears to have whittled down to two, it’s still far from over. There’s still time for Willis or Sandberg to get back into the hunt, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Malzahn hasn’t named a starter before the season opener against Oregon.

The Tigers have a lot of talent, and if they can find the right quarterback, they could be a serious threat in the SEC West.