Two schools in the Southeastern Conference are starting to see some progress from their quarterback positions. Up first is Auburn, from Chris Low at ESPN:
Look for the top two Auburn quarterbacks to get the majority of snaps when spring practice resumes this week, and junior college newcomer Cameron Newton will certainly be one of those two.
The Tigers scrimmaged last Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium, and Newton got more snaps than anybody, according to what the other quarterbacks told Charles Goldberg of The Birmingham News.
It’s not a bad problem for Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn to have, because it sounds like all four of the quarterbacks have performed well this spring. Clint Moseley, Neil Caudle and Barrett Trotter are the other three competing for the job.
The scrimmage was closed to the media, but Auburn coach Gene Chizik said there’s no question that the first scrimmage this spring was better than the first scrimmage a year ago.
“This time last year, there were tempo issues,” Chizik said. “We don’t have those anymore. When the offense went up tempo, the defense got worn down. Then the defense turned around and found a way to fight back and get some turnovers and get back into the game.”
Chizik was generally more pleased with the way the defense stopped the run last Saturday than he’d been previously this spring.
And the guy to watch on offense continues to be receiver Emory Blake, who’s making a strong bid to step in with Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachery and be that third receiver for the Tigers.
Phillip Pierre-Louis also made some plays at receiver, but appeared to hurt his knee and was on crutches after the scrimmage.
Up next are the Georgia Bulldogs. Again, the report comes from Chris Low of ESPN:
Georgia coach Mark Richt isn’t ready to name a starter at quarterback yet, but he feels like the Bulldogs are in good shape at the position after watching his quarterbacks combine for four touchdown passes this past Saturday in the second full scrimmage of the spring.
The Bulldogs will wrap up the spring this Saturday with their annual G-Day game, and Richt hopes to have a depth chart at quarterback afterward.
“The offense had a pretty good day,” Richt said. “The throwing and catching was outstanding. I was very impressed with the quarterbacks. They had good control of what was going on. They moved in the pocket. They scrambled, and they were accurate. They really put the ball on the money. I feel like we’re in good shape at that position. It’s been a good competition, and I’m pleased with that.”
Zach Mettenberger threw two of the touchdown passes, while Aaron Murray and Logan Gray each threw one. Murray went 13-of-19 for 159 yards. Mettenberger was 10-of-16 for 126 yards, and Gray went 7-of-11 for 111 yards. Mettenberger and Murray each threw interceptions. Murray’s came on fourth down in the end zone after a long drive.
The quarterbacks have been splitting the reps evenly this spring, and Gray got the most work with the first team on Saturday.
Richt doesn’t anticipate naming a starter after the spring game, just who’s in the lead heading into the summer.
At Auburn, I’d personally be willing to bet that the job already belongs to Newton. If one included JuCo’s in the recruiting rankings, Newton would probably be considered the top quarterback signee in the country this year, and his signature was huge for the Tigers. One would think that his signing with them included some sort of promise that the job was indeed his to lose. That can always backfire though. One just has to look at Brent Schaeffer and his career at Ole Miss to prove that point.
The Georgia QB situation is much more fluid. Logan Gray was the only one of the three who recieved any playing time last season, but most of that was on special teams, as both Mettenberger and Murray redshirted. One would think that Gray would have an advantage, but last year it seemed as though Richt was unsure of whether he could handle those duties every down. Both the other two are supposed to be talented, but it’s never an ideal situation to have to rely on two unproven redshirt freshmen as your starting quarterback, unless one of them is a superstar in the making.
Tags: Auburn University, College Football, NCAA, Southeastern Conference, University of Georgia, spring practice by Tommy
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