As the Auburn Football team prepares for the upcoming season with a new coaching staff, the starting quarterback position is still up for grabs.
Neil Caudle and Kodi Burns are focusing on practice and working hard this summer, not who the starter will be.
"I'm not really worried about it," said Burns, a junior majoring in exercise science,. "I just go to practice everyday and work hard. I'm not beating myself up over it, I just go out. It's all about Auburn, so I'm not worried about it."
Caudle, a junior majoring in building science, is expecting new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn to make the decision of which quarterback will start during two-a-days.
"I think one of us just has to start making big plays and really standing out as far as consistency goes," Caudle said. "I think we are both trying to get a lot better this summer, and it will really be clear during two-a-days."
Until then, Caudle said the team is working out five days a week, and the offense is meeting three nights a week.
"We want to make sure we are all on the same page for two-a-days," Caudle said. "We have also been throwing on our own - trying to get our arms stronger."
Burns is working toward perfection in practice as he prepares for the season.
"My biggest challenge has been making sure everything is perfect," Burns said. "You don't want to just throw a pass that can be caught, you want it to be perfect. You can't just complete a pass, you have complete it with perfection. I don't settle for mediocrity. I strive for perfection in everything I do."
Burns said his SEC playing experience has also prepared him for the task of being Auburn's starting quarterback.
Both potential starting quarterbacks, Burns and Caudle agree that working under Malzahn this summer has been beneficial to the team as a whole and not just their position.
"He is somebody I have wanted to play for," Burns said. "He is a great coach and a great person as well - like a mentor. As far as coaching, you see how successful his quarterbacks have been, and you want to be a part of that. He is really going to help the team."
Caudle agrees that playing under Malzahn has been good for the team.
"It's been great," Caudle said. "The transition has been really smooth. He is a good teacher, and it has been good for me. I've gotten a lot more reps than before. The change will be great for the team."
Bobby James Haisten, a senior in building science, is optimistic about the upcoming football season and the quarterbacks that will be leading the team.
"I think that we have enough brains and brawn behind the wheel to get the ball down the field no matter who's in the cockpit," Haisten said. "I'd love to see some diversity there, if they can make it work. It provides the offense the opportunity be a little more enigmatic."
Haisten said that even with such a promising and optimistic group of players, what the team needs most is optimistic fans.
"Fans have an impact on the morale of a team especially during game time," Haisten said. "Our fans have to be behind our team. The program needs good fans now more than ever. Stand behind your Tigers."
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