After a competitive quarterback battle, that included four guys at the beginning of fall camp, it is finally Nick Marshall's job.
"It was tough because all four were good quarterbacks, and every one of them worked hard each day," Marshall said on Sunday. "They've really supported me through camp."
Since Auburn fans saw the first highlight video of Marshall from Garden City Community College they all said the same thing.
He's the next Cam Newton.
He has also received comparison to Johnny Manziel because of his smaller size and athleticism.
But Marshall is not worried about being the next Newton, or the next "Johnny Football". He's only worried about what he can control.
"I can't compare myself to them," Marshall said. "I just have to be myself."
Marshall did not arrive on campus until late this summer and did not participate in spring practice, so he had to play catch up once fall camp arrived. But once he started learning the playbook his playmaking ability became obvious to the coaches.
"The bottom line is when Nick knew what to do he out performed the others," Gus Malzahn said. "We really feel like he will have a chance to improve and get better each practice and each game."
Last season Marshall's stats were very impressive, but the one stat that drew a lot of attention was his turnovers. He had 20 turnovers last season at GCCC, but Marshall is not worried about that this season.
"We have coaches that ring that in our heads about ball security, and it has stuck to me and I'm not really worried about turnovers," Marshall said.
Marshall is also not concerned with his dismissal from the University of Georgia, and does not have anything to prove. He just wants to play football.
"I don't really worry about that," Marshall said. "I'm an Auburn player now, and that's in the past and I'm just going to move forward."
Now that the job is Marshall's he has started taking more of a leadership role.
"It felt different. He was a lot more vocal and I think his teammates really responded to him," Malzahn said. "That's normal, it usually happens and it's always interesting to see how a guy responds once you give him the keys to the car."
Backing up Marshall this season will be Jonathan Wallace, and if anything should happen to Marshall then Wallace would take his place. But Jeremy Johnson made the decision tough.
"(Johnson) really impressed us. He has a lot of physical tools and he understands how to run a fast paced offense because he did it in high school," Malzahn said.
At this point the plan is to red shirt Johnson, but Malzahn did not rule out the possibility of him playing if something happens to Marshall.
"Right now, at this point, it wouldn't be a bad thing if he red shirts, because that means the other guys stayed healthy, but we are still bringing him along and he's going to get reps in practice," Malzahn said. "He made it interesting, and that's very hard for a true freshman, and that says a lot about him."
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