After Jeremy Johnson’s solid performance against Texas A&M last week, Auburn’s quarterback competition is up-and-running once again.
Coach Gus Malzahn has yet to announce whether Johnson or Sean White will start in Auburn’s game against Georgia, and the signal-caller may not be revealed until the starters are announced Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“Not for sure right now who will be the first guy out there,” Malzahn said. “We’ll see after we practice this week, but I will say this: We’ve got confidence in both these guys. Both these guys have won SEC games on the road, and I think that says a lot. I know our players and coaches have confidence in both of them also.”
After Johnson threw six interceptions in Auburn’s first three games, White was named the starter against Mississippi State. The redshirt freshman performed well for the most part, throwing for 1,063 yards with only two interceptions in five games before injuring his left knee against Arkansas.
White started the Tigers’ next game against Ole Miss but shared snaps with Johnson. White dressed out for the A&M game but was deemed unable to play after going through warm-ups.
Johnson performed admirably in his first start since LSU, throwing for 132 yards and a touchdown on 13-17 passing with no turnovers.
“I think it says a lot about him and his character,” Malzahn said. “He went through a storm in the first part of the season, and that’s extremely tough on a quarterback. He hung in the battle. … He seized the moment on the road, and that gives him confidence moving forward.”
While White’s health determines whether he will be able to play, it won’t necessarily determine if he will play, according to Malzahn.
“There’s a lot more to it than that,” Malzahn said. “I think right now, me and (offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee) will get together. I think the big thing for everyone is we have confidence in both of them, and we should. We feel very good going into this game with our quarterback situation.”
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