The winningest quarterback in Texas high school history sits on Auburn’s roster unused and patiently waiting for playing time that has yet to come.
That trend looks to continue on Saturday with Bryan Harsin naming graduate senior Grant Loy the backup to the now starting T.J. Finley. Why? I do not know.
Dematrius Davis, who is in his redshirt freshman year, arrived on campus in January and appeared in Auburn’s spring game as his only public action as a Tiger. (Where he had a few notable plays, and yes, I understand it’s spring game).
Redshirted players can play in up to four games a season and still maintain their redshirt status. Davis has played in none.
Could it be the controversy surrounding Nix and Finley early in the season? Or his personal possible lack of understanding of the playbook? Or literally any other thing that could have held him back from the competition room up until this point? Yes.
But, my question is this, will playing the super-duper senior Grant Loy in games that don't matter benefit the future of Auburn’s program?
Even just naming him as backup is quite a lot more than just a small pebble splashing into a still pond. More like someone trudging through it with work boots on.
Will it benefit Auburn to give a talented, young gun who has had time to learn the system a chance to prove himself as backup and possibly get time in the game if it‘s a blowout?
At least giving the guy a feel for a road environment is better than nothing. Yes, Davis, along with most other non-starters and freshmen, don’t usually get to travel with the team.
Bottom line: Playing Loy only serves to push Davis out the door, a door that is now continuously revolving with the newly implemented transfer rules.
And a door Davis may already be stepping into, with good reason.
When asked about Davis possibly seeing any action in the final two games of the season at a press conference immediately following Bo Nix’s injury announcement, head coach Bryan Harsin said "No, not right now, we haven't had those conversations.”
Following Harsin’s dismissal of him maybe seeing the field for the first time, rumors starting circulating on social media on Tuesday about Davis possibly transferring after the Iron Bowl. And, who could blame him? (Also, don’t harass a kid for making a business decision).
Quelling the rumors all but entirely, Davis posted a black screen on his Instagram story that was concluded with the words "it's cap."
People around Auburn keep mentioning, “Harsin’s guys, wait for them!“ — Last time I checked, offensive coordinators do most of the recruiting at the quarterback position. If Mike Bobo doesn’t live up to expectations, are his recruits now “Bobo’s guys”? How long does that go on?
I‘d really like to hear what the current Auburn team has to say about the “Auburn fambly” labeling them as ”Gus’s guys” with such a negative connotation. Seems like straight-up disrespect for a bunch that they keep calling “tough”.
Side note: Is it not a little odd that very few freshmen have gotten snaps this year, even outside of the quarterback position? Not even in Auburn’s 60-point blowout wins?
And finally, lest we not forget the last Auburn quarterback to transfer away from the program, who is now making headlines as a reasonable draft prospect in Malik Willis. And spare me the, “he wouldn’t have made it in the SEC” comments.
I don’t know the plan and I won’t act like I do, but if the plan is to write off an entire year of recruits and not give a possible future quarterback some reps in a completely meaningless game or two, not a good-looking plan to me.
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Larry is a senior studying journalism with a minor in sociology. He is from Enterprise, Alabama and is in his third year with The Auburn Plainsman.
Twitter: @ReportingLarry
