WSU Football: Scouting Auburn – Quarterback

Oct 6, 2012; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Kiehl Frazier (10) drops back to pass against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the first half at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

It seems like we are moving at light-speed towards the beginning of the college football season and the first week can be so telling on what your football team is going to look like. For the Auburn Tigers and Washington State Cougars that could hold true in a big way after each had a disaster of a year in 2012, especially compared to expectations.

Quickly today we look at something that nobody in Wazzu’s camp knows much about at this point, the Auburn quarterback. In last year’s mess of a season, Auburn started with a very young quarterback group and just like you would generally expect in the SEC they struggled mightily against the fast, aggressive and generally upper-class ridden defenses. Then head coach Gene Chizik started with sophomore Kiehl Frazier but after just five games made the move to freshman Jonathon Wallace to apparently build toward the future.

Fast forward a year and not much looks the same from a signal-caller standpoint. Frazier just made the move to safety within the past week and a half after it was apparent he was out of the race for starter. Jonathon Wallace is no longer on the map either, being the third option now behind new starter, JC transfer Nick Marshall and his backup, freshman Jeremy Johnson.

There are those that are calling Marshall the second coming of “Michael Vick” (how many times have we heard that(?) ), but watching the tape, Marshall doesn’t have Vick’s cannon of an arm and at this point he still hasn’t taken a college football snap. He was supposed to play cornerback at Georgia but got into trouble and got kicked off the team. He accounted for 38 touchdowns in junior college, but it is a different speed he’ll face two Saturdays from now. On top of that, Marshall is at a huge disadvantage being that his receiving corps is completely unproven so the rapport will have to be earned during the football game, regardless of what he’s seen in practice. Washington State will really need to contain him, but if they can do that and not let Marshall scamper for that big 3rd down and long conversion (Vick was so incredible in that situation) in the game I see good things in terms of holding Auburn’s offense down. 

Here’s a look at Marshall’s JC tape from last season.