AUBURN, Ala.–It’s far from surprising, but Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson has officially been named the team’s starter going into the fall.
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn announced the decision on Twitter on Monday afternoon.
We just named Jeremy Johnson our starting QB for 2015. Everyone in our program has 100 percent confidence in him! War Eagle!
— Coach Gus Malzahn (@CoachGusMalzahn) April 20, 2015
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Johnson is tasked with replacing outgoing quarterback Nick Marshall, who led the Tigers to an SEC Championship and a berth in the final BCS title game. Johnson has been Marshall’s backup for two seasons now and will finally get his chance to start full-time.
During his time at Auburn, Johnson has completed 57-of-78 passes for 858 yards and nine touchdowns. He started and played the first half of last year’s Arkansas game while Marshall was serving a half-game suspension.
This decision means the quarterback competition between Johnson and Sean White is over, and the decision to go with Johnson makes the most sense. He’s the only quarterback on the roster who has thrown a pass in a college football game.
Johnson completed 14-of-22 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns on A-Day, and didn’t play in the second half of the game.
While Alabama and many other programs around the country still have a blank space next to their No. 1 QB spot on the depth chart, Auburn has its quarterback locked in.
Auburn opens its season on Saturday, Sept. 5 against Louisville in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
