Opinion: Quarterback Roulette for Auburn in Opener Against Baylor

Keeping your opponent guessing is great — as long as your own team isn’t guessing too. Deuce Knight having a package isn't the wildest idea but this feels like a classic Hugh Freeze smokescreen at best, or an opportunity to panic at worst.

Complexity for Complexity's Sake

With Hugh Freeze, sometimes it feels like complexity for complexity’s sake. Is it possible under Hugh Freeze's program for a quarterback to build confidence? We're now looking at multiple QBs and multiple play-callers. I hope he's confusing opponents as much as he's confusing me. Whatever it may be, Auburn is now less than two weeks away from kickoff against Baylor.

When Jackson Arnold transferred from Oklahoma, he locked up the QB1 position. Fantastic, we've got a veteran guy who we can rally behind. Let's give him the opportunity to build confidence instead of putting any sort of thought into his mind that his job is on the line during the very first game – a nationally televised game on a Friday night at that. There's a fine line between strategy and chaos. And if there's one guy who doesn't need chaos in his head right now, it's Jackson Arnold.

However, I won't be upset if Deuce Knight comes out with a few designed plays. He's looked great in fall camp. He's got a cannon for an arm and looks composed. One thing that should be clear for Auburn is that Deuce is the QB of the future. But these should 100% be designed plays. He should not be an emergency button if Arnold struggles early on.

What about Ashton Daniels? Coach Freeze has had some positive things to say about Daniels' film in an interview with 247Sports:

“Could we see all three quarterbacks Friday night at Baylor?” “Yes. Yeah. There’s strengths — you put on Ashton’s film from Stanford, and he ran away from some really good teams.”

Not taking anything away from Daniels' run game, but he also threw to some really good teams whose jersey didn't say Stanford. Neither Auburn nor Baylor should be surprised to see Daniels in a wildcat look, but I'd be shocked if Freeze lets him throw.

Keep an Eye on Baylor's Keaton Thomas

I'll tell you who is licking their chops over this news – Baylor LB Keaton Thomas. He's coming off one of the best defensive seasons in Baylor history – 114 tackles, seven for a loss, with 2.5 sacks while wearing a cast on his arm for the majority of the season. If Auburn isn't ready he has the ability to disrupt our backfield quickly.

Wrapping Up

Maybe Freeze really does roll out all three. But if Auburn wants to make a statement in primetime, they need to let Arnold settle in as QB1 — not leave him looking over his shoulder.

As always, I'm hoping for the best. Just looking for some clarity out of the Hugh Freeze experiment.