AUBURN, Ala. – Jarrett Stidham first stepped on Auburn’s campus in January after transferring from Baylor University. Eight months later he has officially been named the starting quarterback for the Auburn Tigers in 2017.
On Monday, Auburn Head Coach Gus Malzahn announced on twitter Stidham will be the guy when Auburn kicks off its season in just a few weeks.
Just told team @Jarrett_Stidham will be the starting QB. The team is excited for Jarrett and ready for the season!#WarEagle | #OurTime
— Coach Gus Malzahn (@CoachGusMalzahn) August 14, 2017
Auburn has named @Jarrett_Stidham starting quarterback of the Tigers.#WarEagle | #OurTime pic.twitter.com/WajCrFFOkb
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) August 14, 2017
When Stidham transferred to Auburn it was assumed he would win the starting job over Sean White. Under White in 2016, the Tigers finished last in the Southeastern Conference in passing and 112th overall in the FBS. Many of those issues were caused injuries to White. White played the end of the 2016 season injured, while still leading the conference in completion percentage.
Known for a very strong arm and the ability to keep plays alive with his legs, Stidham transferred from Baylor in 2016 after the resignation of then Head Coach Art Briles in the midst of a program-wide sexual assault scandal During his one season at Baylor, Stidham passed for 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Hype has surrounded Stidham since he first committed to Auburn, and rightfully so. In limited action that media and fans have seen, Stidham has looked great. He played well in the Auburn’s annual spring game and took home offensive MVP honors.
Auburn is expected, by many local and national media sources, to be a dominant, national title contending team this season. Since the departure of Nick Marshall in 2014, Auburn’s quarterback play has been inconsistent at best under Jeremy Johnson, John Franklin III, and Sean White, and lacked that playmaker behind center that Gus Malzahn teams heavily rely on.
Auburn and Stidham will have a relatively easy win in week one against Georgia Southern before heading to Death Valley to take on the defending national champion Clemson Tigers in week two.
Jeremy Law for SylacaugaNews.com | © 2017, SylacaugaNews.com/Marble City Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
