Franklin: QB race wide open

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of position-by-position previews of the Auburn football team heading
into spring practice, which begins Tuesday.

It sounds simple.

Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin’s spring practice plans start with identifying a new quarterback. The departure of three-year starter Brandon Cox and the transfer of longtime backup Blake Field leave AU with four experienced quarterbacks available for spring practice.

According to Franklin, all four will start the spring even on the depth chart. Junior Chris Todd, sophomores Kodi Burns and Neil Caudle and true freshman DeRon Furr will get equal reps until they begin to separate themselves.

“They’ll all get equal reps until we figure out which two are the best,” Franklin said. “Then we’ll give those two the most reps.”

But, of course, there are a few tricky details.

First and foremost: How long will that process take?

Auburn fans anxious for a quick resolution, be forewarned. Franklin, who arrived at AU from Troy in December, isn’t making any guarantees.

“You never know,” he said. “At Troy, it took two days. At other places, it’s taken six weeks. You don’t know.”

Still, most observers expect Burns and Todd to be the top contenders. Burns played in 10 games last season, rushing for 203 yards and completing 10 of 26 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns.

Those passing numbers have to improve for Burns to be a viable No. 1 quarterback in Franklin’s spread offense.

“The biggest thing for him is he’s got to throw the ball better,” Franklin said of Burns. “He was dynamic running the football, and he was not dynamic throwing the ball last year.

“He’s got to get more efficient throwing the football. If he does that, he’ll have a great chance to win for us.”

In Auburn’s Chick-Fil-A Bowl win against Clemson — the Tigers’ first game in Franklin’s offense — Burns split time with Cox. Burns ran 13 times, while Cox carried the load in the passing game.

A similar split between Burns and Todd — a junior-college transfer who spent two seasons at Texas Tech — is possible.

“Theoretically, you’d like to have one guy who can do everything,” Franklin said. “But if you don’t, then I’m not afraid to play two guys.

“If one guy can’t do everything you need, then you have to use two. We’ve proven you can do it and you can do it pretty well. If you have to do that, you do it.”

Todd, a junior-college transfer, played in Franklin’s offense in high school. Franklin worked as a consult to several high schools, including Todd’s Elizabethtown, Ky., team.

Franklin frequently worked with Todd during the quarterback’s high school career, tutoring him on the ins and outs of the offense.

The system fit Todd: He threw for 3,180 and 38 yards as a senior.

“He’s a product of what I do,” Franklin said. “As far as understanding things when we first start practicing, he knows 95 percent of what we’re doing.”

That experience should help Todd in the quarterback derby.

Caudle, Auburn’s fourth-team quarterback last season, needs a strong spring to hold off freshmen Furr and Barrett Trotter.

Furr also has spread-offense experience. He played in the spread at Carver High in Columbus, Ga., where he won a state title as a senior.

He graduated early to participate in spring practice, but will likely redshirt if he isn’t one of AU’s top two quarterbacks.

cmickle@oanow.com | 737-2561

Quarterbacks
1. Kodi Burns, So. — As a true freshman, Burns showed off great running skills. But he must improve as a passer to claim the No. 1 job full time.
2. Chris Todd, Jr. — Junior-college transfer played three years in Tony Franklin’s system as a high-schooler. A Todd-Burns platoon is a possibility.
3. Neil Caudle, So. — Played in just one game as the No. 4 quarterback in 2007. Could be running out of time to make an impact.
4. DeRon Furr, Fr. — Athletic rookie graduated early from Columbus, Ga.’s Carver High, where he won a state title playing in the spread offense.