Auburn fans react to QB Joey Gatewood leaving team, expected transfer
Quarterback Joey Gatewood has left the Auburn team, as first reported by 247Sports’ Brandon Marcello, and he’s expected to transfer.
Freshman quarterback Bo Nix beat out Gatewood in fall camp to win the starting job. Gatewood has played sparingly this season, and he’s been used mostly as a changeup on offense.
Gatewood missed practice Tuesday, and it was reported that he was mulling his future. That decision appears to have been made by leaving the team.
The quarterback has played in seven games this season, and last week at LSU, he recorded just one carry for two yards. He’s completed just 5-for-7 passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns. He has also recorded 29 carries for 148 yards and three touchdowns.
Now that Gatewood is out of the fold, all eyes are on Nix’s development at quarterback under Gus Malzahn. The freshman should be a really good player, but he’s struggled at times this season, and Malzahn has been hesitant to put Gatewood in to provide a spark, too.
Auburn fans are buzzing on social media:
Joey Gatewood is leaving Auburn. Gus dumb AF
— SC: datboiafool (@JonesAnt87) October 30, 2019
Why not Gatewood!!!!! Sad to see him leave the team!!!! He should have been given a opportunity!!!!
— AmericanMuscle (@StubbonBull69) October 30, 2019
I’ve been saying for weeks there’s no way in hell Bo Nix outplayed Joey Gatewood during fall camp ain’t no damn way and everything about Bo ply tells me I’m right
— Fashion Hova (@Will_IKeelYou) October 30, 2019
Looks like Malzahn has cost us another player! I don’t blame Gatewood at all. I wish him the best. My question is when are we going to realize we need to lose the coach and not the players?
— Darren Garner (@au88) October 30, 2019
https://twitter.com/StayFlyJW/status/1189581536942800897
And just like that….Joey Gatewood has left the #AuburnTigers You can't expect a 5⭐ recruit to stay when he's backing up a freshman whose been playing like trash through 8 games. #JoeyGatewood #FireGusMalzahn
— •°•°Kenny Austin•°•° (@kennyismusic) October 30, 2019
And Gatewood took my advice, @CoachGusMalzahn was wasting his time and talent. Hopefully he lands on his feet and proves to everyone he has the talent to play as QB1 somewhere, also he will 100% receive better QB coaching just about anyone than he got from Gus
— BrobinAU (@BrobinAU) October 30, 2019
Happy for Joey Gatewood and hope he succeeds somewhere else. However, Nix is our guy and everyone needs to be 100% behind him. I choose to not be naive enough to claim I know more than Gus, who actually watched these guys compete every day in practice for months. Bo is our guy.
— Bailey Hix (@baileyhix) October 30, 2019
R u serious? Come as no surprise that Joey Gatewood has left the plains. Mess going left like always, smh………
— Bryant Bonds (@bonds_bryant) October 30, 2019
Hard to blame Gatewood.
— Alexander Preston Clark/Donnie (@BigDonSports) October 30, 2019