There’s a reason why Gus Malzahn is respected amongst his peers as one of college football’s brightest offensive minds.

His tempo-based scheme terrorizes opposing defenses and runs through its quarterback, who in this season’s case, is SEC Heisman frontrunner Jeremy Johnson.

RELATED: Jeremy Johnson is SEC’s new poster child

Auburn’s first-year starter under center spoke highly of his coach at SEC Media Days and said he makes it much easier on him as a potential star quarterback:

“Everybody seems to be open at times, just wide open,” Johnson said according to AL.com. “He’s very creative and he runs things to make another play or person to come open. Like I said, he’s a genius.”

Johnson’s drawn comparisons to Cam Newton during the spring thanks to his size and athletic ability in and around the pocket and many believe the hype is real (especially Vegas oddsmakers).

Malzahn coached Newton to a Heisman and unbeaten national championship season in 2010 and the Tigers are hoping Johnson produces similar numbers in a wide-open attack with plenty of surrounding weapons.

During the six seasons Malzahn has called plays as an SEC coach (2006, Arkansas; 2009-11, Auburn; 2013-present, Auburn), his offense has finished second or higher in yards per game five times.

“We always build our offense around our quarterback’s strengths,” Malzahn said at SEC Media Days. “Jeremy Johnson can flat out throw the football. We decided we didn’t run him last year when we played him because we had Nick Marshall. But he’s a very good runner in the zone read, good in the power read and can make all the throws.

“He’s got a lot of reps with the 1s, which I think helps him, so he’s a little more mature than a lot of guys that are making their first start as far as the whole season is concerned.”