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Last offseason, John Franklin III was expected to be the answer to Auburn’s quarterback woes.
A dynamic runner, Franklin seemed to possess the ability to keep defenses honest with his legs that Gus Malzahn desired. Unfortunately, he never developed into a good enough passer to meet those high expectations.
Auburn will look to another transfer quarterback in 2017, Jarrett Stidham, in hopes it can finally develop a potent passing game. Stidham’s arrival on campus helped spur a transition to wide receiver for Franklin this spring. Although he’s inexperienced at the position, Franklin is a natural athlete who has drawn praise since making the transition.
According to AL.com, however, the door is still open for him to return to his own position after a pair of transfers have left the quarterback depth chart a bit thinner than expected.
“I think he definitely could be (an emergency option), for sure,” Lindsey told AL.com. “He’s done it his whole life, so I think he could definitely do that if we needed him to, for sure.”
Quarterback depth can be tricky. If the starter stays healthy and plays well, backup quarterbacks rarely factor into the mix outside of practice. Yet nothing can sink a team’s chances quicker than losing its starting quarterback. Having a player like Franklin who is able to fill in should the worst occur is a nice luxury for the Tigers.