If there’s one person who knows how the two-quarterback system at Auburn is working, it’s former Florida QB Tim Tebow, who has first-hand experience with being the second quarterback in a similar system.

Tebow and Chris Leak in 2006 shared time at QB, and though it wasn’t like the preseason Auburn competition for the starting job, there are some similarities. Tebow told Tom Green of AL.com that Joey Gatewood’s insertion into the lineup while Bo Nix is the starter adds an element to the offense. Nix, of course, is Leak, while Gatewood would be Tebow.

Gatewood has appeared in all five games this season as coach Gus Malzahn has designed ways for him to contribute. He’s had 22 carries for 122 yards and three touchdowns while he’s 4-of-5 passing for 37 yards and a touchdown.

Nix, meanwhile, is 72-of-125 passing for 980 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He has rushed for 173 yards and two TDs.

“They’ve made it clear-cut, the roles,” Tebow said. “I think it helps, too, Bo being the guy but then giving Joey a package where he’s invested every week. It’s meaningful, and sometimes, if you take advantage of your package, it could be more, and it could be meaningful plays — like a touchdown. I think that helps keep him involved, helps the team, helps the defense study, prepare. So, I think it’s good in a lot of areas.”

Tebow admitted that his role evolved throughout the 2006 season.

“I don’t think it was planned, necessarily, to be that,” Tebow said. “… Then, the more success we had with it, the more it opened up to where you knew it was going to be more and more roles, and then it got more and more plays, and then by Tennessee, it opened up even more and then LSU it was even bigger. You know, you don’t know if you’re going to have all those plays, but in the LSU game, I got to score almost every time we were down there. But also, you could have another game where it just doesn’t fit right in the package, so you wouldn’t have the same plays.”

Using Gatewood this way helps his development and keeps him in the game and prepared in case he had to take over immediately, Tebow said.