Gus Malzahn comments on Auburn’s starting RB, backup QB position battles

The Auburn Tigers had some big wins in 2017, beating both Alabama and Georgia. However, the season didn’t end the way fans wanted, falling to UCF in the Peach Bowl.

This year, the Tigers will try to remain in the College Football Playoff picture longer, and will have some key players returning to help them do that.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be important position battles this spring, though, especially after the team lost both Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway from its talented backfield.

On Saturday, coach Gus Malzahn said any of Auburn’s five running backs could be the starter when the 2018 season kicks off this fall:

Malzahn said all five of Auburn's running backs have a shot to be in the mix in 2018. "It's wide open."

— AUBlog (@AUBlog) March 3, 2018

As far as the backup quarterback job goes, Malzahn said that’s a little more stable, as Malik Willis will likely serve as the No. 2 guy behind Jarrett Stidham:

Asked if the backup QB job is open, Malzahn said "we've got a lot of confidence in Malik." Adds that Gatewood is still learning the system right now.

— AUBlog (@AUBlog) March 3, 2018

It’ll be an interesting spring at Auburn, and the Tigers need to have a productive few weeks to position themselves to defend their SEC West title.

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.