By Jay Coulter
jccoulter@gmail.com
Auburn’s quarterback race has narrowed to two. In the race to succeed Brandon Cox, offensive coordinator Tony Franklin made on Tuesday what is really his first public comments about the new pecking order at quarterback.
"These last few practices, we are giving Chris (Todd) and Kodi (Burns) most of the reps," said Franklin.
"If somebody emerges clear-cut a lot better than the other one, you may have one guy. But I don't think that's going to happen. I've told them I don't think it is. I think they will go into the summer and will be competing against each other."
This move comes as really no surprise to anyone.
The big loser is Neil Caudle who got a fresh start to prove himself with a new coordinator. He’s looked good at times this spring, but continues to make too many mistakes and force too many balls that have resulted in interceptions.
Franklin is already talking about Caudle in a backup role.
"Neil will be a great backup for them," Franklin said. "He's a great team guy, a great Auburn guy that wants to be here. He'll do a great job as a backup. If one of them falters, he'll be ready to step in and take his place."
It will be interesting to see whether Caudle decides to continue at Auburn or look for a transfer elsewhere.
Freshman DeRon Furr continues to run fourth-string and will likely receive a redshirt this year unless coaches convince him to change positions. Furr is a gifted athlete who needs to be on the field somewhere.
He has his heart set on quarterback and its unlikely coaches will convince to jump positions this year.
With the battle now down to Burns and Todd, this Saturday’s A-Day game may be the deciding factor in who’s named quarterback. You can bet it will feel more like October than March for both players on Saturday.
A-Day is set to kickoff at 1:00 pm CT from Jordan-Hare Stadium. Admission is $5 for the general public and free for students.