There have been several quarterback competitions going on this spring throughout the Southeastern Conference and several ways in which the head coaches have handled them.
Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris continued to vie for the starting job at LSU, and Tigers coach Les Miles made each of them available to the media following Saturday’s spring game. Jennings completed 13 of 20 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns during the intrasquad contest, while Harris completed 11 of 17 for 178 yards and two scores.
LSU quarterback Anthony Jennings (10) throws downfield, with protection from center Andy Dodd (72), during the NCAA college football team’s spring football game Saturday, April 18, 2015, in Baton Rouge, La.
Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson (6) looks to pass during the first half during their spring NCAA college football game Saturday, April 18, 2015, in Auburn, Ala. Auburn names Johnson
Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn announced Monday afternoon that junior Jeremy Johnson would be the starting quarterback for the Tigers. Johnson completed 14 of 22 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns during Saturday’s A-Day game, and he only played in the first half. Malzahn made the announcement via Twitter. “Everyone in our program has 100-percent confidence in him,” Malzahn said. Johnson started last season’s opener against Arkansas and played the entire first half while Nick Marshall served a suspension. He threw for 246 yards in 30 minutes against the Razorbacks but played sparingly the rest of the season, completing 28 of 37 passes for 436 yards and three touchdowns. The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder from Montgomery won the job over redshirt freshman Sean White and early enrollee Tyler Queen. — David Paschall
“We were the weak link on the team last year,” Harris told reporters afterward. “It’s not nice when people talk about our quarterback situation and say that we are not doing really well. I take that with a chip on my shoulder, and I wanted to just come out and prove how much I’ve improved personally.”
That both quarterbacks performed well delighted Miles, who said, “If you go back to the last spring game, I had a pit in my stomach.”