Cal names starting quarterback ahead of week two showdown with Auburn

Hugh Freeze and Auburn will be facing another transfer quarterback in week two.

Auburn’s week two matchup with the California Golden Bears will be a battle of transfer quarterbacks.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] recently named Michigan State transfer [autotag]Peyton Thorne[/autotag] Auburn’s starting quarterback and on Thursday Cal head coach Justin Wilcox tabbed Sam Jackson V as their starter.

Jackson, a transfer from TCU, beat out Ben Finley and Fernando Mendoza for the job.

“Sam began to separate himself recently,” Wilcox revealed. “He is a dynamic athlete who can succeed both in the passing game and by making defenses account for his outstanding running ability. When your quarterback does both of those things well, it can be challenging for the defense. I’m excited to see what he does with this opportunity.”

Jackson appeared in four games in his two seasons as a Horned Frog. He completed all six of his passes for 140 yards and added 79 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

While he has yet to prove it at the collegiate level, Jackson was a four-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting recruiting class. He ranked as the No. 32 quarterback in the 247Sports Composite.

He is looking to turn around Cal’s offense which scored 23.9 points per game last season and ranked towards the bottom of the conference in most categories.

Auburn and Cal are set to face off on Saturday, Sept. 9 at California Memorial Stadium. The game is set to start at 9:30 p.m. CT and will be on ESPN.

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