Auburn has had some productive quarterbacks including Jarrett Stidham, Patrick Nix and Dameyune Craig during program history.
Auburn has had an array of types of quarterbacks from straight drop-back passers such as Patrick Nix, multiple threats such as Nick Marshall and, of course, the super-beast that was Cam Newton in the 2010 national title season.
Yet all of those guys had arms — in the case of Brandon Cox, a left arm — that could find receivers and put up yards and points on the board. But who has had the best passing season in Auburn history?
We take a look at the top 10 passing performances in a season by a Tiger quarterback.
From Pat Sullivan to Stan White to Bo Nix, a long list of talented quarterbacks have played in an Auburn uniform.
Auburn has had an illustrious list of quarterbacks play in the burnt orange and navy blue but only the best of the best appear on this list.
From Pat Sullivan winning the 1971 Heisman Trophy to Bo Nix currently slinging it down the field for the Tigers, Auburn fans have cheered on some amazing signal-callers.
Here are the top 10 players with the most career passing yards in Auburn program history.
Since 2000, Auburn has signed talented players from 20 different states and the District of Columbia. Here are the best of the best.
Since 2000, Auburn has won a BCS National Championship, three SEC Championships, a Heisman Trophy, Lombardi Trophy, National Coach of the Year by three different head coaches … and that is just the beginning. Add in another trip to the BCS title game, two more SEC West titles and two undefeated seasons, and you can see why recruits regularly have the Tigers near the top of their list.
A slew of 5-stars have come to the Plains during that time as well and, while some haven’t worked out as planned, there have been many difference makers such as Derrick Brown, Cadillac Williams and Montravius Adams, just to name a few.
The talent has come from all over the United States as well as the Tigers have gone into 20 different states plus the District of Columbia to find some of the players players in the nation.
But who are the best of the best? We take a look at the top signee from each state since the beginning of the 21st century.
From Patrick Nix to Dameyune Craig to Nick Marshall, Auburn has had some quarterbacks throw for a lot of yards in a single game.
For much of its history, Auburn has been known for running the ball and producing great running backs while the quarterback position was much more of a game manager.
That hasn’t been the case for the past 25-plus years, though, as the Tigers have had some quality passers coming through the Plains. From Patrick Nix to Jason Campbell to Cam Newton, Auburn fans have seen some exciting signal-callers put on the burnt orange and navy blue.
Yet who has had the best games of them all? Here are the top 10 passing yards by an Auburn quarterback in a single game with three quarterbacks making the list twice and one surprise omission.
With another former first-round QB now out the door in Washington, it’s clear that the team should probably look to the free-agent market, rather than the draft for a new QB.
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If you were to ask any NFL fan who is the worst team in the league when it comes to drafting and keeping quarterbacks, the most likely answer is probably the Cleveland Browns. Having had 28 different starting quarterbacks since 1999, it’s hard to compete with dysfunction like that.
However, Washington might just be throwing their hat into the ring. With the latest release of QB Dwayne Haskins, who was the No. 15 overall pick just a year ago, you can make the argument that Washington is another place where QBs go to die. However, in Washington, QBs are distinctly unable to get their careers started, which has been proven once again by Haskins.
Washington has drafted five 1st-round quarterbacks in the Modern Draft Era. Only one has started a playoff game (Robert Griffin III).
Five quarterbacks drafted in the first round since 1994, and a total of one playoff game played between them. A total record of 49-81 combined and no more than four seasons played in Washington from any of them.
It may be bad luck, or it may be that Washington has a real quarterback problem, unable to groom from the start and build from there. Whatever it is, anyone who sees this may start to consider a free-agent QB acquisition this offseason, rather than trying to find the guy with their first-round pick in the 2021 draft. Just a thought.
Borges quickly developed Campbell and provided him stability to grow as a signal-caller.
“We were a complete football team,” Borges said of Auburn in 2004 on the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days.” “The missing cog of the chain was getting our quarterback confident. Once Jason quit worrying about making mistakes, and let it rip and play, he turned the page and made our offense everything it could be.”
Al Borges. (AP Photo/Todd J. Van Emst)
Borges develops quarterbacks with a focus on footwork, stance and having confidence.
“I always coach the quarterback about 90 percent from the waist down and neck up,” Borges said. “Get him some good functional intelligence and do a good job of teaching him your system. Footwork is just a huge part of it.
“It’s such a huge part of how you teach the quarterback; is footwork, timing, his balance, the rhythm of the throws and getting him to know when to release the ball and making sure he is hitting the receiver as he comes open – not when he’s open, but as he comes open. All of things that I learned at a very early age, and as I coached longer and understood it better, I could implement it easier. You get a willing participant like Jason Campbell who kind of fed on anything you said, was just looking for an opportunity to show what he could do.”
Campbell appeared in 49 games at Auburn from 2001-04. He totaled 7,373 passing yards, 45 touchdowns and 25 interceptions to go along with 308 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
Tennessee redshirt senior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) has experienced similar turnover in having numerous offensive coordinators during his collegiate career.
Since 2016, Guarantano has played for offensive coordinators Mike DeBord, Larry Scott, Tyson Helton and Jim Chaney during his career at Tennessee. Chris Weinke has served as his quarterbacks coach for the past two seasons.
Through 40 games at Tennessee, Guarantano has totaled 6,018 passing yards and 16 interceptions to go along with -56 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
Guarantano has lacked progression with his footwork, stance and confidence from a standpoint of overthinking initial instincts, much like Borges detailed how Campbell needed to “quit worrying about making mistakes.”
“I am really a thinker,” Guarantano said. “Going into a game, going into whatever it is, I am always thinking about what I can do better. I am thinking about different concepts and defenses that can be shown.”
The entire show with Borges can be listened to here or below.
It was a defensive battle when the two Tigers met up in Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2004.
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I can’t even lie, y’all. I’m stressing about football already. It’s a dreadful feeling that I’m elated to finally experience again. Here’s the continuation of my countdown to kickoff.
Number 6: Auburn vs LSU 2004
I was 10 when this game occurred and I had no idea how football was supposed to work. All I knew was that my dad was going down to the game and told me to look for him on TV. I’d already tried to locate my dad once before when he went down to Talladega and was unsuccessful in my efforts. I was pretty skeptical that I would be able to locate my father at an Auburn football game, but with all of my ‘Where’s Waldo?’ and ‘I Spy’ expertise I felt pretty confident about giving it a shot.
I think my dad telling me to look for him on the TV was secretly his was of getting me to watch the game because it worked. I was fixated on the screen wondering when the cameras would pan to the crowd. I gave up on this probably five minutes after I began watching, and then I became obsessed over learning the game.
At the time my sister’s bedroom had been somewhat converted into a play room (she was at school in Southern Illinois, shoutout to the Salukis) and her room was so cool because it had a TV in it. My mom was downstairs watching her own shows, so anytime the crowd in Jordan Hare went nuts I ran to the top of the stairwell and started shouting random questions.
“MOM, SOME GUY ON THE OTHER TEAM JUST RAN INSIDE OF A MAGIC RECTANGLE AND EARNED 6 TOKENS WHAT JUST HAPPENED!?”
“Shea, that’s a touchdown.”
“MOM THIS GUY ON THE OTHER TEAM TRIED KICKING THE BALL LIKE A NEW YORK CITY ROCKETTE AND NOW THE ENTIRE STADIUM IS GOING BANANAS! WHAT’S GOING ON!?”
“Shea, he has to kick the football in between those two poles after his team scores a touchdown. He kicked the ball horribly and it didn’t go in which is a good thing for Auburn.”
“MOMMM NOW ONE OF OUR GUYS KICKED THE BALL LIKE A ROCKETTE AND WE GOT THREE POINTS!”
“Great, that’s a field goal.”
You can imagine how the rest of these questions went, but she answered all of them. By the beginning of the fourth quarter I was yearning for an Auburn touchdown. I knew that meant that a guy in a blue uniform had to run into the “magic rectangle” which I now refer to as the end zone.
Ronnie Brown had an amazing 20-yard run and I just knew Auburn was going to win the game once the Tigers converted on 4th and 12 with a 14 yard catch by Courtney Taylor.
I wasn’t aware that Anthony Mix fumbled the ball on the play prior to Auburn’s game winning touchdown. I was too busy actively learning the game and all I was looking for was a touchdown. Thank you, Courtney Taylor for giving us this.
My dad called us when the game was over. He was hoarse. I definitely didn’t see him on TV but if there’s one thing we all know about Jordan Hare, it’s that every voice is amplified. I excitedly told him about how I watched the entire game and that I’d learned what touchdowns, field goals, punts, and first downs were.
One month later my dad took me to Auburn to catch the Tigers’ game against Arkansas. We’d been to several Auburn games before, but this one was special. I came to the realization when we were walking to Toomer’s Corner after that game that I was no longer just an Auburn fan, I was head-over-heels in love with everything about Auburn.
And to think, it all began 16 years ago when Auburn defeated LSU.
