Zach Calzada – Page 4 – Syndication Server

Bryan Harsin names ability he looks for in a starting quarterback

Auburn could name its starting quarterback this week, and coach Bryan Harsin has one thing in particular he’d like them to be good at.

As the days quickly move towards the end of September, Auburn football is inching closer to naming its’ starting quarterback for the season-opener.

Head coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] says that he will transition from fall camp to preparing for Mercer beginning on Tuesday. However, he says that they will “flipping depth charts around” on Monday.

Does that mean that the quarterback battle will be decided this week? That is a strong possibility. Harsin says that there is one factor that could speed the decision process.

“What we’re looking for from the quarterbacks is operation, you know. And that’s the biggest thing,” Harsin said following Auburn’s recent scrimmage. “I mean, I know everybody wants to see these guys go out there and just make plays. But you have to get the call from the sideline, you got to communicate it, you got to operate. And that’s the most important thing, right now, we’re looking for and they did that they did a good job with that. Then they made plays.”

Auburn’s candidates,[autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag], and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] all had their chances to showcase again why they should be the starting quarterback for the Tigers’ season-opener against Mercer on Sept. 3. Did any of those three athletes stand out to Harsin?

“I thought T.J. (Finley) did some really good things in the scrimmage as far as just managing the clock and the situations and making sure that we didn’t have to call timeouts. So he has a really good awareness on the field,” Harsin said. “I thought Robby (Ashford) made some plays, just standing in the pocket and throwing. And made some plays with his feet and getting out and scrambling and making a few throws. Zach (Calzada) did a nice job as well. He moved the chains and scored touchdowns.”

Preparation for the season-opener begins Monday afternoon for Auburn. Harsin is scheduled to meet with the media again on Tuesday afternoon.

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Where do Auburn quarterbacks stand in 247Sports’ starting quarterback rankings?

Although the starting quarterback has not been announced, 247Sports has placed Auburn on their best quarterback list, which ranks all 131 quarterbacks.

Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin has yet to announce a starting quarterback for the season opener against Mercer on Sept, 3, but, it appears that the decision could come very soon.

The top two expected candidates are incumbent [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], who took over the job following Bo Nix’s injury against Mississippi State last season, and [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag], a transfer from Texas A&M who is known best for leading the Aggies to an upset win over Alabama in 2021.

No matter who wins the job, it appears that 247Sports has given Auburn’s quarterbacks a place in their 131 expected starting quarterbacks for the 2022 season.

The media outlet ranked all starting quarterbacks from all FBS conferences from least to the most impactful. Where does Auburn rank? 247Sports has placed Auburn at No. 59, regardless of who wins the starting job.

Will Backus of 247Sports says that both Finley and Calzada have favorable individual qualities that could help Auburn succeed.

Auburn’s quarterback battle is neck-and-neck, so it is hard to call at the moment. Finley gives the Tigers more athletic upside while Calzada has some pretty notable SEC experience from his time at Texas A&M. He led the Aggies to a monumental upset against Alabama, earning SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts.

Finley and Calzada are ranked above such quarterbacks as Connor Bazelak of Indiana, Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan, and Graham Mertz of Wisconsin.

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Look: Best photos from Auburn’s second fall scrimmage

Auburn had their second scrimmage Friday and it sounds like there is more separation in the quarterback battle.

We are officially two weeks away from Auburn’s opening game against Mercer and the Tigers completed their second scrimmage of fall Friday.

The Tigers are looking for a quarterback to separate himself from the pack and it sounds like [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] has done just that. Offensive coordinator [autotag]Eric Kiesau[/autotag] was impressed by Finley’s command of the offense.

“My feel, my gut, just without watching it, just from calling the game, was just T.J had a really good command,” Kiesau said. “He had a lot of precision. He checked some plays for us and got us in the right play, which is good.”

He added that it is still tough to determine a starter out of Finley, [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], and [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag].

“It’s going to be a hard one,” Kiesau. “I can tell you that right now. They’ve all kind of played really well, and we’ve gotta see who’s going to step out in front a little bit after tonight.”

Another interesting development was that Tank Bigsby did not participate, not because of injury but because they wanted the other running backs to get more reps.

Here are the best photos from the practice courtesy of Auburn athletics’ Todd Van Emst.

Cole Cubelic shares thoughts on Auburn’s ongoing quarterback battle

The former Tiger and current SEC Network analyst has delivered an interesting, yet thorough, take on Auburn’s quarterback saga.

Head coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] intends to use every bit of the final two weeks of preseason practice to evaluate the candidates for the open quarterback slot.

[autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag], and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] have all impressed Harsin in their own personal ways, but Harsin needs one of those players to take control of the offense, and show him why they are the best fit to take on the role of starting quarterback.

While Harsin is still considering all options, those in the media are expressing their choices for starting quarterback, and why they are the best option. One of those is former Tiger and current SEC Network analyst [autotag]Cole Cubelic[/autotag].

Cubelic was a guest on a recent episode of On3’s podcast “The Hard Count” with JD PicKell. While on the show, the topic of Auburn’s ongoing quarterback saga was discussed, and Cubelic was asked to share his point of view on the situation. His pick for opening day starter is a safe one, but has solid logic behind it.

“I think it’s T.J. Finley’s job to lose right now, mainly because he finished the season as the starter last year, and Calzada had shoulder surgery, so he didn’t get a ton of reps with the ones in spring ball,” Cubelic said, “As a matter of fact, anything that was live – which with a quarterback still aren’t live, but perceived to be live – and even in a lot of the seven-on-seven stuff, T.J. got a lot of the number one reps.”

While Cubelic believes that Finley has the edge to start the season-opening game against Mercer on September 3, he says that another candidate could step up later in the season, and ultimately take the job.

“I still think that (Zach) Calzada is more capable,” Cubelic said. “I think eventually he wins the job, but as of right now, I still think Zach’s got to go take it from T.J. if he’s going to be the starter game one and be the starter for the entire season.”

The next chance for an Auburn quarterback to create separation is Friday when the team holds its second scrimmage of fall camp.

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A look at Zach Calzada’s 2021 situational stats

Here is now Zach Calzada performed in key situations, all stats are courtesy of Stats Perform.

Auburn is in the midst of a competitive quarterback battle with three primary contenders.

While [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] had a shot at winning the battle, it was going to be tough for a true freshman to win the starting job. That leaves the trio of [autotag]TJ Finley[/autotag], [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], and [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] as the contenders to be Auburn’s next starting quarterback.

Finley spent last season as Bo Nix’s backup before starting the final three games for an injured Nix. Ashford started his career at Oregon and while a great athlete who is a capable runner, he has yet to see game action. Calzada, who transferred from Texas A&M this summer, played in 12 games for the Aggies last season and is seen by many as the favorite to win the job.

While the battle is still raging, Auburn Wire will take a look at the situational stats from Calzada’s 2021 season. All stats are courtesy of Stats Perform.

One analyst expects the quarterback battle to be fully decided by week three

No matter who takes the first snap of the season, an SEC analyst says that the race for QB won’t truly be decided until week three vs. Penn State.

Auburn Football held its first scrimmage of fall camp last Saturday. The three starting quarterback candidates, [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag], and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], all had positive outcomes and each made their case as to why they should be the starting quarterback for Auburn’s season opener against Mercer on Sept. 3.

“I thought TJ (Finley) had a good day today. Zach (Calzada) stepped up in some areas. All those did some good things and I think every one of those quarterbacks have been player of the day at some point. Those guys are all still competing. They’re getting somewhat equal reps, and I like where Robby’s progressing right now,” head coach Bryan Harsin said Saturday in a release following the scrimmage. “All of those guys have done a good job of applying what coach (Eric) Kiesau is asking them to do.”

But no matter who takes the first snap during the Mercer game, the race will truly be over when Auburn hosts Penn State, says one SEC Network analyst.

Paul Finebaum, the host of the Paul Finebaum Show that airs weekdays on the SEC Network, recently joined “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” that airs on Jox 94.5 FM in Birmingham, where he said that Harsin still has an extra two weeks to find his best option at quarterback.

“The prelude to the season is really so comparable for what Bryan Harsin is trying to figure out here,” Finebaum said. “What I mean by that is self-explanatory. The first two games (against Mercer and San Jose State) are just warm-ups. So regardless of who is named in a week or two, I think it will play itself out. Especially in time for the Penn State game, which is really when the season begins and where the season could be decided.”

Auburn’s quarterbacks will have another opportunity to create separation on Friday, as the team will hold its second scrimmage of fall camp.

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Look: The best photos from Auburn’s first scrimmage of fall

Here’s a look at the best images from Auburn’s first scrimmage of fall camp.

The countdown to kickoff timer hit the three-week mark Saturday, which was a great time for Auburn football to have a scrimmage.

According to head coach Bryan Harsin, he saw good things out of his quarterbacks. Each candidate for the starting job, [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] all had their chance to lead the offense during the scrimmage. Harsin says that the next two weeks will be dedicated to finding out who is worthy enough to get more reps in practice.

Auburn may have found their third candidate at running back as well. Freshman [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] apparently had a great scrimmage, breaking open a 40-yard touchdown rush while working with the second team offense.

There will be plenty to watch from camp over the next few weeks. But, until then, here’s a look at the best images from Auburn’s first scrimmage of fall camp, taken by Auburn Athletics photographer Todd Van Emst.

Look: The best photo’s from Auburn’s Thursday practice

Here are the best photo’s from Auburn’s Thursday practice ahead of their first scrimmage on Saturday.

Auburn’s march to the season continues this weekend with the Tiger’s first scrimmage of fall camp taking place in Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday Saturday night.

It is one of the most important steps of the camp and could mark a turning point in Auburn’s quarterback battle. The trio of [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag], [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], and [autotag]TJ Finley[/autotag] are all battling for the starting job currently and are expected to receive equal reps with the first team.

If one or two of them perform well they could start to separate themselves and allow the coaching staff to narrow the competition. Stay tuned to Auburn Wire for reaction to the scrimmage and until then, here are the best photos from Auburn’s Thursday practice.

Bryan Harsin provides update on quarterback battle

Bryan Harsin said that he saw more consistency in his quarterbacks during Tuesday’s practice.

One of the many questions that every leader of a college football program needs to answer every preseason is, “who will be the starting quarterback?”

Some seasons, the quarterback situation is resolved much sooner. However, for Auburn, the race is still between four feasible candidates, and is about a week away from concluding.

Head coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] told the media that quarterback play was more consistent than in past practices when he spoke to the media on Tuesday. He also went on to share his thoughts on each candidate.

First, he mentioned how great of a day that Texas A&M transfer [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] had.

“I thought (Calzada’s) footwork was good and he threw the ball well,” Harsin said Tuesday. “Like everybody else, he had a sense of urgency on the field. That’s where our quarterbacks each and every day, they’ve gotta show up and have great days because if they don’t the rest of us really feel that.”

After Calzada, most feel that [autotag]TJ Finley[/autotag] would be next in line to win the job after starting the final three games for Auburn in 2021, filling in for the injured [autotag]Bo Nix[/autotag]. However, Oregon transfer and former Hoover High School standout [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] has made a case for himself to earn the job.

If everybody’s covered, (Ashford) is gonna have a chance to go out there and make a play with his feet. I also think he’s throwing the ball better,” Harsin said. “His decision-making in the pass game, I thought he had a couple throws the other day that were really special that he put into some windows. Then just his command of the offense, too. Calling plays, making checks, audibles, all those things, He’s got a better feel for those things right now.”

The decision to name a starting quarterback appears to be a tough one to make according to Harsin. He says that he and his offensive staff will continue to take the time that they are allowed before the season-opener on September 3 to make a final call.

“We’ve got more time. It’s not a finished product right now,” Harsin said. “For everybody, we all want to know, but coaching that position and doing this for a few years now, you know we have time to keep building through some things and you’ve just gotta stick with one thing for a while until they get it and then move on to the next.”

Auburn will continue preparing for the 2022 season for the next three weeks. The season-opener against Mercer is set for Saturday, Sept. 3 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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CFN lists Auburn Football’s top players ahead of the 2022 season

Who will make the biggest impact for Auburn in 2022?

Auburn Football will have plenty of weapons on the field in 2022.

Offensively, the Tigers were paced by running back [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag]. The second-year back rushed for 1,099 yards and ten touchdowns in 2021, while reeling in 21 passes for an additional 184 yards.

Auburn fans expect to see Bigsby have the same impact for Auburn this season, but they also hope to see a few more players step up and ease Bigsby’s workload.

There will be a quarterback battle involving four candidates in incumbent [autotag]TJ Finley[/autotag], freshman [autotag]Holden Greiner[/autotag], and transfers [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag]. Whoever wins that battle will need to find a target at receiver that they can rely on. [autotag]Shedrick Jackson[/autotag] and [autotag]John Samuel Shenker[/autotag] are among the top candidates to fill that role.

Defensively, Auburn looks to be more stable. The top three tacklers from last season have all graduated, but defensive linemen [autotag]Colby Wooden[/autotag] and [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag] are expected to be the top players up front. [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag] returns at linebacker, and Oregon transfer [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] should pair perfectly with safety [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] in the backfield.

Who will make the biggest impact for Auburn football this season? Below is the list of the Tigers’ most impactful players according to College Football News: