Jeremy Johnson will have 'leg up' in QB competition

AUBURN -- Once the Outback Bowl is over, Auburn will have to go about finding a new quarterback, though Jeremy Johnson is the presumed starter of the future.

It's far too early to anoint anyone a starter for next year, but as the only quarterback with any experience, Johnson will be ahead of his peers.

"Jeremy will have a leg up," Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said. "He's the only one who has played in any games. He's actually started a few games. I think that's a big plus for Jeremy. That's a big plus for us."

Auburn will also have Sean White, who redshirted this season, as well as incoming commitment Tyler Queen, on the roster.

Junior college transfer Jason Smith, who signed with Auburn in 2013 but failed to qualify and spent the past two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, is expected to sign on Wednesday. It's undetermined whether Smith will play at quarterback, as he did at McGill-Toolen High School and MGCCC, or move to wide receiver, where he played in the 2012 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game.

"I think there's a lot of potential for Sean White," Lashlee said. "We've got Jason – someone else coming in early and some things like that. We'll see how well that translates. I would think (Johnson) would have a leg up."