Quarterback strategy to be decided this week

AUBURN – Auburn wrapped up preseason camp on Sunday with the quarterback picture as murky as it was when camp began 17 days earlier.

Both coach Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee have yet to say who will start at quarterback when the Tigers host Arkansas on Aug. 30.

How Nick Marshall and Jeremy Johnson will split practice reps leading up to the season opener has not been decided yet either.

"We have not made a decision yet, both those guys have repped and had a good fall camp," Lashlee said. "So I think probably pretty soon, at least internally, we'll know how we're going to handle it and then coach will address that when he's ready and we'll have a good plan."

Following Saturday's practice at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Malzahn said he would have "a little more clarity … on exactly what our strategy will be" at quarterback.

"I will say this, Nick's had an outstanding fall camp with his attitude, with his maturity and everything that goes with it," Malzahn said.

Malzahn has said Marshall and cornerback Jonathon Mincy both won't start the season opener as punishment for their respective marijuana-related transgressions during the summer.

Neither Malzahn nor Lashlee acknowledged Johnson would at least start, and Lashlee did not close the door to the possibility Marshall could actually do so.

"That's up to Coach," Lashlee said. "That's his call."

Johnson, the former G.W. Carver star, has not been told he is starting, though he is preparing as if that is the case, repeatedly saying "if I'm called upon I'll be ready."

Teammates have praised the way Marshall has reacted and handled himself since his July 11 citation for possession of marijuana, with Johnson being among the first to call the embattled Heisman Trophy candidate.

"I called him right away and I talked about him," Johnson said. "He know what position he in and he know that he the face of Auburn and he learned from his mistake and I know for a fact that he won't do it again."

Lashlee has also been happy with what he's seen from Marshall.

"Honestly I haven't been surprised. I would say I'd be disappointed if he didn't handle it this way," he said. "He's handled it very well. ... I fully expect him to continue to do that. That's what he's going to have to do; he's going to have to handle himself well. I've been really proud of him. I think what his teammates say should probably speak volumes of kind of how he's handled everything."

By all accounts, Marshall has been progressing on the field as well. Lashlee said he was 8-for-8 during 7-on-7 on Sunday.

"He's been very sharp. I think that just comes with reps. He worked very hard over the summer. He just knows his guys," Lashlee said. "Even the guys who are second team he's repped with a lot the last year and a half. Our passing game, at least in practice, has developed the way you'd hope it would when guys get more and more time together. Now, it's just the matter of doing it when it matters on game day."

With the plan to utilize Johnson more this year regardless, there will be a play package for the sophomore each week.

"There's certain thing that maybe Jeremy does just exceptionally well that you feel like, 'man he could do those things and have good success with it,'" Lashlee said. "It's week-to-week. We have no preconceived plan that this is exactly what's going to happen. It's a game-plan deal based on our opponent and kind of what we think will help us win."