Sean White to open season as third-string quarterback

AUBURN -- There is a new third-string quarterback on the Plains.

True freshman Sean White has surpassed junior Jonathan Wallace on the depth chart in just two weeks of preseason practice.

"He's going to go into the season as our third quarterback, so we really wanted make sure he had a good feel for everything," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said following Saturday's practice. "He was very impressive."

White, the Elite 11 camp MVP and Under Armour All-American Game MVP, threw for 2,239 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior at University School (Boca Raton, Florida). His performances during Auburn's scrimmages, during which he was live, impressed the coaches.

"He earned it. He's very accurate," Malzahn said. "Of course, we knew that when we recruited him, but you never know how they handle everything else that goes with the position. But I believe the couple scrimmages he's been live, he runs better than everybody thinks, and you can really evaluate a quarterback when they're live."

White will backup Nick Marshall, who is not starting the season opener, and Jeremy Johnson, the yet to be announced starter for Auburn's Aug. 30 game against Arkansas.

Malzahn said "in a perfect world" White would still redshirt this year, "but you never know." He would not say what the plan would be if Johnson were to be injured before Marshall is allowed to return to field after serving the punishment stemming from his July 11 citation for possession of marijuana.

Wallace, who started four games as a true freshman in 2012, has become all but an afterthought as he enters his junior season. One of four players to compete for the starting job last summer, Wallace's role on the team may or may not even include holding on field goals.

"We know what we're going to get with him," Malzahn said. "Jonathan Wallace is doing a lot of special teams, and he's valuable in a lot of areas ..., and he's also a solid quarterback in his own right. So, you know, we've got 4 guys we feel good about being able to step up and run our offense."