Inside Joey Gatewood’s decision

[aubiefifty 18,222]

Inside Joey Gatewood’s decision to leave Auburn

Updated 3:17 PM;Today 2:36 PM

5-7 minutes

Three weeks ago, Joey Gatewood’s family and friends made the 70 mile trip from Jacksonville to Gainesville expecting to see him play against his old favorite team.

For four quarters, they waited.

Nothing.

Gatewood, who’d been told he’d get reps in that game, never played.

Not a single snap.

That’s when Gatewood’s support system started to truly sense his growing discontent, discontent that grew over these past few weeks to the point that he’s now no longer part of the Auburn football program.

And what happened against LSU on Saturday didn’t help, a moment that was shown on the TV broadcast.

Gatewood started to run onto the field at one point but was pulled back by Gus Malzahn and sent back to the sideline.

It added to that discontent — for both Gatewood and his supporters.

“When they obviously call his package to go in and then coach Malzahn holds him back and puts him back on the sideline, I could imagine that kind of let him know that he may never really get a shot,” said Chad Parker, the recruiting coach for Gatewood’s high school.

While Thompson isn’t sure if LSU was a tipping point, it was after that game that he noticed a sense of urgency with Gatewood after the QB “kind of looked” and realized the season was over halfway finished.

The former four-star recruit started talking to the people close to him about leaving the program immediately, a decision made more difficult because of how much he’s loved the Tigers program for so many years.

To Gatewood, it’s a business and career move.

Gatewood wants to play in the NFL. And he’s not going to get there by touching the ball 4.5 times per game.

“Whether it’s they’re wanting to get Bo (Nix) through all the mistakes and stuff because he’s the future or because Joey wasn’t a good fit, whatever it is, the facts are simple — he wasn’t getting playing time,” said Gatewood’s personal quarterback coach Denny Thompson.

Before Auburn’s Tuesday practice, which Gatewood did not attend, he met with Malzahn.

While Gatewood was pretty confident in his decision by that night, Thompson told him to sleep on it and then call him the next morning.

Malzahn, who Thompson said has been great the past few days, then announced the next morning on the SEC coaches teleconference that Gatewood had left the program and would be entering the transfer portal.

Gatewood’s name officially appeared in the portal at 3:37 p.m. on Wednesday.

Gatewood could have waited until the season was over to leave the team, but there were several factors in his decision to depart immediately.

First of all, Gatewood realizes the pressure that comes along with finding a transfer destination and wanted time to make a decision.

Gatewood isn’t just any player who’s not getting playing time. He’s a former top-50 recruit who — to Thompson — has starting potential and the ability to one day play in the NFL.

Gatewood was highly recruited in high school and he will be again.

As soon as the first tweet with the words “Gatewood” and “transfer portal” were posted, both Thompson’s and Parker’s phones started blowing up. The two plan to compile a list of who has contacted them before sitting down with Gatewood to see who he’s interested in.

Gatewood wants to decide by mid-December, but he doesn’t want to be rushed. He wants the chance to go on visits so he can really figure out what feels right for him.

It’s been four years since Gatewood — who committed to Auburn in 2015 — has gone on visits, which is another thing that makes his situation different than other young players who are looking to transfer.

At many of the programs, the staff has changed significantly.

There’s speculation he could look at SMU, where Rhett Lashlee, the man who recruited him to Auburn, is the offensive coordinator. Gatewood hasn’t mentioned anything to his mentors about SMU, and Parker said Lashlee hasn’t been in contact.

When Gatewood said he wanted to transfer, Thompson asked what he would be looking for in a school. Gatewood said he’s looking for the right fit, even if that means another quarterback competition.

“He believes that's going to push him and make him a better quarterback,” Thompson said. “So you know, when he goes and visits, if he likes the system, if he likes the coaches, if he likes the university, if the university offers what he wants academically, then the quarterback depth chart is down on that list.”

However, there will be a sense of urgency since Gatewood’s already lost two years to show scouts what he’s got.

Auburn has been a part of Gatewood’s life for the last four years, so the hardest part was making the decision to leave.

He’s in a good place, though, and Parker has been impressed by how supportive the Auburn community has been.

“I definitely know for a fact there's definitely a sense of you know, he loves all Auburn,” Thompson said. “But today, I can really tell when that decision was finally made that he's ready to move forward. That's a chapter that's closed, and he's ready to write the next chapter.”

As coaches, both Thompson and Parker respect that Malzahn had to choose “his guy” and stick by him.

That was Nix, not Gatewood.

That was made even more clear to Gatewood during those games against Florida and LSU.

“Bo better be the guy that they think he is,” Thompson said. “I don’t mean that as a slight on Gus or a slight on Bo or anybody, but you’re letting a very good player walk away who was very committed to you.”

[Eagle-1 3,821]

What a sad state of affairs. Gus has monkeyed this up totally. If he would have just given the kid a chance when it really mattered he would have been here for the remainder of the season, and the who knows. I really figured that when Bo was made the starter that at some point in the season he would struggle, and Joey would get his chance. I had a momentary brain fart I guess, and forgot who makes the decisions. 

[tiger88 934]

Well, I for one am just happy old gus can play nix and then boobee in the wildcat all he wants to now, without people questioning his genius. (Heavy sarcasm) 

[CodeRocket 413]

44 minutes ago, Eagle-1 said:

I really figured that when Bo was made the starter that at some point in the season he would struggle, and Joey would get his chance.

I thought the same thing because I forgot just how stubborn CGM can be! 

[tigerman1186 537]

Unfortunately this might be the first of several who might decide to leave the program....has any school had as many guys enter the portal during the season as Auburn has?????

[TXaubie 570]

Has anybody asked Gus why he kept Joey from going in on his package??

 

I hope Joey comes to DFW. I have been waiting so long to watch him play. I would pay to see a SMU game. My gut tells me he ends up at UF. Mullen with that kind of athlete would be scary!!

[twilli13 600]

40 minutes ago, tigerman1186 said:

Unfortunately this might be the first of several who might decide to leave the program....has any school had as many guys enter the portal during the season as Auburn has?????

I'm not sure about that, I think the better question has any school waisted more offensive talent than Auburn the last 4 to 5 years. The list is insane....

[leglessdan 1,934]

Just now, twilli13 said:

I'm not sure about that, I think the better question has any school waisted more offensive talent than Auburn the last 4 to 5 years. The list is insane....

And growing....

[japantiger 4,116]

2 hours ago, tiger88 said:

Well, I for one am just happy old gus can play nix and then boobee in the wildcat all he wants to now, without people questioning his genius. (Heavy sarcasm) 

Edited it for you:

Well, I for one am just happy old gus can play nix and then one-legged boobee in the wildcat all he wants to now, without people questioning his genius. (Heavy sarcasm) 

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

1 hour ago, TXaubie said:

Has anybody asked Gus why he kept Joey from going in on his package??

 

I hope Joey comes to DFW. I have been waiting so long to watch him play. I would pay to see a SMU game. My gut tells me he ends up at UF. Mullen with that kind of athlete would be scary!!

He will

have lots of choices . I think Arky will

make a mad dash for him. Also think Florida will shoot for him. Oklahoma is another. Maybe he can get a waiver and play next year. NCAA fixing to axe the one year wait rule anyway in my honest opinion just like the new decission for paying players and 4 game rule and portal. All this might be the best way ever to actually neutralize the competition that they have tried to do over the years with rules against paying players and such. Let the players go where they want. That prevents big colleges from trying to stockpile talent to sit in the bench and wait until maybe someone gets hurt. I say take away all no transfer rules . So if you want a good backup you had better be prepared to let him play some. The players deserve it. And don’t give me this crap about a free education . They have to work double hard for that education over any other student out there. They give Auburn much more than Auburn gives them. 

[IronMan70 3,321]

That was made even more clear to Gatewood during those games against Florida and LSU. "Bo better be the guy that they think he is,” Thompson said. “I don’t mean that as a slight on Gus or a slight on Bo or anybody, but you’re letting a very good player walk away who was very committed to you.”

truth

 

[ToraGirl 5,498]

40 minutes ago, IronMan70 said:

That was made even more clear to Gatewood during those games against Florida and LSU. "Bo better be the guy that they think he is,” Thompson said. “I don’t mean that as a slight on Gus or a slight on Bo or anybody, but you’re letting a very good player walk away who was very committed to you.”

truth

 

My favorite part of that article...

[AUCE05 369]

There is no way Nix is a better passer than Joey.  Bo has some of the worst foot work I have seen.  

[gr82be 14,906]

I know that we are all upset about this but Bo is doing the best Bo can do right now. This is between Gus and Joey and Gus screwed up badly. They should have been allowed to compete and win the job in real game performance and not some non-contact controlled scrimmage. I just don't trust Gus anymore. 

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

4 hours ago, tigerman1186 said:

Unfortunately this might be the first of several who might decide to leave the program....has any school had as many guys enter the portal during the season as Auburn has?????

Sure they have. Texas lost 2 4 star QB's, 2 4 star Tb's and a 3 star Tb, a 5 star Wide out, 4 star LB and some others.

SMU's QB Buechele was Ehlingers back up.

Regardless of what Gus did or didn't do, one of those guys was going to leave. We were not keeping both.

https://247sports.com/Season/2019-Football/TransferPortal/

[johnnyAU 3,745]

9 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

It’s what I’ve been saying. Bama has lost a lot of QBs to transfer, and Corey Grant and Alvin Kamara at RB. UGA has lost Eason and Fields. OSU lost Burrow. Clemson lost Bryant. Ole Miss lost Shea Patterson. All of those guys were just as highly regarded as JG out of high school. They’re is a lot of anger and frustration at Gus right now and I get it (and share it) But we were going to lose Bo or JG, now or in the near future. It’s done. Time to move on and win some football games. It’s all we can do. 

If Bo gets banged up a bit and all we can muster are wildcat packages with an injured Boobee and true Fr Dynamite DJ Williams, it's going to get ugly.  Gulp...we might even see a resurgence of the whirling dirbish of 2016.

It didn't have to be this way. It's not that it's difficult to keep backup Qb's happy. That's a given. This situation with Willis and now Gatewood was horribly mismanaged IMO. Neither were remotely given a chance, and there were ample opportunities to get significant and valuable PT...and make a real contribution in big games for these guys. This has been Malzahn's M.O. historically, with QB, RB and WR. 

I mean, when you are in the midst of doing absolutely nothing offensively, going like 5 consecutive 3 and outs in the heart of a competitive game against a top rival opponent, whom you haven't beaten on the road in over 20 years, and your D is playing lights out against a Heisman front runner...and you keep an potentially very talented and perfectly healthy Gatewood, who represents a change of pace for the offense and could add the very spark your team needs on the sidelines so a true Freshman QB who is obviously (and understandably so) struggling in a harsh environment won't get his feelings hurt????

Holy run-on sentences Batman!

It's uhhh...frustrating.

[TigerfanKM 37]

Nix is not the problem, make all the excuses you want. The real problem is GM, and we will not win another championship of any kind as long as he is the HC.

[TigerFanAU 586]

That article was tough to read and accept. Infuriating really. I feel awful for Joey. This would be easier to accept if Nix was playing better than 50% completion rate and second in the league in INT's, but he's not.  Joey did well every time he was in the game. I don't trust Malzahn's ability to evaluate talent. Just can't comprehend how Gatewood could do worse. I hope he does well and is an NFL millionaire one day.

[Beenjammin 87]

For Gus to reassure J.G. to not worry that he had special play packages for him this year was a flat out lie. I wonder what other players he recruited have had broken promised made just to keep them from transferring. It would piss me off also. LSU was icing on cake for him. Now QB runs should be over and no way hes in for a QB sneak at the goal line ( or anywhere else). Protecting him just made our offense all the more predictable. 

[GAAubie 512]

17 hours ago, Texan4Auburn said:

Regardless of what Gus did or didn't do, one of those guys was going to leave. We were not keeping both

MOST can't comprehend that. If you have 2 QBs, you don't have one!  Gus chose Bo. Good luck to Joey! 

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

15 hours ago, johnnyAU said:

If Bo gets banged up a bit and all we can muster are wildcat packages with an injured Boobee and true Fr Dynamite DJ Williams, it's going to get ugly.  Gulp...we might even see a resurgence of the whirling dirbish of 2016.

Don't discount Cord Sandberg so readily.  For real.  He was fairly highly rated coming out of HS before he was drafted by MLB and played minor league ball.  I don't think I'd be afraid to see him in a game, and his maturity (and pro baseball background as far as attitude and prep) couldn't hurt...

[penguin149 391]

I think everybody knew that either JG or BN would transfer, depending on who got the starting nod.  Neither would be happy as a backup and as someone before said...if you've got 2 qbs, you don't have one.  I'm more frustrated that JG did not play against UF than LSU.  Not sure at what point against LSU I would have put JG in?  Tied at halftime?  Up 3?  Down 3?  LSU had been averaging 50+ points per game and we could not afford to squander too many offensive opportunities.  Hindsight shows that the defense held and we ended up with too many 3 & outs but no one knew that during the game.  One of the trials and tribulations of a freshman QB is he's gotta learn in real time.  Pulling him delays that curve.  I hope JG lights it up wherever he goes (just not against AU).  I wish nothing but the best for that young man.  But let's remember that Woody Barrett, Tyler Queen, Keihl Frazier, et al were studs at QB that were going to set the world on fire....NONE of those guys have been successful after they transferred.  Some times the game speeds up too much for a guy.

[Mike4AU 1,755]

In the UF and LSU games, we didn’t have 2 QBs.  We might have had one, but he didn’t play enough for us to find out what he could do. 

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

Some good info from Josh Pate...

 

 

[DAG 34,751]

So I got lied to. Bold face lie. Wow.