Harsin on Bo Nix and T.J. Finley:

[aubiefifty 18,231]

AUBURN, Alabama—With just 11 days until Auburn opens the 2021 football season against the Akron Zips at Jordan-Hare Stadium, there are still plenty of questions left unanswered for Coach Bryan Harsin’s Tigers following two scrimmages with the bulk of preseason work completed. Transitioning to prep for the season, Harsin said he and the staff have a lot of information about the team, but there is still more to learn.

One of those questions is at quarterback where two-year starter Bo Nix returns, but Harsin said transfer T.J. Finley has come in and made some waves along with true freshman Dematrius Davis. Saying that Nix would be the starter if the Tigers played a game today, Harsin said it has been a fun competition to watch so far.

“Right now Bo and TJ, those two guys are at the top,” Harsin said on Wednesday. “Bo is rolling with the blues right now, so he’s taking the No. 1 reps, and just like I said before, going back to that second scrimmage, I thought Bo did a great job, you know, the third downs, the decision-making.

“Those have been emphasized by Coach (Mike) Bobo. I feel like TJ — TJ has really come on. TJ’s starting to — I think he’s played, but he hadn’t been in this system through the spring, and he didn’t have all that time so just through the practices that we have had things are starting to click for TJ. I like where he is at. I like his mentality.

“I think TJ’s got really command of the huddle and Bo’s done a really good job with that as well. Both those guys have been pushing each other, but Bo is rolling with the blues right now. If we played a game right now, Bo would be starting.”

Completing 58.7 percent of his passes in his career for 4,957 yards and 28 touchdowns while adding 14 touchdowns on the ground, Nix has the most experience of the group with Finley an early season starter at LSU. As for Davis, the early enrollee from Huston, Tex., has come on strong since the spring and has impressed Harsin as well.

“As a young player, he continues to keep showing up so you’ve got three guys right now," the head coach said. "Bo, obviously, with the position he’s in. You’ve got T.J., who is coming on and developing and just working on some fundamental things but understands what we’re doing and the decision-making process and how important that is. Then Dematrius Davis. I think I’ve said this before, but he has just got some gamesmanship in him.

“It’s kind of that game within the game that he can pla so he’s fun to watch, fun to coach," Harsin said of the true freshman. "There are some details that he still needs to continue to be focused on, but all three of those guys have had a really good camp so far and feel good about where they’re at, but I like Bo. I like his work ethic. I like his approach daily. He has been studying. I think those two guys, he and T.J., and Dematrius coming along, those guys have been doing a really good job.”

As the Tigers begin to point the focus towards Akron it will mean more reps for the starters as they continue to try to build the chemistry needed for success on this level. Harsin said that means you find your guy at quarterback and ride with them, until they prove otherwise.

“Let me say this, it’s always one guy until it’s not,” he said of the quarterback position. “That’s my opinion on it.

2COMMENTS

“If you deserve to play, we’ll find a role,” he added. “It’s just the quarterback position’s hard. You don’t want to be splitting a bunch of time, but there may be opportunity for guys to get in there and have a role like some players on our team do. If those guys earn that and we do those things, that’s clearly for us to better our offense, better whatever the play that we have and the people that we have in to help us win. That’s simply why we would do it.”

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[SRBautigerfan 1,040]

36 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

“If you deserve to play, we’ll find a role,” he added. “It’s just the quarterback position’s hard. You don’t want to be splitting a bunch of time, but there may be opportunity for guys to get in there and have a role like some players on our team do. If those guys earn that and we do those things, that’s clearly for us to better our offense, better whatever the play that we have and the people that we have in to help us win. That’s simply why we would do it.”

So I'm guessing from this we shouldn't expect to see QB2 in the game unless we're up by 45+ points or more. 

[aubiefifty 18,231]

6 minutes ago, SRBautigerfan said:

So I'm guessing from this we shouldn't expect to see QB2 in the game unless we're up by 45+ points or more. 

i will let you know as soon as i get hired on the staff bro. grins  sorry nothing personal but i doubt it unless bo struggles and he wants to send a message maybe?

[SRBautigerfan 1,040]

1 minute ago, aubiefifty said:

i will let you know as soon as i get hired on the staff bro. grins  sorry nothing personal but i doubt it unless bo struggles and he wants to send a message maybe?

Actually, I'm not disappointed in the least.  Whoever QB1 is I want to see them out there for most of the game.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,046]

Pretty much a closed case unless BoBo does horrible. Think it was simply too much for TJ to overcome without being a next level version of himself

[auburnphan 6,050]

This was not a ringing endorsement for Bo.  It is more of a "he hasn't done enough to lose his job and the others are catching up" kinda statement.

[Hank2020 3,355]

9 minutes ago, auburnphan said:

This was not a ringing endorsement for Bo.  It is more of a "he hasn't done enough to lose his job and the others are catching up" kinda statement.

I believe this is the type of statement you would get unless the decision is made to move on to next QB. It keeps everyone trying hard which is what is needed. 

[gravejd 3,304]

42 minutes ago, auburnphan said:

This was not a ringing endorsement for Bo.  It is more of a "he hasn't done enough to lose his job and the others are catching up" kinda statement.

Thats not how I read the article at all. Sounded more like he was throwing bones to TJ and DD so that they keep working hard. Gotta keep the backups believing they still have a shot. But i guess it's all up to interpretation.  

In regards to playing time.....i was critical of Gus never developing a backup QB but i think in this situation i can get behind playing your starter as much as possible. New offense and you want the starters to get as many reps as possible in those early games. I'd love to see both QBs get a shot early but if Bo is the clear starter then max out his practice reps while you can. 

[woodford 3,732]

Hope Finley improves so he can be a competent back up. Maybe DD makes some moves? One of these guys will leave next year when Holden gets to campus. That’s fine and all. I don’t care who starts, I just want depth because QB getting injured under an average OL is inevitable. 

[Old fan 47 799]

1 hour ago, auburnphan said:

This was not a ringing endorsement for Bo.  It is more of a "he hasn't done enough to lose his job and the others are catching up" kinda statement.

I agree. I think with TJ and DD having a full year in the system next year may be different. Yes, it’s Bo’s first year too, but he has so much more game experience than both of them combined. We will find out within the first few games. 

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

It's good to hear that Bo is doing well in practices and scrimmages. I assume that has always been the case going back to his freshman season when he earned the starting position. I just hope the coaching sticks and he performs in games like he has in practice and scrimmages to hold the number one position. And I also hope that if he reverts to past in-game habits (bailing early, throwing off his back foot, not being particularly accurate) that this staff isn't afraid to let him sit for at least a series or two to try and get his head together and give TJ or DD a chance on the field in a game to show what they can do. But in a perfect world, Bo will light it up!

[cole256 17,085]

What?! Loy wasn't mentioned? Who would've ever thought that!

This was just him saying the pecking order, it wasn't endorsing anybody really. I hope all the QB's can improve and be consistent

[AuburnNTexas 7,317]

I expect Bo to be starter. I am hoping we blow out 1st to teams enough that both TJ and DD can get some real PT and more importantly when they are in they are allowed to rum same O that Bo does not just hand to RB. I am somewhat partial to DD partly because of what appears to be a weak O-Line and his mobility would help the O-Line. As it stands now it is Bo's position to lose.

[au302 2,669]

A&M named their starter yesterday, and I believe that was perceived to be a more even battle going into camp than this one. I agree with the majority that Bo will start. On the other hand, I do think it's fair to say that this battle is a lot tighter than many expected. Not sure whether that is more because TJ progressed really well or Bo didn't put his foot down or both. Regardless, they obviously want to see these next three days before making a final decision. I don't really see this as trying to keep TJ motivated. I think if Bo had clearly seperated they would've named him to eliminate speculation. 

[ScotsAU 1,389]

It’s coaches speak. You never want the top quarterback to know their job is safe until it’s time to announce them as the starter. That way, they work their butt off in camp. Inflating the battle makes all the quarterbacks, Bo included, work harder. 

[Cardin Drake 2,076]

Interesting battle going on in Austin. RS Frosh Hudson Card just named the starter over Casey Thompson, the junior who crushed it in Texas's bowl game last year coming in for Sam Ehlinger. Assumption is Thompson will transfer. Somebody is going to get a hell of a QB. The kid is really good.

[autigeremt 7,208]

35 minutes ago, Cardin Drake said:

Interesting battle going on in Austin. RS Frosh Hudson Card just named the starter over Casey Thompson, the junior who crushed it in Texas's bowl game last year coming in for Sam Ehlinger. Assumption is Thompson will transfer. Somebody is going to get a hell of a QB. The kid is really good.

With a name like Hudson Card he's a no brainer for the bumbled masses known as the booster brigade. lol