There's an old adage in college football that if you have two quarterbacks you really have zero quarterbacks. The saying suggests that having two quarterbacks vying for the starting job during the regular season can be problematic for a team. It can negatively impact team chemistry, lead to a lack of definitive leadership roles, and hinder a team's overall identity.
Instead, it is often suggested that giving the starting job to one quarterback and letting him lead the offense is better for the team.
Well, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze hinted at the possibility of playing not one, not two, but three quarterbacks in Auburn's season opener at Baylor on Aug. 29. Freeze stated that Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold, Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels, and five-star true freshman Deuce Knight could all see the field against Baylor.
Freeze's strategy is a mind-boggling decision that caused an uproar among Auburn fans, and showed that LSU's quarterback situation is the envy of college football heading into the 2025 season.
Could Auburn play all three quarterbacks in the opener at Baylor?
— Nathan King (@NathanKing247) August 18, 2025
Hugh Freeze: "Yes. Yeah."
Garrett Nussmeier's experience is even more valuable when looking at the Auburn QB situation
The return of Garrett Nussmeier holds tremendous weight in Baton Rouge. Nussmeier is an experienced and proven quarterback who brings a ton to the table for the Tigers. He threw for over 4,000 yards last season and totaled 29 touchdowns through the air. That kind of returning production at the quarterback position is the envy of the vast majority of college football programs out there. Schools like Auburn wish they could say the same heading into 2025.
Auburn landed Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold in the portal, and the general feeling was that he was going to be Auburn's starting quarterback in 2025. Arnold is a former five-star recruit who was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2023. He struggled as the starter in Norman last season, throwing for just 1,421 yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 games. He averaged a measly 5.8 yards per attempt, which ranked 118th out of 119 passer rating-qualified Division I players last season.
Daniels threw for 1,700 yards and 10 touchdowns last season for Stanford. He also threw an ACC-leading 12 interceptions. He is mobile, though, running for 669 yards and three touchdowns on 148 carries.
Knight is a five-star recruit who was rated by On3 as the No. 6 quarterback and No. 26 overall player in the 2025 class. He originally committed to Notre Dame before signing with Auburn last December.
Watching the Auburn QB situation unfold will be interesting to see. Going to Baylor for the season opener won't be easy, and shuffling through different QBs could make it even tougher. LSU and Auburn don't meet in the regular season in 2025.