The topic surrounding Auburn’s quarterback situation heading into its final two games can finally be put to rest.
Auburn quarterback Ashton Daniels will not play against Mercer on Saturday, per interim head coach DJ Durkin.
Daniels will now be allowed to play in the Iron Bowl and preserve his redshirt ability for next season – NCAA Division I football players can play in up to four games and maintain their redshirt status, meaning they do not lose a season of eligibility.
“I feel you have a great responsibility as a head coach to do what is best for your football team and your program at all times. That's what you're hired to do, and that's what you need to do,” Durkin said. “ I think the best thing for Ashton is to be able to preserve his redshirt year and be able to come back and play another year. I think it's tremendous for this program and also for him.”
The topic became a noteworthy discussion after Daniels totaled a career-high 442 yards of offense – the most by an Auburn player since Nick Marshall (505) in the 2014 Iron Bowl – in the Tigers’ 45-38 overtime loss to Vanderbilt.
All eyes will now be fixed on who will take snaps on Saturday under center.
Durkin says he and his staff have not yet come to a decision on who will start, but both Jackson Arnold, who Daniels took over for after a period of struggles, and freshman Deuce Knight will play.
“Both of those guys are going to play in this game. We’re going to go through the practice week and kind of sort out what that looks like,” Durkin said. “Both of them are extremely excited about this.”
Arnold has tallied 1,278 yards on the season with six touchdowns and just two interceptions. He was benched midway through Auburn’s game against Arkansas after throwing a near 90-yard pick-six in the midst of the offensive struggles.
Knight, a former 5-star recruit in the 2025 class, saw action in the Tigers’ home-opener against Ball State and recorded 20 yards passing on two completions while adding 16 yards rushing on four carries.
The Tigers will kick off against Mercer on Saturday at 1 p.m. on SECN+.
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