It’s no secret that Jackson Arnold will trot out as the starter when Auburn takes the field against Baylor to open up the season, as he’s manned the offense throughout all of preseason camp.
But with the Tigers adding former five-star Deuce Knight and Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels to the mix, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze expressed that he is plenty confident in both to do a job when their number is called.
“I’m pleased with both (Knight and Daniels). I think that there's a place for both depending on the scenario in the game. You know, without giving away too much, I think, there's a place for both of those guys that you can play to their strengths, and we won't be afraid to do that,” Freeze said.
Knight was able to gain valuable experience throughout the spring, splitting reps with Arnold, and was the lone participating scholarship quarterback for the Tigers’ spring game. Quarterbacks coach Kent Austin stated during media availability last week that Knight has progressed tremendously and that he is ‘ahead of the curve.’
Freeze backed that up on Wednesday, saying there’s definitely some improvement points for the southpaw freshman, but that he wouldn’t hesitate to throw him into the fire if need be.
“I think as far as sitting in there making the throw, he's ready. He can do that. There's still things – setting protections is new. That's kind of an issue, and he still has growth to do in it,” Freeze said. “So I think he's just got to improve in the mental side of it. Physically, he can make all the throws right now. So I wouldn't hesitate to throw him in a game.”
Daniels – who finally got to suit up in orange and blue this fall after graduating from Stanford in the spring – has picked things up nicely since his arrival, and his experience as a Power-Four level starting quarterback has helped his transition to the Plains.
“Ashton's experience has really helped him,” Austin said last week. "Even though he didn't get any reps in the spring, which hurt him, he's really come on in the last week and a half. He's really playing well.”
Daniels spent much of his time with the Cardinal – before taking over full-time starting duties – as a wildcat option, and it paid off in 2024 as he set the Stanford single-season rushing record by a quarterback with 669 yards on 148 rushing attempts. Austin said his playmaking ability has been on full display throughout camp, despite the quarterbacks suiting up in non-contact jerseys.
“He's a dynamic runner and a dynamic playmaker. He's got a really strong arm, so the whole field is open to him. If he extends laterally and gets receivers behind the coverage, he can get them the football. He had an explosive run the other day. He clipped off a 70-yard run on our defense. He has that kind of ability," Austin said of Daniels.
The Tigers are set to kick things off with Baylor on August 29 at McLane Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. on Fox.
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