JD PicKell: Bryan Harsin can be trusted to pick the best quarterback for the job

Week 1 of college football is right around the corner, which means it’s time for some quarterbacks that have been battling throughout fall camp to start winning some starting jobs. On3’s JD PicKell gave his thoughts on the quarterback competition happening at Auburn and believes the competition between Robby Ashford, Zach Calzada, and TJ Finley has now become a two-horse race between Calzada and Finley.

PicKell belives that Ashford will still be used in the quarterback run game with his own package, but thinks the Tigers should go with Finley as their starter and fully trust head coach Brian Harsin’s choice.

“I promise you Bryan Harsin is picking this quarterback knowing full well that his job is at stake, so he has quite a bit on the table here. He’s putting all his chips in on TJ Finley if he goes that direction, now if he goes with Zach Calzada same method. If he’s all in with Zach Calzada as his quarterback, he’s betting his job on Zach Calzada,” PicKell said. “But all that’s to say he’s got a lot at stake here, you don’t think he’s going to pick the better of these two quarterbacks for him to keep his job and for Auburn to be successful? We’re not really here to talk about Bryan Harsin’s job security so much as this quarterback battle but make no mistake about it, whoever plays quarterback for Auburn is giving them the best chance to win based on the individual being Bryan Harsin who has the most at stake and who has spent the most time around this quarterback room.”

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Harsin already has faced an internal coup aimed at his job during his time at Auburn, so the pressure is surely on him and the Tigers to improve this season. But PicKell also believes there’s a universe where multiple quarterbacks see snaps this season for the Tigers.

“Now I would also add, you’re going to need both of these quarterbacks. Playing an SEC schedule and just given the nature of football in general, it’s hard to get through a season unscathed at the quarterback spot. So you may need Zach Calzada at some point, there may even be a point where TJ Finley struggles and Zach Calzada you go in, you play well, boom it’s your job. It’s a long season but for TJ Finley to have shown what he’s shown thus far in fall camp should be encouraging and exciting for Tiger fans.

Finley may not have been the most stellar player for the Tigers in his career at Auburn, but PicKell believes he has developed and is the best option for Auburn given their personnel and circumstances this upcoming season.

“If you didn’t like what you saw a season ago that’s okay, I agree with you I didn’t love it either. But that’s why they have the offseason, that’s why they have winter workouts, that’s why they have spring ball, that’s why you practice, to get better and to take a jump from one year to the next in this system. So for TJ Finley, like I said, he’s our pick as of right now to win this job. We’re gonna see what happens, but this coaching staff understands this is a paramount decision and they’re going to let chips fall with whoever they pick,” PicKell said.