Auburn Tigers 'Other' Quarterback Could Play Big Role in 2025

No one really thinks about what Auburn Tigers backup quarterback Ashton Daniels can do on the football field. In all honesty, many believe that if he plays in meaningful games, something happened to Jackson Arnold, and as a result, something has gone completely wrong and the team is in trouble. 

Moreover, others feel like they want to see freshman Deuce Knight in the backup role, presumably to eventually take over for Arnold. However, between those two quarterbacks, Daniels acts as a bridge between those two worlds.

At Stanford, Daniels started and played as a dual-threat quarterback. Last season, he ran for 669 yards and three scores. Now, that aside, his passing while a starter needed work, completing only 60.8% of his throws and sporting a touchdown/interception ratio of 21/20. 

You can throw a 50/50 ball, but a ratio like that is going to lose games in bunches. However, numbers don't always tell the story, as Stanford is perennially hamstrung by extremely high academic standards that shrink their talent pool. 

As a senior, Daniels has the most experience of any quarterback on the Auburn roster. Throwing to Auburn’s group of wide receivers is a lot different than Stanford’s. 

That experience puts Auburn in less of a bind if Arnold were ever unavailable and allows Knight to spend his freshman year learning from two veterans. How Auburn will handle the backup quarterback role was one of the things Freeze was asked before the Tigers started preseason camp. He told reporters that it will depend on the situation.

"Probably situational. Ashton has a ton of experience with plus one runs at quarterback and obviously throwing the football,” said Freeze on Wednesday. He put up some really, really good numbers rushing-wiseg wise in a good league. I think you have to look at that a little differently," Freeze said at the beginning of fall camp. 

Daniels could see the field in running scenarios, as his elusiveness and agility are, by far, his best traits. As a result, placing him in situations where he can exploit defenses makes sense. At the same time, Daniels's presence actually helps Knight as an experienced voice on the sidelines and in meeting rooms. It also allows Auburn to take their time with Knight, a prospect they knew needed (at least) a year of development before facing SEC defenses. 

Knight factors into the team down the road, and provided that he can mature and improve, he will eventually help the Tigers in the long run.

If Knight transforms into a great passer, chances are that Daniels' name will not get mentioned as someone who helped him during the process. Meanwhile, Daniels, even as a backup, will prove his worth before the year is over.