Auburn HC Hugh Freeze explains why he's opened up a QB competition

Quarterback competitions are won and loss in spring ball and in fall camp. That's a pretty consistent idea all the way through high school football to the NFL, but there is one college football team that finds itself hosting a competition with just four games to go in the 2025 season.

That program is the Auburn Tigers, who are 4-4 on the season and just 1-4 in SEC play. Head coach Hugh Freeze announced an "open competition" earlier this week between the quarterback who has started every game this season, Jackson Arnold, and Ashton Daniels, the quarterback who helped lead Auburn to its first SEC win last weekend against Arkansas.

That competition is now two practices deep, but Freeze's comments on Wednesday suggest that he's no closer to a decision on Auburn's quarterback than he was earlier this week.

“Through two practices, they’re both really great guys that prepare well. They’re getting us in the right things, they’re setting the protections the right way, they’re both making accurate throws — for the most part,” Freeze said on Wednesday's weekly SEC coaches teleconference (h/t On3). “And so, it’s really hard to decipher the difference when you’re in practice, and that’s what’s been so difficult. Jackson, of course, has gotten more of the reps because Ashton wasn’t here until late July, and that’s why it’s so difficult to decide.”

Arnold started the win over Arkansas but was benched in favor of Daniels after throwing a pick-six that allowed Arkansas to go into half with a 21-10 lead.