The much-anticipated Jeremy Johnson Era at Auburn has officially ended — for now.
Coach Gus Malzahn announced Tuesday that redshirt freshman Sean White would start Saturday’s game against Mississippi State.
Malzahn told media he felt like White needed a shot at being the starter.
"He's our starting quarterback going into this game,’ Malzahn said. “We'll get behind him and I know his teammates will also. He's a talented young guy. We're excited to see what he can do."
The change isn’t exactly unexpected. Johnson has struggled mightily in his first three games as starter. He’s completed jut 59.7 percent of his passes for 473 yards and five touchdowns, and he’s also thrown six interceptions.
The problem is that Johnson was having difficulty reading defenses, which has stunted the Auburn offense greatly. Auburn has scored just 79 points this season, which is the fewest points for an SEC West team that's played three games.
White was an Elite 11 MVP in 2012. As a senior at University Nova South High School in Boca Raton, Fla., he passed for 2,679 yards and 30 touchdowns. Johnson beat him out in the spring, but with Johnson’s struggles, the calls for White to play have been loud.
White has never taken a collegiate snap, but Malzahn has faith he'll peform well, especially since the game is at home.
"Sean White is a good quarterback, I expect him to play well," Malzahn said. "Yes it's his first start, but I expect him to play well."
For more Auburn news, visit AuburnSports.com.
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