Drama on the Plains as Gatewood leaves Auburn
Game 7 of the World Series is drama enough. There are the ups, downs, shocks, disappointments and celebrations.
You know, like Auburn’s season…..every year.
Well, this year the drama increased when it was announced that freshman quarterback Joey Gatewood has left the team.
He said in a Twitter update: “Throughout this process I have experienced highs and lows, trials and tribulations.” He added that he had been committed to the program since 2015, but added: “It is in the best interest of my family that I move forward”.
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said: “I really appreciated Joey. When you think about it, when he didn’t win the job earlier, he chose to stick around. Most quarterbacks this day and time wouldn’t do that. He’s just at a point now where he wants to be a starting quarterback and just feels he needs to start looking for schools now so he can find the right spot, and I respect that. He’s a fine young man, and I really appreciate everything Joey has done for our program. Everyone in our program will be rooting for him moving forward.”
A lot of blame has been put on Gus Malzahn for this, because he used Gatewood sparingly while putting faith in fellow freshman Box Nix, who struggled pretty much throughout the season. Both players shone in the Spring, making it very difficult for Malzahn to make the decision – unlike a lot of SEC coaches. Gatewood had been a threat for the Tigers as a running QB, rushing for 148 yards and three touchdowns.
Inexplicably, Malzahn did not give a chance to Gatewood at LSU even with the struggles of Nix, who was terrible in Death Valley, going for 15-35 for just 157 yards, a TD and an INT. And this was against a LSU secondary that really wasn’t that great going into the game. LSU must have been the straw that broke the camel’s back for Gatewood, seeing that Malzahn wasn’t going to put him in despite the horror on the field. He knew then, and there, that it wasn’t to be.
People are thinking that the ideal landing spot for a dual-threat quarterback will be somewhere like Oklahoma, where Lincoln Riley seems to have no problem bring in dual-threat quarterbacks.
Gatewood – the No.1 QB in Florida at the time – was heavily recruited by Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Florida State, Mississippi State and Tennessee, and had a total of 35 offers.
In short, he’s going to be one of college football’s hottest commodities come the opening of the transfer portal.