With Hugh Freeze out of the picture and DJ Durkin now steering the ship, Auburn’s first move was bold: a quarterback shake-up. It saw Auburn forget its quarterback Jackson Arnold as Ashton Daniels took the reins against Vanderbilt. The risk paid dividends, but a new question looms large. As Mercer awaits, will Durkin roll the dice again with Daniels, or play it safe to protect his redshirt? Auburn’s QB room suddenly feels like a high-stakes chess match. But looks like the Tigers might have to count on Arnold again.

On November 10, The Barn posted a clip of Durkin’s latest presser. And it is obvious that the Daniels question would come up. “We always try to do two things, what’s best for the young man and his family and what’s best for the program. Those are ongoing decisions and discussions throughout this week,” clarified Durkin.” Now, where does Daniels stand at the moment?

The quarterback is standing at the crossroads. Daniels has suited up in three games this season and still holds his redshirt card. Under NCAA rules, players can appear in up to four games without burning a year of eligibility. Now, what does this mean? If Daniels skips the Mercer matchup, he could keep that redshirt intact and set himself up for a comeback run at Auburn next season. Even if Daniels takes the rest of the season off, he’s already earned his place in Auburn lore. 

Against Vanderbilt, Daniels was the commander-in-chief of the offense. He has only played three games this season. Against the Commodores, the quarterback had hit his career high of 353 yards for two touchdowns, holding a 70.5% completion rate (31 of 44). In contrast, things did not go as planned for Arnold.

While Freeze was still there at the Plains, he made a decision in favor of Daniels, pushing Arnold to the backseat. Auburn chose to bench him in favor of backup Daniels right before halftime against Arkansas. And it eventually turned out to be a good decision. The backup guided the Tigers to a 33–24 triumph, finally snapping the streak with their first SEC win of the year.

Freeze had good reason to tip his cap. Daniels wasn’t even on campus until July, fresh from Stanford with his degree in hand. He didn’t get much time to settle in, either. No major reps behind Arnold and freshman Deuce Knight until Week 3 or 4. And still, the kid showed up and won hearts. After being firm about not playing Arnold, how will Durkin feel if he changes course and gives him the keys again?

Ashton Daniels brings back the Tigers’ attack

Before the Vanderbilt face-off, Durkin hinted at how the Auburn squad has found more confidence in Arnold’s backup than the quarterback himself. “[I] really just took opinions of the guys on offense. And, you know, it was a lot that went into it, but ultimately we feel really good about it,” he shared about making Daniels the starter. Now, give it a thought.

Arnold could not win Durkin and co.’s confidence as the issues he faced in the Oklahoma Sooners followed him like a shadow. Throwing deep has been a challenge for Arnold, and defenses have turned him into target practice, sacking him a staggering 29 times. His production tells the story: just 1,278 passing yards and six touchdowns this season. A negative rushing total versus Oklahoma? Fine, that’s forgivable. But –12 against Kentucky? That’s a real problem. Turns out that luck has not favored Daniels as well.

With Ashton Daniels at the helm, for the first time in weeks, Auburn’s offense looked alive – four straight scoring drives to open the game, a short hiccup after the break, and a late fourth-quarter strike that pushed it into overtime. But Daniels remained positive all throughout. Even taking a L against Vanderbilt, the quarterback admitted that, “It hurts.” However, he still assured, “But to be honest, we know that we’re taking a step in the right direction in the locker room.” If the redshirt choice comes at the price of losing his role to Jackson Arnold, will he still see it as the right call?