Phillip's blog: In search of a QB

Auburn's football team needs to build some depth at linebacker, to solidify its offensive line and for some very talented receivers to be more productive than they've been in the past.

Senior Editor Phillip Marshall

But with the start of the 2012 season four months away, like every football team everywhere, what Auburn needs most of all is a winner at quarterback.
Every coach would like to have Cam Newton or Jason Campbell or Pat Sullivan or Reggie Slack or Dameyune Craig or Stan White, quarterbacks with physical talents that set them apart. But that's only part of the equation.

Those six former Auburn stars also each had unique ability to inspire their teammates to follow them, to play a little harder and a little better. They were at their best when it mattered most. And, for a quarterback, that is as crucial.

Lloyd Nix, Randy Campbell, Jeff Burger, Ben Leard, Patrick Nix and Brandon Cox didn't have overwhelming physical talent, but they had a different level of mental and physical toughness than most. Randy Walls wasn't fast and didn't have a particularly strong arm, but he made plays when they had to be made and helped the 1972 Tigers go 10-1.

All those quarterbacks had what offensive coaches like to call "it." And they led Auburn to championships or big-winning seasons.

Finding the next one of those guys, the next Auburn quarterback who can say to his teammates "Follow me and we will win," is the most important task facing Auburn head coach Gene Chizik and first-year offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler. Without that, life on the field is very hard.

Will it bet sophomore Kiehl Frazier? Will it be junior Clint Moseley?

Both Frazier and Moseley are fierce competitors and hard-working guys who have the respect of their teammates. Frazier, with his combination of arm strength and athleticism, has more raw talent, but Moseley is certainly not without talent. Both are bright guys who will work hard to learn the new offense Loeffler has brought to town.

In September one will have earned the opportunity to do what thousands of little boys playing in their back yards dream of doing. He'll be Auburn's starting quarterback.

And he'll have an opportunity to make his mark in the long and storied history of Auburn football.