Auburn's 3 quarterbacks engaged in tight battle

AUBURN, Ala. -- Kodi Burns doesn't know any other way.

The Auburn quarterback is once again engaged in a battle for the starting job. First it was Brandon Cox during his freshman season. Then came Chris Todd, and now Burns is locked in a three-way competition with Neil Caudle and Barrett Trotter with no resolution apparently in sight.

``I'm used to it now,'' said Burns, the starter by last season's end. ``It's the way college life is in the football realm of things. I'm a veteran at this now. It's not that bad.''

That's a good attitude to have, since the three quarterback contenders might still be stuck in a logjam entering preseason practices in August. Coach Gene Chizik indicated after last weekend's opening scrimmage of spring practice that the three were still ``clumped together'' and he and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn might not pick a No. 1 guy this spring.

``We're all neck and neck right now,'' Caudle said. ``I think coach Malzahn's been waiting for one of us to separate ourselves from the others.''

The coaches even removed the quarterbacks' untouchable status during parts of the scrimmage to see how they responded before and after contact. The guys taking the extra licks aren't complaining.

``It gives you that real game feel, really keeps you in the game more,'' said Trotter, who will be a redshirt freshman next season. ``I think when you know you're not live, it's just always in the back of your head that you're not going to get lit up on this play or that play. So I think it's good. I think the coaches are trying to do it just to see how we react to it and make sure we can come out of it alive.''

Caudle sustained an injured shoulder two years ago in live-action work, but said he's not shying away from the contact as a result.

``You've got to see if the quarterback can withstand pressure and how he reacts with a live rush and how physical he is,'' the junior said. ``I think it's a good thing. I think that if you go out with the right attitude, it's going to help you out.''

While Burns is accustomed to being in a heated battle, this is Caudle's first real shot. When Auburn's offense was struggling going into West Virginia last season, then-coach Tommy Tuberville hinted he might turn the reins over to Trotter instead of redshirting him.

The Tigers wound up sticking with Burns to the end, but Caudle couldn't help but wonder, What about me?

``I know we were a little bit desperate, but it was kind of disheartening for that to happen,'' he said. ``But I think it all worked out in the end, and this is a new year.

``When you're not playing, a fresh start is always a good thing. You get a clean slate with the new coaching staff and with a great coaching staff, so I think it's definitely a good thing.''

There might be benefits to having an established No. 1 guy going into the offseason, allowing the receivers to know who they need to log the most time with, for one thing. Burns wouldn't know about that.

``We've never had one guy since I've been here,'' he said. ``I can't tell you the other side of the story. I know the side with two quarterbacks. You have to split the reps during the summer. That's what I'm used to so that's what I know.''