Malzahn: Transfer options still open

LAGRANGE | The window hasn’t been closed on the possibility off adding more help for this year’s football team.

Auburn already has commitments from two graduate transfers, Illinois linebacker T.J. Neal and Miami-Ohio cornerback Marshall Taylor. Both are expected to enroll at Auburn this month.

Gus Malzahn was asked Wednesday about the potential of adding a third.

“That is a possibility. We’ll see how everything goes,” he said.

Two quarterbacks have been linked to Auburn as potential transfers although former Texas Tech signal caller Davis Webb seems set on enrolling at Colorado, where he’s committed, or California, where he visited several weeks ago. He has not visited Auburn.

Jacksonville State All-American Eli Jenkins hasn’t indicated any plans to transfer at this point in time and also has a pending court date for misdemeanor domestic violence on June 7. His dual-threat ability would be a good fit in Auburn’s offense, however.

“We’re not commenting on any kind of what we’re pursuing or not pursuing, but we feel good about the three guys that we have,” Malzahn said.

Malzahn is hoping one of those three — Sean White, John Franklin III or Jeremy Johnson — will end the quarterback competition in early August.

“They’re set to compete in fall camp and I’m hoping that we can name one of those guys the starter early in fall camp rather than later so they can actually get the reps with the ones,” Malzahn said. “I think we’re in good shape quarterback-wise.”

More from Malzahn, who spoke to reporters before Wednesday first stop on Tiger Trek in LaGrange, Ga.

** Malzahn said he is still gathering information and has not decided on a punishment for the four players — Carlton Davis, Byron Cowart, Ryan Davis and Jeremiah Dinson — arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession last week.

“I’m not going to get into all the details but obviously I’m disappointed we had some players arrested, but it will get taken care if,” Malzahn said. “I would say our whole team has done an excellent job of being good citizens, good in a classroom. You look at our team GPA and it’s the highest it’s been, I believe, in Auburn history. Our APR in the last four years is the highest in history.

“We’ve got a lot of positives going on so anytime something like that does happen, it’s obviously disappointing but we have a bunch of fine young men in our program.”

** Malzahn feels good about the chances of all the remaining freshman signees to report in good academic standing at the end of May.

** No final decisions have been made on satellite camps but Malzahn emphasized the importance of getting players on campus and sticking with Auburn’s natural recruiting base of Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

** Malzahn said last year was not up to his standards and he doesn’t plan to repeat the same mistakes. He didn’t elaborate on specifics but said he would concentrate on being a football coach this fall -- what he said he does best -- and not a CEO.