Auburn punter reportedly leaving team after being benched in opener

Losing your starting job is typically nothing to be ashamed of at the highest level of college football, as the best players in the nation are competing at every position with one goal in mind. Don’t tell that to Auburn punter Aidan Marshall.

Brandon Marcello of Auburn Undercover reports that https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2018/09/punter_aidan_marshall_leaving.html” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>Marshall has decided to leave the Tigers after he was benched in favor of fellow sophomore Arryn Siposs in the first game of the season. Marshall had beaten out Siposs during the summer, but Auburn coach Gus Malzahn pulled him from the team’s game against Washington on Sept. 1 after one punt of 30 yards.

Malzahn has reportedly informed Marshall that Ian Shannon will serve as the backup punter going forward, which is likely why Marshall decided to leave the team.

Marshall, a walk-on, averaged just 39.4 yards per punt last season. Auburn ranked 115th in the nation in punting, so it makes sense that Malzahn had him on a short leash this year. Marshall gained 27 pounds during the offseason and bulked up to 190, which led to Malzahn praising him during the preseason.

“Aidan Marshall has raised his game from last year to this year big time,” Malzahn said before the season. “It’s a really good competition and this time last year, just feeling about our punting game, is like night and day.”

As Marcello notes, Siposs trained with ProKick Australia before he was given a scholarship at Auburn. The last four recipients of the Ray Guy Award (given to college football’s best punter) went to players who trained with ProKick.