https://auburn.247sports.com/Article/Auburn-punter-Aidan-Marshall-leaves-team-121745240/Source: Auburn punter leaves team
AUBURN, Alabama — Punter
Aidan Marshall has left the team after losing the starting job to newcomer
Arryn Siposs, Auburn Undercover has learned.
The walkon out of Virginia informed coach
Gus Malzahn of the decision this week, a person familiar with the decision tells Auburn Undercover. Malzahn is scheduled to address the media next at his weekly press conference Tuesday morning.
Marshall was in a dead heat with Siposs, a sophomore, for the starting job heading into the season and received the nod to start in the season opener Sept. 1 against Washington, booting one punt for 30 yards before he was yanked in favor of Siposs, a former professional Aussie Rules football player.
Marshall has not returned to the field since the lone punt against the Huskies and Siposs has handled the last four punts for the Tigers while averaging 40.8 yards. Siposs punted twice Saturday in Auburn's 63-9 victory against Alabama State at an average of 38 yards and landed one punt inside the 20-yard line.
Marshall averaged only 39.4 yards per punt in 2017 but Malzahn said in August he had improved drastically from year to year.
"Aidan Marshall has raised his game from last year to this year big time," Malzahn said during preseason camp. "It’s a really good competition and this time last year, just feeling about our punting game, is like night and day. It’s a great competition. But he’s a competitor and it’s great competition."
It's possible Auburn moves
Ian Shannon back into the lineup at punter to be Siposs' backup heading into No. 7 Auburn's showdown with No. 12 LSU this week. Shannon was Auburn's starter until he was replaced by Marshall five games into the 2017 season.
Shannon has averaged 38.2 yards per punt during his career. He handled kickoffs and extra points late in Auburn's blowout of Alabama State, converting all three point-after attempts. The Marietta, Georgia native punted 14 times in four games last season. He averaged 39.8 yards per punt and landed five of those punts inside the 20-yard line.
Like Siposs, Shannon is on scholarship. He is a junior.
Marshall is the son of a former Auburn track and cross country runner and was a walkon. Siposs was placed on scholarship after committing to the Tigers before the 2018 season.
"We will be better at the punting game than we were last year, I’ll tell you that," Malzahn reiterated in August.
Marshall, a sophomore, gained an incredible 27 pounds in the offseason to bulk up to 190 pounds heading into the season. Siposs weighs 200 pounds after playing several years of Aussie rules football.
"(Marshall is) bigger and stronger," Malzahn said earlier in preseason camp. "I think, too, the confidence. He kicked in some big games and the confidence he has and he’s a confident guy, too. He’s a competitor, too. And then a guy shows up who has a huge leg. That has a way of even making you better and I think that’s what we’re seeing so far."
Marshall handled most of Auburn’s punts last season with varying degrees of success. He was not helped much by the Tigers' punt coverage unit, either. Auburn ranked 115th nationally in net punting in 2017 at 35.6 yards.
Siposs trained with ProKick Australia leading up to his arrival at Auburn. Auburn coaches hope he follows in the footsteps of former Australians to come out of ProKick. The last five Ray Guy Award winners trained with ProKick Australia.
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