As we all learned late on Thursday evening, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn named Sean White as his starting quarterback for the SEC’s season opener against second-ranked Clemson on Sept. 3.

And though Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables and his players have said they don’t care who Auburn’s starting quarterback is, it must be helpful to know Auburn now has one.

White beat out Jeremy Johnson, who started seven games last year for those Tigers, and junior college transfer John Franklin III.

Clemson linebacker Ben Boulware can understand why White beat out the other two for the job.

“I think people sleep on Sean White, but he can definitely move with his feet,” Boulware said.

White started six games last year after coming in for a struggling Johnson in a Week 3 loss to LSU. He started the next five games before suffering an injury in a three-overtime loss to Arkansas. He missed the final four games of the regular season and then started the Birmingham Bowl where he gave way to Johnson after throwing two first-half interceptions. Johnson then rallied the Tigers for a victory over Memphis.

White completed 58 percent of his passes for 1,167 yards in the seven games he played in last season. He had one touchdown pass to four interceptions.

Malzahn naming White as the quarterback makes sense against a Clemson team who has question marks on pass defense. Clemson lost its two best pass rushers in Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd to the NFL, while the most experienced defensive end on the roster, Austin Bryant, is out with a foot injury.

Then there is the secondary where Clemson will be breaking in a new starter at cornerback and both safety positions. White, who is considered the better passer of the three Auburn had fighting for the job, is better equipped to exploit those weaknesses.

Venables said earlier this week that it doesn’t matter who the starting quarterback will be to him because he doesn’t expect much to change from what he has already seen on tape.

“For us, from what we have seen on tape, the schemes for the most part remain the same,” the Clemson coach said. “They do a good job spreading you out and running the football, being physical and utilizing the entire field.

“Their quarterbacks have experience and have been in the system for a few years now so I’m sure there is a good trust factor.”

The good news, Clemson no longer have to worry about who the starting quarterback will be, though the ACC’s Tigers will not be surprised to see all three quarterbacks at some point in the game.

“We have a scouting report on them. They are pretty much going to run the same offense,” Clemson safety/nickel back Korrin Wiggins said.

“It’s cool. We are just going to go out there and play some football and worry about Clemson. That’s about it.”

However, there is one Clemson Tiger who is familiar with White. Defensive end Chris Register, who is expected to play some in the Auburn game, said White was his quarterback at The Opening when the two were being recruited.

“We won the championship. I don’t know if he remembers me or not,” Register said.

White, according to ESPN, learned he was going to be the starting quarterback just before practice on Thursday. The redshirt sophomore said he feels responsible to lead his team against Clemson.

“I’m happy that coach put that responsibility on me,” he said to ESPN. “My teammates believe in me, and I feel like they have a reason to believe in me. I think we’ll be ready to go come (next) Saturday.”