It’s never an easy decision for a coach to play a true freshman quarterback, especially when that quarterback has been on campus for all of three months.

Kiehl Frazier has never even been through a spring practice, but he’s right in the thick of Auburn’s quarterback battle.

With the season opener a little more than two weeks away, it’s still a three-way battle with junior Barrett Trotter and sophomore Clint Moseley having the edge in experience. Both players have been with offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn for the past two seasons, and that has to count for something.

But talent also counts for something, and the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Frazier is just the kind of dual-threat quarterback Malzahn is looking for in his offense. Frazier also ran a very similar offense in high school.

He’s the kind of quarterback who specializes in extending the play, which may come in handy this season with a rebuilt offensive line.

It’s safe to say that the Tigers see Frazier as their quarterback of the future.

It’s also safe to say that Malzahn is way too smart to play Frazier before he’s ready.

The worst thing you can do to a young quarterback is give him the keys to the offense before he’s ready and scar him for years to come.

Still, the bottom line is that Auburn has gone through an entire spring practice and now approaching two weeks of preseason camp and hasn’t been able to settle on a starting quarterback.

There’s obviously a couple of ways to look at that.

For starters, Trotter and Moseley have competed their rears off. The general consensus was that Moseley would seek to transfer after the Tigers signed Frazier, but Malzahn made it clear that he wanted Moseley to stay, and the Leroy, Ala., product has made huge strides.

There’s also the other school of thought that if Trotter or Moseley hasn’t separated himself by this point, then it makes sense to go with Frazier, if he’s indeed the Tigers’ future at quarterback.

Auburn coach Gene Chizik has proven in the past that he takes his time in making these decisions. Remember, it was after the conclusion of spring practice before Cam Newton was named the Tigers’ starter.

Chizik and Malzahn will both do what’s best for this team … this season.

All the while, they’re not going to completely ignore the future, either.

Frazier’s too talented to redshirt and not play at all this season. So easing him in with the first unit may be the way the Tigers go.

In other words, if Auburn is 4-0 (or even 3-1) and clicking on offense going into that South Carolina game on Oct. 1, why not stick with Trotter or Moseley and use Frazier as the situation warrants?

But if the offense needs a pick-me-up and the Tigers are sitting there at 2-2 heading into October, the future may well be now for Frazier.

As in this season.