Auburn's Jeremy Johnson 'knows for a fact' teammate Nick Marshall will win the Heisman

Nick Marshall had a terrific season in 2013, his first after transferring to Auburn. The quarterback passed for 1,976 yards, rushed for 1,068 yards and added 26 totals touchdowns (14 passing, 12 rushing) to lead the Tigers all the way to the BCS National Championship Game.

Auburn came up just short in a 34-31 loss to Florida State, but the outlook is bright for this season. Marshall has taken steps to improve his game and his teammates have noticed. Speaking to Al.com, backup quarterback Jeremy Johnson spoke highly of the senior QB and even predicted Marshall will walk away from the 2014 season with some serious hardware.

He led us to the national championship, and we were 13 seconds away. And this year he got better at passing, better at running, better at making reads. He's become a leader on this team and I've never seen him so amped at practice every day the way he is, the way he comes. So, I know for a fact he'll win the Heisman.

Marshall's quest for the Heisman Trophy will begin from the bench because he will not start Auburn's opener after receiving a citation for possession of marijuana during the offseason. It's unclear just how much of the Tigers' game against Arkansas that Marshall will miss.

While Johnson is certainly biased in his opinion, Marshall does enter the season with a great chance to be among the best players in college football. If he can lead Auburn into the inaugural College Football Playoff, it won't come as any surprise to see him in attendance at the New York Athletic Club when the Heisman Trophy winner is announced.