It’s probably just a coincidence that Jarrett Stidham confirmed his commitment to Auburn shortly before the Heisman Trophy was awarded to Lamar Jackson on Saturday night. After all, the former Baylor quarterback met with Gus Malzahn and Rhett Lashlee during an in-home visit the day before, and it felt like only a matter of time.

Jarett Stidham's only season at Baylor was cut short by injury, but he finished with 1,265 yards, 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

But what if next year, or in two years or even three, it’s Stidham wearing the suit and tie, sitting with Jackson and all the former Heisman winners in New York City? What if he's waiting to hear his own name called?

There's no reason to hype up the kid before he's played a down at Auburn. We saw how well that went with Jeremy Johnson. But Stidham’s pledge is a game-changer for Malzahn and the Tigers. He takes them from a middling bowl team in 2017 to an immediate contender in the SEC West.

Coming out of high school, Stidham was ranked No. 37 overall in the ESPN 300 and the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback. In his first start at Baylor, the true freshman went 23-of-33 for 419 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bears past Kansas State. His first and only season got cut short because of an ankle injury, but he finished with 1,265 yards passing, 12 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Then came all the off-field problems at Baylor, the dismissal of former coach Art Briles, and at that point Stidham decided it was time to find a new home.

Auburn is that new home. Malzahn and Lashlee reached out shortly after Stidham transferred, and they stayed on him every step of the way. He was the quarterback who could take this offense and this team to the next level.

It happened with Cam Newton in 2010 when Newton won the Heisman and Auburn won the national championship. It happened again in 2013 when junior-college quarterback Nick Marshall guided the Tigers to the BCS championship game. They lost that game to Florida State, but there’s just something about quarterback transfers and Auburn.

Is Stidham next up to do something special on the Plains?

He’ll have the talent around him next year. Redshirt sophomore running back Kamryn Pettway, who rushed for over 1,000 yards in just eight games this season, announced Saturday night that he was returning to school in 2017. He’ll be joined in the backfield by fellow backs Kerryon Johnson and Stanton Truitt, along with starting H-back Chandler Cox.

The quartet of freshman wide receivers that arrived with so much promise this past offseason will be a year older and a year more experienced. There will be some transition on the offensive line with Alex Kozan and Robert Leff moving on, but depending on what some of the underclassmen decide to do in regards to the NFL draft, Auburn could have up to three starters back on a group that was among the best in the SEC.

The offense just needs a quarterback who’s efficient, who can make all the throws and who also can run with the ball. Stidham checks all those boxes.

Sean White can do those things, too. He proved he was more than capable this season, and he would be fine as Auburn’s quarterback in 2017. He’ll still be given every opportunity to win the job in spring practice and in in fall camp. But players like Stidham don’t come around every day.

And the fact that Stidham is headed to Auburn shows that the Tigers are serious about contending and putting an end to Alabama’s reign over the SEC. They're serious about getting back to the top.

Welcome to a new era at Auburn, the Jarrett Stidham era.