OL Depth

[ScottsboroAuburnFan 462]

Tired of talking QB's so let's take a look at who is gonna protect "said QB".. Word is Kim is #2 Center, but IMO if Dampeer went down Golson might move back in and and us move Leff over with Smith slideing to RT Or James at RT... Horton and James appear to be our top 2 backups...

Projected Starters.

LT: Golson. LG: Kozan. C: Dampeer. RG: Smith. RT: Leff.

 

52    Xavier Dampeer  6-2    310
54    Kaleb Kim  6-4    290 
61    Ryan Meneely  6-2    301
63    Alex Kozan  6-4    310 
64    Mike Horton  6-4    331  
65    Tucker Brown  6-3    290 
66    Bailey Sharp 6-5    300 
67    Tyler Carr  6-5    318 
70    Robert Leff  6-6    299 
71    Braden Smith  6-6    300 
72    Prince Sammons  6-7    289
73    Austin Golson  6-5    314 
74    Bubba Dowdell  6-2    297
75    Deon Mix  6-4    315 
76    Prince Tega  6-8    282 
77    Marquel Harrell  6-3    318
78    Darius James   6-4    320 

 

[AUFAN78 3,894]

I simply hope the starters stay healthy and play as a cohesive unit. IMO, this group may likely be the key to our success. It absolutely starts up front.

[ScottsboroAuburnFan 462]

Agree 78... The offense success starts right here. We have 4 guys that I believe are gonna be great. Leff is my only question mark but if he has out played the likes of Horton, James and others then he may do well. 

[abw0004 10,110]

We will have one of the best offensive lines in the country if we stay healthy.  James and Horton are really good back-ups too.  I was told Golson will back up center and James will replace Golson.  Whatever the situation though, Herb Hand knows what he is doing and I trust his judgement.  

[ScottsboroAuburnFan 462]

From Al.com

 

Alex Kozan feels like his old self and that's music to the ears of a lot of folks on the Plains.

Count Auburn's quarterbacks, offensive line and the entire offensive coaching staff as particularly thrilled to hear that the Tigers starting left guard, a preseason First Team All-SEC selection, is "completely healthy" after playing 2015 at less than full strength due to the herniated disc that sidelined him in 2014.

"I was just happy to be playing (last season)," Kozan said. "(In)2014 I wasn't sure if I'd ever play again. So 2015 to play the whole season, obviously I didn't play as good as I wanted to in a couple of games but you take that and you grow from there and keep getting better as a player."

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn firmly believes Kozan is back to the level he was as a freshman All-American in 2013.

"There's no doubt," Malzahn said. "I think he's probably as healthy as he's been since he's been here. His confidence level and just the experience factor – he's one of our offensive leaders, one our team leaders. He's one of the guys when he talks he doesn't say much, but when he talks everyone listens. He's had a great spring and great fall camp."

Kozan, who has started all 27 games he's appeared in, is the one member of Auburn's offensive line that isn't changing positions no matter what the circumstance or contingency required asks for. He's taken reps exclusively at left guard and along with right guard Braden Smith, helps form perhaps the best guard tandem in the SEC.

"I think Alex Kozan, being a veteran, has been extremely steady," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said. "And Braden's been steady. Those guys, really, in that whole first five, from (Robert) Leff and (Xavier Dampeer) and Austin (Golson), those guys are older guys -- that's what we need. They've been steady."

Auburn's starting offensive line of Golson at left tackle, Kozan, Dampeer at center, Smith and Leff at right tackle, has remained intact ever since the middle of spring practice and will remain that way as long as they remain healthy.

"That's a group that's gelling," Malzahn said. "We got a handful of those guys with the twos we've been getting a lot of reps with and some of those guys got the scrimmage reps (Saturday)."

Golson was contending with Darius James for the starting job but has pulled away in that competition.

It's a return outside for Golson, who played right tackle while at Ole Miss, and he's more comfortable there than at center, where he's still the backup.

Back in comfort zone, Auburn's Austin Golson more confident than ever

"I've been really, really pleased with him at left tackle, but with that being said he can't say 'Well I'm never going to play center again' because he's doing himself a disservice as well as the team," offensive line coach Herb Hand said. "We still have to keep him greased up a little bit in that regard in case we have to go down that road. You hope you don't but you never know so you've got to be prepared for those situations.

"As he has developed confidence at left tackle, that confidence will help him if he has to be move to another position as well. He's a guy that can play all five."

Stability on the offensive line, where Auburn has been fortunate to avoid major losses in recent years with the exception of Kozan's back injury in 2014, is why the group will likely be an area of strength for the offense this season.

Kozan said it takes a few weeks for players to feel fully comfortable playing next to each other and the line has reached that point now.

"When you know the guy next to you, it helps you execute better because you know his tendencies, you know what he wants on a particular block," Kozan said. "... Some situations you only get once in the entire camp, so it's definitely important to know who you're playing next to."

 

 

[ScottsboroAuburnFan 462]

They list 2nd string as

LT:James,LG: Harrell, C: Golson, RG:Horton, RT: Mix 

i had thought Sharp was on 2nd string but surprised to see Mix on there.  

[ValleyTiger 2,894]

3 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

We will have one of the best offensive lines in the country if we stay healthy.  James and Horton are really good back-ups too.  I was told Golson will back up center and James will replace Golson.  Whatever the situation though, Herb Hand knows what he is doing and I trust his judgement.  

Yup. Of course if there was a multi-week injury to a starter, guys could get shifted around further.

[ScottsboroAuburnFan 462]

Hand is gonna bring a lot to this O. He is gonna be in the booth and be Gus's eye in the sky. And Rhett will go back to being downfield watching the DB's with Gus at the line. 

[bigbird 60,513]

Which OL will be brought in as the "big TE"

[ValleyTiger 2,894]

3 minutes ago, ScottsboroAuburnFan said:

Hand is gonna bring a lot to this O. He is gonna be in the booth and be Gus's eye in the sky. And Rhett will go back to being downfield watching the DB's with Gus at the line. 

And that very well may be the biggest shot in the arm for the offense. Hand has been described as masterful at the run blocking game. 

@bigbird, my uninformed guess would be James.

[kd4au 1,145]

I thought James might win the start but I haven't heard much about him since fall camp started.I do think the O-line will be a strength of the team.

[corchjay 5,311]

I'm actually a little worried about the OL, we need much better drive blocking at the point of attack this year then last.  We were pretty good when pulling and such but just lining up and bulling someone we were average at best.  Why our first down run yardage was so poor.  The box was stacked but the interior line didn't whip their 1 on 1 match ups either.  So I m gonna watch closely to see how well they do in drive blocking.  I actually like the right side of the line for run blocking better then the left.  The buck sweep will be a right run this year, betcha!

[jskilgro 23]

Darius James is a bit of a disappointment here. Really hoped he'd solidify that RT spot and give us some talent and size like we haven't seen in a few years. 

[bigbird 60,513]

Leff will shock a lot of people I think. He is a technician and many discount his ability.

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 hours ago, bigbird said:

Leff will shock a lot of people I think. He is a technician and many discount his ability.

No dropoff when he came in for Young. Will only be better this year. Ditto for a more seasoned Smith and, as explained above, healthier Kozan. Golson was ok at center down the stretch last year but he was a weakness learning the position on the fly early in the season last year. Honestly think the MSU game in particular was influenced by that. Dampeer should be an upgrade. 

Good question about the big TE.  

[AU64 10,122]

Good to see Dampeer back and at full speed.....I think we missed him a lot last year....understood he could have probably started last year and it would not have been necessary to move Golson.   His injury really hurt the team.

[corchjay 5,311]

Leff will be good in run game will struggle if matched up against an elite pass rusher.  Golson might as well but he has been practicing against Carl so I'm sure he will be prepared for almost anything.  I think Kozan and Dampeer will decide if this is a top 10 OL or not.  Especially in the run game.  I think coach hand likes a little more zone blocking then previously so not sure the influence that all have.  This group seems to be more of an angle blocking group then a drive blocking outside of smith he's just a mauler.  But the entire western side of the conference is stacked at the defensive line so hopefully tempo can get deeper into their depth then last year.  That's one of the reasons I think playing Clemson early is actually good for us.  Hot humid and lack of experienced depth for them.  Their 1s will be good but what about when they get down to their 3s?

[Tiger 8,823]

11 hours ago, jskilgro said:

Darius James is a bit of a disappointment here. Really hoped he'd solidify that RT spot and give us some talent and size like we haven't seen in a few years. 

He was for Texas also -- according to their message boards. I think realistic expectations for him were to be a backup. He couldn't get it done at UT where they have been mediocre, so we have a quality backup here now instead. And hopefully in the next year or so the light comes on for him (he's a former 5* i think?) and he can gear up to start once Leff leaves the program.

[AlaskanFAN 1,666]

15 hours ago, ScottsboroAuburnFan said:

They list 2nd string as

LT:James,LG: Harrell, C: Golson, RG:Horton, RT: Mix 

i had thought Sharp was on 2nd string but surprised to see Mix on there.  

There is your 1st string OL for next year. 

[bigbird 60,513]

I'd be surprised to see Golson move back to center

[mcgufcm 4,096]

Honestly, I expect the first string OL next year to look something like this:

Golson/Horton/Kim/Smith/Ashley

Calvin Ashley looks every inch of a Marcus McNeil/Cam Robinson-type of Day One starter. That's just me.

[McLoofus 35,182]

5 minutes ago, mcgufcm said:

Honestly, I expect the first string OL next year to look something like this:

Golson/Horton/Kim/Smith/Ashley

Calvin Ashley looks every inch of a Marcus McNeil/Cam Robinson-type of Day One starter. That's just me.

Not just you. 

Man, do I love the idea of Horton and Kim starting next to each other as sophomores with Ashley starting as a freshman at RT. We'd take some lumps but we'd be looking at 3 years of those guys with Ashley sliding over to the left after next year. Then you've got Harrell, Sharp, Carr, the 2 Princes (#spindoctors4eva) who are all FR or RS FR this year... hard not to look forward 2 years on that group. 

[mcgufcm 4,096]

Plus Troxell. He's a talented kid with big time measurables. Toss him into the mix at the Tackle spot opposite Ashley.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. 2016 first!

[austudnt23 1,432]

13 hours ago, bigbird said:

Leff will shock a lot of people I think. He is a technician and many discount his ability.

Agree completely.

[doc4aday 1,887]

It all starts with the O-line. When they play as a fine tuned O-line, the rest of the offensive positions will excel the way they are supposed to do. I liked our former O-line Grimes very much and was not sure his replacement would be as good or maybe better.  I have grown to really like Coach Hand, and feel that he can get the best out of this group in a way that we have not seen in recent years. No knock on Coach Grimes, but I think we will see an O-line in the mold that Gus wants. The O-line and the D-line have to excel at a championship level that we need to compete and win in the SEC. I have a great feeling about this team and honestly feel that we can do well in the SEC and beyond this season.