A-Day: 10 players to watch

[aubiefifty 16,753]

Auburn A-Day: 10 players to keep an eye on

Updated April 07, 2017 Posted April 07, 2017

Auburn A-Day: 10 players to keep an eye on

Auburn will hold its A-Day scrimmage Saturday inside Jordan-Hare Stadium, providing fans their first taste of football since the Tigers left New Orleans with a Sugar Bowl loss in early January.

Coming off an 8-5 season, there’s plenty of intrigue surrounding Gus Malzahn’s fifth season on the Plains. With familiar and new faces at key position check out the 10 Tigers you’ll want to keep an eye on below.

 

JULIE BENNETT

 

Jarrett Stidham (#8 | Quarterback)

If there’s one player Auburn fans are itching to see on Saturday, it’s Jarrett Stidham. The new quarterback was ranked as the No. 1 junior college prospect in the 247Sports Composite after throwing for 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 games at Baylor in 2015. Stidham has been praised for his big arm, and it will be interesting to see how that factors into Chip Lindsey’s offensive play-calling on A-Day.

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said he will wait until fall camp to name his first-string quarterback as returning starter Sean White continues to recover from his arm injury, but Stidham is the presumed favorite. Fans will surely be eager to see him air it out this weekend.

Wesley Sinor

Byron Cowart (#9 | Defensive tackle)

Cowart has been one of Auburn’s more intriguing players since his arrival in 2015. The former five-star prospect was ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the country by ESPN, but saw limited playing time as a freshman and sophomore. He accounted for just 12 total tackles in his first two seasons and has moved from defensive end to defensive tackle this spring.

Teammate Marlon Davidson told reporters last month Cowart feels more comfortable in his new role and has a renewed sense of confidence. "He's a different Byron,” Davidson said. “He's got that swag about him now.” Saturday’s scrimmage is a perfect opportunity for Cowart to show fans what he’s got as the Tigers look to replace Montravius Adams on the interior of the defensive line.

Julie Bennett

Sal Cannella (#80 | Tight end)

Cannella is one of two tight ends Auburn signed in February. He has college football experience, albeit at the junior college level. At Scottsdale Community College last season, the former basketball player hauled in 29 catches for 443 yards and seven touchdowns, leading the Tigers to believe he could be a red zone threat this season.

New offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey has said he’d like to utilize the tight ends more in the passing game, so look for Cannella to get his hands on the football as he competes for playing time with returning starter Jalen Harris.

Julie Bennett

 

Jeremiah Dinson (#20 | Defensive back)

It’s been a while since Auburn fans have seen Dinson in action. The 6-foot, 186-pounder suffered a brutal blindside hit at Texas A&M in 2015. The result nearly ended his career — a dislocated shoulder, a dislocated knee and three torn ligaments in that knee.

Dinson was lost for the remainder of the 2015 season and was redshirted last year as he rehabilitated. He’s now back to full speed, says he feels better than ever and is eager to prove it on Saturday.

Julie Bennett

[bigbird 60,463]

10? 

1.Stidham

2.Cowart

3.Canella

4.Dinson

Am I missing something?

 

[aubiefifty 16,753]

5 minutes ago, bigbird said:

10? 

1.Stidham

2.Cowart

3.Canella

4.Dinson

Am I missing something?

 

lol no. it is from the dreaded site no one likes and that was all there was.........

[aubiefifty 16,753]

i screwed up somehow. i went back to make sure. i hate to blame my screw up on the site. so here it is.....

Auburn A-Day: 10 players to keep an eye on

Updated April 07, 2017 Posted April 07, 2017

Auburn A-Day: 10 players to keep an eye on

Auburn will hold its A-Day scrimmage Saturday inside Jordan-Hare Stadium, providing fans their first taste of football since the Tigers left New Orleans with a Sugar Bowl loss in early January.

Coming off an 8-5 season, there’s plenty of intrigue surrounding Gus Malzahn’s fifth season on the Plains. With familiar and new faces at key position check out the 10 Tigers you’ll want to keep an eye on below.

 

JULIE BENNETT

 

Jarrett Stidham (#8 | Quarterback)

If there’s one player Auburn fans are itching to see on Saturday, it’s Jarrett Stidham. The new quarterback was ranked as the No. 1 junior college prospect in the 247Sports Composite after throwing for 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 games at Baylor in 2015. Stidham has been praised for his big arm, and it will be interesting to see how that factors into Chip Lindsey’s offensive play-calling on A-Day.

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said he will wait until fall camp to name his first-string quarterback as returning starter Sean White continues to recover from his arm injury, but Stidham is the presumed favorite. Fans will surely be eager to see him air it out this weekend.

Wesley Sinor

Byron Cowart (#9 | Defensive tackle)

Cowart has been one of Auburn’s more intriguing players since his arrival in 2015. The former five-star prospect was ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the country by ESPN, but saw limited playing time as a freshman and sophomore. He accounted for just 12 total tackles in his first two seasons and has moved from defensive end to defensive tackle this spring.

Teammate Marlon Davidson told reporters last month Cowart feels more comfortable in his new role and has a renewed sense of confidence. "He's a different Byron,” Davidson said. “He's got that swag about him now.” Saturday’s scrimmage is a perfect opportunity for Cowart to show fans what he’s got as the Tigers look to replace Montravius Adams on the interior of the defensive line.

Julie Bennett

Sal Cannella (#80 | Tight end)

Cannella is one of two tight ends Auburn signed in February. He has college football experience, albeit at the junior college level. At Scottsdale Community College last season, the former basketball player hauled in 29 catches for 443 yards and seven touchdowns, leading the Tigers to believe he could be a red zone threat this season.

New offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey has said he’d like to utilize the tight ends more in the passing game, so look for Cannella to get his hands on the football as he competes for playing time with returning starter Jalen Harris.

Julie Bennett

 

Jeremiah Dinson (#20 | Defensive back)

It’s been a while since Auburn fans have seen Dinson in action. The 6-foot, 186-pounder suffered a brutal blindside hit at Texas A&M in 2015. The result nearly ended his career — a dislocated shoulder, a dislocated knee and three torn ligaments in that knee.

Dinson was lost for the remainder of the 2015 season and was redshirted last year as he rehabilitated. He’s now back to full speed, says he feels better than ever and is eager to prove it on Saturday.

Julie Bennett

Malik Willis (#14 | Quarterback)

The former cornerback only played one season at quarterback in high school, but has been one of the biggest surprises of Auburn’s spring practices. The true freshman has garnered multiple comparisons to former Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall because of his speed and ability to make plays when things break down.

During Auburn’s first scrimmage last month, Willis shed his non-contact jersey and accounted for two of the five offensive touchdowns. While Stidham will undoubtedly be working with the first-team offense as Sean White sits out due to injury, Willis could be the second-team quarterback Saturday.

Julie Bennett

Prince Tega Wanogho Jr. (#76 | Offensive tackle)

When Auburn signed Wanogho in 2015, the Tigers received a raw but promising talent. After a redshirt season the massive offensive tackle got on the field for the first time as a backup last season. Now, he’s pushing for a starting job.

Wanogho (6-foot-8, 300 pounds) has impressed teammates and coaches alike with his strength. This spring he's been working with the second team behind returning starter Darius James. He could very well earn a starting role at tackle if James is move inside to guard.

JULIE BENNETT

Chandler Wooten (#17 | Outside linebacker)

After racking up 124 tackles as a high school senior last fall, Wooten enrolled at Auburn in January and has quickly made a name for himself in spring practices. Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele and linebackers coach Travis Williams have been impressed with Wooten’s intelligence and ability to pick up the scheme quickly.

Auburn’s linebacker corps remains intact with Tre’ Williams, Deshaun Davis and Darrell Williams back for another year, but Wooten will be expected to provide quality depth this season.  

Julie Bennett

John Franklin III (#5 | Receiver and retuner)

Franklin was one of Auburn’s most talked-about players last season. That remains the case this spring, but he’s at a new position. After serving as Auburn’s second-string quarterback last year, Franklin has made a full-time move to wide receiver.

Though he has not been made available to the media this spring, Franklin has seemingly embraced the change. He posted a series of workout videos over spring break that showed him running all kinds of receiver drills focused on footwork and hands. Franklin hasn’t been working with the first-team offense this spring, but his speed is undeniable and he’s fun to watch when he’s in open space.

Julie Bennett

Malik Miller (#32 | Running back)

Auburn fans already know what Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson are capable of. The dynamic duo combined for 2,119 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground last season, but what does the depth behind them look like? Miller appears primed to be the No. 3 running back, and will probably see plenty of action on A-Day.

The 5-foot-11, 235-pound bruiser has recovered from the season-ending knee injury he suffered last October and is ready to roll. Johnson told reporters last month Miller has put the injury behind him and is “looking very good.” Miller scored two touchdowns in Auburn’s first spring scrimmage.

JULIE BENNETT

Marlon Character (#8 | Defensive back)

After redshirting last season, Character was deemed Auburn’s “most productive” freshman by linebacker Tre’ Williams during the team’s Sugar Bowl practices. He’s followed that up with a productive spring in which he’s moved from safety to cornerback.

Teammates have consistently praised his progress and ability to create turnovers. "Playmaking, speed, great hips, great ability in man coverage… Just really talented in what he does," said safety Stephen Roberts.

Julie Bennett

[WarDamnEagleWDE 12,737]

19 minutes ago, bigbird said:

10? 

1.Stidham

2.Cowart

3.Canella

4.Dinson

Am I missing something?

 

5,6,7,8,9 &10. 

[bigbird 60,463]

1 minute ago, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

5,6,7,8,9 &10. 

[WarDamnEagleWDE 12,737]

6 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

Wanogho (6-foot-8, 300 pounds) has impressed teammates and coaches alike with his strength. This spring he's been working with the second team behind returning starter Darius James. He could very well earn a starting role at tackle if James is move inside to guard.

He is not quite ready for this. FWIW. But will be very interesting to watch him. Very. 

[WarDamnEagleWDE 12,737]

Good list BTW. Good read also. 

[aubiefifty 16,753]

still not sure how i screwed up copying and pasting but i did. there is a tool on the upper tabs that looks like a book and you can click it and not have to weed advertisements out of the article maybe it did not all load.. shrugs....once again sorry.......but i do try hard   lol

[bigbird 60,463]

No need to apologize. Thanks for posting

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

8 minutes ago, bigbird said:

No need to apologize. Thanks for posting

Besides,

Keeping crossed eyes through bifocals on the OP, I just about got the right number at the outset.

[aubiefifty 16,753]

thanx for keeping me straight mr bird............

[ellitor 33,081]

43 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

still not sure how i screwed up copying and pasting but i did. there is a tool on the upper tabs that looks like a book and you can click it and not have to weed advertisements out of the article maybe it did not all load.. shrugs....once again sorry.......but i do try hard   lol

When you paste something there is a message at the bottom of the dialogue box that reads "Remove Formatting". Click on in and it removes all of that stuff.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

yep - good read. Those are exactly the players I want to see the most from at this point. Most on this list are new, returning from injury, or changed position.

[aubiefifty 16,753]

19 minutes ago, ellitor said:

When you paste something there is a message at the bottom of the dialogue box that reads "Remove Formatting". Click on in and it removes all of that stuff.

thanx ellitor!

[Linayus 676]

I've been wanting to see more of Prince Tega since he signed on. So much raw potential, I can't wait till it all clicks and he explodes on the line for us!

Yes, I'm super optimistic, but c'mon!!

[Sani-Freeze 552]

3 hours ago, bigbird said:

10? 

1.Stidham

2.Cowart

3.Canella

4.Dinson

Am I missing something?

 

5-10 is Wade Christopher

[80Tiger 899]

3 hours ago, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

He is not quite ready for this. FWIW. But will be very interesting to watch him. Very. 

Not questioning your opinion, because you have a lot of info. In all seriousness, do you get to attend a lot of the practices?

[WarDamnEagleWDE 12,737]

13 minutes ago, 80Tiger said:

Not questioning your opinion, because you have a lot of info. In all seriousness, do you get to attend a lot of the practices?

No. But I know a lot of people who do. 

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

4 hours ago, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

No. But I know a lot of people who do. 

and, apparently, 80 and I (and some others?) sort'a know somebody that knows a lot of people who do.

Posts appreciated. Many Thanks.

(edited for grammar)

[corchjay 5,311]

Not a specific player but I'm most interested in seeing the Bucks and the younger safeties behind the starters. 

[Shift 350]

Players I will be watching:

1) The entire wide out corps

I guess I could come up with a 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 or 10 but we MUST have more production from our wide receivers this season.  To sign such highly recruited classes, IMO, our wide outs have under performed for FAR too long.

[Auburn06 76]

I am super excited about this spring game, I mean..I know it's just practice but for some reason I am really looking forward to it this year!