Eli Stove to take next step

[aubiefifty 16,777]

Auburn looking for 'special talent' Eli Stove to take next step at receiver

Posted on May 25, 2017 at 1:38 PM

3 minutes

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Kodi Burns likes to tell his young receivers that they can't truly be themselves until they reach a certain level of comfort within the offense.

In that sense, fans may see the real Eli Stove this fall.

"I feel like I can step out and I have more confidence playing here," Stove said in March.

That bodes well for the sophomore flanker receiver after a noteworthy freshman season for the Tigers. As a freshman in 2016, Stove was fourth on the team with 224 receiving yards while finishing third with 23 receptions. Only Tony Stevens (31) and Ryan Davis (25) caught more passes than the 6-foot, 183-pound speedster.

Stove also added 131 rushing yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, including a 78-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep during the first play from scrimmage against Arkansas.

"He's a special player, a special talent," Auburn receivers coach Kodi Burns said Monday before speaking to the Barbour County Auburn Club in Eufaula. "As we all saw, you can turn on the Arkansas game and you can see that pretty easily."

 

Stove has the versatility Auburn asks from its flanker

A breakdown of Auburn's flankers after spring practice

 

Stove is projected to start at flanker for Auburn this fall, as his speed and versatility -- paired with last season's effort -- give the Tigers precisely what they look for in the position. Now, Burns said, it's all about taking the next step to become a true impact player and offensive weapon for new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.

"Eli had a decent spring," Burns said. "He's got to continue to progress. He's one of those guys who I think took a step forward, but he was up and down a little bit, inconsistent."

Burns wants to see more of that big-play capability from Stove on a more frequent basis. He specifically pointed to the long touchdown against Arkansas, as well as Stove's 55-yard reception on a pass from John Franklin III in the Iron Bowl -- a play that went down as Auburn's longest pass of the season.

If Stove, who said this spring he has focused on his releases off the line of scrimmage and getting out of his routes quicker, can get comfortable in Lindsey's revamped offense and be himself, Burns likes the possibilities it brings to Auburn's talented but youthful receiving corps this fall.

"Eli is a guy that's special," Burns said. "He's talented, can make plays. As long as he just stays consistent, understands the offense, working hard, being tough, he's going to be a special player."

[weagl1 1,784]

That run against Arkansas was beautifully blocked and it was appropriate to call it a jet sweep because I was looking for a vapor trail behind him.  I remember thinking dang that kid can fly!

[Rednilla 5,391]

Really looking forward to seeing what our rising sophomore receivers can do this year, as they take on a bigger role in the offense. 

[milehighfan 1,240]

12 hours ago, weagl1 said:

That run against Arkansas was beautifully blocked and it was appropriate to call it a jet sweep because I was looking for a vapor trail behind him.  I remember thinking dang that kid can fly!

I was thinking the same thing. I didn't realize he was that fast. Apparently Arkansas's defense didn't either. I hope we see it a lot more from and the rest of the offense this season.

[WFE12 9,191]

Definitely think they should put the ball in his hands as much as possible. Dude has stupid speed.

[AUpreacherman22 3,885]

The Stove is hot and ready to cook some opponents in 2017!!!

[auburn4ever 1,266]

It's time for Eli to step up and be a leader.

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

On 5/27/2017 at 2:50 PM, Rednilla said:

Really looking forward to seeing what our rising sophomore receivers can do this year, as they take on a bigger role in the offense. 

⬆️⬆️This! I can't wait to see KD, NCM, and Stove all on the field at once. They could truly be something SPECIAL!

[Rednilla 5,391]

Just now, Auburn2Eugene said:

⬆️⬆️This! I can't wait to see KD, NCM, and Stove all on the field at once. They could truly be something SPECIAL!

Don't forget Darius Slayton...

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

3 minutes ago, Rednilla said:

Don't forget Darius Slayton...

You are ABSOLUTELY right. I had forgotten he was a redshirt freshman last season. I was thinking he was a Jr. Slayton and NCM are my favorites.

[WFE12 9,191]

I know he's not a receiver but  he kinda is....Sal Cannela. We can use him like Evan Engram. He has gained 8 pounds and will gain more during Coach Russel's program this summer. Coaches and teammates have been really impressed by how he catches the ball.

[bigbird 60,520]

5 hours ago, WFE12 said:

I know he's not a receiver but  he kinda is....Sal Cannela. We can use him like Evan Engram. He has gained 8 pounds and will gain more during Coach Russel's program this summer. Coaches and teammates have been really impressed by how he catches the ball.

But have been more critical about his lack of blocking ability

[Barnacle 9,064]

40 minutes ago, bigbird said:

But have been more critical about his lack of blocking ability

We talking as a traditional TE, or in general? 

[bigbird 60,520]

1 minute ago, Barnacle said:

We talking as a traditional TE, or in general? 

In general. Was told his In line blocking is really bad and his blocking on the perimeter is not good enough to keep him on the field.  Was also told that he is working hard to fix it.

[Barnacle 9,064]

1 minute ago, bigbird said:

In general. Was told his In line blocking is really bad and his blocking on the perimeter is not good enough to keep him on the field.  Was also told that he is working hard to fix it.

That's the part I'll choose to focus on. He doesn't need to be a mauler. 

[Tiger 8,823]

I mean is he Duke Williams-level bad at blocking on the perimeter?

[80Tiger 899]

1 hour ago, Tiger said:

I mean is he Duke Williams-level bad at blocking on the perimeter?

If he is that bad then it means he is not even making an effort.

[RunInRed 16,407]

Bump ... Stove was eerily quiet this fall camp ...

 

[Rednilla 5,391]

21 minutes ago, RunInRed said:

Bump ... Stove was eerily quiet this fall camp ...

 

I don't remember a whole lot of singling out for any of the receivers this fall. I wonder if that isn't by design, as in the entire group is so gifted that praise for one or two would do the rest an injustice, and it's better to let the play on the field define their praise. The article about the receivers wanting to be the best group in the country seems to echo that thought, and the amount of love that Marquis McClain has gotten on this board in spite of there not being so much chatter about him this fall would fit into that mindset as well.

I think we might well have the very good problem of not having enough passes to go around to all the playmakers, and not just because we run the ball more than we throw it. It'll be fun to see how this all plays out.

[djg0017 726]

1 hour ago, Rednilla said:

I think we might well have the very good problem of not having enough passes to go around to all the playmakers, and not just because we run the ball more than we throw it. It'll be fun to see how this all plays out.

I hope the result of this and the addition of Stidham is that on any given pass play at least one guy is gonna get open and is gonna get a good pass. I can live with an occasional drop or just great play from the defender but as long as the receivers are getting open consistently and JS is throwing accurately consistently then we are set. IMO I think that's the biggest difference in the QB-WR dynamics from a year ago.

[Rednilla 5,391]

46 minutes ago, djg0017 said:

I hope the result of this and the addition of Stidham is that on any given pass play at least one guy is gonna get open and is gonna get a good pass. I can live with an occasional drop or just great play from the defender but as long as the receivers are getting open consistently and JS is throwing accurately consistently then we are set. IMO I think that's the biggest difference in the QB-WR dynamics from a year ago.

I don't know...I think the biggest difference in the QB-WR dynamics this year and last year is that this year we have a QB who can both put the velocity on the ball to get it to the spot it needs to be for an open receiver to catch it, as well as the arm strength to get the ball into windows downfield where receivers have gotten behind the defenders. Maybe that's just semantics, but I don't think throwing accuracy was ever Sean White's problem.

[djg0017 726]

2 minutes ago, Rednilla said:

I don't know...I think the biggest difference in the QB-WR dynamics this year and last year is that this year we have a QB who can both put the velocity on the ball to get it to the spot it needs to be for an open receiver to catch it, as well as the arm strength to get the ball into windows downfield where receivers have gotten behind the defenders. Maybe that's just semantics, but I don't think throwing accuracy was ever Sean White's problem.

Sure, I guess that's what I mean. I felt our receivers couldn't get open in meaningful spots and Sean couldn't hit a covered receiver more than 25 years downfield. Maybe playcalling also played a role in this, but I seem to remember lots of 3rds and long where we settled for a completing well short of the sticks either due to receivers not getting open past the first down or Sean not being able to thread the needle. And maybe Sean can hit those and he just had a bum shoulder the second half of the season. JS just seems to have a certain accuracy beyond just the measure of completion %.