Status Report: Offensive Line

[aubiefifty 16,695]

theplainsman.com

 

Status Report: Offensive Line - The Auburn Plainsman

By Nathan King | Sports Reporter | 08/10/17 7:45pm

6-7 minutes

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Image by Catherine Wofford | Staff Photographer

| The Auburn Plainsman

Calvin Ashley (70), Gary Walker (97) and Austin Troxell (68) during football practice on Wednesday, August 2, 2017 in Auburn, Ala. 

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Auburn’s Herb Hand is an enticingly unique coach.

Hand’s off-the-field antics have been well-documented as of late. The 49-year-old coach’s cooking abilities are normally at the forefront of non-football conversation. At Thursday’s assistant coach interviews, however, it was Hand’s elaborate summer vacations that became a hot topic.

“Under the umbrella, with a book and a cooler,” Hand said, describing his ideal relaxation setting. “My family, we’re beach people.”

The grueling trenches that are the front lines of the SEC know no such relaxation, however. The Auburn Tigers reload with a stout front-line in 2017, one that is considered among the top of the conference. But selecting the correct starting lineup and rotation scheme will be no easy task for Hand.

Auburn’s offensive line doesn’t lack talent or experience, but it is experiencing some preseason growing pains. True freshman tackle Calvin Ashley, Auburn’s only five-star recruit in February, was sidelined during Tuesday’s practice with an undisclosed injury. Hand is unsure about the mega-athlete’s status for Auburn’s second scrimmage.

“This is a physical camp,” Hand said. “Guys get little nicks and things. He had a really good scrimmage the other day, but he’s still a freshman. He’s got a long way to go.”

The offensive line clearly has a fair amount of moving and shaking to undergo before Georgia Southern comes to town, seeing as Austin Golson claimed earlier in the summer that “nobody is safe.”

Golson’s spot on the line might as well be a sure thing, along with fellow senior Mike Horton and ironman Braden Smith. Behind that trio, the doors are open for the new big guys to blaze their own trail. Ashley is a favorite to find some sort of role, considering his high ceiling, along with defensive line transplant Prince Tega Wanogho.

“We had a scrimmage on Monday and that started sorting things out,” Hand said. “They’re starting to settle in. Some guys are rising, some guys are settling, some guys are learning.

“[Tega Wanogho] has been rising since he came over with us, very talented guy. His execution from an assignment, technique and fundamentals standpoint is really starting to catch up to his talent level, which is exciting.”

Hand has a good problem to deal with, with more than enough capable players to fill the voids and most of his guys having the ability to play at multiple positions along the line. His plan for sorting out the chaos? The Matrix.

“I’ve had guys in the past call it ‘The Matrix’,” Hand said. “There’s moving parts. Sometimes it looks like a bunch of zeros and ones. I like to play some games right now, I think we overthink sometimes.”

Hand claims that prior to a practice or scrimmage, he’ll scribble down multiple combinations of linemen. Then, he selects a combination of his liking and executes it.

“It’s not just as simple as saying if the right guard goes down, the second-team right guard goes in,” Hand said. “Our goal is always to have the best five on the field. So, if that means somebody gets dinged up and you have to a move a guy’s position to get the best five on the field, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Hand is aided in his decision making by the versatility and knowledge of senior Outland Trophy watchlist member Braden Smith. A month ago, Smith was named to the watchlist for the second consecutive year after taking home first team All-SEC honors in 2016.

Smith represented the offensive line at SEC Media Days in Hoover as Auburn’s lone offensive ambassador. The Olathe, Kan. native’s grit is exemplified in his 27 consecutive starts since 2014, a mark that ranks first on the team.

“Braden is elite, regardless of position,” Hand said. “The thing I love about him is his willingness to do whatever he needs to do for the team. He’s an elite guard. Can he be an elite tackle? Yes he can. I can’t talk highly enough about [Smith] in terms of his mentality and his approach.”

It remains to be seen whether Herb Hand can use his Matrix to solve the ever-growing puzzle of the Auburn offensive line. If he does, the Tigers are in for proven rushing success, considering Hand’s track record. In 2015 at Penn State, Hand’s front five paved the way for Big Ten Freshman of the Year Saquon Barkley, who set the Nittany Lions’ freshman rushing record with 1,076 yards that year. At Vanderbilt, Hand’s offensive line worked in front of tailback Zac Stacy, who broke the Commodores’ season and career rushing records during Hand’s tenure.

Despite the depth chart pandemonium, the veteran coach appears stress-free. It’s almost as if Jordan-Hare Stadium is just another beach.

“It’s just a process,” Hand said. “We’ll be ready by the first game.”

[AlaskanFAN 1,665]

Sounding like the starting line is coming together. With Tega, Horton, Golson, Smith and James. Solid backups in Bell, Dunn, Harrell and even Tucker Brown who moved to TE after being a 6th lineman last year and playing OL in the spring.

[AUpreacherman22 3,876]

Can you imagine a trap or counter play with Golson, Smith, and James bulldozing, pulling Horton, and Cox lead blocking for Bubba?!?!?!  That's a whole lot of muscle blocking for a 240lb pile of muscle!!!

[djg0017 726]

2 minutes ago, AUpreacherman22 said:

Can you imagine a trap or counter play with Golson, Smith, and James bulldozing, pulling Horton, and Cox lead blocking for Bubba?!?!?!  That's a whole lot of muscle blocking for a 240lb pile of muscle!!!

Goosebumps..

[alexava 6,973]

2 hours ago, AlaskanFAN said:

Sounding like the starting line is coming together. With Tega, Horton, Golson, Smith and James. Solid backups in Bell, Dunn, Harrell and even Tucker Brown who moved to TE after being a 6th lineman last year and playing OL in the spring.

i would assume smith is the 3rd tackle, then bell would backfill his spot?

[AlaskanFAN 1,665]

6 hours ago, alexava said:

i would assume smith is the 3rd tackle, then bell would backfill his spot?

Sounds like Dunn is straight backup C and Bell is straight backup RG and Harrell as backup LG. This would allow Smith to be the backup RT and James as the Backup LT. I am guessing Kim, Sharp and Bailey need some more time. It would not surprise me if by mid season they start giving Calvin Ashley some of the situational 6th OL jumbo or heavy plays.

 

[djg0017 726]

9 minutes ago, AlaskanFAN said:

Sounds like Dunn is straight backup C and Bell is straight backup RG and Harrell as backup LG. This would allow Smith to be the backup RT and James as the Backup LT. I am guessing Kim, Sharp and Bailey need some more time. It would not surprise me if by mid season they start giving Calvin Ashley some of the situational 6th OL jumbo or heavy plays.

 

Any chance they try to redshirt Calvin?

[AlaskanFAN 1,665]

I don't know. I do know that Gus has said in the past that he wished he had not RS Greg Robinson because he left after 3 years as a RS Soph and we only got 2 years of playing time out of him. So since CA is a 5 star athlete and definitely, well most likely gonna be the starting RT next year since, Tega will be back as the LT, I think Gus and Herb get him in some game this year, situationally and in mop up duty for experience. Just my 2 cents though, no proof.

[corchjay 5,311]

11 minutes ago, djg0017 said:

Any chance they try to redshirt Calvin?

I doubt it unless they think Sammons will be ready to be RT next year.  

[djg0017 726]

19 minutes ago, AlaskanFAN said:

I don't know. I do know that Gus has said in the past that he wished he had not RS Greg Robinson because he left after 3 years as a RS Soph and we only got 2 years of playing time out of him. So since CA is a 5 star athlete and definitely, well most likely gonna be the starting RT next year since, Tega will be back as the LT, I think Gus and Herb get him in some game this year, situationally and in mop up duty for experience. Just my 2 cents though, no proof.

Yeah I agree. I am hoping they throw him in whenever they get chances and play him as much as possible.

[AUpreacherman22 3,876]

8 hours ago, AlaskanFAN said:

Sounds like Dunn is straight backup C and Bell is straight backup RG and Harrell as backup LG. This would allow Smith to be the backup RT and James as the Backup LT. I am guessing Kim, Sharp and Bailey need some more time. It would not surprise me if by mid season they start giving Calvin Ashley some of the situational 6th OL jumbo or heavy plays.

 

I think Kim, Sharp, and Bailey, along with Troxell and Brahms are our 3rd string OL. That's how deep our OL is!  I can list the likely 3rd team from memory.  That has never happened before!

2s Sammons and Ashley at T, Bell and Harrell at G, and Dunn at C. 

And of course starters (left to right) Tega, Horton, Golson, Smith, James

Like a few others have already said, they will mix and match as needed if a starter goes down. Ex 1. If it were Golson, they would probably just plug in Dunn and be.....Dunn?  Ex 2. If one of the Tackles were to go down, they would most likely move Braden to T and plug in Bell at the RG spot.