Tucker Brown moves to Center

[lionheartkc 6,150]

Per 247, walk-on tight end Tucker Brown has been moved to center, bu Grimes, and is competing against Kim and Brahms for the start.  I can't say that gives me confidence in the talent we have... Hopefully he just wants depth.

[LKEEL75 2,566]

That is scary news.  If we can't find a mean streak in one of our highly rated C then why the heck did we recruit them?  I want the meanest SOB on the field at C.  I don't care if he is the biggest or not.  Just mean and can consistently snap the ball.  And by consistent I mean 99.99999% of the time hitting the QB in the chest.

[WarDamnEagleWDE 12,737]

Yeah, that ain't good. 

[aucom96 1,618]

So a tight end might actually get used for something? 

[ellitor 33,082]

26 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

Per 247, walk-on tight end Tucker Brown has been moved to center, bu Grimes, and is competing against Kim and Brahms for the start.  I can't say that gives me confidence in the talent we have... Hopefully he just wants depth.

Per SEC Country a half a day earlier than 247.

 

Quote

 

Auburn football sounds confident in 3 competitors for starting center job

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn football lost both of its starting centers from the 2017 season. And while there was talk of shuffling linemen to bolster the battle in the middle, the Tigers seem determined to find a replacement from three current competitors.

Junior Kaleb Kim, redshirt freshman Nick Brahms and senior Tucker Brown — who spends most of his time at blocking tight end — are in the running for the starting center job.

“We’ve got the three guys are competing for the job right now,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said last Friday. “[Auburn offensive line coach J.B. Grimes] has really rotated all three. We could possibly start narrowing things down when we get back, we’ll decide but he wants to have good competition at every position and, of course, that’s a key position.”

Auburn had previously discussed playing junior and current starting guard Mike Horton. Yet Malzahn and Horton have both made it sound like the Atlanta native won’t be a major factor in the battle this offseason.

“I’ve only talked to [Grimes] about that once and he just told me, ‘Sure, play with the ball in your hand. Get a feel for it,'” Horton said last week. “But I think I’ll be playing guard.”

Brown is a wild card. The walk-on has previous experience on the interior line, and specifically center, from his playing days at Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) High School.

“We just felt real strongly that we needed to let him compete for that job,” Malzahn said. “So those three guys have been the guys that have been really rotating.”

 

Auburn offensive lineman Nick Brahms overcame a nasty leg injury in his senior year of high school to star on the Tigers’ scout team in 2017. (Justin Ferguson/SEC Country)

Ultimately, the center battle is pointing toward Kim and Brahms. (Freshman lineman Jalil Irvin, who arrives this spring, will most likely be the third scholarship center in competition during fall camp.)

Kim has the experience advantage. He signed with Auburn in 2015 as a 4-star recruit from Buford, Ga. He redshirted his first season and played in three games as a backup center in 2016.

Auburn added another veteran who could play center in Casey Dunn last offseason, so Kim’s chances of getting serious playing time in 2017 were never high. He played in seven games at both center and guard.

Kim knows the system and has learned behind several strong offensive linemen in his Auburn career. As a fourth-year junior, Kim has taken the first-team reps at center during both of the open viewing windows in spring practice.

Just because Kim hasn’t broken through in his first three seasons at Auburn doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of being an SEC-quality starter at center. Former Auburn offensive lineman Robert Leff spent four years as a reserve before becoming a second-team All-SEC tackle as a senior in 2017.

But the door is open for a younger player such as Brahms to take over the position. Brahms missed his entire senior season of high school with a leg injury, but he had a strong redshirt season on the Plains in 2017.

The Navarre, Fla., native was Auburn’s scout team offensive player of the year in 2017, taking on the Tigers’ elite first-team defensive tackles on a regular basis. Malzahn said in December that Brahms had “some fight to him” and “a lot of courage.”

Brahms has been the second-team center during practices, but Grimes has steadily rotated him with Kim and Brown. There’s a lot of upside in Brahms, who could be a longtime starter at center, much like Reese Dismukes was during his Auburn career.

The Tigers could add a graduate transfer along the offensive line in the next few months, as well — even though they missed on Rice tackle and graduate transfer Calvin Anderson. Dunn was an early-summer surprise, for example.

However, Auburn’s coaching staff sounds prepared to forge ahead with its trio at center. Whoever makes the biggest strides after spring break could be the one in the starting lineup on Sept. 1 against Washington.

 

 

[ellitor 33,082]

2 minutes ago, aucom96 said:

So a tight end might actually get used for something? 

Too many jokes that can't be stated here.

[McLoofus 35,182]

26 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

Per 247, walk-on tight end Tucker Brown has been moved to center, bu Grimes, and is competing against Kim and Brahms for the start.  I can't say that gives me confidence in the talent we have... Hopefully he just wants depth.

Depth and/or sending a message. 

Out of curiosity, I looked up Brown's bio. He actually has pretty impressive credentials for a walk-on. He's played in every game the last 2 seasons, albeit not at center.

Quote

2017: Converted guard now playing tight end … played in every game ... SEC Academic Honor Roll

2016: Reserve offensive lineman who also contributes on special teams … also wears #98 as extra tight end in some offensive sets … played in every game of 2016

2015: Joined the football program as a walk-on in spring, 2015 ... saw his first snaps against Idaho (11/21/15)

High School: Offensive team captain for Coach Hal Riddle at Hewitt-Trussville High ... won Pat Patrick Award for outstanding lineman play in central Alabama ... also lettered in basketball and tennis ... member of National Honor Society, Beta Club, Thespians and SGA

Not trying to say he's the next Casey Dunn, and no Kevin Greene absolutely does NOT say hi so please just stop that already you goofballs, but there are a lot of similarities. He's spent a lot of time on the football field and he's an intelligent guy, both extremely important qualities at center. This is a good move. 

[AUApostle 7,651]

Nall had success with smaller, under the radar talent at center for a number of years.

[fredst 9,064]

Maybe just sending a message. The message it's sending to me though is "Oh ?".

[AlaskanFAN 1,665]

Tucker played that 6th lineman in a TE spot last year and that has been a feeder position for next year.  I remember B.Smith and  S. Coleman doing that. I think G. Robinson and B. Mosely did a bit also.  Seems to be a type of 6th man in the Gus offense. 

I am not necessarily as worried as if Tucker had not played last year at all and was beating Kim out, who played a lot of mop up duty last year. 

 

[Auhud08 596]

This speaks volumes to how Grimes evaluates players vs how Hand did. 

[JDUBB4AU 5,111]

1 hour ago, aucom96 said:

So a tight end might actually get used for something? 

Won’t be tight for long 

 

more like a split end type guy

[Tiger 8,818]

Considering our OLine is looking like it's going to be the source of a lot of griping on this board this coming season I say let's just use our long snapper at center and have Stidham in a super long shotgun, close to where our punter would stand when we punt. We can call it the Cannon Formation. It will give Stidham some time to find some open receivers before getting sacked and think about how winded the opposing DLine would be having to run that far to get to the QB!!!

 

Stidham doesn't get hit every pass play and Gus goes back to revolutionizing football. It's a win-win for all parties involved and Saban then will lobby to remove snapping the football from the game altogether because making D-Lineman run that far to get to the QB is dangerous and similar to smoking cigarettes

[AU64 10,122]

Center is kind of a QB for the line...usually helping direct coverages and things like that so we also need someone who can do more than just snap the ball. We always complimented Tub's ability to find diamonds in the rough and hoping we don't think that if a guy did not get a scholly out of HS that he is not capable of helping the team.   

JMO but I'm glad to see the coaches looking beyond the * ratings of players and giving guys like Brown an opportunity to win the job. AND...never hurts to have someone in the wings that knows what the job it all about. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

9 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Center is kind of a QB for the line...usually helping direct coverages and things like that so we also need someone who can do more than just snap the ball. We always complimented Tub's ability to find diamonds in the rough and hoping we don't think that if a guy did not get a scholly out of HS that he is not capable of helping the team.  

JMO but I'm glad to see the coaches looking beyond the * ratings of players and giving guys like Brown an opportunity to win the job. AND...never hurts to have someone in the wings that knows what the job it all about. 

Most cerebral guy on offense other than the QB. Or at least the good ones are.

I'm surprised that people are skipping right over the fact that he's played in 27 games over the last 2 seasons. Might not be many reps per game, and those reps might not have been at center, but very few guys on our roster can say that. He's clearly earned some trust. Like @AlaskanFAN pointed out, he was in the same role that two or three NFL linemen were in for Gus and JB. And he did play center in high school. 

Take the name and walk-on status off this guy's resume and people would absolutely think he's a fine candidate to be in the mix at center. 

[AUwent 3,748]

Is Kim still the front-runner?

Hopefully, Brown never sees playing time at center aside from late when we're up by 5 TDs.

[kd4au 1,145]

I can see giving Brown a chance. He made a lot of good blocks at TE, he stayed on his man and got the job done.

[AUsince72 11,084]

Just tossing this out but if Grimes truly wants each lineman to specialize rather that be all things then it makes since to train a guy to be a 3rd string Center.

[WarDamnEagleWDE 12,737]

55 minutes ago, AUwent said:

Is Kim still the front-runner?

Hopefully, Brown never sees playing time at center aside from late when we're up by 5 TDs.

I'm told Brahms would eventually be the guy. 

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

Meanest is usually the guards, most athletic are your tackles and most intelligent, as pointed out above, is at center. I wouldn’t read too much (negative) into it. Hard to have an evaluation on a guy if he never played there. Hell, Billy Wagner was right handed until he broke his right arm twice in six months as a kid. Now he’s waiting on a call from the hall as a left handed reliever. 

[corchjay 5,311]

I mentioned this before spring practice started I just can’t remember which thread it was in.  We need 5-6 guys that need to be able to identify blocking schemes and snap the ball from the center spot.  

It will also help him become a better blocker as well.  Win-win for us.  

[corchjay 5,311]

So I would put the pecking order as follows...

Kim/Brahms

Horton

Irving

Brown

Thats how I expect the start fall practices.  I also expect Tucker to move back to TE/HB for his role there and be an emergency center if needed. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

Just now, corchjay said:

So I would put the pecking order as follows...

Kim/Brahms

Horton

Irving

Brown

Thats how I expect the start fall practices.  I also expect Tucker to move back to TE/HB for his role there and be an emergency center if needed. 

That makes sense. 

I also wouldn't be surprised if this is one of those situations where "Brown is C3 unless someone gets hurt". As in, he gets mop-up duty before Irvin in order to preserve Irvin's redshirt, but injuries further up the depth chart (even at guard) might dictate that Irvin be worked into the rotation. 

That was sort of the deal at QB at one point, if I'm not mistaken, until Sean saw himself to the door. 

[corchjay 5,311]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

That makes sense. 

I also wouldn't be surprised if this is one of those situations where "Brown is C3 unless someone gets hurt". As in, he gets mop-up duty before Irvin in order to preserve Irvin's redshirt, but injuries further up the depth chart (even at guard) might dictate that Irvin be worked into the rotation. 

That was sort of the deal at QB at one point, if I'm not mistaken, until Sean saw himself to the door. 

I'm not sure.  I would say Brown is the emergency guy.  Irving I think will fall into the number 3 spot.  Still possibly trying to redshirt if Kim and Brahms step up.  We should know more after a couple scrimmages.  Be looking for some comments from the coaches about that position after the first 2 scrimmages and you should get a feel for who's doing well and who isn't.  

[GBAU83 212]

4 hours ago, Tiger said:

Considering our OLine is looking like it's going to be the source of a lot of griping on this board this coming season I say let's just use our long snapper at center and have Stidham in a super long shotgun, close to where our punter would stand when we punt. We can call it the Cannon Formation. It will give Stidham some time to find some open receivers before getting sacked and think about how winded the opposing DLine would be having to run that far to get to the QB!!!

 

Stidham doesn't get hit every pass play and Gus goes back to revolutionizing football. It's a win-win for all parties involved and Saban then will lobby to remove snapping the football from the game altogether because making D-Lineman run that far to get to the QB is dangerous and similar to smoking cigarettes

Along those lines, the other advantage with Stidham in the Cannon formation is we can use the RBs still in a shotgun or pistol formation, so when the D-line is past them, Stidham can use the RBs as extra receivers and throw them the ball - prevents any fumbles on the handoff exchange as well as everything could be a forward pass and heck even behind the line means we could have lineman downfield legally - Tiger, I think you are on to something here.....