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Grimes updates the o line


aubiefifty

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When Auburn expects to know its starting offensive line for 2018

Updated May 3, 6:59 PM; Posted May 3, 6:54 PM

4 minutes

Auburn has work to do in identifying its starting offensive line, with competitions ongoing at center and right tackle, but J.B. Grimes is optimistic about the unit he inherited back from Herb Hand.

Grimes acknowledged the Tigers have "a lot of work to do" but likes the talent he had to work with, most of which he recruited during his first stint on the Plains, and sees determinations being made in the second half of fall camp.

"We have some guys that I believe are SEC talent, as far as their ability is concerned. It's my job to get those guys to play better," Grimes said before a meeting of the Cullman County Auburn club Thursday. "We don't have to play tomorrow. We've got a little time. We've got summer, we've got fall camp. And then we jump off into it against the University of Washington. By that time, we should have a starting lineup pretty well solidified.

"Right now, we don't have that. We don't have that full starting lineup right now that I can say, 'Hey, these are the five guys we would trot out there against Washington.' We just don't have it. And it probably won't manifest itself until sometime middle-to-late fall camp."

Prince Tega Wanogho Jr., Marquel Harrell and Mike Horton are the clear starters at left tackle, left guard and right guard, respectively. Grimes said those three, who all have starting experience, "outperformed everybody else" during the spring.

The most uncertainty remains at center and right tackle. Kaleb Kim and Nick Brahms competed at center before suffering injuries in the spring and Austin Troxell and Calvin Ashley competed at right tackle and graduate transfer Jack Driscoll will join them over the summer.

"We're not ready to make a call on the starter at this time," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said, "but we have good competition, which obviously helps with depth and everything that goes with that. That's the positive to that."

At center, Grimes said Auburn doesn't have "that guy right now that I can hang my hat on," but that was due in large part to injuries.

Brahms "was about to make a little jump" before breaking his leg and Kim underperformed in the first spring scrimmage and responded well and then suffered a high ankle sprain that ended his spring.

Right tackle is "a dead heat" between Troxell and Ashley.

"Trox outperformed Calvin and then Calvin came on," Grimes said. "At the A-Day Game, I really thought Calvin had a heck of a day. He looked like what I had envisioned him being."

That changes with the addition of Driscoll, who Malzahn and Grimes can't discuss yet by NCAA rules, but the UMass transfer is expected to start.

Grimes understands the urgency in deciding a lineup though.

Whereas Herb Hand had a tendency to mix and match personnel, Grimes prefers to keep players locked in spots and allow them to build chemistry.

"I really want to get to that as quickly as we can. And I'm sure Gus does, too," Grimes said. "... I think by the time we get this group and polish them up and everything, I think this can be a very competitive (group). I'm cautiously optimistic that this group can be a good SEC offensive line.

"We'll be OK. We got to get better to get that way, but we'll be all right. These are SEC players, OK? We got some work to do, a lot of work to do, but we'll get there."

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1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

"Trox outperformed Calvin and then Calvin came on," Grimes said. "At the A-Day Game, I really thought Calvin had a heck of a day. He looked like what I had envisioned him being."

That changes with the addition of Driscoll, who Malzahn and Grimes can't discuss yet by NCAA rules, but the UMass transfer is expected to start.

Juicy. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
1 hour ago, auburn4ever said:

I always thought coach Grimes was a far better OL coach then Hand.

I do agree.

But I'm in suspense.. Then Hand what? :dunno:

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1 hour ago, atl-tiger said:

Anyone think Calvin transfers?  Those coveted 5*s don't like riding the pine.

Roster Management, is an important piece of a HC's job.

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16 hours ago, atl-tiger said:

Anyone think Calvin transfers?  Those coveted 5*s don't like riding the pine.

Even if Tega and Driscoll were to lock down the tackle spots for the next two years, he could still start as a junior. Probably not what he imagined but also not unheard of for even blue chip OLs. 

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6 minutes ago, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

 

 

Glad Grimes was up past 6 to do that interview. :clap:

Who was that guy you wanted AU to hire instead of Grimes? Time has passed and I've forgotten his name. Some guy from a school somewhere up north, if memory serves. Grimes is now a part of the AU family no matter who your first, second and/or third choices were. You can stop taking the random pot shots at Grimes. Nobody will get mad if you do stop it.

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1 minute ago, Mikey said:

Who was that guy you wanted AU to hire instead of Grimes? Time has passed and I've forgotten his name. Some guy from a school somewhere up north, if memory serves. Grimes is now a part of the AU family no matter who your first, second and/or third choices were. You can stop taking the random pot shots at Grimes. Nobody will get mad if you do stop it.

That wasn't a shot, that was a joke. 

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1 minute ago, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

That wasn't a shot, that was a joke. 

Ok then, Ha! Ha!

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Just now, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

I was taking a shot at Jay in the other thead. You can get mad at me about that one. 

I already commented on that, clarifying that you were talking about JJ, not Greene. So, don't you owe me one?

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Just now, Mikey said:

I already commented on that, clarifying that you were talking about JJ, not Greene. So, don't you owe me one?

Greene is no Jay.  Greene stood his ground with Leath on not getting rid of Bruce. Told Leath it was a stupid move and he(Greene) would not do the firing. Leath backed off and has now talked with Bruce. All is good. Think we have hit a home run with Greene. 

Jay didn't even put up a fight with the SEC about the uga game being moved. 

And since you asked, I would have made the Miami OL coach tell me no several times. He would have been a grand slam hire. Gus pretty much had a open check book to hire a OL coach. 

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2 minutes ago, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

Greene is no Jay.  Greene stood his ground with Leath on not getting rid of Bruce. Told Leath it was a stupid move and he(Greene) would not do the firing. Leath backed off and has now talked with Bruce. All is good. Think we have hit a home run with Greene. 

Jay didn't even put up a fight with the SEC about the uga game being moved. 

And since you asked, I would have made the Miami OL coach tell me no several times. He would have been a grand slam hire. Gus pretty much had a open check book to hire a OL coach. 

Good to hear about Greene & Bruce. Very good 

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3 minutes ago, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

Greene is no Jay

We agree. That's what I was helping you with.

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1 minute ago, AidiAU said:

Good to hear about Greene & Bruce. Very good 

Even better to see Bruce and Leath are OK. For a while it looked like Bruce was not going to be AU's coach after the season. 

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1 minute ago, AidiAU said:

Good to hear about Greene & Bruce. Very good 

How Jay would have responded to Bruce asking him to with Leath

jayjacobs.gif

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36 minutes ago, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

Greene is no Jay.  Greene stood his ground with Leath on not getting rid of Bruce. Told Leath it was a stupid move and he(Greene) would not do the firing. Leath backed off and has now talked with Bruce. All is good. Think we have hit a home run with Greene. 

Jay didn't even put up a fight with the SEC about the uga game being moved. 

And since you asked, I would have made the Miami OL coach tell me no several times. He would have been a grand slam hire. Gus pretty much had a open check book to hire a OL coach. 

Love reading this about Greene/Bruce!!

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45 minutes ago, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

And since you asked, I would have made the Miami OL coach tell me no several times. He would have been a grand slam hire. Gus pretty much had a open check book to hire a OL coach. 

Not sure about his player development but Searels has a really good recruiting Resume.

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1 hour ago, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

Greene is no Jay.  Greene stood his ground with Leath on not getting rid of Bruce. Told Leath it was a stupid move and he(Greene) would not do the firing. Leath backed off and has now talked with Bruce. All is good. Think we have hit a home run with Greene. 

Jay didn't even put up a fight with the SEC about the uga game being moved. 

And since you asked, I would have made the Miami OL coach tell me no several times. He would have been a grand slam hire. Gus pretty much had a open check book to hire a OL coach. 

Not overly impressed on Greene sticking up for Bruce. That’s a no brainer. Scratching my head on Leath wanting to fire him. 

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