Projected depth chart

[DAG 33,980]

One more thing . Besides Chris Weinke and Sandberg deciding to play baseball instead of football, they aren’t synonymous at all. Sandberg was a quality recruit coming out during his high school years. Even so, I imagine he probably could’ve benefited from a RS year. Chris Weinke was arguably the best QB in his class. He was an all-American out of high school and had over 70 scholarship offers including from Miami and FSU ( 2 powerhouses at that time). 

[Zeek 16,649]

@DAG for some reason it notified me that I was quoted by you. Just thought I'd let you know I shudder everytime I see you, or E for that matter, have quoted me; always feel like I'm about to be corrected or called out for something I misspoke about. Thankful I escaped this round 

I think it's the Negan avatar adding +50 intimidation haha

[DAG 33,980]

1 minute ago, Zeek said:

@DAG for some reason it notified me that I was quoted by you. Just thought I'd let you know I shudder everytime I see you, or E for that matter, have quoted me; always feel like I'm about to be corrected or called out for something I misspoke about. Thankful I escaped this round 

I think it's the Negan avatar adding +50 intimidation haha

Haha don’t shutter my guy. I enjoy your posts. I don’t know why it did that however .

[Zeek 16,649]

1 minute ago, DAG said:

Haha don’t shutter my guy. I enjoy your posts. I don’t know why it did that however .

Thank you DAG!
To the point of the current discussion: it is kind of scary looking at our QB situation for next year.  Bo Nix could come in and win the job as a Freshmen but that would be a little concerning. We don't know much about Cord yet so I won't say that he'd be our best option; if anything he could even redshirt this year since he likely (hopefully) won't see much playing time. I think Malik Willis could be a good placeholder for a season though. If we used him similar to Nick Marshall he could be plenty successful, and with a far better receiver core.

[McLoofus 35,182]

7 minutes ago, DAG said:

One more thing . Besides Chris Weinke and Sandberg deciding to play baseball instead of football, they aren’t synonymous at all. Sandberg was a quality recruit coming out during his high school years. Even so, I imagine he probably could’ve benefited from a RS year. Chris Weinke was arguably the best QB in his class. He was an all-American out of high school and had over 70 scholarship offers including from Miami and FSU ( 2 powerhouses at that time). 

Lucille just left a mark on my Sandberg buzz.

J/k, good point. I think the counterpoint, though, is that Weinke got back to Heisman form. So maybe Cord could get back to 4*, good-enough-for-Dan-Mullen form?

[McLoofus 35,182]

Re: Iggy at CB:

 

[bg5 536]

If you look back in history you will find that the best QB's are guys who were standout baseball players in HS. Not all but a great many were. There is some correlation between throwing a baseball and football. Maybe it's being able to throw accurately at different angles but I think Cord is going to be really good once he gets back into football shape (which is very different than baseball shape). Brady, Wilson, Kapernick, Weeden and Winston just to name a few.

[80Tiger 899]

34 minutes ago, bg5 said:

If you look back in history you will find that the best QB's are guys who were standout baseball players in HS. Not all but a great many were. There is some correlation between throwing a baseball and football. Maybe it's being able to throw accurately at different angles but I think Cord is going to be really good once he gets back into football shape (which is very different than baseball shape). Brady, Wilson, Kapernick, Weeden and Winston just to name a few.

I think the correlation is that the QB at  high school level is usually one of the best athletes on the team. They are SS or pitcher in baseball and point guard in basketball. Just overall good athletes.

[DAG 33,980]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Lucille just left a mark on my Sandberg buzz.

J/k, good point. I think the counterpoint, though, is that Weinke got back to Heisman form. So maybe Cord could get back to 4*, good-enough-for-Dan-Mullen form?

Maybe . We all would hope for that just like we all hoped JF3 would be the next NM. I think my major point is let’s try not to jump the gun..This is included with MW and JG. 

[AU64 10,122]

3 hours ago, DAG said:

Maybe . We all would hope for that just like we all hoped JF3 would be the next NM. I think my major point is let’s try not to jump the gun..This is included with MW and JG. 

Yep;...we tend to do that but most of us were not so sure of JF3 after watching the TV series....and he had little in his background...even in HS to make us think he was the next NM.   I guess Gus was hoping and in his case figured if he was not QB material he could be a receiver.....which did not work out well either.  Just a missed recruit....  JMO but he was far more of a :reach" as an SEC QB than lefty...

[Zeek 16,649]

https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2018/08/jatarvious_whitlow_it_factor.html

Two Traits Making Boobie Rise Up the Depth Chart

Quote

By Tom Green tgreen@al.com
Two words have been brought up again and again from Auburn coaches and players when asked about running back JaTarvious Whitlow this fall.

Thump. Downhill.

Those words have been vital to the redshirt freshman's rise up the depth chart in the backfield, where he and junior Kam Martin have elevated themselves into a tier above the rest of Auburn's running backs ahead of the team's season opener against Washington on Sept. 1.

"He's just kind of got 'it,'" wide receiver Darius Slayton said. "Some people -- he has the 'it factor.' He's one of those guys once he has the ball in his hands, he has the ability to make plays."

It has been an impressive rise for Whitlow, who never really played running back until last season -- and who still has not played in a collegiate game. The former LaFayette standout was recruited to Auburn as an athlete and started out as a receiver when he arrived on campus last summer.

Shortly thereafter, during fall camp a year ago, Whitlow moved to running back but sustained an ankle injury that sidelined him for the majority of his first season. He redshirted in 2017 and then started to turn heads during Peach Bowl practices before carrying that momentum into the offseason and becoming a more polished running back.

"It's kind of surprising," Martin said. "When he first came in, he was like a wide receiver and he was like 220. They were like, 'You can't play wide receiver at 220,' and moved him to running back. Whitlow, he's always been good."

Redshirt freshman JaTarvious Whitlow is determined to be a factor at running back for Auburn this season.

Since the spring, the 6-foot, 216-pound has continued to impress with his running style, big-play ability and overall athleticism as a former All-State athlete in three sports -- football, basketball and track -- with a litany of high school state championships in basketball and track, including long jump, triple-jump, 200 meters and 400 meters.

"It's an interesting style," running backs coach Tim Horton said. "He's not Corey Grant or even Shaun Shivers in the sense that he's so fast that once he sees a crease he can go 90 yards real quick, but he is a one-cut, downhill runner that loves contact, that's a physical player, that has the skill set that you're looking for both as a blocker and as a receiver."

That willingness as a blocker has been crucial to Whitlow's climb up the depth chart this fall. His experience at LaFayette, where he played nearly every position imaginable, has played a role in his willingness to take on pass-rushers and be a physical blocker in pass protection.

"He's got some versatility," offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey said. "He can catch the football out of backfield. He's over 210, I think. 215. Somewhere in there. So, he can pass protect. I think he's a complete back."

Whitlow's larger stature -- he's the team's second-heaviest running back, behind Malik Miller -- has also provided Auburn's backfield with the type of bigger running back the team has utilized under Gus Malzahn. He is smaller than Kamryn Pettway and Peyton Barber were, and slightly larger than Kerryon Johnson and Tre Mason, with his size most comparable to Cameron Artis-Payne, who checked in at 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds during his breakthrough 2014 campaign.

"Boobee is a little bit heavier, a little bigger than Kam so he has a little more of that thump effect," Slayton said. "I think he'll be really important to our running game. I like Boobee a lot. I think he's a really talented kid. I think he's going to surprise a lot of people this year."

Kam Martin OK with not being 'bell cow' if Auburn uses running back committee

Auburn would prefer a more balanced distribution of carries in the backfield this season.

Whitlow's biggest strides as a running back since the spring have come in the area that Horton most wanted to see the LaFayette native improve: his mindset with the ball in his hands. While Whitlow's ability to make something out of nothing garnered attention from teammates before, Horton wanted to see Whitlow develop more of a north-south running style compared to an east-west one. The ability to freelance when a play breaks down -- running sideline to sideline to find an opening -- worked well at LaFayette, but it's something that won't be nearly as successful in the SEC, where defenses are loaded with speed and athleticism.

"He's done better this fall than he did in the spring," Horton said. "A couple of times in the spring I'd tease him that he thinks he's back in LaFayette playing Valley and he'd just reverse field and go for 75-yard runs; that doesn't work in our league. You better be able to stick your foot in the ground and go north and south."

To his credit, Whitlow has not reverted back to his high school running style once this fall, according to Horton. He did fumble once in a scrimmage last week on an "effort" play, so ball security is still an area he's honing, but that too will come with experience as he and Martin try to combine for an effective one-two punch in the backfield this season.

"Whitlow has been bringing the thump every day in practice," Martin said. "I feel like he's going to have a good year, too."

Let's gooooo! I would love to have two 1,000 yard rushers in the same season!

[Scotty2Hotty 520]

On 8/23/2018 at 1:39 PM, DAG said:

Who are the insiders who said that? lol . If you are going to reference something like that at least say names. I know WDE  has been adamant that MW and JG aren’t ready so we are adding another QB for depth purposes. Never once have E or WDE have uttered it will be a Nix/Sandberg Battle. 

 

https://www.aufamily.com/forums/topic/163875-i-know-its-only-been-two-games-but/?do=findComment&comment=2910589

 

[DAG 33,980]

14 minutes ago, Scotty2Hotty said:

 

https://www.aufamily.com/forums/topic/163875-i-know-its-only-been-two-games-but/?do=findComment&comment=2910589

 

Good find! If cord can deliver I am game