ellitor 33,091 Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 SIAP... Quote The 15 players benefiting from NCAA's new redshirt rule By Brandon Marcello AUBURN, Alabama — The NCAA's new rule allowing players to participate in up to four games and maintain redshirt status has been welcomed with open arms across the country. Auburn certainly took advantage of the new rule by making 15 notable players (by our count) eligible to save a year of eligibility this season by playing in four games or less. The list includes two quarterbacks and plenty of future stars on offense and defense. DB Devan Barrett (4 games) Devan Barrett was expected to be in the mix at running back during his sophomore season but instead moved to cornerback, where he played in four games and made three tackles. It will be interesting to see where coaches utilize him as a redshirt sophomore next season after playing at the NCAA's cut-off point for redshirts at four games. Could he move back to tailback? We're not ruling it out. WR Kolbi Fuqua (1) Receiver Kolbi Fuqua could emerge as the star no one was expecting after playing in one game and redshirting in 2018. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Jasper, Alabama native is as athletic as they come. It might be difficult to crack the receiver rotation but he will be in the mix in 2019. QB Joey Gatewood (1) Joey Gatewood is the quarterback all Auburn fans have fallen in love with over the last several years. A longtime commitment to the Tigers, his size (6-foot-5, 237 pounds), speed and arm give fans hope he could be the next big thing in college football. Gatewood had a rough start to his Auburn career, however, and had his No. 1 ripped away in favor of the No. 13 and had to fight his way back into the good graces of coaches. He finally got a shot to play as the third and final quarterback on the field in the 63-14 blowout of Purdue in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 28. His lone pass fell incomplete but it's what he did running the ball that has many excited. He rushed for 28 yards on three carries, including a 20-yarder that probably should have been counted as a 21-yard touchdown run (but officials did not review the spot close to the goal line) and he kneeled the ball to end the game on the ensuing plays. The 4-star talent will be in a three-man race at quarterback among newcomer Bo Nix, junior Malik Willis and himself. LB Michael Harris (2) Michael Harris got his feet wet with two appearances in two games as a freshman and will be able to return to Auburn next season as a redshirt freshman. He'll do so with two tackles on his resume and will likely be the backup Mike linebacker behind K.J. Britt, according to our projections. He will play plenty next season and beyond if he continues to progress and is patient. WR Will Hastings (2) Will Hastings will try to do something not many have been able to accomplish: be as productive as he was in the past following two surgeries on the same anterior cruciate ligament. The Auburn receiver will be a redshirt senior when he returns to Auburn for the 2019 season after undergoing surgery on a torn ACL in March 2018 and again in November 2018. He played in two games as a decoy -- and had a target on a deep pass against Alabama State in Week 2, which was quite the surprise -- but was held back most of the season as his healing progress slowed. He was an incredible receiver with his small size and quick burst providing Auburn a sneaky threat all over the field as he averaged 20.3 yards per catch to go along with 525 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2017. He went from a walkon kicker to a scholarship receive rin a matter of two years. Now we wait to see what he has in store for his final season as he continues to rehabilitate his knee and eyes a return to the field in August. WR Matthew Hill (4) Matthew Hill drew rave reviews in the offseason, so it was quite surprising he didn't crack the lineup as a freshman -- but that was probably because of the emergence of Anthony Schwartz and Seth Williams. Hill will enter his redshirt freshman season very much in the mix at receiver. Interestingly, he played in four games but did not catch a pass in his first season on the Plains. He instead rushed two times for 21 yards. Big things are on the horizon for the former 4-star prospect. OG Jalil Irvin (2) Jalil Irvin played in two games as a reserve, but will be counted on to contribute immediately as a redshirt freshman next season. Depth is a concern across the offensive line and while Irvin could play center, his future might be at guard along the offensive line. Buck Richard Jibunor (4) This player might just be the most exciting prospect to play in four games for Auburn, make an impact and still maintain an additional year of eligibility. Oh, and he showed quite the development in that one year on the field. Richard Jibunor was all over the field at the Buck position against Purdue in the Music City bowl, recording a career-high five tackles and a tackle for loss in the 63-14 victory. He was involved in several plays, even when he didn't record a stat against the Boilermakers. He was pushed on the field more often because of an injury to Nick Coe that forced the starter to sit out the game. The feeling here is coaches will try to find a way to get this redshirt freshman on the field more often in 2019. DL Caleb Johnson (2) The 3-star freshman recorded two tackles against Alabama State and Liberty and will try to work his way into the defensive line rotation in the fall. The question is whether Caleb Johnson's size makes him a tackle or weakside defensive end. H-Back Harold Joiner (2) Harold Joiner first appeared in Week 2 against Alabama State when he ran three time for nine yards and one touchdown out of the Wildcat formation. Strength coaches are rebuilding his body to get him ready to be a pass-catching H-Back in Gus Malzahn's system. They want him to be the next Charles Clay, a fifth receiver on the field for every snap who is also capable of blocking as a fullback. CB Traivon Leonard (2) Traivon Leonard played in two games as a sophomore but did not record a stat. He actually played in more games (4) as a true freshman and had five tackles and a pass deflection in 2017. He figures to be a major part of Auburn's plans in the rotation at cornerback heading into next season, especially with Jamel Dean headed to the NFL. LB Josh Marsh (1) The 3-star prospect enrolled at Auburn in January but suffered a knee injury that kept him out of spring practices and limited him in August. Josh Marsh did play in one game, however, and recorded a tackle and also forced a fumble in Auburn's blowout of Alabama State in Week 2. He'll be in the rotation at one of Auburn's outside linebacker spots. QB Cord Sandberg (1) Cord Sandberg spent six years away from football but returned to the fray when he left minor league baseball last summer. He chose Auburn over LSU and played in one game, recording 22 yards passing on one pass attempt and rushing for 35 more yards on three attempts against Alabama State in Week 2. He will be involved in the quarterback competition as a 24-year-old redshirt freshman this spring. WR Eli Stove (3) Eli Stove tore an anterior cruciate ligament and underwent major surgery in March. Coaches were hopeful he would return midway through the season but surprised many when he appeared on the field in Week 2. Coaches, however, mostly utilized him as a decoy and played him in only three games so they could save his redshirt. He finished with three catches for 17 yards, including two catches for 12 yards in the Iron Bowl against Alabama, and did not run the ball after doing so 30 times for 315 yards and two touchdowns in 2017 as Auburn's primary jet-sweep threat. He will be a redshirt junior in 2019 and coaches expect him and sophomore Anthony Schwartz to be double threats on the field in similar roles. OG Kameron Stutts (2) Kameron Stutts will try to crack the two-deep at offensive guard heading into his redshirt freshman season. He played in two games and in a year when depth is a concern in the trenches, Stutts needs to be ready to contribute in 2019. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sizzle 3,912 Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 It's crazy Jibunor redshirted. The few times he was on the field he was always around the ball making a play. He was one of the guys I predicted would make an impact as a true freshman last year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auburn2Eugene 2,317 Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 9 minutes ago, Sizzle said: It's crazy Jibunor redshirted. The few times he was on the field he was always around the ball making a play. He was one of the guys I predicted would make an impact as a true freshman last year That goes to show the talent on our DL this year. We didn't really need him. AND he is getting the benefit of learning under Derrick Brown for another year which can't do anything but help him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaumak 174 Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 seems that there is 1 name blatantly absent..... i kid, i kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linayus 676 Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 Out of all of those, I'm most excited/nervous about how Joiner will perform for us - mostly with his blocking ability. I have no doubts he'll be fine with running/catching the ball but blocking in that role will be HUGE for us going forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellitor 33,091 Posted January 10, 2019 Author Share Posted January 10, 2019 8 minutes ago, Linayus said: Out of all of those, I'm most excited/nervous about how Joiner will perform for us - mostly with his blocking ability. I have no doubts he'll be fine with running/catching the ball but blocking in that role will be HUGE for us going forward. If he stays at HB he will not be asked to block much. If he stays there he will be a Flex HB type asked to make catches. There are rumblings though he has been moved to RB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUpreacherman22 3,885 Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 4 hours ago, beaumak said: seems that there is 1 name blatantly absent..... i kid, i kid. RB Asa Martin (5) Asa played in....Oops! He transferred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keesler 5,924 Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 4 hours ago, beaumak said: seems that there is 1 name blatantly absent..... i kid, i kid. Fell through the cracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.