Projected depth chart (Merged)

[Zeek 16,615]

https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/auburn/2020/08/14/auburn-football-offense-depth-chart-projection-chad-morris-running-back-offensive-line-competition/3371000001/

Quote

AUBURN — It seems like forever ago now, but the biggest story of Auburn's offseason — before COVID-19 began to rightfully dominate every conversation — was the addition of Chad Morris.

Gus Malzahn hired the former Arkansas coach — and his longtime friend — to take over the play-calling duties for an offense that tied for third in the SEC in scoring offense last season (33.2 points per game) and take it to another level.

So far, though, Morris hasn't had the chance to put his offense through a practice. With spring canceled and the season delayed, he has had to settle for Zoom install sessions and walk-throughs.

That should finally change Monday, when Auburn is scheduled to start fall camp in preparation for the SEC's planned 10-game, conference-only season set to begin on Sept. 26.

That offense returns some key players, led by sophomore quarterback Bo Nix and wide receivers Seth Williams and Anthony Schwartz. But there are still questions to answer at every position, especially at running back and on the offensive line, where the Tigers lost five starters between JaTarvious Whitlow, Prince Tega Wanogho, Jack Driscoll, Marquel Harrell and Mike Horton.

Here's a projection Auburn's depth chart on offense heading into the start of preseason practice:

QUARTERBACK
Bo Nix (So.)
Cody Sandberg (So.)
Grant Loy (Sr.)
Caylin Newton (Jr.)
Chayil Garnett (Fr.)

Outlook: There won’t be a starting quarterback competition in Auburn this fall. Nix has become the face of the program after completing 57.6% of his passes for 2,542 yards and totaling 23 touchdowns as a true freshman. But the battle to back him up should be fascinating. Sandberg is the only one with experience playing for the Tigers — he completed 6 of 8 passes for 106 yards and rushed for 70 yards in three appearances over two seasons — but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll have a leg up with a new quarterbacks and offensive coordinator calling the shots. Loy has the most experience at the FBS level, having completed 56% of his passes for 1,478 yards and eight touchdowns (to go along with 642 rushing yards and six scores) over parts of 29 games at Bowling Green. Newton is perhaps the most intriguing, having passed for 5,061 yards, rushed for 1,257 and scored 51 touchdowns over his first two seasons playing for FCS Howard. Cam Newton’s younger brother transferred to Auburn as a wide receiver, but that play-making ability could make him an intriguing option at quarterback should something happen to Nix.

RUNNING BACK
D.J. Williams (So.)
Tank Bigsby (Fr.)
Shaun Shivers (Jr.)
Mark-Antony Richards (Fr.)
Harold Joiner (So.)

Outlook: Williams might be the leader going into the first practice after ranking second among the team’s running backs with 84 carries for 400 yards and two touchdowns last season, but this position feels truly wide open after Whitlow — the team’s leading rusher each of the past two seasons — entered the transfer portal in February. Williams will need to be more consistent after accumulating 111 of those 400 yards on just two carries at LSU (and averaging just 3.5 yards per carry on the other 82). Hopes are incredibly high for the true freshman Bigsby, the No. 4 running back recruit in the 2020 class and fourth-highest-ranked running back Auburn has ever signed. Shivers might never be a feature back at just 5-foot-7 and 179 pounds, but he has averaged 5.3 yards over 125 career carries and has track speed. Richards missed all of last season after undergoing a knee injury, but he has drawn comparisons to former Tigers standout Kerryon Johnson. Look for all four to get opportunities to show what they’re capable of.

WIDE RECEIVER
Split end

Seth Williams (Jr.)
Ze’Vian Capers (Fr.) OR J.J. Evans (Fr.)
 

Flanker

Anthony Schwartz (Jr.)
Kobe Hudson (Fr.)

Slot

Eli Stove (Sr.)
Ja'Varrius Johnson (R-Fr.)
Caylin Newton (Jr.)

Big slot

Shedrick Jackson (Jr.)
Elijah Canion (Fr.)

Outlook: Stove has played mostly flanker during his career, but Auburn should do everything it can to have him, Schwartz and Williams on the field together as much as possible this season given their experience — that trio combined to catch 137 passes for 1,591 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, which was more than 60% of the Tigers’ receiving production. But with Sal Cannella, Will Hastings, Jay Jay Wilson, Marquis McClain, Zach Farrar and Jashawn Sheffield gone, the depth behind them is very inexperienced. Jackson could inherit a lot of the snaps vacated by Cannella, because Auburn loves his blocking ability, but the junior has only four career receptions. Johnson, Capers, Canion, Hudson and Evans are talented three- and four-star recruits with plenty of easy-to-see potential, but they’re also freshmen with no experience playing at the college level. Position coach Kodi Burns told the latter four that they would need to be ready to play immediately if the Tigers needed them to, and it looks like they will.

H-BACK/TIGHT END
John Samuel Shenker (Jr.)
Luke Deal (R-Fr.) OR Tyler Fromm (R-Fr.) OR Brandon Frazier (Fr.) OR J.J. Pegues (Fr.)

Outlook: It will be fascinating to see how things shake out at these positions, given that Morris has a long history of employing them in the passing game more than Malzahn has during his Auburn tenure. Shenker is the only one with any real experience, having caught six passes for 61 yards and two scores over two seasons, but Deal and Fromm were promising three-star recruits in 2019, and 2020 signees Frazier and Pegues have tantalizing athletic potential. The former is the new prototypical receiving tight end at 6-foot-7 and 270 pounds, and the latter a versatile rushing and receiving threat listed at 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds. Arkansas tight ends caught 45 passes in Morris’ offense last year, which is 34 more than Auburn tight ends have caught over the past five seasons combined.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Left tackle

Austin Troxell (Jr.)
Kilian Zierer (Jr.)
Alec Jackson (Jr.)
Prince Micheal Sammons (Sr.)
Left guard

Brandon Council (Jr.)
Tashawn Manning (Jr.)
Kameron Stutts (So.)
Center

Nick Brahms (Jr.)
Jalil Irvin (So.)
Avery Jernigan (Fr.)
Right guard

Brodarious Hamm (Jr.)
Keiondre Jones (R-Fr.)
Kamaar Bell (R-Fr.)
Tate Johnson (Fr.)
Right tackle

Kilian Zierer (Jr.)
Brodarious Hamm (Jr.)
Brenden Coffey (Jr.)
Jeremiah Wright (Fr.)

Outlook: There will be battles, large or small, at every position on Auburn’s offense this fall, but this one is no doubt the most intriguing and important. The Tigers have to replace four starters, and three of the contenders — Akron graduate transfer Council and JUCO additions Zierer and Coffey — are brand new to the team. The competition will be overseen by first-year position coach Jack Bicknell Jr., who has no shortage of possible alignments — that’s why a number of players are listed a multiple positions. Hamm will almost certainly start, but he can play either tackle or guard. Where he lands will play a significant role in how the rest of the starting five comes together. So too could the health of Troxell and Zierer, who could be starting tackles but are both coming off serious knee injuries. The only thing we seem to know for sure is that Brahms will reprise his role as the starting center. Everything else is up in the air.

Josh Vitale is the Auburn beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. You can follow him on Twitter at @JoshVitale. To reach him by email, click here.

https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/auburn/2020/08/13/auburn-football-2020-projected-depth-chart-defense-special-teams-kevin-steele-gus-malzahn/3359050001/

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AUBURN — In January, Auburn gave defensive coordinator Kevin Steele a three-year contract extension worth $2.5 million annually, which made him the highest-paid assistant coach in college football.

It would be hard to argue that he isn't worth it.

When Steele joined Gus Malzahn's staff following the 2015 season, the Tigers hadn't field a top-40 scoring defense in seven years. Since then, they have fielded a top-20 defense in four straight, allowing no more than 20 points per game in any of them.

That defense will look different in 2020. It won't have four-year defensive line standouts Derrick Brown or Marlon Davidson, who were first- and second-round NFL draft picks in April. It won't have starting defensive backs Noah Igbinoghene, Javaris Davis, Jeremiah Dinson or Daniel Thomas.

It also won't have senior linebacker Chandler Wooten or reserve defensive back Traivon Leonard, who both opted out of this season due to health and safety concerns related to COVID-19.

MORE:Roster depth may be more important than ever if Auburn plays football this season

But that doesn't mean that expectations aren't still high entering the Tigers' 10-game, conference-only season, which the SEC still plans to start on Sept. 26 — of the 36 players listed below, 27 are four- or five-star recruits, and two of the three-stars will be starters.

Here's a projection of Auburn's depth chart on defense and special teams going into fall camp, which is scheduled to start Monday:

Auburn defensive linemen Big Kat Bryant (1) and Coynis Miller Jr. (8) tackle Arkansas running back Rakeem Boyd (5) at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Oct. 19, 2019. Auburn won 51-10.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Buck

Derick Hall (So.)
T.D. Moultry (Sr.)
Colby Wooden (R-Fr.)
Romello Height (Fr.)
Defensive end

Big Kat Bryant (Sr.)
Jaren Handy (So.)
Zykeivous Walker (Fr.) OR Jay Hardy (Fr.)
Outlook: A different player will lead Auburn in sacks for the seventh straight season. No player has done it in back-to-back years since Dee Ford in 2012-13, and none will this year after the Tigers lost Davidson and his team-leading 7½ sacks to the NFL. The new leader of the pass rush should come from this group, which is incredibly deep but also young beyond its two seniors. Bryant led the team in hurries last season, just like Davidson did in 2018. He did that as the starter at Buck, but he has played defensive end before, and Hall and Moultry give the Tigers enough depth to move the senior there. But these two positions are often interchangeable, and Auburn has other options at defensive end, too — Walker and Hardy were top-101 recruits nationally in the 2020 class, and Davidson said he sees some of himself in Handy, who cut weight going into his sophomore season. Replacing Davidson, whose 51 career starts rank as the second-most in program history, won’t be easy, of course. But the pieces are there.

Defensive tackle

Daquan Newkirk (Sr.) OR Coynis Miller Jr. (Jr.)
Dre Butler (Jr.)
Defensive tackle

Tyrone Truesdell (Sr.)
Marquis Burks (Jr.)
Outlook: The only thing more difficult than replacing Davidson is replacing Brown, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year and No. 7 overall NFL draft pick who will be remembered as one of the best defensive linemen in program history. Auburn returns Truesdell, who ably played the space-eating role beside him last season, but will need someone to step up in the pocket-pushing, playmaking role. Newkirk is healthy after missing much of the last two offseasons with Achilles injuries, which may pay huge dividends — defensive line coach Rodney Garner once said he “checks every box” for what you want in a defensive tackle. Teammates saw a more mature Miller in Year 2 last season, and he’s a former top-10 recruit at the position. The player to watch, though, might be the 6-foot-5, 304-pound Butler, who totaled 11½ sacks at Independence Community College last year.

Auburn linebacker Owen Pappoe (10) chases a play during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Kent State, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
LINEBACKER
Middle linebacker

K.J. Britt (Sr.)
Wesley Steiner (Fr.)
Kameron Brown (R-Fr.) OR Desmond Tisdol (Fr.)
Outside linebacker

Owen Pappoe (So.)
Zakoby McClain (Jr.)
O.C. Brothers (R-Fr.) OR Josh Marsh (So.)
Outlook: The Tigers' incredible depth at this position took a hit when Wooten opted out, but they still have a first-team All-SEC selection in Britt manning the middle and the incredibly talented young duo of Pappoe and McClain heading into their second seasons as key members of the rotation on the outside. Position coach Travis Williams likes to rotate four players, though, so the biggest question facing the Tigers here might be who will step up in place of Wooten behind Britt. It could be Steiner, the ultra-athletic, four-star true freshman ranked as the No. 7 inside linebacker recruit in the country.

Auburn defensive backs Jamien Sherwood (9) and Smoke Monday (21) celebrate after making a play at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019. Auburn defeated Mississippi State 56-23.
SECONDARY
Cornerback

Roger McCreary (Jr.)
Jaylin Simpson (R-Fr.)
Devan Barrett (Sr.)
Cornerback

Nehemiah Pritchett (So.) OR Marco Domio (Jr.)
Eric Reed Jr. (Fr.)
Nickel

Christian Tutt (Jr.)
Jordyn Peters (Sr.)
Ladarius Tennison (Fr.)
Free safety

Smoke Monday (Jr.)
Zion Puckett (R-Fr.)
Matthew Hill (So.)
Strong safety

Jamien Sherwood (Jr.)
Chris Thompson Jr. (Fr.)
Malcolm Askew (Jr.)

Outlook: Auburn will have four new starters here after losing corners Igbinoghene and Davis and safeties Dinson and Thomas. It already knows for certain who three of them will be — McCreary will rise up to the top cornerback spot after being third at that position last season, and Monday and Sherwood will take over the safety roles after being key parts of the rotation the past two years. The key to determining the other two spots may be Tutt, the one returning starter — if he stays at nickel, the cornerback job opposite McCreary may come down to a battle between the sophomore Pritchett and JUCO addition Domio. If Auburn decides to try Tutt at cornerback, though, it could turn to the veteran Peters at nickelback, where he was once a key playmaker before battling through the effects of an offseason foot injury last year. Regardless of who starts, the Tigers will need some of those younger players, including the freshmen, to step into rotational roles immediately. It will be interesting to see if Hill can become part of that mix after moving over from wide receiver — the former four-star recruit was also a standout safety at Brookwood (Georgia) High.

Auburn kicker Anders Carlson (26) kicks a field goal against Alabama in the Iron Bowl on Nov. 30, 2019.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Place-kicker: Anders Carlson (Jr.)
Punter: Aidan Marshall (Jr.) OR Oscar Chapman (Fr.) OR Crimmins Hankinson (So.)
Long snapper: Bill Taylor (Jr.)
Kick returner: Shaun Shivers (Jr.) AND Matthew Hill (So.)
Punt returner: Christian Tutt (Jr.)
Outlook: Two of these positions are certain. Carlson made 18 of 25 field goals last season and will be the place-kicker as long as he has that last name and is on campus. Tutt was electric as a punt returner last season, averaging 13.6 yards per attempt. The competitions will be at punter and kick returner. Shivers has a chance to take over for Igbinoghene at the latter spot after averaging 18 yards on four attempts last season, which leads all returning players. The competition at punter could be wide open between the former walk-on now back with the team, another Australian import and a graduate transfer from Gardner-Webb, respectively.

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Josh Vitale is the Auburn beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. You can follow him on Twitter at @JoshVitale. To reach him by email, click here.

 

[Zeek 16,615]

Some things I disagree with Vitale about:

Quote

Quarterback

1. Bo Nix (So)

2. Cord Sandberg (So)

3. Grant Loy (Sr)

4. Caylin Newton (Jr)

5. Chayil Garnett (Fr)

Caylin Newton is already moved to WR so I would be amazed if he sees any reps at quarterback (other than maybe wildcat). Chayil in last makes sense, I believe he'll take a redshirt this year, but it seems like he might be more likely to get some snaps than Loy (considering getting Garnett playing time is more beneficial in the long run than Loy).

Quote

Running Back

1. DJ Williams (So)

2. Tank Bigsby (Fr)

3. Shaun Shivers (Jr)

4. Mark-Antony Richards (RFr)

5. Harold Joiner (So)

I think DJ is RB1-a and Shivers RB1-b. While Tank is a tremendous talent, I don't think he's usurping our most consistent back over the last two years (especially with this pandemic eliminating a lot of learning time for freshmen).

Mark-Antony Richards was actually my guy last year (I thought he was a little better than DJ). It's likely he proves himself given a chance. Joiner will still be relevant in his swing route and change-of-pace. But there's a lot of talent at this position to split carries.

Quote

Wide Receiver

Split-End

1. Seth Williams (Jr)

2. Ze'Vian Capers (Fr)

3. J.J. Evans (Fr)

Flanker

1. Anthony Schwartz (Jr)

2. Kobe Hudson (Fr)

Slot

1. Eli Stove (Sr)

2. Ja'Varrius Johnson (RFr)

3. Caylin Newton (Jr)

Big-Slot

1. Shedrick Jackson (Jr)

2. Elijah Canion (Fr)

I agree with Vitale that getting Stove, Schwartz, and Williams on the field together as much as possible would be a tremendous success. Shedrick really came on late last year and I like his upside. We have a lot of freshmen here that could shine.

Quote

H-Back / Tight End

1. John Samuel Shenker (Jr)

2. Luke Deal (R-Fr) -or- Tyler Fromm (R-Fr) -or- Brandon Frazier (Fr) -or- J.J. Pegues (Fr)

Lots of talent here. Hope we utilize the TE and H-Back positions a lot better.

Quote

Offensive Line

I don't have much to say here with so little to go off of.

[McLoofus 35,182]

We haven't talked about Stove much but Chad might enable him to have a monster season.

Fun fact: All 4 years that Morris was at Clemson, WR3 had at least 30 catches. (That includes 2011, when Dwayne Allen had 50 catches from the TE position.)

For comparison, last year was the first time since 2014 that Gus had a WR3 with 30 or more catches. (And I'm not sure our TEs have caught 50 balls combined in any 4-year span of Gus's tenure.)

25 minutes ago, Zeek said:

Mark-Antony Richards was actually my guy last year (I thought he was a little better than DJ).

I think he'll be better than DJ this year. I think Tank will be, too. And while I think Worm could be, I think that they will have different roles.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

8 hours ago, Zeek said:

hile Tank is a tremendous talent, I don't think he's usurping our most consistent back over the last two years (especially with this pandemic eliminating a lot of learning time for freshmen).

consistent in what

[aubiefifty 16,705]

Projected 2020 Auburn depth chart to start fall camp

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

9-12 minutes

The delayed start to fall camp is finally here, with Auburn set to hold its first official practice ahead of 2020 season that still remains in the balance.

After spring practice was canceled amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and with varying degrees of instruction over the last several months since, Auburn will take the field in full for the first time since the end of December, when it held its final practice before the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla. There are 40 days before Auburn’s season opener (against an SEC opponent that will be revealed Monday at 2 p.m. CT), and several starting spots up for grabs on both sides of the ball before the Tigers take their first snap this season.

An official depth chart will likely be released by Auburn the week before its Sept. 26 opener, as has been the case under Malzahn, but until that is unveiled, here is AL.com’s projected Auburn depth chart to open fall camp:

OFFENSE

Quarterback

Bo Nix, sophomore

Grant Loy, grad

Cord Sandberg, junior

Caylin Newton, redshirt junior

Chayil Garnett, freshman

Outlook: The surest thing on this depth chart is the quarterback position, where Bo Nix returns for Year 2 as the general of Auburn’s offense. The reigning SEC Freshman of the Year will look to take the next step and find more consistency now that Chad Morris is at the helm of the offense. The Tigers have also added some experienced depth behind Nix this offseason. Cord Sandberg is back for his third year on the depth chart, and the Tigers also added Bowling Green grad transfer Grant Loy, who could emerge as the top backup; former Howard star Caylin Newton, the younger brother of Cam Newton, who is listed at receiver but could see time behind center and as the Wildcat option; as well as true freshman Chayil Garnett. It’s arguably the most depth Auburn has had at the position in the Gus Malzahn era.

Running back

D.J. Williams, soph.

Shaun Shivers, junior

Tank Bigsby, freshman OR

Mark-Antony Richards, redshirt freshman

Harold Joiner, redshirt sophomore

Outlook: The Tigers need a new go-to running back following the offseason departure of leading rusher Boobee Whitlow. D.J. Williams, now the team’s returning leading rusher after running for 400 yards as a freshman, gets the pre-camp nod here, but Auburn’s expected by-committee approach means the running back position should be wide open this preseason. Shaun Shivers returns as the most experienced option, while true freshman Tank Bigsby and redshirt freshman Mark-Antony Richards possess perhaps the most overall talent at the position as former top-100 prospects, and Harold Joiner provides another viable option.

H-back/TE

John Samuel Shenker, junior

Luke Deal, redshirt freshman OR

Tyler Fromm, redshirt freshman OR

Brandon Frazier, freshman OR

JJ Pegues, freshman

Outlook: Shenker returns as the expected starter, but this position should see an increased importance in Chad Morris’ offense this season, especially with the influx of talent the Tigers have added in the last two recruiting classes with intriguing options like 6-foot-7 freshman Brandon Frazier and 6-foot-2, 300-pound freshman J.J. Pegues, who possesses surprisingly athleticism at his size.

Split end/X/9

Seth Williams, junior

Ze’Vian Capers, freshman OR

J.J. Evans, freshman

Flanker/Z/2

Anthony Schwartz, junior

Kobe Hudson, freshman OR

Malcolm Johnson Jr., freshman*

*Johnson said he plans to enroll in classes this week after reclassifying, but Auburn has not yet announced his signing.

Slot/3

Eli Stove, redshirt senior

Caylin Newton, redshirt junior OR

Ja’Varrius Johnson, redshirt freshman

Big slot/Y/5

Shedrick Jackson, junior

Elijah Canion, freshman

Outlook: Auburn welcomes back its top three receivers for Nix’s second year in the offense, with Seth Williams, Anthony Schwartz and Eli Stove all back. Those three combined for 59.4 percent of Auburn’s receptions last year, 59.4 percent of its receiving yards and 60 percent of its receiving yards. There’s also junior Shedrick Jackson, whose consistency as a physical blocking presence should earn him the nod at the big slot position. The Tigers also welcome five incoming freshmen, as well as Howard transfer Caylin Newton -- the younger brother of Cam Newton -- who could carve out a role in the slot and potentially as a Wildcat quarterback option, and redshirt freshman Ja’Varrius Johnson.

Left tackle

Austin Troxell, redshirt junior

Alec Jackson, redshirt junior OR

Kilian Zierer, junior

Left guard

Brandon Council, redshirt junior

Tashawn Manning, redshirt junior

Kam Stutts, sophomore

Center

Nick Brahms, redshirt junior

Jalil Irvin, redshirt sophomore

Avery Jernigan, freshman

Right guard

Brodarious Hamm, redshirt junior OR

Keiondre Jones, sophomore

Kamaar Bell, redshirt freshman

Tate Johnson, freshman

Right tackle

Brodarious Hamm, redshirt junior OR

Kilian Zierer, junior

Jeremiah Wright, freshman

Prince Michael Sammons, redshirt senior

Outlook: Auburn must replace four of its five starters along the offensive line, with center Nick Brahms the lone returner in the trenches, so identifying the rest of that five-man unit will be the top priority for Auburn in fall camp -- especially after not having a true spring practice season to get reps. Three of those four spots could go to Austin Troxell, Brandon Council and Brodarious Hamm, with one spot on the right side of the line -- either guard or tackle, depending on where Hamm lines up -- being the most wide open this preseason.

DEFENSE

Defensive end

Big Kat Bryant, senior

Jaren Handy, sophomore OR

Zykeivous Walker, freshman OR

Jay Hardy, freshman

Daniel Foster-Allen, freshman

Caleb Johnson, redshirt sophomore

Defensive tackle

Daquan Newkirk, OR

Coynis Miller Jr., junior

Dre Butler, sophomore

Defensive tackle

Tyrone Truesdell, senior

Marquis Burks, junior

Buck

Derick Hall, sophomore

T.D. Moultry, senior OR

Colby Wooden, redshirt freshman

Romello Height, freshman

Outlook: Auburn has a couple of whopping holes to fill along the defensive line following the departures of Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson, as well as that of Nick Coe. The Tigers return one starter up front in senior defensive tackle Tyrone Truesdell, and senior defensive end Big Kat Bryant is expected to step into Davidson’s spot along the line. Replacing Brown, a generational talent, will be no easy task, but Daquan Newkirk and Coynis Miller Jr. will have their opportunities to step up. At Buck, sophomore Derick Hall should be next in line, though T.D. Moultry and Colby Wooden should also carve out roles in the rotation. There could also be opportunities for newcomers Marquis Burks, Dre Butler, Zykeivous Miller and Jay Hardy to crack the deep rotation.

Middle/inside linebacker

K.J. Britt, senior

Wesley Steiner, freshman

Josh Marsh, junior

Kameron Brown, redshirt freshman

Desmond Tisdol, freshman

Outside linebacker

Owen Pappoe, sophomore

Zakoby McClain, junior

O.C. Brothers, redshirt freshman

Cam Riley, freshman

Outlook: Auburn’s linebacker corps should be the strength of the defense and among the top linebacker units in the SEC, if not the country, this season. The Tigers return starters K.J. Britt and Owen Pappoe, as well as key contributor Zakoby McClain. The unit suffers from the decision by Chandler Wooten to opt out this season, so the No. 4 spot in the rotation should be up for grabs in fall camp, with freshman Wesley Steiner and junior Josh Marsh among the most likely candidates to step up.

Nickelback

Christian Tutt, junior

Jordyn Peters, senior

Ladarius Tennison, freshman

Boundary cornerback

Roger McCreary, junior

Devan Barrett, senior OR

Jaylin Simpson, redshirt freshman

Field cornerback

Marco Domio, junior OR

Nehemiah Pritchett, sophomore

Boundary safety

Jamien Sherwood, junior

Malcolm Askew, senior

Chris Thompson Jr., freshman

Field safety

Smoke Monday, junior

Jordyn Peters, senior

Zion Puckett, redshirt freshman OR

Matthew Hill, redshirt sophomore

Outlook: Auburn is replacing four of its five starters in the secondary, with nickel Christian Tutt as the lone returning starter. Roger McCreary is expected to slide into the top cornerback role vacated by Noah Igbinoghene, while junior college transfer Marco Domio and sophomore Nehemiah Pritchett will compete for the No. 2 spot. Although Auburn loses starting safeties Daniel Thomas and Jeremiah Dinson from last year’s unit, juniors Jamien Sherwood and Smoke Monday should emerge as their successors, though don’t be surprised if senior Jordyn Peters -- who dealt with lingering injuries last season and could also play nickel -- fights for a starting spot at safety.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter

Oscar Chapman, freshman* OR

Aidan Marshall, junior OR

Crimmins Hankinson, sophomore

*Chapman is not yet officially on Auburn’s roster, but he was expected to arrive from Australian over the weekend ahead of the start of the fall semester.

Kicker

Anders Carlson, redshirt junior

Evan McGuire, freshman

Long snapper

Bill Taylor, redshirt junior

Jacob Quattlebaum, redshirt sophomore

Clarke Smith, senior

Punt returner

Christian Tutt, junior

Matthew Hill, redshirt sophomore

Kick returner

Shaun Shivers, junior AND

Matthew Hill, redshirt sophomore

Outlook: Anders Carlton returns for his third year as Auburn’s starting kicker, as does his battery mate, long snapper Bill Taylor, who was sidelined toward the end of last season with a hand injury. Christian Tutt also returns as Auburn’s primary punt returner, while Shaun Shivers should slide into the primary kick returner role. The biggest question will be at punter following the departure of Arryn Siposs, but after going months without a real answer at that position, the Tigers should have ample options between Australian import Oscar Chapman, former starter Aidan Marshall (who returned to the program after departing early in the 2018 season) and Gardner-Webb transfer Crimmins Hankinson.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[SocialCircle 570]

I like this team!

[Zeek 16,615]

On 8/14/2020 at 11:00 PM, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

consistent in what

Being misused lol

[bigbird 60,368]

3 hours ago, SocialCircle said:

I like this team!

So much talent.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

10 hours ago, Zeek said:

Being misused lol

Part of me doesnt agree, just bc I guess I can only expect what Gus has historically allowed for that speed back role. I would agree that on many upper tier running offenses, he'd get way easier (read: not typecast as a speedback that can only do sweep) looks. Even something like just having him in the slot as a decoy on an outside route with Schwartz crossing in as the intended route. It's crazy those two don't have more plays designed around using each other. a triple reverse. A Shivers wildcat with Schwartz action

 

you get two of the ~15 fastest guys in football and they only play very designated and rigid roles..that's tuff

[abw0004 10,104]

@passthebiscuits, any word on how the knees are healing for Austin Troxell and Kilian Zierer?

[auburn4ever 1,266]

I don't know why, but I have a feeling that Grant will see more playing time then we think.

[passthebiscuits 6,831]

1 hour ago, abw0004 said:

@passthebiscuits, any word on how the knees are healing for Austin Troxell and Kilian Zierer?

Good to go. 
As far as I know we only have 1 player who is still on the mend for another couple of weeks but it participating in walkthroughs. 

[passthebiscuits 6,831]

Oh and 33 positive Covid tests. Why Gus, why!!!?!?! Why tell anyone that information?

 

[ellitor 33,062]

22 minutes ago, passthebiscuits said:

Oh and 33 positive Covid tests. Why Gus, why!!!?!?! Why tell anyone that information?

 

@passthebiscuits JGT said some of the 33 were a 2nd positive during a case so that would make the number of actual cases better & lower than 33 no?

[bigbird 60,368]

1 hour ago, passthebiscuits said:

Oh and 33 positive Covid tests. Why Gus, why!!!?!?! Why tell anyone that information?

 

33 out of 863, right? Do you know or can you say how many were when they were brought back to campus?

[AuburnTiger4Life 2,225]

4 hours ago, bigbird said:

33 out of 863, right? Do you know or can you say how many were when they were brought back to campus?

Only 4 missed camp Yesterday  so I’m guessing the others have been cleared 

[passthebiscuits 6,831]

8 hours ago, ellitor said:

@passthebiscuits JGT said some of the 33 were a 2nd positive during a case so that would make the number of actual cases better & lower than 33 no?

Correct. Pretty silly to even include that info in the count, imo. 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

I expected Derick Hall to beef up some. I see he is listed at 238....Does that shock anyone else? Also, interesting that Desmond Tisdol is 6'0 231.....I thought he was smaller than that. 

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

13 hours ago, Tigerpro2a said:

I expected Derick Hall to beef up some. I see he is listed at 238....Does that shock anyone else?

Nope. That's a fine weight for a rush end. Especially a sophomore. 

Also, I think maybe job #1 for our guys this offseason was to not get fat. Seems like a lot of guys kept their weight down during the offseason. Also, I notice with our OL recruiting that we're getting a lot of tall, leaner guys. I could be reading too much into it but, philosophically, I'm guessing that our staff doesn't want guys starting a season or a career at Auburn carrying bad weight.

[Win4AU 4,052]

If Troxell can stay healthy and Bro Hamm can live up to the hype at the other tackle then things may be ok on the line.  I feel good about Brahms at center and there’s a lot of talent at the guards depending on who gets picked.  So much of the success of Auburn’s offense is going to depend on the ability to run between the tackles which hasn’t been done since 2017.

[wde1968 262]

Bo gets injured turn out the lights and call it a season.

[Sizzle 3,909]

4 hours ago, wde1968 said:

Bo gets injured turn out the lights and call it a season.

You can say that for basically every team

[AURex 1,984]

I can see Shivers at RB2. Yes, Tank is a great talent, but RBs must also read and block -- especially with this new OL. That said, I'm thinking Morris will give Tank some touches, increasaingly as the season progresses.

As for depth on the OL, geez, lets find a starting 5 that can actually protect the QB and open lanes. The past couple of years have been sad, and now we are -- I'm sorry -- how do we "rebuild" from mediocrity? Hoping for something good to happen up front.

And I am REALLY hoping that we will see greater variety in the passing game.

 

[gr82be 14,402]

On 8/18/2020 at 7:41 AM, auburn4ever said:

I don't know why, but I have a feeling that Grant will see more playing time then we think.

Agree because we have to be prepared if Bo ever tests positive. 

[AUFriction 1,179]

12 hours ago, AURex said:

I can see Shivers at RB2. Yes, Tank is a great talent, but RBs must also read and block -- especially with this new OL. That said, I'm thinking Morris will give Tank some touches, increasaingly as the season progresses.

As for depth on the OL, geez, lets find a starting 5 that can actually protect the QB and open lanes. The past couple of years have been sad, and now we are -- I'm sorry -- how do we "rebuild" from mediocrity? Hoping for something good to happen up front.

And I am REALLY hoping that we will see greater variety in the passing game.

 

I’m actually kind of hoping we see more RB usage like we saw in 2010 with Fannin, Smith, Dyer, and McCaleb. The rotation worked really well that year. At times in 2010, we’d have Smith, fannin, and McCaleb/Dyer all on the field together. We go 5 deep at quality running back. I’d like to see more multi-back sets this year.