Hilliard’s NFL Pedigree Important to Receivers

[toddc 13,194]

Hilliard's NFL pedigree a big deal for Auburn wide receiver signees

82 minutes ago

AUBURN, Alabama—An All-American at Florida and one of the top wide receivers in Southeastern Conference history, Ike Hilliard followed that with a solid career as a player in the National Football League before moving into a coaching role at the highest level of football.

Now at Auburn in his first college job, Hilliard has already made a big impression on a couple of players he will be coaching this fall on the Plains. Getting to know Hilliard by the phone and with a couple of visits each this spring, Camden Brown and Omari Kelly both say they are excited to hit the ground running this summer when they get on campus.

“It’s great,” Brown said of the addition of Hilliard. “He treats me like his little brother. We are just having fun. Even in the meetings he is locked in and focused every time I can highly fit in with this group.”

Coming to campus early before the A-Day game to watch a Friday practice with the Tigers, the St. Thomas Aquinas standout standout from Orlando, Fla., said that gave him an idea of what to expect when he gets to Auburn because he was able to sit in the meeting room with Hillard and the wide receivers.

“He has some fun,” Brown said. “But he’s always connecting with us. He wants to keep our attention.”

Understanding what it takes to make it both in college and the NFL, Hilliard’s pedigree speaks volumes to both Brown and Kelly.  “It’s a great benefit, because where he’s been is where I want to go,” Brown said. “He can definitely lead me to that path.”

A star football player at Hewitt-Trussville High where he put up monster numbers for the Huskies last year, Kelly has seen plenty of changes since he committed to the Tigers, but this is one he can get on board with.

“It means a lot,” Kelly said. “Coming in to play for a coach that played in the pros and did really well in college, that’s big.

“It’s really important. It will help me with my development and all of the other receivers here.”

Preparing to join a wide receiver group that is looking for playmakers to step up, Kelly said he is excited about the opportunity in front of him at Auburn. With still plenty of questions about the wide receivers for the Tigers coming out of the spring, he said his focus is to be as prepared as possible to hit the ground running when he gets on campus in June.

“I’m going to be ready,” he predicted.

1COMMENTS

Brown and Kelly will add to a wide receiver group that will have good numbers in the fall, but still lacking a proven playmaker outside for Hillard. With the Tigers expected to go the transfer portal route to try to find an experienced player to add to the group, it should be an interesting August when the Tigers get back on the field to prepare for the 2022 season.

[bigbird 60,368]

It'd be great if Brown or Kelly can make an instant impact.

[toddc 13,194]

I think this might be CBH’s best hire outside of the Auburn football family.

[augolf1716 21,096]

49 minutes ago, bigbird said:

It'd be great if Brown or Kelly can make an instant impact.

I pray that's the case. 

[AuburnNTexas 7,128]

4 hours ago, bigbird said:

It'd be great if Brown or Kelly can make an instant impact.

Both have the height we are missing in most of our WR's as one is 6'2" and other is 6'3" . Not getting here till summer and with a complicated Pro based passing attack it will be hard for one of them to make an impact this year.  It seems that current receivers like Capers, Dawson, etc. they are just now seeming to get the feel for this offense. We have a more sophisticated passing attack then in the past that is good for diversifying our offense but it seems like there is a longer learning curve.