Saturday Night Scrimmage Thread

[Old fan 47 770]

15 hours ago, au302 said:

I mean there are even some folks who say Tank isn't elite yet due to his vision being sloppy and his tendency to try to bounce everything instead of taking what the defense gives him. And tbh I agree with those takes. He did struggle with that, and there's always room for  growth. The entire room still has room to grow.

I will say I'm pumped that this is a discussion. Alston is surprising. Considering we are 2 years removed from having guys like DJ Williams, Antony-Richardson, and Harold Joiner in our room, backing up bell-cow Boobee Whitlow, Cadillac has really deepened and bettered the room in short-order. Props to him.

Agree. We went through a couple of seasons with decent production at TB but not substantial by SEC standards. I think we may see a different more focused Tank this year. We need to keep the recruiting ball rolling with our tb’s and we seem to be doing so with Alston and Jeremiah Cobb next year. If we get just solid, not necessarily great QB play and the O Line has indeed improved and are angry, we will beat at minimum one team we shouldn’t and maybe two. Injuries have to be minimal though. My main concern is definitely at QB though, as I’m just not sure any of them are even capable of finishing in the top 7 or 8 in the league and that will hurt, especially because I think our WR’s are going to shine. 

[AuburnNTexas 7,143]

I am the one who started the whole conversation around Damari Alston because the coaches have said he has looked good throughout fall camp and he had a really good scrimmage.  It was not a knock on Hunter but based on what we had been hearing from coaches so far. Apparently by trying to start a discussion on if there is a chance that he could become RB2 I have offended Dag who apparently is all knowing and totally discounts what the coaches and some of the players have said about Alston.  I never said he would become RB2 I asked if there was a chance based on his performance so far.

What is funny Dag went after Mikey and not me who actually started the talk about Alston.

[bigbird 60,522]

1 hour ago, AuburnNTexas said:

What is funny Dag went after Mikey and not me who actually started the talk about Alston.

Classical conditioning 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

2 hours ago, bigbird said:

Like I said, Puckett and Kaufman are the only two I'd have in ink. There's too much good competition out there right now to choose one over another.

 

1 hour ago, AuburnNTexas said:

I am the one who started the whole conversation around Damari Alston because the coaches have said he has looked good throughout fall camp and he had a really good scrimmage.  It was not a knock on Hunter but based on what we had been hearing from coaches so far. Apparently by trying to start a discussion on if there is a chance that he could become RB2 I have offended Dag who apparently is all knowing and totally discounts what the coaches and some of the players have said about Alston.  I never said he would become RB2 I asked if there was a chance based on his performance so far.

What is funny Dag went after Mikey and not me who actually started the talk about Alston.

I didnt see anything that indicated Dag was offended? I saw him laugh at arguments being posted and ask people to clarify why they thought this was a possibility when most have not seen the man run a single rep. 

[DAG 33,982]

4 hours ago, AuburnNTexas said:

I am the one who started the whole conversation around Damari Alston because the coaches have said he has looked good throughout fall camp and he had a really good scrimmage.  It was not a knock on Hunter but based on what we had been hearing from coaches so far. Apparently by trying to start a discussion on if there is a chance that he could become RB2 I have offended Dag who apparently is all knowing and totally discounts what the coaches and some of the players have said about Alston.  I never said he would become RB2 I asked if there was a chance based on his performance so far.

What is funny Dag went after Mikey and not me who actually started the talk about Alston.

What’s funny is I actually went after everyone who was having the  discussion from that POV . Please don’t think you were exempt from that . You were very much one of the people I was referring to. Hope that clears things up. You didn’t offend me at all. I just think asking if someone can upend someone based on reports from practice is comical. Further, I think based on my posts I am doing the exact opposite of acting all knowing . I am seeing, what is the rationale to even ask such a question without truly knowing anything .

If anything should we at least wait till we see him play? I guess that’s not logical in the sense huh? We should equate praise in practice , something that is often done, as a solid base as to why someone with no experience has a chance to supplant someone who has shown he can be a #2 back in the SEC, even partly.  Sounds like you and yours are the ones offended. You are upset at me because I actually wanted to seek what logic goes behind such question . When in reality you should be upset with the posters simply just shutting it down because to them it is such a far fetched thing to even ask. 
 

Then you say it is not a knock on JH? Lol . How can it not be? You just asked did someone have a chance to upend him when you saw what he did last year and haven’t seen a single thing DA has done. You are basing it on a couple of quotes . Do you think because CBH hasn’t said anything about JH, DA is outperforming him or something ? 
 

Ultimately, this goes back to my original thought which seemed to rattle a group of y’all..this is what fans do. My dad is a Steelers fan. He saw one half of George Pickens and discussing how he can be a top 3 WR next year. Is it possible ? Yes. Is it something I chuckle at ? YEP. But at least we actually got to see some glimpses.

Edited August 18, 2022 by DAG

[DAG 33,982]

1 hour ago, Tigerpro2a said:

 

I didnt see anything that indicated Dag was offended? I saw him laugh at arguments being posted and ask people to clarify why they thought this was a possibility when most have not seen the man run a single rep. 

Thank you !!!!

[Tiger Refuge 6,662]

2 hours ago, bigbird said:

Classical conditioning 

 

[DAG 33,982]

Also at the end of the day I am rooting for all three running backs to be successful. Iron sharpens Iron and I think more than anything this is what CBH is getting at in wants. I am sure JH is improving just as much based on his own quotes. His experience will be huge. Someone mentions Tanks vision. I would agree. At times, I feel like he tries to bounce outside way too much. If DA can add any positivity to this group, it will be a godsend to the QBs and O-line.

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

1 hour ago, DAG said:

Thank you !!!!

DAG, I'm offended, that you were not offended 

[AUght2win 6,836]

On 8/18/2022 at 12:02 PM, bigbird said:

IMO, the only two spots locked down at the moment are Zion and Kaufman. All the others are being battled over.  I believe this potentially may be our best overall, 1-8 secondary we've ever had 

That is a wild statement. Better than 1994? 2004? 

[Mikey 16,589]

13 hours ago, bigbird said:

Now only if he could've applied such nuance to the OL situation...

We had the OL numbers back then. I counted them for you, remember? And the quality can't have been too bad because we've still got holdover guys from back then lined up and playing.

The O-line crunch is going to come next year when all those guys that were recruited in years long past have moved on from college.

[bigbird 60,522]

1 hour ago, AUght2win said:

That is a wild statement. Better than 1994? 2004? 

Potentially overall, across the board, yes

[AUApostle 7,651]

7 hours ago, bigbird said:

Potentially overall, across the board, yes

94 is a stretch.  Agree with 04, that unit lacked quality depth.

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

What time is the scrimmage  today?

[maryland tiger 616]

For those who were worried about Jarquez because no articles were written about him, I hope this eases your concern. The article clearly states he will have an INCREASED role.  Geesh 🙄

Jarquez Hunter prepared for increased role at running back for Auburn in Year 2

• Published: Aug. 19, 2022, 7:07 a.m.

Running back Jarquez Hunter (27) runs toward cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (18) during Auburn preseason camp on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022 in Auburn, Ala. (Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics)Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Jarquez Hunter does not lack confidence.

The sophomore running back, like the rest of Auburn’s running back room, has heard the tales from Cadillac Williams about his glory days on the Plains — how Williams and Ronnie Brown were an elite backfield duo in the early 2000s while leading the Tigers to an undefeated season, an SEC title and a No. 2 finish nationally in 2004. The way Hunter sees it, Williams and Brown wouldn’t have seen the field had he been in college back then.

At least, that’s what he has told Williams, his position coach at Auburn. 

“We go back and forth, because those guys think that the game is tougher now and, ‘Coach, y’all weren’t getting it like us.’” Williams said.

It’s all part of the friendly banter in Auburn’s running back room this fall, and it could be an indication of things to come for Hunter in his second season with the Tigers as he looks to build off a solid freshman campaign. As a true freshman last year, Hunter rushed for 593 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 6.66 yards per carry as the second and sometimes third option out of Auburn’s backfield. 

“The biggest adjustment is that I know I’m going to play a lot more this year, so I’ve got to really just get stuff down pat,” Hunter said.

A former three-star prospect out of Philadelphia, Miss., Hunter was Auburn’s most impactful true freshman in 2021. The 5-foot-10, 202-pound running back made a name for himself early in the year, turning heads with back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances to start his career. He ran for 110 yards and a touchdown on nine carries in the season opener against Akron, and he followed it up with 147 yards and a score on eight carries the next week against Alabama State — 

Unlike Williams, who admitted he had never been as nervous as he was in his college debut—when he rushed for 10 yards on nine carries against Ball State in 2001 — Hunter says he was calm and eager to deliver the first time his number was called.

And deliver he did. Hunter became the first Auburn freshman to start his career with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games since Onterio McCalebb in 2009. The following week,

 

Despite the blistering start to his career, things started to cool off for Hunter down the stretch last season. His production began to dip in SEC play, when competition got stiffer. Following a six-carry, 65-yard, one-touchdown effort in Auburn’s win at LSU, he averaged 3.1 yards per carry the remainder of October in games against Georgia, Arkansas and Ole Miss.

Once the calendar flipped to November, his touches tapered off, too. He did not record more than five carries in any of Auburn’s final five games of the season, all of which the Tigers lost. During that stretch, he had 20 total carries for 63 yards.

Despite a reduced role, Hunter’s confidence never wavered.

“That kid’s A1,” Williams said. “I’m talking about A1. Not one time did he complain. Not one time. And the kid put other people first and wanted to see other people succeed. He is so confident in him and his ability and who he is as a person, and regardless of what goes on, if he gets 10 carries, 20, 30 carries, that young man is a team guy. He is going to be — like I tell him, man —you keep that attitude, you keep that mindset, he’s going to go a long way in life.”

Hunter is hopeful that mindset at least takes him further in Year 2 on the Plains. With Shaun Shivers now at Indiana, Hunter heads into the season firmly as Auburn’s No. 2 running back behind preseason first-team All-SEC selection Tank Bigsby. The two were marketed at SEC Media Days last month as a vaunted backfield combination that should catch people’s attention this fall, but like Bigsby, Hunter isn’t resting on his laurels. The sophomore missed spring after a minor knee procedure but made a point this offseason, knowing the opportunity in front of him, to improve his practice and study habits, becoming more detailed in both areas. He was already a notorious performer in the weight room, going back to his days at Neshoba Central High, but he aimed to improve his balance on the field, as well as his jump-cuts with the ball in his hands.

“Jarquez is a machine,” Williams said. “He can run, and he kills workouts. It’s just like last-man standing. ”Auburn's freshman running back is a "country boy" from Philadelphia, Miss., who can squat 600 pounds, jump out of a swimming pool and catch a football mid-backflip.

Hunter has also been making note of all the yards he left on the table last season—the missed opportunities, holes in the line and keys that could have produced more runs like that record-breaking one in Week 2 against Alabama State. 

“He’s another guy that’s super talented,” Williams said. “Sometimes with guys super talented, they can get lackadaisical or bored with the process, so my challenge to these guys is, the great ones, they don’t get bored with the process. Like, boredom, man, can kill your dreams.”

According to Williams, Hunter has responded resoundingly, even pushing Bigsby at times in practice. While he’s unlikely to overtake Bigsby, who is expected to be the foundation upon which Auburn’s offense is based, Hunter believes he’ll provide a nice backfield complement to the accomplished junior — and perhaps they can develop into another heralded Auburn running back duo, like Williams/Brown and others who came before them. (Williams) always talks about how that running back room he was in, they all were talented,” Hunter said. “He just said he had to work hard just to play — and I feel like I’m in the same predicament. Just go out there and work hard and just make things happen.”

Edited August 19, 2022 by maryland tiger

[DAG 33,982]

4 minutes ago, maryland tiger said:

For those who were worried about Jarquez because no articles were written about him, I hope this eases your concern. The article clearly states he will have an INCREASED role.  Geesh🙄

Jarquez Hunter prepared for increased role at running back for Auburn in Year 2 - al.com

 

Do you guys think there is a chance JH can become #1 RB? I am just kidding y'all. This will be by far our strongest unit on the team, IMO. It will be interesting to see if @bigbird predictions come true.

Hunter has also been making note of all the yards he left on the table last season—the missed opportunities, holes in the line and keys that could have produced more runs like that record-breaking one in Week 2 against Alabama State.

I love to hear this about Hunter. The experience, year under his belt and attitude I think will play major dividends this year. 

Edited August 19, 2022 by DAG

[AUght2win 6,836]

7 hours ago, AUDevil said:

94 is a stretch.  Agree with 04, that unit lacked quality depth.

True. But a lot of it was young talent. Carlos Rogers (Thorpe, 1st Rounder), Rosegreen, Will Herring (longtime NFL guy), Pat Lee (solid NFL stint), and Erick Brock to name a few.