StatTiger

Auburn has proven impact players and a longer list of potential stars that could surface in 2019 ... Established talent: Anthony Schwartz (WR): Amazing speed and explosive play ability in the passing and running game. Auburn needs him or Stove to fill the perimeter running game role. Eli Stove (WR): Great speed and big-play ability in the running game. This needs to be the season he is utilized vertically more often. Auburn needs a wide-receiver that can take the top off the opposing defense in the same manner as Darius Slayton. Seth Williams (WR): Combination of Lawyer Tillman, Frank Sanders and Darvin Adams all rolled into one stellar player. He should be a 60+ reception player in 2019. Have a true deep threat (speed) will open up the intermediate routes for Williams to shine. Will Hastings (WR): Quickest receiver and best route runner. The caliber of talent to catch 90+ balls with the New England Patriots. He will give Bo Nix a "comfortable out" on every pass play. Can he and Stove remain healthy? Kam Martin (RB): Very capable RB who has proven to be team-oriented. He can be utilized in multiple ways as a role player. JaTarvious Whitlow (RB): Needed experience to improve as he grows into playing running back. A right combination of size, speed, and burst. If he keeps his work-ethic in place, could be a star this season. Malik Miller (RB): Utilized primarily in a backup role. Never reached his full potential because of his knee injury. The Future: Shedrick Jackson (WR): Very physical receiver, with a willingness to block and do the dirty stuff most receivers shy away from on game day. Next step is proving himself to be a consistent receiver. Marquis McClain (WR): Every year, it feels like it will be his breakout year. He is such an imposing target, who has yet to put it all together. He had a great camp, so hopefully, this is the year. Reminds me of the big Ole Miss receivers we have seen the past five years. Matthew Hill (WR): Of the receivers yet to make a name for themselves at Auburn, Hill is the one who might be the closest to doing so. With Stove and Hastings coming back from severe injuries, Auburn needs Hill to step up big in 2019. Sal Cannella (WR): Marquis McClain Part II but with more opportunities on the field. John Samuel Shenker (TE): Notice there was no proven talent at TE or HB? I liked what I saw of him last season, and I believe he could become a steady performer in 2019. Jay Jay Wilson (TE-HB): Could end up being the best transfer Auburn has signed over the past ten years outside the QB position. He had a good camp and brought a much needed physical element. He also proved to have nice hands, which could keep him on the field in multiple roles. He could be key in keeping the same 11 on the field to avoid substitutions. D.J. Williams (RB): Just might be the best running back on the roster when it is all said and done. Arrived early, allowing him to learn the offense and to cut a role for himself this season. Auburn lacked depth last year, and Williams will fill that role when Whitlow needs a blow. Shaun Shivers (RB): He could have easily made the proven list above, but we have yet to see the best of him. His role increased as the 2018 season materialized. I see him being Auburn’s second-leading rusher in 2019. He is not a substitute for Onterio McCalebb, though he has the speed to motor on the edge. HE IS A TRUE RUNNINGBACK and will prove it as long as he remains healthy. He will be one of Auburn’s top-5 impact players in 2019 because he can make plays on the ground and in the passing game. Mark-Antony Richards (RB): Great talent but could be redshirted because of the current depth and his recovery from surgery. Harold Joiner (RB-HB-FB): If Malzahn stays true to his commitment to go fast and limit substitutions, Joiner is a player who can benefit much like Jay Jay Wilson. Joiner can play RB, WR, and HB in Malzahn’s offense with a great skill set to make plays. I see Joiner being utilized like Mario Fannin during 2009 and 2010. Joey Gatewood (QB): Even if Nix remains the starter during the entire season, Gatewood will have a niche in the offense. He is too gifted of an athlete to keep on the bench, and he could even be given a few series when the game is on the line. I just don't want to see the first down snaps only like Malzahn has done in the past. Right off the bat, he could be utilized in situational play, involving short-yardage situations and redzone offense. It would be interesting to give him 2-3 series per game. Bo Nix (QB): Because he is a true freshman, he has yet to prove himself at the collegiate level. Named the starter going into the Oregon game, Nix has plenty of potential to be a star player in the SEC. He is an accurate passer and a much better athlete than Jarrett Stidham. He can make the read-option a legitimate option in the Auburn offense. Nix benefits from running a high school offense that included a variety of plays and schemes that Patrick Nix took from Malzahn's offense. Outside of the QB position, Auburn needs to 3-4 players from the future list to become proven options in 2019. The more options Gus Malzahn has to work with as the season progresses, the higher the potential for the Auburn offense to reach its ceiling.

Of the top-17 players on offense expected to play a major role this Saturday and the top-17 from defense, Auburn has 8 players on offense ranked in the nation's top-200 best players and 7 on defense. Oregon has 3 on offense and 6 on defense.

This is from a feature I wrote for ITAT... Examining the success of the 2010, 2013 and 2017 Auburn offenses, the rate of explosive plays (15+ yards) is the common denominator along with a consistent running game. Great offenses have playmakers, but it requires scheming to obtain the most of the offensive personnel. Over the past 30 years of Auburn football, only four have finished the season with six players totaling at least ten impact plays during the season. The 1996, 2010, 2013 and 2017 Auburn offenses were successful in distributing the football to their skill players, making it difficult for the opposing defenses to focus on just 2-3 key players. Three of the four teams had a mobile quarterback, something Gus Malzahn appreciates as a play-caller. “I will tell you this about our quarterbacks. Our quarterbacks will be a run threat,” said Malzahn during SEC media days. “And when you have a run threat at quarterback, it really does change things from a defensive standpoint. And from a play-caller standpoint, it gives you a lot more flexibility, too.”

When Oregon and Auburn take to the field this coming Saturday, the Tigers will have the more talented roster based on recruiting rankings. For those who follow recruiting, it will give you the “warm and fuzzies” but those that value experience and coaching, the rosters could be much closer. Looking at both team’s last four recruiting classes, Auburn has recruited 4-5 star talent, 63.6 percent of the time and Oregon is at a competitive, 43.9 percent. Auburn fans need only to look back at last year’s losses to Tennessee and Mississippi State and know the recruiting rankings meant nothing in those games. When it does come to recruiting rankings, I value the players national ranking more so than star power. Looking at the rosters between Auburn and Purdue, the national player rankings indicated Auburn should dominate the Boilermakers, and they did. Keep in mind Gus Malzahn was aggressive, throwing the football vertically, which allowed Auburn to take advantage of their talent level. With this in mind, I examined the national rankings of each team top-17 players on offense and defense, who most likely will see the most playing time this Saturday night. Comparison: On offense, Auburn will check in at 437.0 and will face an Oregon defense ranked at 413.8. The average rankings are very close with a slight edge in favor of the Ducks. IF the national player rankings hold true, Oregon should hold it’s own against the Auburn offense. In fact, if you take Auburn’s OL vs. Oregon’s front-7, there is a huge difference in favor of the Oregon Ducks. Auburn’s OL checks in at 700.8 vs. Oregon at 451.7 in their front-7. The Duck's advantage here is why coaching and experience need to make up the difference for the Tigers. Auburn’s advantage when on offense will come in the skill players, where Auburn quickly makes up for the talent deficiency upfront. IMO, this means Gus Malzahn will have to be creative in his schemes and play-calling against the Ducks to take advantage of his personnel at the RB, QB and WR positions. On defense, Auburn checks in at 396.2 vs. Oregon’s average ranking of 732.5 on offense. The talent rankings here is a significant talent advantage in favor of the Auburn Tigers should we focus on talent rankings only. Examining the matchup of Auburn’s front-7 against the Oregon OL and it favors Auburn at 237.6 vs. 395.0. These rankings in favor of Auburn is why I believe it will be vital for Oregon to be able to run the football Saturday night. They need to lean on their veteran OL and two solid RB’s to keep their QB on his feet. I believe the Auburn defense has the better shot at keeping the Tigers in the game than Oregon's defense vs. Auburn's offense. Because it is the first game of the season, I see around 40-45 combined points. It could be a similar game to what we witnessed against Washington last season. With that being said, if Auburn can run the football and their defense is dominant, it could be a long night for the Ducks. WDE

Keep an eye on Seth Williams. He is currently 25 / 26.

Darvin Adams was a two-year starter at Auburn from 2009-2010, seeing minimal action during the 2008 season. Once given the opportunity to play, Adams took full advantage, becoming one of Auburn's most consistent performers at the wide receiver position. During the two seasons he became a starter, 90 of his 112 receptions resulted in a first down or touchdown. That is an utterly fantastic accomplishment. He was not a big physical talent, but mentally, he was never afraid of catching the football in traffic or over the middle. The majority of receptions came over the middle, and he was money in the bank when it came to running square-in routes. In my opinion, Adams is Auburn's best "possession" wide-receiver of all time. With that being said, I would imagine Lawyer Tillman would have crushed some records had he been targeted as frequently as Adams was during his Auburn tenure. He is currently thriving in the Canadian League and hopefully will work it into a second chance of playing in the NFL.

I think it is great that Ronnie Brown and Carnell Williams have both returned to their University after giving so much as players from 2001-2004. https://youtu.be/1lGwVK6j5CE

Jason Campbell is currently the most accurate passer based on completion percentage in school history with at least 300 career attempts. He had the fifth highest QB rating nationally during the 2002 season and was the No.1 rated FBS quarterback during the 2004 season. Campbell is No. 2 in school history when it comes to career completions, passing yardage and touchdown passes. He was instrumental in guiding Auburn to a 13-0 record during the 2004 season and Auburn's first SEC Title since 1989. Despite his success on and off the football field, fans tend to overlook Jason Campbell when the discussion of great Auburn quarterbacks surface. Competing with Daniel Cobb for the starting role, Jason Campbell did not solidify his control as the starting quarterback until midway of the 2002 season. He redshirted during the 2000 season, and Auburn compiled a 24-14 record from 2001-2003. Having to play under four different offensive coordinators did not help his cause, though he did excel under Bobby Petrino (2002) and Al Borges (2004). When evaluating his Auburn career, it is important to remember he averaged only 18.6 pass attempts per game. Despite being a highly efficient passer during 2002 and 2004, Coach Tommy Tuberville preferred a more conservative approach on offense. Jason Campbell averaged just 17.4 pass attempts during the 2002 and 2004 seasons combined. He was a better athlete than given credit for as Bobby Petrino was the only OC to take advantage of Campbell's running skills. Once Jason locked down the starting role by the seventh game of the 2002 season, Auburn would compile a 26-6 record with Campbell as the starter. During his last 32 games, Campbell maintained an impressive passer rating of 149.9. The Tigers were 10-4 against ranked opponents and 17-4 in conference play. Had he been coached all four seasons by Bobby Petrino or Al Borges, Auburn would have likely won two conference titles and 2003 might have been a national championship run. Campbell was 18-1 as the fulltime starter under Bobby Petrino, and Al Borges combined. https://youtu.be/igZuHIhc3Yg

Auburn's running game progressively became worse, averaging only 80.5 yards per game from 1997-1999 and 2.4 yards per attempt. Johnson would become a savior for Auburn's running game woes, recording a school record of ten 100-yard rushing performances during the 2000 season. His efforts on the field was a primary reason the Tigers won the SEC-West, making it to the SEC Championship game. From 1997-1999 Auburn's running backs combined for an average of 9.7 impact plays (15+ yards) per season. Rudi Johnson compiled 21 such plays during his one season on the Plains. With Johnson, there was a return of a "physical edge" to the football team, something the Tigers lacked on offense during the three seasons before he arrived. He lacked speed, but his low center of gravity and physical build made him a difficult target to bring down. Rudi Johnson made the most of his one season at Auburn and was named All-SEC during the 2000 season. He was later named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and finished #10 in the Heisman vote. His success at the collegiate level resulted in a 4th round draft selection by the Cincinnati Bengals, where he found great success during his first five seasons as a professional. https://youtu.be/gWKCEFdCLOE

Carnell "Cadillac" Williams was a highly touted running back coming out of high school as Tommy Tuberville's staff convinced him to sign with Auburn rather than Tennessee. He suffered injuries during his first two seasons (2001-2002), or he would have likely registered four 1000-yard seasons as an Auburn Tiger. He was All-SEC his final two seasons and an All-American his senior year. He left Auburn as the Tigers second all-time leading rusher and established a record for most career touchdowns. Though he was a gifted athlete, his strongest asset as a running back was his ability to make the first defender miss the tackle. He possessed amazing footwork, and his lateral jump cut often resulted in the opposition chasing his shadow. He ran the ball as if it were the last one of his career. Should he apply the same work ethic and effort as a coach as he did as a player, his coaching career should be successful. His excitement and respect for the game are already rubbing off on the players, and his love for Auburn will be a strong selling point in recruiting.

I appreciate and respect everything Craig accomplished at Auburn as a player and coach but he has never called a game as an OC at the collegiate level. I do hope he receives an opportunity to be an actual "play-calling" OC down the road.

Dameyune Craig brought a new brand of excitement to the Auburn quarterback position and was thrilling to watch. Playing from 1994-1997, Craig was not the starter until his final two seasons. Unfortunately for Craig, the running game dwindled during his tenure as the starter, but he still managed to guide Auburn to the 1997 SEC Championship Game. Craig was an amazing talent, and a real competitor needed to be successful. I can only imagine what he might have accomplished had he played in Gus Malzahn's offense. The 1997 football team had everything but a running game, with a 10-0 record with 100 yards rushing and 0-3 when held to under 100 yards rushing. Auburn's collapse during 1998 (3-8) without Craig is a testament to what Dameyune Craig meant to the Auburn offense during the 1997 season. https://youtu.be/OoeU5PuYHMw

By request, a subscriber asked for a video production related to Auburn's 2019 schedule. Auburn has the horses to make a run for a conference title but the schedule could become too much to overcome. Auburn must perform well on the road for any hope for special season. https://youtu.be/57w4XNvkVmE

Continuing the historical videos of Auburn quarterbacks, the latest feature covers the career of Reggie Slack (1986-1989). Most of you all know he was a two-year starter during the 1988 and 1989 seasons when Auburn captured back-to-back SEC Championships. Slack was a raw quarterback when he arrived at Auburn, averaging about six pass attempts per game in high school. Like Jeff Burger, Reggie Slack prospered under quarterback coach Pat Sullivan. Producing videos of Burger and Slack, it was interesting to observe the similarity in passing mechanics by both quarterbacks. It was evident both quarterbacks were coached well under Pat Sullivan. It feels like yesterday, I was watching Burger and Slack play at Auburn yet it was over 30 years ago. Lots of fond memories of the late 80's under Coach Pat Dye. For the younger crowd who did not witness Reggie Slack play at Auburn, I hope this video project gives you a better idea why older Auburn fans highly regard Slack. Except for a few clips of a couple of plays, there are no actual highlight videos of Reggie Slack on the Internet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ-Gh6QIcA0

Glad you enjoyed it.

How great the opportunity to see the son of Patrick Nix, playing the very same position his father made history. Nearly 25 years ago we witnessed Bo's father playing his senior year at Auburn, finishing his two-year reign as the starting quarterback. Patrick Nix carried the torch of successful quarterback play, revived by Jeff Burger in 1986. Auburn was fortunate to have an extended period of multiple quarterbacks, who led Auburn to success on the football field. This string of success included the performance of Patrick Nix during the 1994 and 1995 seasons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xZT2nDj3Z8

Turnovers killed us that day.

From 1972-1985, Auburn averaged slightly over 92 yards passing per game. After the 1985 season, Coach Pat Dye hired Pat Sullivan to coach the quarterbacks. Under Sullivan's guidance, Jeff Burger prospered into an All-SEC performer. He was a top-10 passer his senior year as he led Auburn to another SEC Championship season. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDYA38X0Vw4

I feel fortunate to have seen him play at Auburn from 1982-1985. I was not fortunate to have witnessed Pat Sullivan live, so watching Bo Jackson provided an opportunity to witness a collegiate legend. The was no other better running back to grace the football field than Bo Jackson when he was healthy. Bo Jackson combined size, power, quickness, and speed to forge a complete running back. He was a remarkable 3-star athlete, and hope this video tribute does him justice. The mark of a superstar on the football field is a player who makes you hold your breath at the snap. There was always that feeling Bo would erupt into a big play, every time he touched the football.

He would not be in my top-5 but primarily the way he was utilized. As others have commented, I also believe Davis should have been utilized more on crossing routes, which would have certainly improved his yards per catch. It is what it is but I would place him in my top-5 of "role players". He was a hard-nosed player and certainly made the most of his opportunity. The fact I took the time to make this video clip should reveal how important I believe he was to Auburn.

The sophomore running back had a great spring camp, and the coaches are excited about his potential for this upcoming season. For a player who was more of an athlete at the HS level, he displayed plenty of "true" running back attributes during his freshman season at Auburn. He is still learning the position but is catching on very quickly. Like all freshman players, he made mistakes last season, and his effort was questioned at times. This season he appears to be mentally tougher and knows there are high expectations regarding his effort on and off the field. Physically, he is stronger and faster than last season, which could pay off big for the Auburn offense in 2019. The offensive line should be better in 2019, and he will share the backfield with a more athletic quarterback than Jarrett Stidham. The running threat at the QB position will open things up for all of Auburn's RB's. Coach Malzahn placed a strong emphasis on the running game this spring, with the intent of being a much more physical squad in 2019. Inside the Numbers: (Ratio of plays of at least 15-yards) Stephen Davis ................... 9.0 JaTarvious Whitlow ........ 10.3 Cameron Artis-Payne ..... 10.7 Ronnie Brown ................... 11.0 Michael Dyer ..................... 12.6 James Bostic ..................... 13.5 Kamryn Pettway .............. 13.7 Ben Tate .............................. 14.1 Carnell Williams .............. 14.3 Tre Mason .......................... 14.9 Kerryon Johnson ............. 16.9 Rudi Johnson ................... 17.0 Kenny Irons ...................... 17.7 Peyton Barber .................. 19.8 Last season Whitlow made 16 impact plays on 165 offensive touches. His current ratio of 10.3 is a great start to his career. If he can remain fairly healthy during 2019, I expect him to be one of the top RB's in the conference. Video:

Like most things in life, we tend not to appreciate things until they are gone.

It’s the subbing during the series that kills the pace. Nothing wrong with subbing between the series, which is what I am hoping for. Have a menu of plays for each skill groupings sent onto the field for the given series. This would allow Gus to expand his overall playbook and would force him to utilize all of his skill players.