Roc Thomas

[aujeff11 6,243]

Every time I see a player's name as a topic title, I get a rush of fear that they've either gotten injured or done something wrong.

With Roc, I think he'll see more playing time than most people think. Corey Grant is much sturdier than OMac, but I don't think he's quite the every-down back. CAP can plow through a crowded line on a short-yardage situation but he has a fumble problem. Peyton Barber will also be seeing lots of playing time. Tre was a heck of a back but when you have the combination of backs we have this year, along with our OL, our run game will be terrifying.

fumble problem?? Based on what? The ACTUAL Statistics don't support that ridiculous statement. Let's look at the numbers shall we??

Stats are here: http://www.auburntig...g.html#IGBG.FMB

FUMBLES No-Lost

Nick Marshall QB.... 14-6

Tre Mason RB........ 4-4

Chris Davis......... 3-0

Quan Bray WR........ 2-0

Corey Grant RB...... 1-0

Jay Prosch RB....... 1-0

Ricardo Louis WR.... 1-0

Nosa Eguae.......... 1-0

C. Artis-Payne RB... 1-1

Steven Clark P...... 1-0

Marcus Davis WR..... 1-0

He fumbled ONE TIME in 91 carries....NOT A FUMBLE PROBLEM IN THE LEAST.

Ah, ok. It seemed like he fumbled a lot, but I guess not. My mistake. :bigblush:/>

You're probably thinking of Blakely. Posters have confused the two before.

Blakely or Mario Fumbling Fannin. Fannin could've been so good If he didn't fumble all the time.

[AU64 10,122]

Every time I see a player's name as a topic title, I get a rush of fear that they've either gotten injured or done something wrong.

With Roc, I think he'll see more playing time than most people think. Corey Grant is much sturdier than OMac, but I don't think he's quite the every-down back. CAP can plow through a crowded line on a short-yardage situation but he has a fumble problem. Peyton Barber will also be seeing lots of playing time. Tre was a heck of a back but when you have the combination of backs we have this year, along with our OL, our run game will be terrifying.

fumble problem?? Based on what? The ACTUAL Statistics don't support that ridiculous statement. Let's look at the numbers shall we??

Stats are here: http://www.auburntig...g.html#IGBG.FMB

FUMBLES No-Lost

Nick Marshall QB.... 14-6

Tre Mason RB........ 4-4

Chris Davis......... 3-0

Quan Bray WR........ 2-0

Corey Grant RB...... 1-0

Jay Prosch RB....... 1-0

Ricardo Louis WR.... 1-0

Nosa Eguae.......... 1-0

C. Artis-Payne RB... 1-1

Steven Clark P...... 1-0

Marcus Davis WR..... 1-0

He fumbled ONE TIME in 91 carries....NOT A FUMBLE PROBLEM IN THE LEAST.

Thanks for correcting that comment....I hate to see a player get labeled by incorrect comments like this. CAP is a tough runner and while AU had a problem holding onto the ball, it was NOT him. JMO but lots of people seem to under-rate this guy and what he is capable of. ...no freshman is going to beat him out IMO.

[WarTiger 3,901]

I think people believe Cam had a fumble problem because he fumbled at a crucial time in the ole miss game and didn't get many carries after that.

Well, that's not really the case either. He had 47 carries for 256 yards through the Ole Miss game and 44 carries for 354 yards AFTER the Ole Miss game. His carries didn't reduce much at all after the Ole Miss game. In fact, his PRODUCTION increased and this is without getting a carry at all in the Georgia game.,

[alexava 6,973]

I have no idea if rock will play a significant role, but I am least pumped about a 5*signer RB as I have ever been. I guess I am comfortable with cap and Corey. Can't wait to see rock and barber in action too.

[aujeff11 6,243]

I think people believe Cam had a fumble problem because he fumbled at a crucial time in the ole miss game and didn't get many carries after that.

Well, that's not really the case either. He had 47 carries for 256 yards through the Ole Miss game and 44 carries for 354 yards AFTER the Ole Miss game. His carries didn't reduce much at all after the Ole Miss game. In fact, his PRODUCTION increased and this is without getting a carry at all in the Georgia game.,

That obviously shows how much his carries were reduced. in the first 5 games he had 47 carries while the next 8 games he had 44. Mind you, the next 8 games included games against west carolina( 7) and florida atlantic (13) and 7 carries of garbage time against Tennesse( He was taking handoffs from Kiehl Frazier for crying out loud.) If you minus those 27 as garbage time carries, which they were, he had 17 legit carries since the ole miss game. As far as Gus not trusting CAP for his fumble against ole miss, I think that is absurd. Tre Mason had the hot hand, he was dependable, and he seemed to get stronger after each carry.

[chimesAU 89]

Every time I see a player's name as a topic title, I get a rush of fear that they've either gotten injured or done something wrong.

With Roc, I think he'll see more playing time than most people think. Corey Grant is much sturdier than OMac, but I don't think he's quite the every-down back. CAP can plow through a crowded line on a short-yardage situation but he has a fumble problem. Peyton Barber will also be seeing lots of playing time. Tre was a heck of a back but when you have the combination of backs we have this year, along with our OL, our run game will be terrifying.

fumble problem?? Based on what? The ACTUAL Statistics don't support that ridiculous statement. Let's look at the numbers shall we??

Stats are here: http://www.auburntig...g.html#IGBG.FMB

FUMBLES No-Lost

Nick Marshall QB.... 14-6

Tre Mason RB........ 4-4

Chris Davis......... 3-0

Quan Bray WR........ 2-0

Corey Grant RB...... 1-0

Jay Prosch RB....... 1-0

Ricardo Louis WR.... 1-0

Nosa Eguae.......... 1-0

C. Artis-Payne RB... 1-1

Steven Clark P...... 1-0

Marcus Davis WR..... 1-0

He fumbled ONE TIME in 91 carries....NOT A FUMBLE PROBLEM IN THE LEAST.

Ah, ok. It seemed like he fumbled a lot, but I guess not. My mistake. :bigblush:/>

You're probably thinking of Blakely. Posters have confused the two before.

Blakely or Mario Fumbling Fannin. Fannin could've been so good If he didn't fumble all the time.

I immediately thought of Fannin too.

[IronMan70 3,277]

This is exactly the kind of position we want to be in with RBs. Bringing in 5* RBs that have to wait their turn because we have good upperclassmen on the roster. A top Senior RB with 3+ years in the strength & conditioning program is a different type RB compared to a true Freshman. The Senior is built to take the pounding in the SEC and he also knows all his assignments. Roc will get some playing time for experience while he gets himself ready to take on a featured role next year.

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

Grant is not the #2 back, he is a specialized role player. He will likely get a similar amount of carries as he did last year. CAP is a quality back, but I'm not sure how dynamic he truely is. Barber has apparently been real good behind closed doors and Roc is supposed to be ready to play as well. I would expect both Barber and Roc to have every opportunity to step up and grab a large amount of carries.

[Tiger 8,826]

I think he redshirts. Remember we will be passing more this year (too much talent at WR and NM improving) so our overall rushing numbers will be down. But generally only 2 RBs can get significant carries. Remember when Brandon Jacobs, Tre Smith, Ronnie Brown, and Caddy were all on the same team? Smith and Jacobs didnt get any touches except on special teams and in blowouts. With Marshall getting carries too, I think its realistic we see a 1000 yard rusher (CAP), a 700+ yard guy (Grant), 500 from Nick Marshall, and Barber gets the rest. Also, I think its Gus' preference to have one main horse at RB so he doesn't have to substitute so he can keep the maximum tempo going. This could also skew the numbers a bit.

Yeah, I do remember that season. It was 2003, better known as the year of the Nallsminger debacle. Afterward, Jacobs transferred and Tubs brought in Al Borges after his pitch for utilizing multiple backs in his offense won the head coach over.

And yes, we will be throwing the ball more this year than last, but then again, last year we had an 1,800 yard rusher in Mason, a 1,000 yard rusher in Marshall, and a pair of 600 yard rushers in CAP and Grant. All told, Auburn ran for more than 4,500 yards; even if you knock a third of that total off, your prediction for Barber would put him at 800 yards. Also, while we will indeed be throwing the ball more, it is quite likely that we will be going at a faster pace and running more plays, as well. And that's not to mention the incredible durability Tre showed last year while carrying the ball an average of more than 20 times per game, including an average of more than 30 carries per game over the final six contests of the season.

Besides, Auburn also threw for 2,400 yards last season, as well, so it isn't as if there wasn't a passing game. If you take 1,000 off of the rushing total and add it to the passing total (which is right about where Gus wants to be, anyway, because that's a pretty danged good balance), that still leaves an extra 500 rushing yards to be garnered by someone else.

The bottom line is that there are plenty of carries to go around even if Roc doesn't redshirt, and that's not to mention punt/kick returns, which he might be better suited to than some of the other guys we have there now due to his experience with taking hits and breaking tackles. Not to mention that if he is forced into action due to injuries, he'll already have acclimated at least somewhat to the new level of play. Now, Gus and Rhett might well decide to redshirt Thomas, but all signs point to him getting time on the field.

I can't really argue with any of that. I agree, Roc could be dynamic on special teams along with Corey Grant. And if he's good enough then he should be on the field for sure. I'm really just guessing the rushing distribution, considering we've only really seen Grant get meaningful snaps. Artis-Payne was pretty active early before Tre started eating defenses up. I'm kind of hoping we throw for 3000+ though, I think we might have the personnel to get that done with teams selling out on the run + Nick Marshall's potential improvement + the WR unit. There are so many possibilities on offense. This team is so loaded on that side of the ball IMO it has the potential to be incredible, barring injury.

[chimesAU 89]

Grant is not the #2 back, he is a specialized role player. He will likely get a similar amount of carries as he did last year. CAP is a quality back, but I'm not sure how dynamic he truely is. Barber has apparently been real good behind closed doors and Roc is supposed to be ready to play as well. I would expect both Barber and Roc to have every opportunity to step up and grab a large amount of carries.

Completely agree.

[JFDTiger80 790]

This is exactly the kind of position we want to be in with RBs. Bringing in 5* RBs that have to wait their turn because we have good upperclassmen on the roster. A top Senior RB with 3+ years in the strength & conditioning program is a different type RB compared to a true Freshman. The Senior is built to take the pounding in the SEC and he also knows all his assignments. Roc will get some playing time for experience while he gets himself ready to take on a featured role next year.

Not sure Roc will be the featured back next year with Jovon coming. Jovon will have 2 year of JC in the books and many feel like he is already ready for the NFL. Roc will get carries though.

[Rednilla 5,391]

I think he redshirts. Remember we will be passing more this year (too much talent at WR and NM improving) so our overall rushing numbers will be down. But generally only 2 RBs can get significant carries. Remember when Brandon Jacobs, Tre Smith, Ronnie Brown, and Caddy were all on the same team? Smith and Jacobs didnt get any touches except on special teams and in blowouts. With Marshall getting carries too, I think its realistic we see a 1000 yard rusher (CAP), a 700+ yard guy (Grant), 500 from Nick Marshall, and Barber gets the rest. Also, I think its Gus' preference to have one main horse at RB so he doesn't have to substitute so he can keep the maximum tempo going. This could also skew the numbers a bit.

Yeah, I do remember that season. It was 2003, better known as the year of the Nallsminger debacle. Afterward, Jacobs transferred and Tubs brought in Al Borges after his pitch for utilizing multiple backs in his offense won the head coach over.

And yes, we will be throwing the ball more this year than last, but then again, last year we had an 1,800 yard rusher in Mason, a 1,000 yard rusher in Marshall, and a pair of 600 yard rushers in CAP and Grant. All told, Auburn ran for more than 4,500 yards; even if you knock a third of that total off, your prediction for Barber would put him at 800 yards. Also, while we will indeed be throwing the ball more, it is quite likely that we will be going at a faster pace and running more plays, as well. And that's not to mention the incredible durability Tre showed last year while carrying the ball an average of more than 20 times per game, including an average of more than 30 carries per game over the final six contests of the season.

Besides, Auburn also threw for 2,400 yards last season, as well, so it isn't as if there wasn't a passing game. If you take 1,000 off of the rushing total and add it to the passing total (which is right about where Gus wants to be, anyway, because that's a pretty danged good balance), that still leaves an extra 500 rushing yards to be garnered by someone else.

The bottom line is that there are plenty of carries to go around even if Roc doesn't redshirt, and that's not to mention punt/kick returns, which he might be better suited to than some of the other guys we have there now due to his experience with taking hits and breaking tackles. Not to mention that if he is forced into action due to injuries, he'll already have acclimated at least somewhat to the new level of play. Now, Gus and Rhett might well decide to redshirt Thomas, but all signs point to him getting time on the field.

I can't really argue with any of that. I agree, Roc could be dynamic on special teams along with Corey Grant. And if he's good enough then he should be on the field for sure. I'm really just guessing the rushing distribution, considering we've only really seen Grant get meaningful snaps. Artis-Payne was pretty active early before Tre started eating defenses up. I'm kind of hoping we throw for 3000+ though, I think we might have the personnel to get that done with teams selling out on the run + Nick Marshall's potential improvement + the WR unit. There are so many possibilities on offense. This team is so loaded on that side of the ball IMO it has the potential to be incredible, barring injury.

Oh, I'll be more surprised if we don't throw for 3,000 (as a team) than if we do. I fully expect the addition of Duke Williams to stretch the field quite a bit, because with him and Sammie Coates on the field at the same time, defenses can't focus on one receiver, and if they double both guys, that is going to leave some gaping holes for the other receivers and the running game to exploit. This offense has the potential to be among the most dominant in the history of college football...however, I will qualify that with the reminder that potential is just unused energy, and it may or may not be put into action. We will be good offensively no matter what (I don't see it being possible for Malzahn to be less than good with this much talent at his disposal), but exactly how good remains to be seen.

In any case, I do expect to see a great deal more balance this season than last, and that in and of itself could well make all the difference.

[IronMan70 3,277]

This is exactly the kind of position we want to be in with RBs. Bringing in 5* RBs that have to wait their turn because we have good upperclassmen on the roster. A top Senior RB with 3+ years in the strength & conditioning program is a different type RB compared to a true Freshman. The Senior is built to take the pounding in the SEC and he also knows all his assignments. Roc will get some playing time for experience while he gets himself ready to take on a featured role next year.

Not sure Roc will be the featured back next year with Jovon coming. Jovon will have 2 year of JC in the books and many feel like he is already ready for the NFL. Roc will get carries though.

My intended meaning of "a featured role" would be different from that of "the featured back". I agree with the assessment of Jovon.

[AU64 10,122]

This is exactly the kind of position we want to be in with RBs. Bringing in 5* RBs that have to wait their turn because we have good upperclassmen on the roster. A top Senior RB with 3+ years in the strength & conditioning program is a different type RB compared to a true Freshman. The Senior is built to take the pounding in the SEC and he also knows all his assignments. Roc will get some playing time for experience while he gets himself ready to take on a featured role next year.

Not sure Roc will be the featured back next year with Jovon coming. Jovon will have 2 year of JC in the books and many feel like he is already ready for the NFL. Roc will get carries though.

My intended meaning of "a featured role" would be different from that of "the featured back". I agree with the assessment of Jovon.

If Roc could field punts and give us a decent KO run-back threat....I'm good with starting him in those roll from game #1.

[stealthyfan 124]

Something about open competition . . . May the best man start.

[bigman334 56]

i'd be shocked if he were RS..you dont run the risk of only having that type of talent around for only 2 years.

[Milnewd 0]

You're probably thinking of Blakely. Posters have confused the two before.

Blakely or Mario Fumbling Fannin. Fannin could've been so good If he didn't fumble all the time.

Mario Fannin was an absolute beast when he did things right. If he could have just held on to the ball he could have made the all-time list at Auburn.

[chimesAU 89]

You're probably thinking of Blakely. Posters have confused the two before.

Blakely or Mario Fumbling Fannin. Fannin could've been so good If he didn't fumble all the time.

Mario Fannin was an absolute beast when he did things right. If he could have just held on to the ball he could have made the all-time list at Auburn.

You serious?

[Rednilla 5,391]

You're probably thinking of Blakely. Posters have confused the two before.

Blakely or Mario Fumbling Fannin. Fannin could've been so good If he didn't fumble all the time.

Mario Fannin was an absolute beast when he did things right. If he could have just held on to the ball he could have made the all-time list at Auburn.

You serious?

Fannin was indeed quite a runner when he was running uninhibited, but he was never able to utilize his full ability because he was expending too much energy trying to ensure his handle on the ball. To this day I believe that he would have been as good or possibly even better than Ben Tate if he had been able to learn how to secure the ball without taking any of his focus off of finding running lanes. Unfortunately, a 20 yard run doesn't mean much if you drop the rock at the end of it, and his natural handle was to carry it like a loaf of bread.

[Milnewd 0]

You're probably thinking of Blakely. Posters have confused the two before.

Blakely or Mario Fumbling Fannin. Fannin could've been so good If he didn't fumble all the time.

Mario Fannin was an absolute beast when he did things right. If he could have just held on to the ball he could have made the all-time list at Auburn.

You serious?

Yeah dude.

[TexasTiger 12,876]

You're probably thinking of Blakely. Posters have confused the two before.

Blakely or Mario Fumbling Fannin. Fannin could've been so good If he didn't fumble all the time.

Mario Fannin was an absolute beast when he did things right. If he could have just held on to the ball he could have made the all-time list at Auburn.

You serious?

Yeah dude.

True. On the edge of greatness.

[Altima 200]

You're probably thinking of Blakely. Posters have confused the two before.

Blakely or Mario Fumbling Fannin. Fannin could've been so good If he didn't fumble all the time.

Mario Fannin was an absolute beast when he did things right. If he could have just held on to the ball he could have made the all-time list at Auburn.

You serious?

Yeah dude.

True. On the edge of greatness.

With all due respect... Mario literally played his entire career at Auburn with one arm. He had 2 shoulder surgeries on his left arm. This contributed to his fumble problem.

He was finally 100% his senior season in 2010. Then, during the MSU game (2nd game of the season) he separated his shoulder again. Mario played the rest of the season hurt... couldn't secure the ball with his left arm.

Not sure if anyone knows this, but in 2011 at Denver's training camp, Mario was on track to making the roster... and on track to steal carries from Knowshon Merano. He was out performing every running back there! Remember, Mario is a legit 4.3 guy. He was splitting reps with the 1's when he tore his ACL. Season done, basically career done.

Had Mario been truly 100% healthy at AU, no doubt he could've been one the greats.

[chimesAU 89]

I just never saw what y'all saw. I do remember Mario blowing it up in Denver and I was absolutely shocked. I'll take yalls word that he really was that close to breaking out.

[aucanucktiger 1,794]

Gus & staff know Roc is not only a talented asset but also that RB recruits wanting to play right away & not minding competition will look at Roc to see how things shake out at the Auburn du jour, so in an offense with about 900 plays per season I'm going out on a limb and guessing Gus sneaks a healthy Roc in for plenty of meaningful playing time this year...one way or another.

[Milnewd 0]

I just never saw what y'all saw. I do remember Mario blowing it up in Denver and I was absolutely shocked. I'll take yalls word that he really was that close to breaking out.

In 2009 he was behind Ben Tate obviously, but when he got the ball he looked very good. In 2010, he was the heir apparent, but his fumbling issues resulted in Mike Dyer taking over about half way through the season. Even then, Dyer wasn't really ready and if you remember Gus brought Fannin in to pass block throughout the season, because Dyer hadn't picked it up yet. Fannin was an all around back. He was built like an ox, but extremely fast too. He was our best pass blocker in the backfield, and our best receiver out of the backfield (better than Eric Smith). If Fannin could have just held on to the ball, Dyer would have been nothing more than fresh legs in the 4th quarter.