1,000 yards receiving

[AUbritt 611]

I would be willing to bet we get a 1,000 yard receiver and a 1,000 yard rusher this season. I think you'll see us as effective at running as last season, and much more effective passing.

[WarTiger 3,907]

I would be willing to bet we get a 1,000 yard receiver and a 1,000 yard rusher this season. I think you'll see us as effective at running as last season, and much more effective passing.

I think you may be right. If not, we will be very close, IMO. We already know we can run the ball on anybody. I expect the passing game to make our offense nearly impossible to stop. We are loaded at RB, we have a great QB that has all the tools, we are loaded at WR and our offensive line should be among the best units in the league, if not the country. I'm very much looking forward to getting the season started.

[Vandelay 5]

From a talent perspective we're certainly not as loaded at receiver as teams like Texas A&M, but we won't need to be. We have guys like Marcus Davis coming in quietly under the radar who will bring a professional work ethic and consistent play-making ability to the table every week. Players like Davis are going to get theirs in an above-average passing attack. I can't see Davis not having a good season, but Gus will make everyone look good with Johnson at the reigns. So I'm sure we'll see the love spread and yards distributed over a rotation of receivers, and maybe because of that nobody outside of Duke will have a great shot to reach the 1,000 yard mark.

Duke will just be icing on the cake with the other playmakers we'll have on the offensive side of the ball. I think the passing game can be very prolific with or without him when you have Johnson and this O-line. Though Duke, along with Johnson and our RB talent, will elevate the receiving core as a whole. The thing I'm looking forward to most is stability from the WR position. If Duke is forced out of a game with an injury, how will their production as a group be effected? Last year it didn't look very pretty when that happened, but I think this year's team would have the flexibility to adapt with much less drop-off.

[TAYLORKEETON 792]

Myron Burton will shine

[tgr4lfe 220]

I would be willing to bet we get a 1,000 yard receiver and a 1,000 yard rusher this season. I think you'll see us as effective at running as last season, and much more effective passing.

I think you may be right. If not, we will be very close, IMO. We already know we can run the ball on anybody. I expect the passing game to make our offense nearly impossible to stop. We are loaded at RB, we have a great QB that has all the tools, we are loaded at WR and our offensive line should be among the best units in the league, if not the country. I'm very much looking forward to getting the season started.

This is where I see the AU offense getting back to 2010 form. As good as NM was, he was NOT an all around good passer. There was a reason CGM didn't throw a lot of the intermediate routes. JJ, I believe is an all around great passer, as shown by his playing time last year. Yes, he has to further prove himself week in, week out, but I just feel like this 2015 offense will be unstoppable too!! No more teams stacking the line selling out to stop the run, which didn't always work anyway, but this year they have to respect JJ throwing it. Factor in that there are in essence about 6 - 8 OL that have starting experience and/or significant playing time and the arguably the most talented (based on stars) OL in many years could be very good.

[AUbritt 611]

I would be willing to bet we get a 1,000 yard receiver and a 1,000 yard rusher this season. I think you'll see us as effective at running as last season, and much more effective passing.

I think you may be right. If not, we will be very close, IMO. We already know we can run the ball on anybody. I expect the passing game to make our offense nearly impossible to stop. We are loaded at RB, we have a great QB that has all the tools, we are loaded at WR and our offensive line should be among the best units in the league, if not the country. I'm very much looking forward to getting the season started.

This is where I see the AU offense getting back to 2010 form. As good as NM was, he was NOT an all around good passer. There was a reason CGM didn't throw a lot of the intermediate routes. JJ, I believe is an all around great passer, as shown by his playing time last year. Yes, he has to further prove himself week in, week out, but I just feel like this 2015 offense will be unstoppable too!! No more teams stacking the line selling out to stop the run, which didn't always work anyway, but this year they have to respect JJ throwing it. Factor in that there are in essence about 6 - 8 OL that have starting experience and/or significant playing time and the arguably the most talented (based on stars) OL in many years could be very good.

Yep. It's really all about how much improvement we see on D this season, I think. If it's noticeable, watch out!

[AUpreacherman22 3,887]

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I will be surprised if Duke doesn't get 1000 yards this year.

[McLoofus 35,182]

From a talent perspective we're certainly not as loaded at receiver as teams like Texas A&M, but we won't need to be. We have guys like Marcus Davis coming in quietly under the radar who will bring a professional work ethic and consistent play-making ability to the table every week. Players like Davis are going to get theirs in an above-average passing attack. I can't see Davis not having a good season, but Gus will make everyone look good with Johnson at the reigns. So I'm sure we'll see the love spread and yards distributed over a rotation of receivers, and maybe because of that nobody outside of Duke will have a great shot to reach the 1,000 yard mark.

Duke will just be icing on the cake with the other playmakers we'll have on the offensive side of the ball. I think the passing game can be very prolific with or without him when you have Johnson and this O-line. Though Duke, along with Johnson and our RB talent, will elevate the receiving core as a whole. The thing I'm looking forward to most is stability from the WR position. If Duke is forced out of a game with an injury, how will their production as a group be effected? Last year it didn't look very pretty when that happened, but I think this year's team would have the flexibility to adapt with much less drop-off.

Would we still have a championship-caliber offense without Duke? Quite possibly.

Is our offense a LOT less talented without Duke? Absolutely. He is in a class all his own among not just the current WR corps, but compared to maybe any Auburn receiver I can remember going back to... yeah, still drawing a blank. Enjoy this season. We're not going to have another guy like him anytime soon.

[meh130 1,043]

Who's our answer for losing CJ?

I think CJ's role in the passing game will be replaced by a traditional WR this year. I think we will see more 3 WR and 4 WR sets, and less sets with a TE on the line, like with CJ.

I think Melvin Ray is the best bet for this role. Big, physical, and a possession receiver. I think we will see more 3 WR sets on third and medium, and goal line situations, and Ray will be one of the three.

I think Pettaway, Cox, Laye, and Harris will see more time at H-Back. For third-down and medium situations, I think it will be one of the better receivers. For more traditional downs, it will be one of the better blockers.

In 2016, with Duke, Ray, and Louis gone, I think we will probably go back to the hybrid TE/WR role C.J. filled, probably with Laye and Harris in the role.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,673]

From a talent perspective we're certainly not as loaded at receiver as teams like Texas A&M, but we won't need to be. We have guys like Marcus Davis coming in quietly under the radar who will bring a professional work ethic and consistent play-making ability to the table every week. Players like Davis are going to get theirs in an above-average passing attack. I can't see Davis not having a good season, but Gus will make everyone look good with Johnson at the reigns. So I'm sure we'll see the love spread and yards distributed over a rotation of receivers, and maybe because of that nobody outside of Duke will have a great shot to reach the 1,000 yard mark.

Duke will just be icing on the cake with the other playmakers we'll have on the offensive side of the ball. I think the passing game can be very prolific with or without him when you have Johnson and this O-line. Though Duke, along with Johnson and our RB talent, will elevate the receiving core as a whole. The thing I'm looking forward to most is stability from the WR position. If Duke is forced out of a game with an injury, how will their production as a group be effected? Last year it didn't look very pretty when that happened, but I think this year's team would have the flexibility to adapt with much less drop-off.

Would we still have a championship-caliber offense without Duke? Quite possibly.

Is our offense a LOT less talented without Duke? Absolutely. He is in a class all his own among not just the current WR corps, but compared to maybe any Auburn receiver I can remember going back to... yeah, still drawing a blank. Enjoy this season. We're not going to have another guy like him anytime soon.

pretty crazy how last season we pretty much had our two best receivers in history on the same field

[Barnacle 9,064]

Who's our answer for losing CJ?

I think CJ's role in the passing game will be replaced by a traditional WR this year. I think we will see more 3 WR and 4 WR sets, and less sets with a TE on the line, like with CJ.

I think Melvin Ray is the best bet for this role. Big, physical, and a possession receiver. I think we will see more 3 WR sets on third and medium, and goal line situations, and Ray will be one of the three.

I think Pettaway, Cox, Laye, and Harris will see more time at H-Back. For third-down and medium situations, I think it will be one of the better receivers. For more traditional downs, it will be one of the better blockers.

In 2016, with Duke, Ray, and Louis gone, I think we will probably go back to the hybrid TE/WR role C.J. filled, probably with Laye and Harris in the role.

Thanks, this was a good explanation.

[AU64 10,122]

I don't see any 1000 yard receivers this year. Duke will make people pay on possession and red zone plays IMO but to pick up a 1000 yard a WR needs a bunch of 50-75 yard plays and from what I recall, Duke does not have the speed to break off those long TDs like Sammy. Plus, we have some very good alternatives and likely that the ball will be shared among them.

I see 3 guys in the 500-700 yard range and a couple RBs with some pretty good yardage too.

[Rednilla 5,391]

pretty crazy how last season we pretty much had our two best receivers in history on the same field

.......I'm not sure we had EITHER of our two best receivers in history on the field last year. Terry Beasley and Frank Sanders are both in the CFB Hall of Fame, if memory serves me correctly, and as much as I love Sammie, I wouldn't put him ahead of either one. Duke is probably in the same class as those two, but that's a discussion left for after he is no longer playing at Auburn.

On another note, I really get the feeling that Tony Stevens is going to be the breakout receiver this year. He has always struck me as almost a clone of Coates, with his height and speed, and I get the feeling he didn't get the chances he might have without Sammie being here because he never showed any better consistency holding onto the football than Sammie did. With no one else (save perhaps Louis) with that kind of measurables, I'm thinking he'll get the chance to be the home run threat that Coates was.

Also, I believe the only way we DON'T have a thousand yard receiver this year is if we have four or five with more than 500 yards due to spreading the ball around so much.

[WarTiger 3,907]

pretty crazy how last season we pretty much had our two best receivers in history on the same field

.......I'm not sure we had EITHER of our two best receivers in history on the field last year. Terry Beasley and Frank Sanders are both in the CFB Hall of Fame, if memory serves me correctly, and as much as I love Sammie, I wouldn't put him ahead of either one. Duke is probably in the same class as those two, but that's a discussion left for after he is no longer playing at Auburn.

On another note, I really get the feeling that Tony Stevens is going to be the breakout receiver this year. He has always struck me as almost a clone of Coates, with his height and speed, and I get the feeling he didn't get the chances he might have without Sammie being here because he never showed any better consistency holding onto the football than Sammie did. With no one else (save perhaps Louis) with that kind of measurables, I'm thinking he'll get the chance to be the home run threat that Coates was.

Also, I believe the only way we DON'T have a thousand yard receiver this year is if we have four or five with more than 500 yards due to spreading the ball around so much.

I absolutely agree. DTR doesn't know much about the history of Auburn football. I've asked him how old he is, but he ignores it. I'm guessing he's in his early 20's if that. Sammie Coates was great at Auburn but one of the best in Auburn history, NO...Williams is good too, but one of the best in Auburn history, NO. Top 20 perhaps (for both) maybe even top 10, but best, No. The game is very different now, but Beasley and Frank Sanders were terrific players

[Rednilla 5,391]

pretty crazy how last season we pretty much had our two best receivers in history on the same field

.......I'm not sure we had EITHER of our two best receivers in history on the field last year. Terry Beasley and Frank Sanders are both in the CFB Hall of Fame, if memory serves me correctly, and as much as I love Sammie, I wouldn't put him ahead of either one. Duke is probably in the same class as those two, but that's a discussion left for after he is no longer playing at Auburn.

On another note, I really get the feeling that Tony Stevens is going to be the breakout receiver this year. He has always struck me as almost a clone of Coates, with his height and speed, and I get the feeling he didn't get the chances he might have without Sammie being here because he never showed any better consistency holding onto the football than Sammie did. With no one else (save perhaps Louis) with that kind of measurables, I'm thinking he'll get the chance to be the home run threat that Coates was.

Also, I believe the only way we DON'T have a thousand yard receiver this year is if we have four or five with more than 500 yards due to spreading the ball around so much.

I absolutely agree. DTR doesn't know much about the history of Auburn football. I've asked him how old he is, but he ignores it. I'm guessing he's in his early 20's if that. Sammie Coates was great at Auburn but one of the best in Auburn history, NO...Williams is good too, but one of the best in Auburn history, NO. Top 20 perhaps (for both) maybe even top 10, but best, No. The game is very different now, but Beasley and Frank Sanders were terrific players

To be fair, I think Duke could well end up in the same kind of category, but you're right that he's no better than top 10 right now. Courtney Taylor, Alexander Wright, Thomas Bailey, Karsten Bailey, Devin Aromashadu, Ben Obomanu, Darvin Adams...all of those guys had outstanding careers at Auburn, and all of them did it for at least 3 years. If Duke is a consensus All-American at the end of the season (which I'm pretty sure Beasley did twice and Sanders once), then he'll be in the top 5, and maybe even top 3. I don't know that he's ever going to top either of the guys we mentioned first, no matter what, because Beasley and Sanders were beasts, but there aren't a whole lot of receivers who top them, regardless of where they went to school.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a catch that was better than the first Nix to Sanders in '93 against Bama, considering how the defender was covering him, who we were playing, what that TD meant for the momentum of the game, and what was on the line for the season. That guy was doing the same things Duke is now while Williams was still learning how to walk.

And while Sullivan and Beasley were before my time (my father was at AU while they were playing), there's this one play that told me everything I needed to know about how good Beasley really was: it was a game against Florida, and he caught the pass right around midfield with two UF players flanking him, half a step behind and just a couple of yards on either side of him, when he turned on the jets. By the time Beasley crossed the 20, the Florida players were no longer visible in the picture.

Yes, #AuburnFast has been around a long, long time...

[AU64 10,122]

pretty crazy how last season we pretty much had our two best receivers in history on the same field

.......I'm not sure we had EITHER of our two best receivers in history on the field last year. Terry Beasley and Frank Sanders are both in the CFB Hall of Fame, if memory serves me correctly, and as much as I love Sammie, I wouldn't put him ahead of either one. Duke is probably in the same class as those two, but that's a discussion left for after he is no longer playing at Auburn.

On another note, I really get the feeling that Tony Stevens is going to be the breakout receiver this year. He has always struck me as almost a clone of Coates, with his height and speed, and I get the feeling he didn't get the chances he might have without Sammie being here because he never showed any better consistency holding onto the football than Sammie did. With no one else (save perhaps Louis) with that kind of measurables, I'm thinking he'll get the chance to be the home run threat that Coates was.

Also, I believe the only way we DON'T have a thousand yard receiver this year is if we have four or five with more than 500 yards due to spreading the ball around so much.

I absolutely agree. DTR doesn't know much about the history of Auburn football. I've asked him how old he is, but he ignores it. I'm guessing he's in his early 20's if that. Sammie Coates was great at Auburn but one of the best in Auburn history, NO...Williams is good too, but one of the best in Auburn history, NO. Top 20 perhaps (for both) maybe even top 10, but best, No. The game is very different now, but Beasley and Frank Sanders were terrific players

To be fair, I think Duke could well end up in the same kind of category, but you're right that he's no better than top 10 right now. Courtney Taylor, Alexander Wright, Thomas Bailey, Karsten Bailey, Devin Aromashadu, Ben Obomanu, Darvin Adams...all of those guys had outstanding careers at Auburn, and all of them did it for at least 3 years. If Duke is a consensus All-American at the end of the season (which I'm pretty sure Beasley did twice and Sanders once), then he'll be in the top 5, and maybe even top 3. I don't know that he's ever going to top either of the guys we mentioned first, no matter what, because Beasley and Sanders were beasts, but there aren't a whole lot of receivers who top them, regardless of where they went to school.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a catch that was better than the first Nix to Sanders in '93 against Bama, considering how the defender was covering him, who we were playing, what that TD meant for the momentum of the game, and what was on the line for the season. That guy was doing the same things Duke is now while Williams was still learning how to walk.

And while Sullivan and Beasley were before my time (my father was at AU while they were playing), there's this one play that told me everything I needed to know about how good Beasley really was: it was a game against Florida, and he caught the pass right around midfield with two UF players flanking him, half a step behind and just a couple of yards on either side of him, when he turned on the jets. By the time Beasley crossed the 20, the Florida players were no longer visible in the picture.

Yes, #AuburnFast has been around a long, long time...:P/>

good commentary. I was around when Beasley was doing his thing and he had it all...guts to go across the middle and take the hit after a catch and the speed to leave defenders on the home run pass.

As noted, AU has had a string of exceptional pass receivers over the years and I guess there is a tendency for us to consider the ones we are familiar with as being the "all time" best.

JMO but Duke has quite a way to go in order to get into the same conversation as those folks you discussed above. Hope he is able to take that next step this season.

[WaynesAUworld 179]

pretty crazy how last season we pretty much had our two best receivers in history on the same field

.......I'm not sure we had EITHER of our two best receivers in history on the field last year. Terry Beasley and Frank Sanders are both in the CFB Hall of Fame, if memory serves me correctly, and as much as I love Sammie, I wouldn't put him ahead of either one. Duke is probably in the same class as those two, but that's a discussion left for after he is no longer playing at Auburn.

On another note, I really get the feeling that Tony Stevens is going to be the breakout receiver this year. He has always struck me as almost a clone of Coates, with his height and speed, and I get the feeling he didn't get the chances he might have without Sammie being here because he never showed any better consistency holding onto the football than Sammie did. With no one else (save perhaps Louis) with that kind of measurables, I'm thinking he'll get the chance to be the home run threat that Coates was.

Also, I believe the only way we DON'T have a thousand yard receiver this year is if we have four or five with more than 500 yards due to spreading the ball around so much.

I absolutely agree. DTR doesn't know much about the history of Auburn football. I've asked him how old he is, but he ignores it. I'm guessing he's in his early 20's if that. Sammie Coates was great at Auburn but one of the best in Auburn history, NO...Williams is good too, but one of the best in Auburn history, NO. Top 20 perhaps (for both) maybe even top 10, but best, No. The game is very different now, but Beasley and Frank Sanders were terrific players

To be fair, I think Duke could well end up in the same kind of category, but you're right that he's no better than top 10 right now. Courtney Taylor, Alexander Wright, Thomas Bailey, Karsten Bailey, Devin Aromashadu, Ben Obomanu, Darvin Adams...all of those guys had outstanding careers at Auburn, and all of them did it for at least 3 years. If Duke is a consensus All-American at the end of the season (which I'm pretty sure Beasley did twice and Sanders once), then he'll be in the top 5, and maybe even top 3. I don't know that he's ever going to top either of the guys we mentioned first, no matter what, because Beasley and Sanders were beasts, but there aren't a whole lot of receivers who top them, regardless of where they went to school.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a catch that was better than the first Nix to Sanders in '93 against Bama, considering how the defender was covering him, who we were playing, what that TD meant for the momentum of the game, and what was on the line for the season. That guy was doing the same things Duke is now while Williams was still learning how to walk.

And while Sullivan and Beasley were before my time (my father was at AU while they were playing), there's this one play that told me everything I needed to know about how good Beasley really was: it was a game against Florida, and he caught the pass right around midfield with two UF players flanking him, half a step behind and just a couple of yards on either side of him, when he turned on the jets. By the time Beasley crossed the 20, the Florida players were no longer visible in the picture.

Yes, #AuburnFast has been around a long, long time...:P/>

good commentary. I was around when Beasley was doing his thing and he had it all...guts to go across the middle and take the hit after a catch and the speed to leave defenders on the home run pass.

As noted, AU has had a string of exceptional pass receivers over the years and I guess there is a tendency for us to consider the ones we are familiar with as being the "all time" best.

JMO but Duke has quite a way to go in order to get into the same conversation as those folks you discussed above. Hope he is able to take that next step this season.

I agree. While Duke is a great receiver, he hasn't risen to the top YET. Here's to hoping he does this year and cements his name in the record books. War Eagle.

[TIGGR82 4]

I don't see any 1000 yard receivers this year. Duke will make people pay on possession and red zone plays IMO but to pick up a 1000 yard a WR needs a bunch of 50-75 yard plays and from what I recall, Duke does not have the speed to break off those long TDs like Sammy. Plus, we have some very good alternatives and likely that the ball will be shared among them.

I see 3 guys in the 500-700 yard range and a couple RBs with some pretty good yardage too.

Go back and watch him again....Duke is faster than you think.

Also, I agree about the spread of numbers for the most part. But, Duke easily has an opportunity to break 1,000. Especially as the guys around him step up to take the coverage pressure off.

[McLoofus 35,182]

I understand some of you older guys feel a duty to protect the legacy of guys like Beasley, just like somewhat-less-older guys like me who were at AU in the early/mid 90s feel the need to protect the legacy of guys like Frank Sanders. But you're not being terribly objective to say that Duke Williams isn't every bit as talented as those guys. We all wish he came to Auburn as a true freshman, but he didn't. There's nothing that can be done about it. He's here now and he's freaking amazing and it would be a shame to spend this upcoming season comparing him to a memory that's had 20 or 45 years to inch its way towards mythology.

Btw, he runs a 4.4. He's fast. He's also strong, and he's also tough as nails and more than willing to cross the middle of the field.

I can't wait to see how good he is when he's got an accurate quarterback throwing him the ball. (We do all realize that Beasley had a Heisman winner throwing him the ball while Duke had a cornerback throwing him the ball last year, right?)

[AU64 10,122]

I understand some of you older guys feel a duty to protect the legacy of guys like Beasley, just like somewhat-less-older guys like me who were at AU in the early/mid 90s feel the need to protect the legacy of guys like Frank Sanders. But you're not being terribly objective to say that Duke Williams isn't every bit as talented as those guys. We all wish he came to Auburn as a true freshman, but he didn't. There's nothing that can be done about it. He's here now and he's freaking amazing and it would be a shame to spend this upcoming season comparing him to a memory that's had 20 or 45 years to inch its way towards mythology.

Btw, he runs a 4.4. He's fast. He's also strong, and he's also tough as nails and more than willing to cross the middle of the field.

I can't wait to see how good he is when he's got an accurate quarterback throwing him the ball. (We do all realize that Beasley had a Heisman winner throwing him the ball while Duke had a cornerback throwing him the ball last year, right?)

Is this the same McLoo who was ragging me a few days ago when I suggested that NM might not have been any better than JJ? I didn't call him a cornerback......but I think someone wanted some stats.....60% pass completions and 40% scoring TDs in the red zone ;last year....not exactly Heisman numbers I agree.

But....hope you are right about Duke's speed... I just recall some pix of him looking a bit well fed which was suitable for him being able to take the hits on those possession passes. ..5 TDs is not many for a go the distance pass receiver but then again, he missed 3 games....and interesting that Duke's best game (statistically) was when JJ was the QB. May that trend continue.....

Meanwhile, I'm still in the camp that says Duke has to do much more this year to be properly mentioned with Taylor, Sanders and those other mostly forgotten guys from the last century.

[AUbritt 611]

I understand some of you older guys feel a duty to protect the legacy of guys like Beasley, just like somewhat-less-older guys like me who were at AU in the early/mid 90s feel the need to protect the legacy of guys like Frank Sanders. But you're not being terribly objective to say that Duke Williams isn't every bit as talented as those guys. We all wish he came to Auburn as a true freshman, but he didn't. There's nothing that can be done about it. He's here now and he's freaking amazing and it would be a shame to spend this upcoming season comparing him to a memory that's had 20 or 45 years to inch its way towards mythology.

Btw, he runs a 4.4. He's fast. He's also strong, and he's also tough as nails and more than willing to cross the middle of the field.

I can't wait to see how good he is when he's got an accurate quarterback throwing him the ball. (We do all realize that Beasley had a Heisman winner throwing him the ball while Duke had a cornerback throwing him the ball last year, right?)

Is this the same McLoo who was ragging me a few days ago when I suggested that NM might not have been any better than JJ? I didn't call him a cornerback......but I think someone wanted some stats.....60% pass completions and 40% scoring TDs in the red zone ;last year....not exactly Heisman numbers I agree.

But....hope you are right about Duke's speed... I just recall some pix of him looking a bit well fed which was suitable for him being able to take the hits on those possession passes. ..5 TDs is not many for a go the distance pass receiver but then again, he missed 3 games....and interesting that Duke's best game (statistically) was when JJ was the QB. May that trend continue.....

Meanwhile, I'm still in the camp that says Duke has to do much more this year to be properly mentioned with Taylor, Sanders and those other mostly forgotten guys from the last century.

Last century ... when I was born. LOL.

It's about time for McLoofus to rag someone, 64. Might as well be you!

[Rednilla 5,391]

I understand some of you older guys feel a duty to protect the legacy of guys like Beasley, just like somewhat-less-older guys like me who were at AU in the early/mid 90s feel the need to protect the legacy of guys like Frank Sanders. But you're not being terribly objective to say that Duke Williams isn't every bit as talented as those guys. We all wish he came to Auburn as a true freshman, but he didn't. There's nothing that can be done about it. He's here now and he's freaking amazing and it would be a shame to spend this upcoming season comparing him to a memory that's had 20 or 45 years to inch its way towards mythology.

Btw, he runs a 4.4. He's fast. He's also strong, and he's also tough as nails and more than willing to cross the middle of the field.

I can't wait to see how good he is when he's got an accurate quarterback throwing him the ball. (We do all realize that Beasley had a Heisman winner throwing him the ball while Duke had a cornerback throwing him the ball last year, right?)

I very strongly doubt he runs a legitimate 4.4. He might run a low 4.5, and that's a lot faster than most people realize, but 4.4 is NFL burner type of speed. I mean, Sammie only ran a 4.43 at the Combine this year; you can't seriously think Duke has that kind of speed, can you? Speed just isn't his game. I'm not suggesting he's slow by any means, but he's much more a possession receiver with speed than a speedy receiver who can catch.

Moreover, this is about keeping things in perspective. Duke has been here for one season. As spectacular as he was during that one season, and as much as he should be seen as the future first round draft pick he almost certainly will be (barring injury), he's still only done it for one year.

With regard to Beasley having a Heisman winner throwing him the ball, you have to keep in mind that Sullivan probably never would have won the Heisman without Beasley as a target. Only one of them was successful in the NFL, and it wasn't the quarterback, so just because Nick Marshall is a good enough athlete to get a look at corner in the NFL doesn't mean that the guy who led us to the 2013 SEC Championship is somehow an inferior QB. The threat of him running the ball consistently gave receivers more room to work with, as the defense had to commit more guys to defending the run game, whereas neither Pat Sullivan nor Stan White provided such a luxury to their receivers. (That's not to be critical of either Sully or White, only to point out that wasn't part of their game.)

Objectivity means seeing things as they are, not as they could be, and talent is not the same as productivity. Again, Beasley was a two time All-American. Sanders was All-America for one season. Duke has only PLAYED for one season at this level. Saying he is as good as/better than those guys, or even the guys I mentioned previously, is not objective; it is subjectively raving about a current player while disregarding the contributions of past players in order to make the current player look that much better.

[alexava 6,973]

It always amazes when auburn players lose speed at the combine.

[Rednilla 5,391]

It always amazes when auburn players lose speed at the combine.

They don't. It's just that the Combine uses a laser, while the reported 40 yard dash times are generally done by hand. As I understand it, hand timed 40s tend to shave a little more than a tenth of a second off of the total time, which is where you get all these stats about so many players running 4.4s. There was even a guy back in high school who tried to tell me he ran a 4.1 40 (or something like that...might have even been faster). The look on my face when I asked when he was planning to go out for the Olympics told him that I knew he was full of it, and that's when he confessed (in a way that was supposed to make it sound like he wasn't trying to be misleading) that he'd actually run a 50 yard dash and been timed for the last 40 yards, meaning he got a full running start first.

Lies, damn lies, and statistics.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Is this the same McLoo who was ragging me a few days ago when I suggested that NM might not have been any better than JJ?

Definitely fair of you to call me out there- I don't remember specifically when I ragged you but I trust your memory- but allow me to clarify my thoughts on the matter: Nick Marshall was an awesome quarterback for Auburn, IMO, but I do not consider him a good passer.