Football Talk

[corchjay 5,311]

With the off season upon us and with NSD less then a week away. Lets look at some player positions.

First I'd like to bring up some less often talked about players. Some that I think need to step up and become legit contributors at least to provide depth.

Tony Stevens - He must improve his physical stature. I haven't seen elite speed from him to be the deep ball threat that the offense needs so he must be able to compete for balls in and around zones.

Marcus Davis/Staton Truitt/Ryan Davis - Marcus is a pretty decent punt returner. Truitt is banged up a lot. Davis has nice speed but he's tiny. If these are our slot receivers I think who ever the number 3 back is between Roc and Kerryon, I think I would rather have one of those 2 play makers working out of the slot running the dump off routes, speed sweeps, and our basic slot route tree other then slant and skinny post.

Kennion/Thorton/A. Williams - With the lack of quality depth at OLB I think one of these will definitely make the transition to that position permanently. Could be either one. Kennion has the most playing time but I know Thorton and A. Williams came in higher rated.

Those are just a few players I feel get lost sometimes that have been around long enough to have "grown" into their positions and it's go time for them if they are to ever be contributors.

The newbies and soon to be newbies.

Gotta find receiver depth with lots of young guys. Looks like we will be loading up but still there is a learning curve for redshirt and true freshmen. Ask Sean White if he was "really' ready for the SEC and he will probably tell you no. As mentioned before we have to find LB depth and create depth with players on the roster. McBride and D. Williams have to get the system down and be able to provide good minutes in relief. My sleeper at LB this year is J. Mitchell.

It's my opinion that Sean White wins the starting QB job. JF3 will push him hard in the spring. If JF3 can show he can learn the playbook and develop his intermediate passing game which I don't think he has at this time then JF3 might take it from him. Unless Slayton or Stove step up to be the burners then the bombs will be limited to Jason Smith. JF3 has nice touch on the long pass from what I've seen on highlights.

Jovon will be the RB. Pettway/Cox the H-backs. I would like to see Cox line up in the slot some as well as a flex tight end with Pettway at the H.

Ford/Matthews/Roberts/Irving have to strengthen the middle of our pass defense. I think our cornerbacks will be ok. Who ever the nickle is better be ready to step up as well.

Lastly, I have no idea on the offensive line how things will work out losing Coleman and Young but we've recruited well there. Plug and play is my hope. But as anything in life to be the man you have to beat the man and that all starts in the trenches. Be able to run the ball and stop the run.

As Always,

War Eagle!!

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

Good post

[Timeslider 6 275]

I am really a Tony Stevens fan, i would like to see him do great things.

I don't think Truitt's size is that big a deal, there are many other players in the league that can do good things that are about the same size, the key is utilizing him in the right role.

As far as JFIII, i feel Sean will begin the season starting, however, somewhere down the line JF III will make some big waves in playing time. The thing that worries me about JF III is his commitment to doing what he needs to do in order to get better. His decision to skip bowl practice and go to Florida (i believe) i hope wasn't an indicator of his desire to have fun rather than to get much needed practice time. Maybe i am making something out of nothing, but Sean has the desire to get better that Cam had when he was here, that desire implies a certain humility and team focus rather than using spare time to have fun, JMHO :dunno:

Good post, though.

[SphyNxXx 106]

Everything I have heard about JF3 since he got on campus is that he is working very hard to win the starting position.

[PotPot 175]

JFIII could not participate in bowl practice. He was not even an Auburn student yet. He could have watched bowl practice.

[Tiger 8,930]

^If that is true then that makes me feel better about it. I felt the same way Timeslider did when I first read that he was not attending practices. Was Jovon at last year's bowl practices?

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

^If that is true then that makes me feel better about it. I felt the same way Timeslider did when I first read that he was not attending practices. Was Jovon at last year's bowl practices?

Yes

[Tiger 8,930]

What was the difference between JF3 and Jovon's situations regarding ability to participate in bowl practices?

[jskilgro 23]

i think moving Justin Thornton to OLB might be worth investigating. clearly too small to be a consistent DE, as i've read that he's on 230-235 after his redshirt year.

[PotPot 175]

What was the difference between JF3 and Jovon's situations regarding ability to participate in bowl practices?

Jovon finished at GMI in November so he was able to enroll at Auburn in December. He got to participate in on campus bowl practices but could not travel with the team. I don't really understand how enrolling in December works but that is what happened.

[Tiger 8,930]

What was the difference between JF3 and Jovon's situations regarding ability to participate in bowl practices?

Jovon finished at GMI in November so he was able to enroll at Auburn in December. He got to participate in on campus bowl practices but could not travel with the team. I don't really understand how enrolling in December works but that is what happened.

Ah ok. Thanks for clearing that up.

[AU64 10,122]

I think whoever starts the season at QB will stay there until we either lose a couple games (and look bad doing it) or the guy gets hurt.

I'm sure it has happened but I can't recall when a starter was replaced after a couple games during which time the team was winning under his guidance. The worst possible thing for an OC is to pull a QB after a couple wins and replace him with someone....and the replacement turns out not to be an improvement.

We've already seen that some QBs have a difficult transitioning from practice to actual game play. Thus.....IMO, if JFIII is going to play QB next season he is going to have to win the job in April and August.

[Tiger 8,930]

Wasn't Barrett Trotter pulled when we had a winning record?

[AU64 10,122]

Wasn't Barrett Trotter pulled when we had a winning record?

I checked a few stats and the Clemson game was bad and thereafter the coaches played Mosley, Frazier and Trotter...but mostly Trotter who was eventually pulled because of bad play against Arky and Florida.

Interesting that Gus was the OC...and this season is NOT one that Gus advocates use as evidence that he can turn ordinary QBs into something special.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

Wasn't Barrett Trotter pulled when we had a winning record?

I checked a few stats and the Clemson game was bad and thereafter the coaches played Mosley, Frazier and Trotter...but mostly Trotter who was eventually pulled because of bad play against Arky and Florida.

Interesting that Gus was the OC...and this season is NOT one that Gus advocates use as evidence that he can turn ordinary QBs into something special.

As I recall, Trotter came off the bench and looked like a rock star in the bowl game. That was also the year that Gus was frustrated because he was being forced to modify his offense to slow down for the struggling D.

[meh130 1,072]

Tony could step it up. He has height, and is well suited to be the kind of WR who can go up and make the catch.

If Jason Smith stays at WR, he might be the deep threat.

I think all of these WRs will improve their game in 2016. With the Duke saga behind us, and with Ricardo Louis and Melvin Ray gone, there will be a lot more coaching attention and game time for these guys.

[AU64 10,122]

Wasn't Barrett Trotter pulled when we had a winning record?

I checked a few stats and the Clemson game was bad and thereafter the coaches played Mosley, Frazier and Trotter...but mostly Trotter who was eventually pulled because of bad play against Arky and Florida.

Interesting that Gus was the OC...and this season is NOT one that Gus advocates use as evidence that he can turn ordinary QBs into something special.

As I recall, Trotter came off the bench and looked like a rock star in the bowl game. That was also the year that Gus was frustrated because he was being forced to modify his offense to slow down for the struggling D.

Pardon me...but that's just not true and is being used as a cover story for Gus...check the QB stats....all of them poor and he could not settle on anyone...blame the D if you want but that check back and look at the game by game stats and the O scored fewer than 20 points in 6 games.... including 2 wins.

The D was not great overall but held USCe to 13 (I was at that game) which was won by the D with 2INT and 2 fumble recoveries to offset 4 INITs by AU....that was one of the worst games I've ever seen. And overall, I don't think you can find a game that the offense could have won...but was lost because of the D that year.

2011 was about the mirror image of this past season IMO. Got hammered by LSU, Arky, Ga and bama. ..same type of QB problems and same anemic offense.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Auburn_Tigers_football_team

I'm hoping for better things this year but a critical analysis of AU's offense under Gus shows that a good QB is essential and anything less and I'm not that sure about our offensive potential. Sorry to be a downer....but discounting 2011 because Chiz was HC.....he was the same HC when the BCS was won and brought in a very good recruiting class if you look at the roster.

[aucanucktiger 2,016]

I'll just add that Hand's oline coaching historically relys particularly heavily on a player leader to anchor it so it's interesting to consider who we can count on for that role among the current oline pool.