Auburn's Week 1 Depth Chart

[RunInRed 16,438]

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[RunInRed 16,438]

 

 

 

[RunInRed 16,438]

 

 

[RunInRed 16,438]

 

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 minutes ago, RunInRed said:

 

 

With Whitlow and Williams being the only two who are remotely similar (at least in terms of metrics... I'm not sure even they are similar in terms of running style).

Even the most cynical among us have to be optimistic about this RB corps. Right?

[Win4AU 4,054]

Shivers at KR is very exciting 

[auburnphan 6,050]

I was expecting some "or" but not that many!!

[JMassie11 1,610]

2 things that stuck out to me is all the chatter about Smoke and he’s not the starter. Also, Tutt beat out Davis

[WalkingCarpet 1,379]

I wanna see all 6 running backs on the field at the same time. Split em out wide and run a hextuple reverse. Oregon would have to forfeit after all their defenders head's exploded. 

[abw0004 10,125]

3 minutes ago, JMassie11 said:

2 things that stuck out to me is all the chatter about Smoke and he’s not the starter. Also, Tutt beat out Davis

Davis moved back to his natural position at corner where he is starting.

12 minutes ago, auburnphan said:

I was expecting some "or" but not that many!!

It is actually less than years' past believe it or not.  The RB grouping may make it seem like more.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

1 minute ago, abw0004 said:

Davis moved back to his natural position at corner where he is starting.

It is actually less than years' past believe it or not.  The RB grouping may make it seem like more.

I think he was referring to Punt Returner, Which is says "Or" so not really sure who it will be honestly. 

[DAG 33,997]

Just glad Anthony is playing 

[toddc 13,194]

 

Quote

 

Auburn's official depth chart against Oregon

By Brandon Marcello 5 hours ago

 

AUBURN, Alabama — The first official depth chart of the Auburn football season has arrived.

Auburn handed out copies of its depth chart Tuesday, the first and only media availability on the Plains before the Tigers open the season Saturday against Oregon.

Check out the full depth chart below.

SPECIAL TEAMS

PLACEKICKER

Anders Carlson, sophomore
Sage Ledbetter, junior

Anders Carlson missed a pair of field goals, including what would have been a game-tying kick, in 2-minute drills Saturday. Both kicks were 40 yards or beyond. Still, he's the starter. No one is as good as him on the field. He hit a 58-yard field goal to end the Tigers' first scrimmage of preseason camp. We're told he also drilled a 47-yarder to end a possession led by quarterback Joey Gatewood in that scrimmage.

Carlson didn't quite have the season many expected as he connected on 15 of 25 field goals in 2018, but he was forced into too many 50-yard field goal tries (2 of 9). He missed only one kick inside 39 yards (9 of 10).

PUNTER

Arryn Siposs, junior
Patrick Markwalter, freshman

Arryn Siposs' first season stateside was a success. He averaged 44.2 yards per punt, landed 17 punts inside the 20 and had 10 travel 50 yards or longer. The Australian finished 18th in the country with his punt average, and Gus Malzahn expects him to be better this season. 

"He's got a chance to be elite," Malzahn said. "He didn't even know the rules until halfway through the season. He's starting to kick spirals now. Like, whoa."

Siposs' end-over-end punts are difficult to catch (just ask the Tigers' punt returners).

HOLDER

Sage Ledbetter, junior
Arryn Siposs, junior

Sage Ledbetter handled every hold that we witnessed in three open viewing sessions for the media in the spring, and that should continue, unless the Tigers utilize someone different to plant the seed of a potential fake field goal or point-after attempt.

LONG SNAPPER

Bill Taylor, sophomore
Clarke Smith, junior

Bill Taylor has a job at Auburn for as long as he's healthy. He's the best at what he does on the Plains.

PUNT RETURNER

Christian Tutt, sophomore OR
Javaris Davis, senior

Javaris Davis appeared to be the top guy in practices, but has fumbled away several punts, we are told. Christian Tutt has been steady, and while he's certainly not as fast as Davis, at least he may provide a more stable option at punt return. Matthew Hill, another interesting option, has also fumbled.

Davis took first-team snaps in punt returns Saturday, the final day in full pads during preseason camp.

 Gus Malzahn loves experience at the position and Davis has that as a returning starter on defense.

"That's kind of like the quarterback," Malzahn said Sunday. "Now that we've got everything from a coaches' standpoint, we can go back and watch every one of the reps, either in a scrimmage situation or a thud-bump situation. Really, from my standpoint, the first game, who's gonna catch the ball? Who's gonna protect the ball? That's really the No. 1 thing this thing early in the season for me."

KICK RETURNER

Noah Igbinoghene, junior AND
Shaun Shivers, sophomore

Auburn's top two kick returners are back after they finished 48th nationally averaging 21.5 yards per return. Noah Igbinoghene returned one kick for a touchdown. Only 31 teams returned kickoffs for touchdowns in 2018 because of the new fair-catch rule. The second-team unit at kick return could be fun to watch develop between the spring and the end of preseason camp in August. We'd like to see the duo of Shaun Shivers, who has history in that spot, and Eli Stove work together.

DEFENSE

BUCK

Big Kat Bryant, junior OR
T.D. Moultry, junior

Big Kat Bryant will be more involved this season, especially as Nick Coe moves inside.

"T.D.’s gotten back to the old T.D. I think he’s had a really good fall camp, and I think Big Kat will continue to improve," defensive line coach Rodney Garner said. "With Big Kat, he was limited this spring because of his shoulder injury, so I think stunted a little bit—you would’ve liked for him to be a little farther along, but I think his role this spring with the limitations, that stunted him a little bit. But I’m expecting both of those guys to have a good year, and for us to accomplish some of those goals and those dreams we have set for us, we need those guys to take the next step."

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Derrick Brown, senior
Nick Coe, junior
Gary Walker, senior

Derrick Brown will be the anchor for the defense after turning down a sure-fire contract in the NFL at the NFL Draft to return for his senior season at defensive tackle. The question is who will back him up. Coynis Miller appears to be the top option, though Tyrone Truesdell or Nick Coe could slide here in certain looks if needed. We expect Truesdell to start alongside Brown, but will he play more than 20 snaps per game?

Miller needs to continue to improve after offseason shoulder surgery. The good news: Miller is no longer in a non-contact jersey and appears ready to practice.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Tyrone Truesdell, junior
Nick Coe, junior
Coynis Miller, sophomore

Daquan Newkirk was in position to make a big move, but suffered a torn Achilles for the second time in as many years in the spring. Tyrone Truesdell gets the nod here after two years as a solid backup behind Dontavius Russell, a four-year starter. We're told Truesdell has made strides in preseason camp and is expected to play more often than expected at tackle should he stay on track. That's welcomed news. Meanwhile, Nick Coe could slide inside for a different push and rush when needed — or he could start if needed. Rodney Garner hasn't been clear with his plans, other than he will do a lot of mixing and matching in preseason camp until he finds the right mix along the defensive line, particularly at tackle and Buck.

So don't be surprised if Coe is the starter.

DEFENSIVE END

Marlon Davidson, senior
Nick Coe, junior
Derick Hall, freshman

Marlon Davidson didn't quite have the numbers many expected as a junior at defensive end (3.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hurries), but he will help anchor a veteran-laden defensive line after deciding to return to Auburn. He has dropped weight and has been obsessed with developing a quicker first step on the snap.

Big Kat Bryant provides Auburn a different kind of push at the defensive end spot when needed, and we wouldn't be surprised to see him in special packages at the defensive end spot after recording 3.5 sacks, three pass breakups, four quarterback hurries and one forced fumble last season. He could play all positions along the offensive line and has practiced as such this preseason.

Colby Wooden showed progress during his first spring.

Derick Hall might be on track for a redshirt season.

“Marlon has always been an alpha male, and you continue to see him take those next steps forward," Garner said.

LINEBACKER

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER

Nick Coe, junior
Chandler Wooten, junior

LINEBACKER

Owen Pappoe, freshman OR
Zakoby McClain, sophomore

Could a freshman start at linebacker? It looks entirely possible with Owen Pappoe impressing in preseason camp.

LINEBACKER

K.J. Britt, junior OR
Chandler Wooten, junior

It's K.J. Britt's time to lead the defense as he steps in for Deshaun Davis at middle linebacker. They call him "Downhill" Britt for his great movement against the run, and we suspect he'll be one of the top tacklers on the team in 2019. Meanwhile, we learned last week that coach Travis Williams has placed Chandler Wooten at middle linebacker to compete against Britt. The possibility of Wooten and Britt being on the field at different spots at the same time remains, but that's where the two were working last week, which opens up the possibility for freshman Owen Pappoe to start at strongside or weakside.

"I want to have two quarterbacks at all times, just like I had with Deshaun and Tre Williams," Travis Williams said.

Britt missed most of the first week of preseason camp with a concussion, and worked with the second-team unit alongside Zakoby McClain in practice in his return. Owen Pappoe, the freshman, stepped in as the starter and continued at that spot last week. It's not clear if the Tigers' coaching staff is just giving Pappoe as many snaps as possible, or if he will potentially start. Coaches are extremely confident.

Michael Harris played some as a true freshman and received some much-needed experience as he's expected to be in the rotation, but he appears to have been slowed by an injury.

Britt will be the leader of the entire linebacker corps and said after the A-Day game he's up for the challenge.

CORNERBACK

Noah Igbinoghene, junior
Roger McCreary, sophomore 

Noah Igbinoghene has had a stellar preseason camp, especially in one-on-one drills in pass skel. Whether that has more to do with Auburn sitting out most of its starters at receiver and facing backups or Iginbohene's improvement remains to be seen. His transition from receiver to cornerback was a mixed bag in 2018, but his speed has allowed him to be a great corner in preseason camp. Some teams picked on him, especially Tennessee and LSU, leading to some big plays and pass interference calls last season. He finished the season with a team-high 11 pass breakups and also picked off one pass.

An interesting name added to the bunch is Smoke Monday, who could be the top backup at cornerback despite being a backup at safety as well. He is lining up at cornerback at times in camp and has been labeled among top two performers (the other Igbinoghene) among the defensive backs this preseason. Monday has picked off at least three passes in camp.

Roger McCreary received a lot of extra work this spring as the Tigers battled through some injuries (Javaris Davis) early in the spring, and has developed into a solid backup at both the field and boundary spots.

"Roger McCreary is one that picked up exactly where he left off in the spring," cornerbacks coach Marcus Woodson said. "He had a really productive spring, had a great summer and is having an excellent camp. He’s got to continue to progress and step up and take the next step as a player."

FREE SAFETY

Jeremiah Dinson, senior
Smoke Monday, sophomore

Jeremiah Dinson is the most versatile defensive back on the roster and you should expect him to continue to start at free safety. He was great against the run, too, with four tackles for loss last season. He also picked off two passes and forced a fumble. He and Daniel Thomas will be the voices everyone in the secondary listens to this season.

The name we continue to hear as one to watch: Jamien Sherwood.

STRONG SAFETY

Daniel Thomas, senior
Jamien Sherwood, sophomore

Remember when Daniel Thomas was offered a scholarship on signing day in 2016 and opted to stick around in his home state rather than heading to Minnesota? It certainly paid off and Thomas has proven to be an incredible addition to the roster. He might be the best defender in the entire secondary, based on what we're hearing in preseason camp. He enters his second season as a starter following a successful junior campaign that included two picks, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, a recovery and three quarterback hurries.

Jamien Sherwood will be ready to step in and start if needed, but the breakout player in the secondary in the spring was Malcolm Askew, we're told. The injury to Smoke Monday allowed Askew to settle in at both safety spots, where he seemed most comfortable at strong safety and exits the spring as the top backup behind Thomas. It is quite the rise for Askew, who was seemingly lost in the mix at every defensive back spot on the field. He now has a home.

CORNERBACK

Javaris Davis, senior
Devan Barrett, junior
Nehemiah Pritchett, freshman

Javaris Davis has moved from Nickel back to cornerback, and that seems to be the best move for the defense. That means "King" Tutt will start at Nickel, where we now project him as a starter following Davis' move back to corner.

Davis, the fastest player on the defense, is the Tigers' leading interceptions leader with six over the last three seasons.

STAR

Christian Tutt, sophomore

Jordyn Peters, junior OR
Javaris Davis, senior

Christian Tutt played in 11 games last season and picked off a pass to go along with 25 tackles. He adds some much-needed speed to the position and will start this season.

Jordyn Peters sat out the spring with an injured right foot and can make a push, and don't forget about the aforementioned Javaris Davis, who could split time between corner and Nickel if needed.

OFFENSE

RIGHT TACKLE

Jack Driscoll, senior
Brodarious Hamm, sophomore

Jack Driscoll returns for a second year as starter after transferring from UMass in the summer of 2018. Austin Troxell was the sixth-best offensive lineman on the roster, but he tore an anterior cruciate ligament for the third time in his life and will miss the 2019 season. What Auburn will do behind Driscoll will be very interesting to see, but we're told offensive guard Brodarious Hamm is also working at tackle, and Bailey Sharp has emerged as the sixth-best lineman on the roster and could be the backup at left and right tackle.

RIGHT GUARD

Mike Horton, senior
Jalil Irvin, redshirt freshman

Mike Horton took a bit of a step back from his 2017 performance, but the talent is there and he knows. He's gotta play at full speed at all times. If not, the standout of preseason camp Jalil Irvin is standing behind him ready to step in. The Tigers take pride that their entire starting offensive line is comprised of seniors, but Hamm may be counted on more than other underclassmen along the offensive line if the need arises. Keiondre Jones has been provided a lot of opportunities early in preseason camp, but battled a light concussion last week and sat out practices

CENTER

Kaleb Kim, senior
Nick Brahms, sophomore

Auburn will go with seniority, just as the Tigers did late in the 2018 season, at center but the future is bright with Nick Brahms at center, too. Kaleb Kim should start.

LEFT GUARD

Marquel Harrell, senior
Tashawn Manning, sophomore 

Marquel Harrell was the most consistent player along the offensive line in 2018. Tashawn Manning will serve as his top backup, and Alec Jackson moved over from defensive tackle before spring practices to provide depth. The surprise of preseason camp has been redshirt freshman Jalil Irvin, who could be in the rotation as the third-best guard. We didn't get to see (or hear) much from Jackson to get a good read one way or the other at the position. Brodarious Hamm is another name to watch. Coaches believe he's the seventh-best lineman on the roster.

LEFT TACKLE

Prince Tega Wanogho Jr., senior
Bailey Sharp, senior

This is the third-most important position in Auburn's offense (quarterback, center and then left tackle) and the Tigers received great news in January when Prince Tega Wanogho Jr. announced he will return for his senior season rather than chase the NFL.

Wanogho leads a group that is expected to show improvement comparable to the unit the transformed from a sack-laden group in 2012 to the best run-blocking group in SEC history in 2013. Now, let's not make direct comparisons, but the jump from 2018 to 2019 is expected to be huge after a second year under position coach J.B. Grimes and a senior-led group up front. Even Wanogho's backup, Bailey Sharp, is a senior, even if he hasn't played much during his career.

“His stock has gone out the roof," offensive line coach J.B. Grimes said of Sharp. "I’m just so proud of Bailey."

RECEIVER

Eli Stove, redshirt junior
Matthew Hill, redshirt freshman

RECEIVER

Seth Williams, sophomore OR
Anthony Schwartz, sophomore

Good luck trying to figure out where each Auburn receiver will call home this season. If you watched the A-Day game, you saw players switching among the three to four spots on the field, which signaled to us more than any other decision this offseason that the hurry-up, no-huddle offense has returned to the Plains.

As it stands now, Eli Stove has earned a starting spot, whether it's here or elsewhere on the field. Think of Stove and Matthew Hill as two players capable of replicating the success of Ryan Davis, who became the single-season receptions leader with a ton of screen passes in 2017. The issue for Stove is soreness with his surgically-repaired knee. He sat out practices most of the last two weeks resting his leg, leaving the Tigers without their four (!) best receivers during preseason camp.

Hill was incredible in the A-Day game (five catches, 128 yards and two touchdowns), but it was his final catch of the day on the second-to-last-play of the scrimmage that provided the best glimpse of what's to come: a tunnel screen that he turned into a 35-yard gain. Everyone marveled at his down-the-field plays, but it's what he can do when isolated that has coaches excited.

If Stove is healthy, he will start.

RECEIVER

Sal Cannella, senior
Shedrick Jackson, sophomore

Sal Cannella was impressive in scrimmages in preseason camp after some inconsistency holding onto the ball earlier in practices.

Shedrick Jackson is a run-blocking aficionado and will be used in different sets. He is the unsung hero among the receivers, and in the running game because of his blocking. 

Meanwhile, we saw more of Marquis McClain this spring than ever before and coaches seem to think this spring wasn't a fluke. He was heavily involved in Auburn's first scrimmage of preseason camp. He started the A-Day game, but we're not sure that will be the case moving forward. Either way, Auburn is very deep at receiver -- and as mentioned above, most spots are interchangeable on the field in the hurry-up offense.

RECEIVER

Will Hastings, senior
Zach Farrar, junior

Will Hastings is back after two knee surgeries. What do we expect? Well, Gus Malzahn believes Hastings is a future NFL player. So, that's interesting and that's why he returns to the starting lineup ahead of graduate transfer Zach Farrar.

TIGHT END/H-BACK

Spencer Nigh, senior OR
Jay Jay Wilson, senior
John Samuel Shenker, sophomore OR
Harold Joiner, redshirt freshman

John Samuel Shenker will be much more involved in the offense in 2019 after catching a pair of touchdowns in 2018. He actually caught a touchdown in the A-Day game but it was wiped out due to penalty.

Luke Deal tore an anterior cruciate ligament during his first weekend on campus in December, but he should be ready to participate in practices in August. With that said, Tyler Fromm, the younger brother of Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, will probably have an edge over Deal on the depth chart.

Meanwhile, Spencer Nigh has been utilized as a pass-blocking tight end.

It will be interesting to see how Shenker fits in Malzahn's offense because it certainly seems like he wants to utilize the tight end and H-Back more often than in previous seasons. The coach even mentioned Shenker as an H-Back at SEC Media Days.

Spencer Nigh is lining up at tight end in pass-blocking sets, we're told.

Jay Jay Wilson is the best, all-around H-Back on the roster, we're told. The Arizona State graduate transfer is a strong blocker with soft hands as a receiving threat. Auburn will rotate at H-Back, but he should start and will be targeted in the season opener against Oregon. Spencer Nigh is your typical blocking fullback.

The most noticeable change here is the removal of Harold Joiner, who is working with the running backs exclusively in preseason camp (more on him below).

RUNNING BACK

JaTarvious Whitlow, sophomore OR
Kam Martin, senior OR
Shaun Shivers, sophomore OR
DJ Williams, freshman OR
Harold Joiner, redshirt freshman

We've never seen this many "OR's" on a depth chart. It appears JaTarvious Whitlow is still the top running back on the roster, and as we've mentioned before, some coaches expect Whitlow to be a 1,300-yard rusher after rushing for less than 800 yards last season.

The story of the spring was freshman D.J. Williams, but he sat out practices to start preseason camp because of a shoulder surgery. He returned to contact practices Aug. 10, so instead of being a third option, it appears he's the fourth option. The newcomer showed great balance and speed in the A-Day game, rushing for 57 yards on 11 carries, including a tackle-breaking 29-yarder in the first quarter. It remains to be seen how coaches plan to utilize the freshman in the rotation, especially after Shaun Shivers sat out the spring to run track, but Williams looks the part of an every-down 'back (whether it's next season or in 2020 and beyond).

The wildcard is Harold Joiner, who many expected to play H-Back. He's working with the tailbacks, but it remains to be seen how many carries he gets each game. Here's what we do know: Joiner is Auburn's Wildcat quarterback, according to sources, so that might answer some questions about how he will be involved.

Mark-Antony Richards underwent surgery on his right leg and is a candidate to be a redshirt.

QUARTERBACK

Bo Nix, freshman
Joey Gatewood, redshirt freshman

Bo Nix is Auburn's starting quarterback, of course, after he was announced at the position last week. He was projected by Auburn Undercover to win the job three weeks ago.

Joey Gatewood had a slight edge entering preseason camp because of his experience, but coaches have planned to play both Nix and Gatewood in the season opener. Starter or not, Gatewood will play against Oregon. When will Gus Malzahn make an announcement? Early this week is the best bet.

Nix did everything he could in the offseason to gain an edge of his own, whether it was training in California or bulking up and adding muscle. Gatewood worked 20 or so times with a private quarterbacks coach in Jacksonville, Florida.

Nix is the better pure passer, with a mixture of rushing ability that can be best described as a combination of Jarrett Stidham and Nick Marshall. Gatewood is as close to a Cam Newton clone Auburn has had since, well, Cam Newton. This is the most enticing position battle of the preseason because it's obviously the position that touches the football on every snap, but it's also incredibly compelling because of the two different styles and which way Malzahn leans as he takes over play-calling for the first time since the early portion of the 2016 season. Both can run, but Gatewood at 6-foot-5 and 233 pounds is much larger and capable of smashing heads in the middle of the field.

Ultimately, Nix's possessions have led to touchdowns against Auburn's defense. Gatewood's offense has not. Nix has earned the job, even as a true freshman.

 

 

[casatiger 514]

12 minutes ago, WalkingCarpet said:

I wanna see all 6 running backs on the field at the same time. Split em out wide and run a hextuple reverse. Oregon would have to forfeit after all their defenders head's exploded. 

Don't give Gus any ideas.  

[AuburnTiger4Life 2,225]

 

 

[DAG 33,997]

2 minutes ago, AuburnTiger4Life said:

 

 

I prefer college coaches on the sideline tbh

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,679]

6 minutes ago, AuburnTiger4Life said:

 

 

Definitely something that wouldve helped against a UT or MSU (where we made no adjustments...at all)

[oracle79 3,569]

Didn't take long this year for the annual Marquis McClain disappearing act.

[Tiger 8,829]

Gus is truly evolving right in front of our eyes. Went from 6 QBs to 6 RBs

[AUsince72 11,084]

1 hour ago, RunInRed said:

 

 

I thought Williams was injured?

[DAG 33,997]

Harold Joiner coming out party 

[WFE12 9,191]

33 minutes ago, AuburnTiger4Life said:

 

 

Should've happened a long time ago in that case.

[WFE12 9,191]

I wonder how often we play Smoke at corner seeing as though he impressed quite a bit. He could be our Minkah Fitzpatrick.

[Sizzle 3,917]

1 minute ago, WFE12 said:

I wonder how often we play Smoke at corner seeing as though he impressed quite a bit. He could be our Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Has he ever played corner?

[WFE12 9,191]

3 minutes ago, Sizzle said:

Has he ever played corner?

I believe I've seen some clips in high school.