Spring Practice Updates…

[AUINSY 2,228]

36 minutes ago, AUnCullman said:

In Mondays presser, CHF seemed to say that the QB's are having a hard time with where their eyes are supposed to be and there was something else he touched on I can't remember. I took it as they are either struggling with RPO's or reading the defense and where to look Pre-snap. Either way, much different than throwing to a guy with no DB or DL to look at. And knows specifically where his receiver is going or going to be. Thats my take anyway. 

sounds like our QBs have PTSD from multiple seasons of below-average O-line play...

[alabastertiger 613]

6 hours ago, Mikey said:

I don't think either of these two LB's were going to contribute anything to the Auburn team. Hopefully they'll catch on with another school where they can play a lot and help win games.

Even so, does this mean we will try to pick up 2 LBs in the spring for depth?   I know we wanted one LB before they left.

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

3 hours ago, alabastertiger said:

Even so, does this mean we will try to pick up 2 LBs in the spring for depth?   I know we wanted one LB before they left.

I don't think so.  I think they are trimming right now.  But nothing would surprise me with CHF.  He is doing a great job so far.

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Auburn receivers look to answer Freeze's call, finish spring strong

9 hours ago

AUBURN, Alabama — The Tigers’ new-look passing game has a long way to go, Hugh Freeze said on the third week of spring practice. Naturally, much of that attention circles back to the quarterback competition.

But half of that equation, as Freeze mentioned, is the receiving corps. 

The head coach challenged them Monday to respond over the final couple weeks of practice — calling the receivers and quarterbacks "the farthest off" in the third week of practice — and it’s on first-year position coach Marcus Davis to get an experienced but not overly productive group in a position for a satisfactory finish to the spring.

“One thing is that it's a new offense — getting the guys used to playing with tempo, playing fast,” Davis said Thursday. “It's just the little things right now, as you continue to learn and progress as far as the offense goes. Being on the RPO deal, being able to take shots down the field — it's just getting those guys to practice to the expectation and play to the expectation. But the best thing about the group is that they're buying in, they're hungry and all of them want to do right.”

Of course, the QBs and receivers go hand-in-hand, as first-year coordinator Philip Montgomery looks to implement a new system, with run-pass-option elements sprinkled in, as the Tigers’ offensive install gets heavier and heavier with every day of practice. 

And Freeze saying he still wants to see more from his passers can’t be an excuse, Davis said. Auburn’s receiving corps hasn’t been the most consistent unit on the team in recent seasons — the fact that Davis is its fifth position coach in three years doesn’t help — and now the receivers are part of yet another quarterback competition.

“Just doing what you are supposed to do and being where you are supposed to be no matter what else is going on,” Davis said. “If there is an opportunity to make a play, just make a play.”

Despite some of the group’s past struggles, Davis, a former Auburn receiver himself, plans to continue to hold what is one of the more experienced units on the roster to a high standard. Eight of its nine scholarship players are returning pieces from last season, bringing back a combined 1,319 yards and six touchdowns. 

The only newcomer this spring is Cincinnati transfer Nick Mardner, who was coached by Davis during their time together at Hawaii two years ago. 

“He just gives you another element,” Davis said of Mardner. “And there is definitely room to grow, but he gives you the element of a bigger body, a bigger target and that is always good for any quarterback.”

Like any position on the roster, a clean slate from the new coaching staff opened new opportunities. Someone who would get noticed in any receiving corps, though, is rising sophomore Camden Brown, who’s continued to turn heads this spring after an exciting freshman campaign. He caught a touchdown in Auburn’s first spring scrimmage and could be in line to be a No. 1 target in the offense.

“Really just his everyday approach,” Davis said of what impresses him about Brown. “You don’t know that from talking to a guy, it’s more of an action behind it. And so, his everyday approach is what separates him and makes him get and makes him want to get better because he – attention to the detail that you’re coaching and he wants to get better. So those things continue to show up on the film.”

Ja'Varrius Johnson and Koy Moore are the returning starters, and Davis said he’s certainly leaned on them as linchpins while he, too, faces the challenge of getting acclimated in a new program.

“It’s good to have a guy like (Johnson) in that room — a guy that has got experience and has been out there and has been productive to a point,” Davis said. “It is good to have that and it is good to see him and his work ethic because he naturally has influence and it rubs off. The same with Koy — guys who have been out there.”

With redshirt junior Malcolm Johnson Jr.out for the rest of the spring with a collarbone injury, the main rotation in practice has been combinations of Brown, Johnson, Moore, Mardner and redshirt sophomore Tar'Varish Dawson. Redshirt freshmen Jay Fair and Omari Kelly, along with tight end transplant Landen King, are potential contributors, as well, who still have plenty of opportunities for roles in the offense this season.

The team’s first full scrimmage of spring ball – which should serve as a litmus test for not only the passing game, but the entire roster — is set for Friday and will mark the Tigers’ ninth day of practice.

[aubiefifty 16,766]

what time is the scrimmage today? someone help poor ol aubes out.

[bigbird 60,512]

It was at 4:30

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

Any news from yesterday?

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

21 hours ago, AU_Tiger_88 said:

Any news from yesterday?

Few things I have picked up on other sites..

RA had a rough day...multiple turnovers

OL looks good. Got the better of DL 

Secondary is freakishly nasty!

HG looked better but still had a few misses. 

Faulk is very impressive -I personally think he will be starting at JACK by mid season if not day 1.

[DAG 33,980]

2 hours ago, Tigerpro2a said:

Few things I have picked up on other sites..

RA had a rough day...multiple turnovers

OL looks good. Got the better of DL 

Secondary is freakishly nasty!

HG looked better but still had a few misses. 

Faulk is very impressive -I personally think he will be starting at JACK by mid season if not day 1.

RA might be finding himself  switching positions 

[woodford 3,655]

41 minutes ago, DAG said:

RA might be finding himself  switching positions 

If he can't be the guy at QB I sure hope so. It would a shame to lose his athleticism. I think he could make some serious plays if he gets in space.

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Hugh Freeze previews Auburn's first spring scrimmage, what he's looking for from players

Kaiden Smith

(Photo by Auburn Athletics)

New Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze now has a few spring practices under his belt at the helm for the Tigers. And with his team getting into the swing of things, many have their eyes set on the team’s first upcoming scrimmage. It will give Freeze and his new staff their first live look at their 2023 team, and he recently spoke on what that scrimmage will look like. 

“I never know what exactly’s been put out, so it’s not going to be some all-out scrimmage. It’ll be situational by then whether it’s a second-in-seven period play third down live or a P-in-10 period, but we’re not quite ready yet just to all-out scrimmage,” Freeze explained. “And we’re certainly not ready to tackle our tailbacks yet or anybody, we’re going to protect them but there will be some fairly live situational stuff.”

It’s clear that Freeze wants his team to ease into full contact, starting with scenario-focused football before lining up against each other for extended plays at a time. And regarding what he’s looking for in his team in their scrimmage and beyond, Freeze has three key areas of emphasis that the Tigers will be focusing on. 

“Alignment, assignment, and effort,” Freeze said. “Are we aligned correctly? We had a lot of those issues in practices one, two, and three on both sides. And are we doing the right assignment and are we doing it with the right effort? And if we’re doing our job as coaches then that should be improving from practice to practice to practice, and some of the stuff that you see that we saw in the first three hopefully diminishes some.” 

Teaching and establishing a new system on both sides of the ball is not easy, as Auburn looks to balance getting their players up to speed and evaluating what their depth chart will look like in the future. But focusing on the fundamentals and controllable variables is a great place to start. 

“And so it’s really about those three things. Whether we’re in a scrimmage situation and we are playing this period of practice live, or it’s thud, or it’s tag – until I see us aligning correctly and playing with great technique and doing our assignment right and playing with great effort, it’s going to be hard for me to feel like we’re improving at the rate that I want us to until I see those,” Freeze said. 

Freeze and his staff will get a look at their squad live in and action in their first scrimmage soon, but fans will have to wait for Auburn’s spring game, which is scheduled for April 8.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

7 hours ago, DAG said:

RA might be finding himself  switching positions 

Right. He hasn't had a good spring from everything I have seen. 

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Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column

69 minutes ago

 

Football thoughts

With two weeks of spring football left, there is still much work to be done for Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers but they have also gotten some things done despite the quick turnaround following recruiting. It made things very tough, especially on offense. I always remember talking to former coaches who said that defense better be ahead of the offense this time of year. That’s especially true when you’re making changes like Auburn is this spring on that side of the ball.

It’s a new system, but on Friday when the first team offense took the field you had Dillon Wade at left tackle, Connor Lew at left guard, Avery Jones at center, Kam Stutts at right guard and Gunner Britton at right tackle. That’s four guys that weren’t even on campus last year at a position group that depends on camaraderie to be successful.

Everything on offense factors into things being a slow-go on that side of the ball, not just the quarterback position. The wide receiver group is also one that has dealt with some issues because of a few minor injuries. Continuity between quarterback and receiver is a big deal, and when you’re rotating guys at each spot it’s going to have an impact.

Another point that people sometimes forget, this defense has practiced against this same offense now for three weeks. They get to see the same formations and plays the offense is working and they get used to seeing that. It’s just a fact of life and something you deal with.

I think they have taken some strides and continue to work hard. That’s the biggest thing as they try to get as much of the offense and defense in as possible before spring is done.

[aucanucktiger 1,791]

That article combined w/ post above re friday scrimmage/reports, suggests D line (vs D secondary) is not where it needs to be right now. Freeze sounds unhappy w/ some assistants right now but that's just my impression from his comments.

[bigbird 60,512]

13 minutes ago, aucanucktiger said:

That article combined w/ post above re friday scrimmage/reports, suggests D line (vs D secondary) is not where it needs to be right now. Freeze sounds unhappy w/ some assistants right now but that's just my impression from his comments.

Really?

[toddc 13,194]

40 minutes ago, aucanucktiger said:

That article combined w/ post above re friday scrimmage/reports, suggests D line (vs D secondary) is not where it needs to be right now. Freeze sounds unhappy w/ some assistants right now but that's just my impression from his comments.

Huh? You somehow forgot the /s addendum.

Edited March 27, 2023 by toddc

[aubiefifty 16,766]

On 3/23/2023 at 1:29 PM, AUINSY said:

sounds like our QBs have PTSD from multiple seasons of below-average O-line play...

some cat on one of the youtube video comments i saw today said this about our "O" line and "D" lines need to quit squatting to pee and something about tampons. i assume you get what he was alluding to. he was talking last years lines and he believes we are better. but man what a brutal statement....

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Auburn cornerback J.D. Rhym out for rest of spring with injury

40 minutes ago

AUBURN, Alabama — Sophomore cornerback J.D. Rhym suffered a lower-body injury earlier this spring and is not expected to return to practice, Hugh Freeze told reporters Monday afternoon ahead of the Tigers' 10th day of spring practices.

"I think J.D. got out of his brace but I don't think he'll be part of the rest of spring ball," Freeze said. "It won't be until after that when he's released and will get back with us."

The former 4-star recruit joins center Tate Johnson (elbow) and receiver Malcolm Johnson Jr. (collarbone) as players sidelined for the rest of spring ball with injuries.

After settling in for a few games last year, Rhym emerged as Auburn's No. 4 cornerback behind D.J. James, Nehemiah Pritchett and Jaylin Simpson. And when Simpson moved to safety late in the year due to injuries, Rhym had six tackles and a pass breakup in Auburn's last four games.

The Tigers' top producing true freshman on defense in 2022, Rhym looks to have a bright future in the secondary and was in line to be the No. 3 cornerback this spring — with Simpson moving full time to safety — before his injury.

"The biggest thing about him is that he has grit," defensive back coach Zac Etheridgesaid of Rhym earlier this spring. "He's a tough kid that doesn't shy away. He may look thin or whatnot, but he's aggressive and really smart in knowing what to do. He's another one that can play multiple positions and do things well. So he understands the expectations; I tell him every day, 'You're not a freshman anymore.' He wasn't a freshman last year because he had to step in critical situations. I think he's learned the game of college football now. So from Year 1 to Year 2, I'm excited to see his growth and his potential and what he's able to bring to the same."

5COMMENTS

In Rhym's absence over the past couple weeks, early enrollee freshman and former 4-star prospect Kayin Lee has impressed as Auburn's No. 3 corner.

Auburn's spring practices wrap up next Saturday with the annual A-Day spring game (1 p.m. CST, SEC Network+).

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Transfer DL Justin Rogers 'a handful' early in Auburn spring camp

Justin Hokanson•about 19 hours

Justin Rogers (Photo by Matt Rudolph/Auburn Live)

AUBURN — Coming out of Oak Park, Mich., Justin Rogers was one of the top-rated defensive players in the country. Rogers was the No. 44 overall player in the On3 Consensus rankings, and of the four major scouting services, the lowest Rogers was ranked was No. 123 overall.

Interestingly enough, he landed at Kentucky, where he enjoyed three pretty productive seasons. He racked up 61 tackles and three sacks in three seasons, including 35 tackles in his most productive season in 2022. But entering his senior season, Rogers wanted to make a change, and that change landed him at Auburn after entering the transfer portal.

Now, standing 6-foot-4 and over 325 pounds, Rogers is poised to anchor the Auburn defensive line alongside senior Marcus Harris.

 

“Justin Rogers is a football player,” Hugh Freeze said last week. “He’s a handful. He’s going to be somebody that Lord willing stays healthy, we depend upon to factor in the middle. But, he requires a double team, I think he will. I’ve been really pleased with how he works. He loves the game, he loves to practice and he’s got a joy about him that’s fun to be around. I’ve been really, really pleased with him.”

Those comments shouldn’t come as a surprise. Auburn Live spoke to defensive analyst Vontrell King-Willams this winter. King-Williams came to Auburn from Eastern Michigan, but recruited Rogers out of high school. The two remained in contact and King-Williams was a factor in landing Rogers on the Plains. King-Williams remembers “everybody in the country” being after Rogers out of high school, telling of the talent that Rogers possesses.

RELATED: JEREMY GARRETT LOOKING FOR EIGHT GUYS READY TO PLAY

 

And now, new defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett loves what he sees early in spring camp, but make no mistake, he wants more. The ability to play multiple positions, mainly nose tackle and defensive tackle, across the defensive line is of paramount importance to Garrett.

“He’s been great. He’s a fundamental guy, he’s very coachable, he’s explosive, he’s one of those leaders in the room also,” Garrett said. “He will call me at any time, ‘Coach, can we watch film, can we watch this, I’m going to come in at this time.’ He’s been a great addition to this team.”

And in addition to his talent, Rogers’ experience in the SEC is already paying dividends for Garrett and Justin Rogers’ teammates.

 

“It’s huge with his experience because he’s not shocked about what he’s going to see on Saturday,” Garrett said. “He knows what it’s going to look like, how it is going to feel. He knows what it takes to win games and what it takes to play these teams we’re trying to beat. It’s awesome.”

 

 

 

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