Bennett tops talented group of tight ends

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Bennett tops talented group of tight ends

Thursday, August 17, 2006

CHARLES GOLDBERG

News staff writer

AUBURN - Tight end Cole Bennett came to Auburn with titanium screws in his knee and the realization he would have to do something special to get noticed.

He has succeeded.

SEC coaches named Bennett to their preseason All-SEC team, which is a high honor indeed for a guy who caught nine passes in 2005 and one pass in 2004. But Bennett has filled out to be a prototypical tight end in an offense that may use that fan-favorite position more than ever this year.

Bennett is one of the reasons, since the Tigers can safely tuck him on the line of scrimmage to block or sneak out for a pass. But the emergence of Gabe McKenzie in fall practice and the promise of Tommy Trott in the spring give Auburn all sorts of options for the position.

The Tigers are toying with playing Bennett as a normal tight end and splitting McKenzie or Trott farther away from the lineman to utilize their quickness downfield. A two tight-end set is logical, considering Auburn is rebuilding its wide receiver corps after losing three productive players from that unit last season.

McKenzie's big push this fall has closed the gap on Trott, but nobody is closing much on Bennett, who figures to play whenever Auburn wants a big push on the line of scrimmage or when a pass needs to be thrown in a conventional way.

Auburn coaches have known that all year, and held him out of the spring game because of his veteran status, or, as Trott said at the time, "he got what we call `franchised.' He got to sit out this scrimmage so he didn't get injured."

Bennett, the senior among these redshirt freshmen, speaks as a wise veteran of the versatility of his understudies. But it is Bennett who is All-SEC after a long road to get noticed.

``When I signed, I had an ACL injury in high school and I signed with two higher-prospect tight ends," Bennett said. "I knew from the start I was already behind with the injury and I was going to work if I didn't want to redshirt. When we got into camp, I was low on the depth chart, so I knew I was going to have to work no matter what happened."

Bennett didn't redshirt his freshman year. He fell in behind starter Cooper Wallace, went from 230 to 265 pounds and waited his turn.

It will come as a big tight end who has adapted to gaining weight, keeping the weight on and playing through it. Trott, and to a lesser extent McKenzie, are still building their bodies to the rigors of playing tight end.

``When you first do it, it's incredibly difficult," Bennett said. "It has a lot to do with how you put on weight. If you do it gradually, you put on good weight and it's not so much an adjustment.

"I've been fortunate that I've been able to maintain my weight for the last two years, so my body is really well adjusted. The speed is starting to come back. Trott put on a lot of weight, and that's a difficult thing for a body to have to adjust. Gradually, Tommy is going to get used to the weight."

Trott is listed at 254 pounds. McKenzie goes at 253. They're still growing, but can stay lighter than Bennett, especially if they're split out where speed is a virtue.

All of that may be nice, but when push comes to shove, SEC coaches will keep their eyes on Bennett.