Ranking Au's Units

[au_weagle 0]

Just trying to get a gauge on how everyone thinks our units will be as a hole this year.

1. WR- Deepest and Most complete position on the team.

2. LB- Fearsome 2 deep.

3. OL- All the seniors! Not much depth behing it though

4. RB- Mario is the real deal. OMac is bigger and Dyer is looking good.

5. DB- All of the veterans coming back, they should be tough to pass on.

6. QB- Could move up the list really fast. The top 5 are so solid though.

8. ST- Byrumwas almost automatic. Ounter should be solid. Return and Coverage game needs to improve.

9. HB/TE- Good players, nothing spectacular. Present tough mismatches.

10. Losing AC will still be hard. A lot of talent there, but it has a ways to go before it gets put together.

[keekee 0]

Qb a cam hasn't played at this level yet

rb a- omacs durability and dyers age my only issues

wr a+ strongest group I recall ever having we should have 4 guys with 500+

te b young but talented with lutz also we only have 2

ol a- all seniors depth still weak ziemba may take home an award

de b+ depth a bit unproven

dt b I like our first 3 but behind them are a bunch of youngens

lb b depth is a big issue here also bates will be learning early on

cb a- thorpe and Washington will be great depth is unproven

s a- if I knew mcneil and savage were at 100% a+

[Lint 0]

RB- for some reason, i have concern about fannin being able to hold onto the ball. Love OMAC's ability to change up the pace and be a big play maker.  If dyer carries the ball a lot, that might not be a good thing.  Bring him song slowly...let him be like Richrdson was for Bama last year.  Definitely a contributor.

[guerra aguila 0]

Just trying to get a gauge on how everyone thinks our units will be as a hole this year.

1. WR- Deepest and Most complete position on the team.

2. LB- Fearsome 2 deep.

3. OL- All the seniors! Not much depth behing it though

4. RB- Mario is the real deal. OMac is bigger and Dyer is looking good.

5. DB- All of the veterans coming back, they should be tough to pass on.

6. QB- Could move up the list really fast. The top 5 are so solid though.

8. ST- Byrumwas almost automatic. Ounter should be solid. Return and Coverage game needs to improve.

9. HB/TE- Good players, nothing spectacular. Present tough mismatches.

10. Losing AC will still be hard. A lot of talent there, but it has a ways to go before it gets put together.

There is plenty of depth at O Line, just not a lot o f experience behind the starters.

[Lint 0]

Experience is so important but what program has much experience 2 deep on the OL.

[au_weagle 0]

Lint, Fannin isn't particularly fast or powerful, but one thing he excels at is reading blocks. He has beeter vision than anybody else I have seen. Ever. He has the patience and hits the hole when its there. Thats why he was a good on those quick screens in the flat last year. So how did I do? Was a position too high or low in anybodt's opinion?

[Lint 0]

I'm worried about DBs.  We've got guys coming back but three of them are returning from very serious injuries.

[WarDamn2010 183]

Lint, Fannin isn't particularly fast or powerful, but one thing he excels at is reading blocks. He has beeter vision than anybody else I have seen. Ever. He has the patience and hits the hole when its there. Thats why he was a good on those quick screens in the flat last year. So how did I do? Was a position too high or low in anybodt's opinion?

I'm sorry, but I have to cal you out on this. Fannin runs, if I'm not mistaken, a legitimate 4.4 forty. He is also 5' 11" and weighs 232 pounds. How can you say that is not fast and powerful?

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Call me old fashion but, I have always liked the burnt orange and navy blue. Add those orange face masks and that would be icing on an AUsome cake. I realize this has nothing to do with what yall are talking about. Hey, it's a slow day and I thought I'd throw this out.

[The lions roar 119]

At what point in time do you stop labeling Fannin a back that fumbles? If I'm not mistakin he fumbled a few times his freshman year. Let's be fair and stop thinking of him as a back that fumbles unless his fumbles several times this year. My personal opinion is Fannin will make everyone forget about Ben. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed seeing Ben run, but Fannin has better latteral movement-we shall see!

[WarEagle344 0]

Call me old fashion but, I have always liked the burnt orange and navy blue. Add those orange face masks and that would be icing on an AUsome cake. I realize this has nothing to do with what yall are talking about. Hey, it's a slow day and I thought I'd throw this out.

Yeah that was pretty random 

[ausoldiergrad 57]

Ok...starting from the best to the weakest.

#1 - WRs;  Darvin Adams and T-Zac are returning, and represent as good of a duo as any in the SEC.  Last year they did it all by themselves, and didn't need any other's to help.  The good news is that this year, we will guys like Benton and Blake with one year under their belt, and a bunch of freshman to add depth and options.

#2 - OL;  The depth isn't great right now, but the starting five should be clicking like a well-oiled super-charged engine.  I look for this group to make our RBs and QB look even better than they this season.

#3 - RBs; Fannin is ready.  He is a phenomenal physical specimen.  OMac is back, bigger and sturdier than last year.  Last but not least, Michael Dyer.  The most hyped running back to sign with Auburn in a decade, this kid is the real deal and should get some quality reps down the stretch this season.

#4- DBs; I will lump safeties and corners together for this in the interest of brevity.  This unit is deep and experienced.  I expect a breakout year for Demond Washington, and if there is one area I expect a Gene Chizik team to be great it is in the secondary.

#5 - LBs; Bynes and Stevens will likely be NFL players after this season on the plains.  We all know "THe Bull" has the raw talent, and after a full season on the plains, I think he will begin to show it.   Add Bates to the mix, and the depth of a great recruiting class, and this might be the most improved unit on the field.  The added depth will be the key.

#6 - QB; as of now, we all expect Newton to start, and we know that he is our best chance at being great.  If he can live up to the tremendous hype, then we will have an outstanding season.  Without having performed at this level before though, I need to see it on gameday to feel completely comfortable and convinced.  The depth behind him is solid.

#7 - DL; well somebody had to come in at the bottom, but this unit is nothing to be ashamed of.  I am concerned that we might struggle getting to the QB with the absence of AC, with no proven pass rushers to turn to this season.  On the flip side, I think we will be much better against the run than last year.

[ausoldiergrad 57]

Lint, Fannin isn't particularly fast or powerful, but one thing he excels at is reading blocks. He has beeter vision than anybody else I have seen. Ever. He has the patience and hits the hole when its there. Thats why he was a good on those quick screens in the flat last year. So how did I do? Was a position too high or low in anybodt's opinion?

I'm sorry, but I have to cal you out on this. Fannin runs, if I'm not mistaken, a legitimate 4.4 forty. He is also 5' 11" and weighs 232 pounds. How can you say that is not fast and powerful?

You read my mind on that one.

[WarDamn2010 183]

I mean I hate to be negative and all but if there are two things he isn't it's fast and powerful lol. That's why I'm such a big fan of him.

[crtiger 0]

I mean I hate to be negative and all but if there are two things he isn't it's fast and powerful lol. That's why I'm such a big fan of him.

Are we watching the same games?? Mario... Super Mario... not fast? not powerful?? You've got to be kidding me! Dude please find some pictures/videos to try to prove your point (not doin so hot rt now)

[AUNaughty7 0]

Your kidding about the fast and powerful part right? He literally ran completely by 6 guys on the way to an 80 yard touchdown against WV last year. And the man is a bus with legs. And can we please quit about the so called fumbling problem he has. Mario hasnt fumbled the ball in like 3 years. Im pretty sure we can throw that out the window until we see it happen again.

[StatTiger 3,188]

Cool topic for discussion and opinions, so here are mine…

WR: I agree, this is the deepest position on the team. Adams and Zachery return and I feel confident we will find a third WR in Benton, Blake or Carr. Trovon Reed should be a playmaker in multiple positions but WR is his home.

LB: Bynes and Stevens have a bundle of experience and talent and I believe Daren Bates doesn’t disappoint the coaches in swapping him over to LB. I hope Eltoro Freeman develops the mental portion of his game to go along with his speed and punishing hits. We finally have some depth to work with, though experience could become an issue if the freshmen are called upon to start due to injuries.

OL: Great experience with the senior starters but we still need them to remain healthy. The key will be developing the depth in 2010 so they can compete for starting positions in 2011.

RB: Fannin, McCalebb and Dyer is a very solid trio.  Would love to see Travante Stallworth moved over to RB but he still needs to recover from his knee injury.

HB: For now, it’s basically Lutzenkirchen and Smith playing the TE and FB roles as the H-Back. No quality depth behind either player, which could be a major concern should one of them go down with a significant injury. This is why I would like to see Ladarious Phillips moved to H-Back in the same manner as Eric Smith if Phillips is to remain on offense.

DB: If we remain healthy, this will be a team strength but we don’t have much depth at corner without playing true freshmen.

QB: I feel more comfortable at this position than I have since Campbell was backed up by Brandon Cox. I believe Cameron Newton will do well but I expect to experience some rough waters during his first year starting at this level. I feel very comfortable with Caudle or Trotter coming off the bench in an emergency.

ST: Should very solid in the kicking game and I agree improvement is required in kick and punt coverage. We still need to find a solid PR and we have loads of options at KR.

DL: Fairley and Blanc should be solid as the starting DT’s but Rocker wants 5 players to rotate at the 2 DT positions. Can Clayton remain healthy? Does Lykes step up in 2010 or do we need to count on Whitaker and Kenneth Carter more than would be expected? Whitaker is not your typical 18-year old coming out of HS. He is very mature for his age and he already looks like a junior or senior DT. Antoine Carter should do well but finding a starter at the other DE position appears to be open with Michael Goggnis as the likely starter on opening night. There is talent waiting in the wings but they lack experience and size, except for Nosa Eguae (size). Dee Ford is bigger but will still be more reliant on his speed than size.

[NWALTIGER 1]

I would rank

1 WR Can't remember seeing this many talented receivers at one time at Auburn before and if T. Reed contributes like I think he will look out.

2. OL Very talented group starting. Experienced depth will develop as season wears on.

3. LB Bynes, Stevens and Freeman/Evans/Bates should be good. Good young talent means the promise of

depth finally.

4. Off. Backfield Fannin and Omac + Dyer. Should be productive. QB is wait and see. Could be a strength by end of year.

5. DL Fairley, Blanc, Clayton, Carter etc. Looking for someone to step up and be a game changer maybe Fairley. Lots to prove.

6 DB Thorpe plays hard but looks lost to me sometimes. Washington is fast and should come on strong. I hope the returning injured can contribute if not i see Bates moving back to S.

[Aubie791 0]

OK... slightly different approach but I am getting fired up about this group and would ask the following question.

What position or units do you expect to slide from last year's performance levels?  I see that list as being very short.  Perhaps at QB and RB to start the season but I suspect that, by mid-season, that will not be true at QB and may not be true at RB.

One Game at a Time... "Good to Great!"

[au_weagle 0]

About Fannin not being fast or powerful. I am saying when you watch him run, you dont say "Wow that guy is fast (like OMac) or man that guy is a bruider (like Stephen Davis)...Im not saying that he doesn't have wheels or quite a bit of power, but he is balanced, and what sets him apart is his vision and patience. .As for the possible fumbling problem, he had plenty of problems as a freshman, but fumbles have been few and far between since. His grip n the ball does get a little lax sometimes. A perfect example of this skillset is the 1st offensive play against Ole Miss. Watch it on SECsports.com.

[alexava 6,976]

fannin has deceptive speed. he is not rudi, but has power if his shoulder is not hurting. but i agree he has very good vision and patience. which i think really sets him apart from tate.

[guerra aguila 0]

Lint, Fannin isn't particularly fast or powerful, but one thing he excels at is reading blocks. He has beeter vision than anybody else I have seen. Ever. He has the patience and hits the hole when its there. Thats why he was a good on those quick screens in the flat last year. So how did I do? Was a position too high or low in anybodt's opinion?

I'm sorry, but I have to cal you out on this. Fannin runs, if I'm not mistaken, a legitimate 4.4 forty. He is also 5' 11" and weighs 232 pounds. How can you say that is not fast and powerful?

Agreed, hes very strong and breaks a lot of tackles... hes going to have a huge senior year.

[Mattco 0]

I am ranking them from best to worst and the grades are based on two deep.

1. Offensive Line.  (A) The starting five will be a top 3 in the country and we have depth coming in and barring several injuries, should be nursed along to learn all of their roles.  The backups HAVE to get a lot of reps this year, they will be the starters next year.

2. Receiver.  (A-) Adams and Zachary showed they can play last year, Benton and Blake showed sparks but we still need to find a good third guy who will contribute.

3. Linebackers. (B+) While depth is still a serious issue here, we are good with starters and depth will be much better than last year.

4. Running backs.  ( While we have talent in the backfield, we are an injury away from being very thin at running back.  The only reason I rank them this high is because I am including Eric Smith in this.

5.  Special teams.  ( While we don't have experienced return guys, we have Byrum who could be all-sec and Shoemaker who already has been.  We will be solid on special teams with some young guys who can contribute here.

6. Secondary.  (B-) While 2 deep isn't great, both starting corners can be great but we return no starting safeties that aren't coming off injuries.  I won't argue with the coaches but I still don't understand the move to move Bates out of the safety spot.

7.  Defensive line.  (C+) 2 deep has no experience and the starters are the weakest of the bunch as of now.  The potential and talent is here to be very good though.

[RockyMtnTiger 0]

WR/TE: Feel this is now our strongest and deepest position Obviously Adams and TZac standout, but definite depth with some of our biggest breakout potential coming from the backups. Lutz is ready and will provide a good target for Cam.

OL: tons of 1st string experience playing the same scheme and with the same coaches for 2nd year (Huge). Little less experience in backups, but talented and big should provide some needed relief solidly

QB: It won't be a stretch when I say CAM will be a great leader, has extreme talent and regardless of little SEC playing time has the mental game, and the skills to get himself out of trouble. Not worried with this position at all where backups can do a solid job.

DL: More experienced very good depth and talent. With the added depth at LB we will see some awesome play from this position.

RB's: Fannin is fast and quite powerful he has the talent the test will be mentaly. OMac looks stronger, Dyer is physically ready to contribute and will. Feel we will be good here.

LB's: Great leadership, talented Freshman will be very improved position and because of the added depth we will see a new aggression package from Roof.

DB's: Some healthy experience returns from injuries, talented others with some added depth from some freshman. Chizik is spending extra time with this group and they will show up and be productive this year and may just shine as any other group on D.

Special Teams: Just take a look at some of the extra talented young players that are hungry to play this will be solid to above average this year.

Overall the potential is high the key will be execution, limited mistakes, and luck with health and injuries. Also, the adjustments made by our coaches and the play of some key underclassmen. The team is extremely cohesive and tight which is a great ingredient for a successful season. War Eagle!!!!

[bootskii 268]

Have people forgotten about Bonomolo on the end? I know the SEC is a BIG step above Juco ball but you don't bring a talent like him in just to sit on the bench. I think this guy will make an immediate impact an give our DE's some rest.