Auburn Looks for Fresh Start as Spring Practice Gets Underway
by Jay Coulter on Mar 21, 2011 2:00 AM CDT
in Football
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PrintFor better or worse, Auburn turns the page on the 2010 football season this week when spring practice opens on Wednesday. The football program has seemingly taken more hits in the off-season than it did during its championship run.
From false audio tape allegations to armed robbery to now unflattering pictures of players on the internet, this has been the off-season from hell for the newly minted champions.
Spring break ends today for Auburn students. The police blotter has remained clear for Gene Chizik's men during the break. We'll consider that traction heading into one of the most intriguing spring practices in recent memory.
Here are five storylines to follow over the next month:
Who will start at quarterback?
The assumption that Barrett Trotter will be the man to follow Cam Newton may only be that - an assumption. What we do know is that offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn will have his sixth starting quarterback in six seasons of coaching college football. Jason Campbell may be the only person who can relate.
Regardless of who gets the nod, they'll never be confused with Newton. Malzahn swears Trotter is every bit as accurate as Newton. But his running reminds you of Brandon Cox. Well, maybe not that bad.
Sophomore Clint Moseley will likely give Trotter a run this spring. He's been in the Malzahn system for three years and has become a scout team legend during his tenure.
The wildcard is incoming freshman Kiehl Frazier. The Springdale, Arkansas native comes to campus as one of the most highly recruited players in the country. The big question is whether Malzahn will be comfortable going on the road to Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas, LSU and Georgia with a rookie signal caller.
With Frazier not arriving on campus until summer, don't expect Malzahn to name a starter until August.
Who will fill the massive hole left on the offensive line?
Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes has made it clear that every job is up for grabs this spring. With only Brandon Mosley and A.J. Greene returning as starters, it's safe to say that Auburn's success in 2011 will be determined by the men up front.
Greene is expected to regain his starting job after going down with an injury in the fourth game last season. Mosley finished strong and should also play a huge role in bringing this unit together.
Looking at the roster, you quickly realize this group is every bit as talented as the men they'll replace. With an incoming class that includes Reese Dismukes, Thomas O'Reilly, Greg Robinson and Christian Westerman, all that's lacking is experience.
Throw in redshirt freshmen Eric Mack, Chad Slade and Ed Christian plus John Sullen and you see why Grimes decided to stay at Auburn instead of joining Mack Brown in Texas.
Who will fill the shoes of Darvin Adams?
With Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachery moving on, the title of go-to receiver now falls in the hands of Emory Blake. To achieve anywhere near last year's production, he'll need the help of senior Quindarius Carr and junior DeAngelo Benton.
Neither player has so far lived up to the hype. Last year, Carr and Benton accounted for only three receptions. Trooper Taylor's unit wasn't helped any with the arrests of sophomores Shaun Kitchens and Antonio Goodwin. Both were expected to provide depth.
The big question is whether Trevon Reed can remain healthy and contribute each week. Look for signees Sammie Coates and Jaylon Denson to get a look early.
Who will replace the leadership of Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens at linebacker?
If you like competition, keep your eyes on the linebackers this spring. There's a ton of talent waited to takeover for Bynes and Stevens. They'll be led by junior Daren Bates who racked up 48 tackles a year ago, second most on the team.
Senior Eltoro Freeman should provide leadership and experience, while junior Jonathan Evans should improve on his 27 tackles from 2010. Competition will come from sophomore Jake Holland, junior Harry Gaston and sophomore Jessel Curry.
All eyes will be on the studs of the 2010 recruiting class, Jawara White and LaDarius Owens. They'll be joined by this year's signees Justin Garrett and Chris Landrum who will push for playing time.
How do you replace Nick Fairley, Mike Blanc and Zach Clayton?
That's the million dollar question that will keep new defensive line coach Mike Pelton up at night. He'll look to a pair of sophomores in Kenneth Carter and Jeff Whitaker.
The good news is they have no ceiling when it comes to ability. The bad news is they accounted for only 13 tackles last season and will have to grow up fast for Auburn to be competitive in the SEC West.
Juniors Derrick Lykes and Jam Travis will provide depth. Look for signee Gabe Wright to come in and play early. Fellow signee Jabrian Niles could also be in the mix.
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Color me Orange and Navy if you want to...
I am not in the worry mode when it comes to our offensive linemen. I truly believe we will be fine on that side of the trench. I am more concerned about RB, especially if we have any one get injured. Not enough hats in the ring there. Anthony Morgan will just about have to be added to the rotation at RB.
On the defensive side, the only untested question to me is, Mike Pelton, and whether or not he can find a way to use all those weapons at his disposal. Defense should be solid as a rock, no pun intended. I look for a return of the more dominating defenses we saw during Chizik’s tenure here as DC.
Enjoyed the read.
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It all depends on Chiziks players
We are officially in that dead pool of Tubs last year and Chiz’s first, where there was uncertainty and a very average class was signed. If the top 5 class of 2010 really steps up and contributes we will be fine….otherwise, not so good.
WR is all of sudden looking REALLY thin, especially since DeAngelo Benton has been a bust so far. We need several people to stup up here and take the heat off of Blake. I’m pegging Travonte Stallworth to be the surprise guy that picks up the slack. Hopefully 8th year sophomore Phillip Piere Louis can finally get on the field and contribute. LOL
Trooper REALLY has his work cut out for him.
RB is also thin but I think Dyer is a bull and will stay healthy. But hey, wouldn’t it be great to see 290 lb LaDarius Phillips get some carries in short yardage situations??? We may have to do that.
I’m not concerned about the line on either side of the ball, we’ve finally got good depth at both, if not experience. On defense, Nosa Eguae has been forgotten and I think he will be the heir apparent to Nick Fairley and I hope we see Joel Bonomolo show some of his JUCO promise.
What may come back to haunt us more than anything is losing Wes Byrum. I suspect we will be in some close games this year and will need every extra point and FG we get….especially on the road. Other than wide receiver, special teams kicking is my biggest worry right now.
Can’t wait to see who steps up and becomes the next Auburn legend.
Col.Angus may be rough, Col.Angus may not smell like a bed of roses, but deep down Col.Angus is very sweet. If I overstay my welcome, just tap me on the head!!
unbelievable... it may be a foregone conclusion that LaDarius Phillips plays RB and Dline.
one in a while, there are those athletes that you just try to fit in wherever possible. this is an interesting challenge for Chizik & Co… to place Phillips’
in my opinion, Phillips will be used as a lead blocker and short yardage RB guaranteed. this will prove important to preserve Dyer. he may also be used as a pass play blocking back as well. Phillips could easily become an X factor for Auburn on both sides of the ball.
I have read some very positive eval. information on Phillips’ potential as a Dlineman as well.
you do it and you wipe it up.
Sports by Brooks is a pot stirring sensationalist...
and an idiot. I wish you would refrain from linking his website or at the very least let us know that is what the link is for….I for one do not wish to add to the number of hits on the assholes website.
I don't troll so I reserve the right to berate trolls as I see fit.
Just so you know I won't forget.....LSU Jonno predicted we would finish 5th in the west in '11.
by Todd92 on Mar 21, 2011 2:13 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
by the way... WAR DAMN EAGLE. what a year it has already been. you could have added the Toomer's Oaks to the list also.
“Trooper REALLY has his work cut out for him”. understatement for sure. agreed. i view a good WR corp similar to a good RB corp. got to be dynamic. different pace guys allow you to organize them situationally. they all don’t have to run the full playbook of routes…they can ease into their roles, and with reduced # of routes in their heads, they can make the most of the ones that target them as HOT. look at T-Zac and his hitch n go, screens, etc. i don’t think i ever saw him catch the ball in the middle of the field. that was adams’, and burns’ zone. i could imagine the breakdown as such:
3rd down possession receiver: E blake, P lutzenkirchen
outside screen/ hitch n go receiver: Q carr
end arounds: T stallworth, trovon reed
i expect at least 1 of our incoming FR (sammie coates and jaylon denson) to be built in as a rotation player and the other to redshirt.
one of the reasons for this… i think AU should get more production from the slot: P lutz, trovon reed, quan bray?
the passing game will not have the verticality it had in 2010… not even close. i don’t consider this a bad thing. playing possession fball in 2011 will work to Auburn’s advantage. AU Oline will take a little time to gel, but should settle in ok. i think the possession fball will come with the short pass game. Dyer will benefit from this, and his #s should be better than last year’s… though he should NOT be the primary offensive weapon for AU in 2011. that, i think, would be a mistake.
everyone has their areas of personal concern. i can’t recall entering spring practice with such a wide variety of compelling arguments across the board. for me, it is the ambiguity of the LB corp. if i were chizik, i would work extra hard to solidify the MLB position as confidently and quickly as possible. i assume the move of thorpe to safety means bates will return as a LB… but now we’ve got mike mcneil at safety out and all of a sudden safety is going to be a young and inexperienced piece as well.
thoughts?
you do it and you wipe it up.
Two true safety players have been recruited in two years..
They are Anthony Swain, and Jonathan Rose. Plus I always believed Neiko would be much better at safety, given his tackling skills. He is a true headhunter and that’s what a safety should be. Demetruce McNeal has shown some real promise as well, so putting the young talent at the corner opposite T’Sharvan Bell will be the key component.
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Anthony Swain....
will end up at LB or will be a career backup/special teams player unless he finds some speed he has hidden somewhere. Erique Florence is also a true Safety recruit as was Demetruce McNeal. Jonathon Rose was projected by some to be a CB in college….either way it will definitely be interesting to see how it develops. I also wish some of our younger LB’s are up to the task to step in and allow Bates to go back to Safety but thats just a wish. Neiko Thorpe has been much maligned and some of it is justifiable but some is just goofy…..the kid has the talent to be a great one if he can put it all together…..he was the weaker Corner this past season which means that most teams tested him more which means more chances to screw up……if you will remember David Irons was picked on continuosly in 2004 and subsequently got burned quiet a few times but he was a solid DB. I hope that Thorpe becomes the shutdown corner this season that everyone thought he would be when he was recruited.
I don't troll so I reserve the right to berate trolls as I see fit.
Just so you know I won't forget.....LSU Jonno predicted we would finish 5th in the west in '11.
It looks like the move to safety is permanent for Thorpe..
Auburn will need him in there just to have an experienced captain directing the DB’s. You can’t question his run stopping abilities, he’s got open field tackling pretty much down to an art.
You are right about Florence, don’t know how I forgot him. He is supposedly the one of the most talented kid’s coming out of high school.
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by KoolBell777 on Mar 22, 2011 10:38 PM CDT up reply actions
i agree with T92,... neither swain or rose will likely be safeties.
the move of thorpe to safety is a curious one. i still don’t see him starting at either CB or S unless he gets better. he has to get better. maybe if he bulks up for the safety role he’ll find a good groove.
i don’t feel all that worried about the secondary for some reason.
CB: t-sharvan bell, d mcneil, chris davis, ikeem means, therezie, rose, whitehead
S: Florence, swain, mincy, smith…thorpe
ryan smith and ryan white are also guys that have spent time supporting the secondary.
who knows, maybe swain does start out in battle for the safety position… and could evolve like bates did to LB
this will all shake itself out. i definitely felt better when Mike McNeil was returning at safety…then both bell and mcneil could lead the safety and CB groups.
my biggest beef is that bates is a LB. i really hope that we get him back at safety (just my opinion here)… but that guy attacks the ball at safety and chases it at LB.
you do it and you wipe it up.
What's with
putting a stack of cash in your mouth in the gangster pics of these guys? Is that where you insert the hundred dollar handshake these days?
Regardless of anyone who posts these pics motives, is anyone else out there disturbed by those images? Do hood rat pics count as a violation of team rules? They should.
Auburn University: "Cutting corners" on everything since December 2008.
by War Eagle Atlanta on Mar 21, 2011 3:05 PM CDT reply actions
Those pics don't depict criminal acts...
…(assuming the firearm is legal), but they do leave a distinctly bad taste. As a UGA fan, I was never a fan of Matt Stafford’s penchant for mixing stupidity and cameras. His pics, the worst of which may have evidenced a minor is possession of alcohol, did a lot to tarnish the image of our program. After that, nobody’s gonna give the benefit of the doubt when an unrelated arrest occurs. Atmospherics matter.
I bet Chizik & Co. are issuing very clear instructions that there is to be no money and no gun in any picture of any Auburn player.
by first and thom on Mar 21, 2011 3:55 PM CDT up reply actions
That's right, If you don't want your momma to see it...
Then don’t do it, dummy!
In today’s techno-world, everything is on pic or video for the net. Why be that stupid?
Either I am sounding more and more like my old man, or just plain getting too old to tolerate that kind of behavior. Especially from a “TEAM” member.
WAR EAGLE!
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HELLO?
Clear instructions should not be necessary for something this stupid. This is NOT accceptable behavior. These guys need to get a clue and I for one expect this coaching staff to take an extremely strict stance on this. I expect more from our players and if our coaches are as embarassed as I am about this, we better have seen the last of this kind of bullshit behavior.
I'm
Looking forward to seeing this three way QB battle play out. I agree that Mosely could really make a run at it.
The running back position is thin, makes me wish we still had Dontae Aycock. But we did sign Tre Mason, a four star who is said to be a good receiver and looks really quick on tape. Also Quan Bray is an athlete that could help there as well as a receiving back.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
I agree that we will be thin at RB, Dyer will be featured
But I bet that with all our athletes, if Gus wants one to move to that position then Gene will give the go ahead. We have enough quality players at each position and with our staff running the show, we will put a SEC quality team on the field this fall. I predict 10 wins and a top tier bowl game, but with a little luck, who knows. Back to back?, hey I can dream can’t I?
I just hope they erect the Saban statue/altar/shrine before he leaves
last year was a similar dream myauburn. there is no such thing as believing too much anymore.
i do hate that this has been such an active dead period for Auburn… active in a not so helpful way.
you do it and you wipe it up.
Damn...
We are a bunch of thugs!! Cam Newton ironically seems to be one of the best characters we have. I’m thoroughly ashamed of Auburn’s football program right now. I hope these are superimposed. How the hell are we that stupid? We let those pictures come out right after the bank robbery? Really?!? We’re thugs-look at it lately. Call me a pessimist and whatever else you like, but this is pathetic. We’ve got guys acting like thugs pure and simple.
It's Auburn against the world. Good luck world.
thoughts heading into spring...
fairley… confident:
QB, DE, CB, WR/TE/HB- depth needs organizing, RB- depth needs organizing
i would love it if we could work in a RB/HB with hands for some fannin -like wheel routes
Quan Bray?
I can’t put the Oline here because despite quality preseason competition… there are just too many unknowns. No matter what, this is going to be largely a brand spankin new line…how will they perform in the SEC?
concerns:
LB, DT, S, OL / C
key players that have got to stay healthy through spring & summer:
Dyer, Lutzenkirchen, Blake, Dismukes, Eguae, Bates& Freeman, Whitaker
my EARLY breakthrough player guesses:
OL Westerman & Robinson, ATH Quan Bray, WR Denson, a FR CB…for sure.
my EARLY team leaders list:
Lemonier, Barrett Trotter, Dyer, Freeman, Lutzenkirchen
you do it and you wipe it up.
Maybe it's a pipe dream....
I am looking for Freeman to have a stellar senior season.
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by KoolBell777 on Mar 22, 2011 10:40 PM CDT up reply actions
agree complete.
Freeman has evolved as a LB where bates hasn’t… again, in my opinion. i like how Freeman attacks the point of attack against the run also… bates gets in the backfield and has to chase RBs from behind.
with MLB unresolved, if i were coaching, … i would grab Freeman and sit him down and have a man to man talk about how AU needs his leadership to push the LB group this year. I think added responsibility could do absolute wonders for his game. he is a great athlete and he has the kind of aggressiveness that is intoxicating among other players.
i think Eltoro Freeman is one of the top 5 key players for Auburn in 2011.
you do it and you wipe it up.
His raw talent is amazing...
I hope that what Ted Roof said after the regular season last year is still true, “Eltoro has come a long way, he is now telling everybody else where to line up” .
I we can get that kind of production out of him this year, he turns into one of the best linebackers in the SEC. If he crumbles, which I doubt, then he blows a great chance at the NFL, besides hurting his team mates this year.
WAR EAGLE!
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by KoolBell777 on Mar 23, 2011 10:21 AM CDT up reply actions
IF we can get, not I we,,,geeeesh!
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by KoolBell777 on Mar 23, 2011 10:22 AM CDT up reply actions
also, i agree with the idea that Jabrian Niles could be good at DE.
6’-2, 270 and a 4.7 40… liked the tape on this guy during his recruiting. he also has that regional Mobile thread tie that seems to produce players with an edge and a good understanding of the fball expectations in the state of Alabama.
you do it and you wipe it up.
my gut was telling me that eltoro was going to get a look at MLB...
apparently that is where the coaches are starting off…
if you get the chance, see 1st spring practice notes on War Eagle Extra…
you do it and you wipe it up.
I am not surprised at that move..
Freeman is the old man of the group of linebackers.
I had no idea PPL was off the roster, makes sense if he couldn’t heal though. I do however like that LP/ Ladarius Phillips is still at the RB position, I hope that is where he stays.
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i would love for somebody to convince me that Neiko Thorpe will be a better safety than a CB.
you do it and you wipe it up.
Yes or no...
does Auburn run mainly a 2 safety defensive backfield?
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One safety is there for run support, or short routes, and the other to cover any deep routes..
At least that’s my thinking. Neiko is really efficient at stopping the run, especially in open field. With the inexperience at LB, we need a strong run stop capability at safety. Hence, the move to safety for Thorpe. I am just guessing, as you are, but that’s all I’ve got.
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the point of my question regarding Thorpe was...
that I don’t think moving a guy who got burned at corner to safety is logical. safety is your last line of defense… and has run stop responsibilities. the ONLY reason for this in my mind is a knee jerk reaction to losing Mike McNeil at safety. Neiko has the height, but not the size. i still think he gets left out of a starting position in 2011.
you do it and you wipe it up.
Wel, l personally...
I like the move myself. I thought last year that he would be better at safety. If he can recognize the corner needing help, and react to it, he’ll be good at it. Quite honestly, Mike M. got burned some last year as well, especially in the Iron Bowl, he got had twice. Go back and watch the Julio Jones wide open TD, and the next one to Hanks(?) I think it was, McNeil was two or more steps out of position on each TD catch
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