Summer School H-backs and tight ends

[aubiefifty 18,398]

Summer School: What we know, don’t know about Auburn’s H-backs and tight ends

Josh Vitale, Montgomery Advertiser Published 8:00 a.m. CT July 3, 2019

5-6 minutes

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third in a nine-part series breaking down Auburn’s 2019 roster position by position leading up to SEC media days, which take place July 15-18 in Hoover.

AUBURN — H-back isn’t the flashiest position in Gus Malzahn’s offense, but it is an important one.

And for the first time in four years, it’s going to have a different face. Chandler Cox, who has started at that spot every season since 2015, played out his eligibility last year and is now with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. Top tight end Tucker Brown was also a senior last season, so he’s gone, too.

Here’s what we know and don’t know about two positions undergoing an overhaul both in terms of personnel and usage in 2019:

THE LINEUP

Spencer Nigh (Sr.), Jay Jay Wilson (Sr.), John Samuel Shenker (So.), Luke Deal (Fr.), Tyler Fromm (Fr.)

WHAT WE KNOW

What we know is that Auburn wants to use the H-back position differently this season. Not necessarily “more” in a rushing or receiving capacity — just differently.

One of the reasons it felt like the Malzahn and Chip Lindsey-led offense got away from its hurry-up, no-huddle roots last season was the amount of substituting it did, specifically at the H-back and tight end position — when Auburn wanted the former, Cox was on the field, and when the latter was required, Brown replaced him.

Now that Lindsey is gone (he’s the head coach at Troy) and Malzahn is back to calling plays again, the plan is to get back to going fast. Auburn wants to “keep 11 guys on the field without changing a whole bunch of personnel.” That necessitates having a player who can line up at both H-back and tight end depending on formation, so the offense can have both without having to substitute.

The player who filled that role during the spring was Shenker, who played that role for coach Rush Propst at Colquitt County (Georgia) High and was signed almost specifically because of his versatility. As a receiver, he caught three passes for 40 yards and a touchdown last season and three for 26 yards on A-Day.

“John has really stepped up,” Malzahn said. “Now that Chandler is gone, he's really trying to establish himself as the guy. He's off to a really good start. He just needs all the reps he can get.”

But Shenker will face some competition this fall in the form of Wilson, a graduate transfer from Arizona State who arrived on campus this summer. The senior played linebacker during the 2017 season and in 2018 before redshirting, but he started his career at tight end and is known for his downfield blocking ability.

He’s not an unknown, either — Auburn’s first-year offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham was the tight ends coach at Arizona State during Wilson’s freshman year in 2015.

WHAT WE DON’T KNOW

What we don’t know is what role, if any, Deal and Fromm will be able to carve out in the offense as true freshmen — a question that’s even more difficult to answer after Deal tore his ACL in December and missed spring practice.

It would have been complicated if Deal was healthy — even if you consider Shenker to be a tight end, that position has accounted for just seven catches for 73 yards over the past four seasons since C.J. Uzomah and Brandon Fulse graduated following the 2015 campaign (Sal Cannella caught 15 passes for 142 yards during that span, but he plays more wide receiver than tight end).

But the Tigers did make it a priority to sign both Deal and Fromm, who were three-star recruits from Emerald, South Carolina, and Warner Robins, Georgia, respectively. They were down to zero players at the position after last year — Brown was a senior, and Jalen Harris transferred after three games — and now they have two promising ones.

What that means for Auburn’s offense, however, remains to be seen.

THEY SAID IT

“That's a position that's in a little bit of transition, but I think it's a good thing moving forward. Now I will say this, with Chandler Cox, he's a tough guy to replace. He was a four-year starter and a coach on the field. He made things right when things weren't right sometimes. That's big shoes to fill for him. We'll be doing it by committee as far as spring goes. But that'll be a good position battle.” — Gus Malzahn

[AuburnNTexas 7,350]

This article did not mention Joiner but I think he is big enough to play the position and as a catching TE with his speed he is a down field threat and a breakaway threat.

[80Tiger 907]

1 hour ago, AuburnNTexas said:

This article did not mention Joiner but I think he is big enough to play the position and as a catching TE with his speed he is a down field threat and a breakaway threat.

Joiner only goes about 215. Schneker is 248 and Deal is 250+ I think. Fromm is light at around 218 or so. Real mismatches for us on blocking with Joiner and Fromm. With Deal hurt, Schenker looks to be the guy.

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

4 hours ago, AuburnNTexas said:

Joiner

I hope Gus uses him the way he was recruited which was as a do it all like Gus ran Charles Clay in Tulsa. Clay would go out on routes as a TE, he would be used as a blocking TE, block as an HBack as well as run the ball at times. Joiner could become a real threat if used properly.

[toddc 13,197]

6 hours ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

I hope Gus uses him the way he was recruited which was as a do it all like Gus ran Charles Clay in Tulsa. Clay would go out on routes as a TE, he would be used as a blocking TE, block as an HBack as well as run the ball at times. Joiner could become a real threat if used properly.

I liked how he was used in the A-day game!

[SumterAubie 3,110]

Dunno much football but I reckon Joiner could be an important key to a successful hurryup no huddle. As he can be plugged into a variety of positions, staying on the field, thus preventing the need to substitute. Of course, the nut is Malzahn. The same coach who criminally under utilized CJ Uzomah.