All Things Preseason Camp (Threads Merged)

[aubiefifty 18,200]

Auburn preseason camp injury report

ByBrandon Marcello

4-5 minutes

Auburn will enter preseason camp with a couple of injured players attempting to work their way back into the rotation.

The Tigers open preseason practices Friday at the Auburn Athletics Complex, where the Tigers begin their slate of 14 practices in 17 days before the fall semester begins.

Defensive tackle Daquan Newkirk and Nickel Jordyn Peters are recovering from Achilles injuries that required surgery and forced them to miss spring practices in March and April.

"Two guys that had the Achilles, we're gonna wait and see what that looks like at the very start of fall camp," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said at SEC Media Days. "We've got a couple shoulders that we're waiting on. But for the most part it's looking good right now."

Newkirk has suffered two separate injuries to an Achilles tendon since his arrival at Auburn in 2018. He ruptured a tendon before spring practices in 2018, but did return later in the season, his first, on campus. He is a big part of Auburn's plans at defensive tackle this season, though it remains to be seen how much he will factor into the race for the starting job next to All-SEC defensive tackle Derrick Brown.

Tyrone Truesdell, Coynis Miller, Newkirk and potentially Buck pass rusher Nick Coe will compete for playing time at tackle.

Peters is expected to be Christian Tutt's backup at Nickel, and could rotate between corner and Nickel during the season if needed. He accumulated 24 tackles, including 3.5 for losses and one sack, while playing in all 13 games last season.

Beyond Newkirk and Peters, the Tigers are expecting several players to return from offseason surgeries to compete when preseason camp begins Friday.

Buck pass rushers Big Kat Bryant (shoulder) and Nick Coe (hand), receivers Will Hastings (knee) and Eli Stove (knee), and backup safety Smoke Monday (shoulder) are expected to be available Friday. Malzahn wasn't clear on whether the players with the shoulder injuries will be fully cleared for contact practices, however.

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"I will say this about last year: Eli Stove and Will Hastings’ (injuries) were really a big blow to us from the standpoint that those guys were proven big-play guys to get open versus man (coverage)," Malzahn said. "That was a big blow to our offense last year. To have those guys back with their experience gives us a real shot in the arm. Then, the good thing now is that we didn’t have them last year but the young guys got a chance to grow up and have experience — Anthony Schwartz, Seth Williams, those guys have real quality game experience. You have these two guys in, and it just gives us more depth. When we’ve been at our best, we’ve had receivers that really understood our offense make adjustments."

Malzahn believes Hastings has a future in the NFL. The former walkon kicker moved to receiver in the spring of 2017 and had a breakout season with 26 catches for 525 yards and four touchdowns. He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the spring of 2018, returned for a couple of games (no catches) in the fall and then re-injured the knee in September, requiring another surgery in October. Hastings is cleared for full contact, Malzahn said.

6COMMENTS

Stove underwent surgery to repair an ACL in March 2018, but wasn't fully cleared until April 13.

Injuries heading into preseason camp

DL Nick Coe (hand), will practice
DL Daquan Newkirk (Achilles), questionable
DL Big Kat Bryant (shoulder), probable
WR Will Hastings (knee), will practice
WR Eli Stove (knee), will practice
DB Jordyn Peters (Achilles), questionable
DB Smoke Monday (shoulder), probable

">247Sports

[gr82be 14,901]

40 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

"We've got a couple shoulders that we're waiting on. But for the most part it's looking good right now."

@AUsince72 I think you were more right than you thought you were with your post below:

So....NOW we know what a "football only facility" is.

It's where top secret experiments are done to create the perfect H-Back/Tight-End... 

....niiiiiiiicccce!!!!

[abw0004 10,300]

40 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

DL Nick Coe (hand), will practice
DL Daquan Newkirk (Achilles), questionable
DL Big Kat Bryant (shoulder), probable
WR Will Hastings (knee), will practice
WR Eli Stove (knee), will practice
DB Jordyn Peters (Achilles), questionable
DB Smoke Monday (shoulder), probable

I don't like to see all of those injuries when fall camp has not even started.

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

DL Nick Coe (hand), will practice
DL Daquan Newkirk (Achilles), questionable
DL Big Kat Bryant (shoulder), probable
WR Will Hastings (knee), will practice
WR Eli Stove (knee), will practice
DB Jordyn Peters (Achilles), questionable
DB Smoke Monday (shoulder), probable

At least there aren't any contributors in that group.

[AUGoo 2,703]

6 hours ago, McLoofus said:

At least there aren't any contributors in that group.

Loof , Always the optimist .

[aubiefifty 18,200]

you would think if they named a muscle achilles those suckers would be more badazz. yep only a crazy fella like me would see this stuff. the aubes abides man.........

[WalkingCarpet 1,379]

Coynis Miller? I thought he was hurt too.

[McLoofus 35,182]

22 minutes ago, AUGoo said:

Loof , Always the optimist .

Captain Wet Blanket, reporting for duty!

[WalkingCarpet 1,379]

"Captain Wet Blanket."

[passthebiscuits 7,021]

None of these issues are worrisome. Common for folks to get a little beat up. I’m a little concerned about Newkirk, but I think otherwise everyone should be good to go. 

[aubiefifty 18,200]

oanow.com

Auburn football opens preseason practices today

Justin Lee | Auburn Reporter Opelika-Auburn Newsjlee@oanow.comFollow on Twitter @AUBlog|@ByJustinLee

3 minutes

The journey begins again today.

Out under the burning summer sun, the Auburn football team will trot out on the familiar practice field again this afternoon, now just steps away from a new season and a new history being written in 2019.

Lacing their cleats this afternoon, the Tigers might seem a long way from the bright lights of AT&T Stadium and the team’s season opener against Oregon on Aug. 31.

But the ride begins here. Auburn’s run for glory this fall has already started.

The Tigers’ preseason camp will span 17 days starting this afternoon, before classes start on campus on Aug. 19 and the players will get into their regular fall routine.

Auburn’s first day in full pads will be Aug. 6. The team’s annual Fan Day event is set for Aug. 10.

The Tigers are entering their seventh season under head coach Gus Malzahn, with a roar of questions surrounding them on the Plains. Auburn’s position battle at quarterback between redshirt freshman Joey Gatewood and true freshman Bo Nix will captivate fans outside the practice facility’s closed gates.

Malzahn is clutching his clipboard again amid a pivotal time in his career. He’s back to calling plays for the team’s offense for the first time since 2016, and he says he’s refreshed and excited to match wits with defenses again — rejuvenated and going back to his roots after he was forced to address rumors about his contract last December after a unsatisfying 2018 season.

Malzahn and his players will work through practices closed to the public throughout camp, but will roll open the doors at the facility on Aug. 10 for the annual Fan Day autograph session and meet-and-greet.

That event is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. a week from Saturday.

By the time classes start on Aug. 19, Auburn will be charging at full speed into preparation for Oregon. The matchup between the Tigers and Ducks will close the end of the second week of school.

Auburn is getting back on the practice field for the first time since April 13, when the Tigers closed spring workouts with their A-Day scrimmage in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

[aubiefifty 18,200]

10 burning questions at Auburn preseason camp

ByBrandon Marcello

10-12 minutes

Football has finally arrived on the calendar.

Auburn opens preseason camp for the 2019 season today on the practice fields at the Auburn Athletics Complex. The afternoon practices will be the first of 14 sessions in 17 days. It's during these 30 or so hours of practices, and countless more in meeting rooms reviewing film, that coaches will have their biggest questions answered before the season opener Aug. 31 against No. 13 Oregon.

The quarterback battle will dominate the conversation for the casual fans, but there is so much more to solve in preseason camp for No. 16 Auburn.

Let's take a look at 10 burning questions for preseason camp. We'll revisit these questions when camp comes to a close Aug. 19, the first day of classes at Auburn.

Enjoy the free content, but make sure you don't miss our insider intel throughout preseason camp by signing up for our limited-time VIP deal: 3 months for the price of 1. The deal ends soon.

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What's the plan for Jay Jay Wilson and Harold Joiner?

Auburn doesn't know where to place Harold Joiner in the offense. Is he a running back? An H-Back? A receiver? He practiced at all three spots last season and will continue to do so in preseason camp, but he has to settle into a routine of sorts at some point. Running backs coach Cadillac Williams loves him at tailback. Gus Malzahn seems to like him at H-Back.

And what about Arizona State transfer Jay Jay Wilson? Will he play H-Back, receiver or tight end? He may play all three, but which one will he play the most? Will he start?

These are questions with no answers heading into preseason camp, which is why we ask them, obviously. Just how good these two will be this season remains to be seen, and that should be an exciting story to follow for fans and coaches.

What exactly is Gus Malzahn looking for at quarterback?

There is a leader in the quarterback race. The question is whether that player can keep up the pace and make sure the other doesn't pass him up. We believed leaving spring practices that leader was Joey Gatewood. His size and athleticism in a full-tackle scrimmage were eye-opening experiences for the coaching staff. Bo Nix was accurate, of course, as a passer and is something of a mix between Nick Marshall and Jarrett Stidham as a runner, but Gatewood's huge frame (6-foot-3, 233 pounds) makes him a rolling mountain on running plays.

The question for Gus Malzahn is whether he starts from the ground floor today with the quarterback battle, or if he keeps the spring in mind as he continues to figure out what he wants in the offense.

Malzahn doesn't know who the starter will be, and he's keeping an open mind with the competition. But which player entices him the most?

What's the plan at defensive tackle?

Auburn needs an answer next to Derrick Brown at defensive tackle. Dontavius Russell is gone, and the spring didn't provide a solid answer. What will happen? Plenty of rotating.

You're going to hear about Buck pass rusher Nick Coe inside, defensive end Marlon Davidson moving to tackle for some situations, and we're going to hear questions about whether Tyrone Truesdell can play at a high level for 20-plus snaps per game at tackle.

The biggest wildcard is Coynis Miller. If he stays healthy, and is up to the task mentally, he could be the next start at tackle. Should he emerge as the answer, coaches would be ecstatic.

Who will be the punt returner?

When Auburn loses a punt returner, Gus Malzahn usually sides with the backup the next season. But it appears the seventh-year coach and special teams coordinator Larry Porter are open to competition during preseason camp, and sometimes a victor doesn't emerge until game week.

The candidates this year are last year's backup, Christian Tutt, and several players who did not field punts at all last season: cornerback Javaris Davis, one of the faster players on the team; cornerback and kick returner Noah Igbinoghene; and receivers Matthew Hill and Eli Stove.

Tutt appears to be the front-runner, even if Malzahn did not list him by name at SEC Media Days, but seeing Davis returning punts could certainly be a game-changer.

Can Auburn remain healthy?

Honestly, this is the most important question every preseason. Injuries can and will happen, and one or two at the wrong time at a skill position or position without much depth can hurt the season.

The Tigers absolutely can not afford a starting offensive lineman to suffer a major injury. Coaches don't even quite know who the sixth-best lineman is on the team, and that's a problem.

An injury in the secondary could lead to players shifting from another position to help fill the void, just as we've seen in the past.

How coaches adjust when an injury occurs in the preseason is always interesting to see, but never something anybody wants to face.

When will the starting quarterback be announced?

Gus Malzahn typically names a starting quarterback at the end of preseason camp. It's been his M.O. in three previous quarterback battles in August, and we suspect he'll let this one between Joey Gatewood and Bo Nix rage through Aug. 18, the final day of preseason camp.

Malzahn wants two weeks to work with his starting quarterback before the season opener. Should he announce a starter sooner, that means the divide between the two quarterbacks is wider than we think. Malzahn usually waits until the final moment during preseason camp to name his starter.

Even so, Malzahn usually reflects on quarterback battles years later and says the first scrimmage in which quarterbacks are allowed to be tackled is when the starter emerges. That will probably happen again this month, but the odds are he'll wait until the end of preseason camp to make a decision known to his quarterbacks, team and the fans.

Will two backups step up along the offensive line?

Auburn probably has one of the top three offensive lines in the SEC. Five seniors return as starters and the hope is they will make life much easier for a first-time starter at quarterback while also paving the way for a return to form with a 1,000-yard running back.

But the Tigers' depth across the offensive line is simply lacking. It's time for Brodarious Hamm to step up at offensive guard, and in his last season, Bailey Sharp has to become a leader and a player viewed as the sixth-best lineman on the team. Those are the two candidates I view with the most potential to step up and be the two best linemen off the bench. If not, the season could be a struggle in some key games this season, particularly as linemen get banged up at the midpoint of the SEC schedule.

Will the linebackers pan out?

Auburn not only loses its three starting linebackers from last season, but nearly half of its total production in tackles (231) and more than 25 percent of the producers of tackles behind the line of scrimmage (23 TFLs) in 2018. Oh, and then there's the leadership Deshaun Davis, Darrell Williams and Montavious Atkinson provided last season. Can the Tigers find a replacement for that as well with three new starters?

Coaches have bragged about the new players, particularly two-year backup K.J. Britt, who is expected to be the next leader and downhill, run-stuffer. Chandler Wooten may have pieced together the best spring of all the linebackers, which is a great sign, and then there is Zakoby McClain, who stepped up as well. What will be interesting is how freshman Owen Pappoe, a 5-star signee, fits into the plans. Coaches have loved his work ethic, and should he continue to improve, he will challenge McClain for a starting job.

Is there an elite pass rusher?

Nick Coe is already getting love from NFL analysts as a potential first-round draft pick next spring. If that happens, it means he eclipsed 10 sacks this upcoming season, in my opinion. I'm not sure he become a first-round draft pick by playing both Buck and tackle, and watching his sexy numbers (TFLs) drop as a result of the split playing time.

The player I want to see step up (and surely the coaches do, too) is Big Kat Bryant. T.D. Moultry has improved over the last calendar year and can step in and potentially be a starter at Buck, but how will the Tigers utilize Bryant?

Auburn has options, but is there a clear, over-the-top pass rusher that every opponent points to on game days?

Will Auburn look better in the secondary?

The Nickel position was, at times, a weak spot for the Tigers last season. Inconsistency plagued the Tigers, leading to big plays and some frustrating endings and losses against LSU and Tennessee. It wasn't just the down-the-field passes everyone remembers, either. Issues weren't solely at the feet of the Nickel, but the Nickel and Star spots are definitely positions in need of improvement.

4COMMENTS

In steps Christian Tutt, who will start at Nickel this season. Meanwhle, Javaris Davis moves back to cornerback, where he and Noah Igbinoghene will start. Auburn returns its two starters at safety with Jeremiah Dinson and Daniel Thomas, too.

The Tigers have the makings of a solid secondary, but speed and reaction time was an issue at times last season. Davis is extremely quick and Igbinoghene should be better after starting in his first season playing cornerback last season.

"We're playing roughly 86 percent of our snaps in Nickel, so that's basically base defense now and that's because of what we're having to defend in the [SEC] now," defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said after visiting the Emerald Coast Auburn booster club in April. "Tutt had a very solid freshman year and like a lot of rookies toward the end of the year some things had gotten better, but then also there were some things that were still left for improvement. And he worked really, really hard in the offseason. He kinda remade his body. Not that it was bad, but he dropped weight, his quickness was really, really good. He runs well."

">247Sports

[aubiefifty 18,200]

come on guys.................i need four likes to hit three thousand. help a geezer out............

[ellitor 33,751]

4 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

i need four likes to hit three thousand. help a geezer out............

You're welcome!

[au75 75]

22 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

come on guys.................i need four likes to hit three thousand. help a geezer out............

Here is another hit WDE

[aubiefifty 18,200]

man i appreciate if fella's. i will be strutting around like a peacock all day........lol

[aubiefifty 18,200]

i will give anyone a like other than the politic boards. i have found logging in and out builds up the likes so much i never run out of them...................

[McLoofus 35,182]

8 hours ago, passthebiscuits said:

None of these issues are worrisome. Common for folks to get a little beat up. I’m a little concerned about Newkirk, but I think otherwise everyone should be good to go. 

Smoke 'em if you got 'em. Great news. 

[ellitor 33,751]

Just now, McLoofus said:

Smoke 'em if you got 'em. Great news. 

[Win4AU 4,181]

The defensive front next year is just as worrisome to me as the offensive line next season.  Davidson, Brown, and Coe are guaranteed departures but what if Big Cat and TD project high round picks by the end of the season?  

As far as Jay Jay and Harold Joiner I’d lump them in with Sheneker as a HB/TE hybrid spot.  With the plethora of top notch WRs go three wide with that position joining the Qb and HB in the backfield.  They’d be in position to block, run, or go out for a catch.  In Gus’s run first, play action, misdirection offense it would add another wrinkle to keep defenses from keying on one player back there.

[McLoofus 35,182]

30 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

The defensive front next year is just as worrisome to me as the offensive line next season.  Davidson, Brown, and Coe are guaranteed departures but what if Big Cat and TD project high round picks by the end of the season?  

As far as Jay Jay and Harold Joiner I’d lump them in with Sheneker as a HB/TE hybrid spot.  With the plethora of top notch WRs go three wide with that position joining the Qb and HB in the backfield.  They’d be in position to block, run, or go out for a catch.  In Gus’s run first, play action, misdirection offense it would add another wrinkle to keep defenses from keying on one player back there.

Supposedly Joiner has joined the RB corps. That might be as much about Shenker locking down H as anything. I still wonder if Shenker can't be more of an Eric Smith-type H with Joiner being more of a Mario Fannin-type H.

I also still wonder, though, if Joiner can't give us some of what Kalen Ballage gave Chip at ASU in 2016. Ran a lot of Wildcat, caught 20 passes, 157 rush attempts. An interesting note from his 8-TD game that year followed by a quote from one of Miami's coaches. (He might be splitting duties with Kenyan Drake this year.)

Quote

Although he wasn't deployed as Arizona State's bell-cow back, Ballage erupted and tied the FBS record with eight total touchdowns, including seven on the ground, while serving as a game-breaking weapon as a rusher and receiver in the Sun Devils' second win of the season.

 

Quote

"But the one thing I keep encouraging him to do is utilize his size and strength. Sometimes he wants to be a smaller back, but you're 230, so go use that 230."

 

[aubiefifty 18,200]

31 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

The defensive front next year is just as worrisome to me as the offensive line next season.  Davidson, Brown, and Coe are guaranteed departures but what if Big Cat and TD project high round picks by the end of the season?  

As far as Jay Jay and Harold Joiner I’d lump them in with Sheneker as a HB/TE hybrid spot.  With the plethora of top notch WRs go three wide with that position joining the Qb and HB in the backfield.  They’d be in position to block, run, or go out for a catch.  In Gus’s run first, play action, misdirection offense it would add another wrinkle to keep defenses from keying on one player back there.

 i am not too worried about our o line next year. we got guys i think that are decent from juco that can play and hopefully enroll early. but our d line next year? i have no clue. we might struggle some. but i am sure someone can enlighten us or me anyway. next year our qb's and linebackers should both be a lot better having a season behind them. will we be faster this year on d? or next year? on our receivers i just cannot believe they say bama has the best receivers in the sec. but then again i am a fan and not super knowledgeable about everything.

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

i will give anyone a like other than the politic boards. i have found logging in and out builds up the likes so much i never run out of them...................

I'm 99.9999999% sure i remember you saying last year that - that theory was incorrect. I guess i could check your post history but frankly im too lazy for that. I remember you saying that last season, but im almost certain that i remember you running out and saying that didnt work.

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

Im hoping that Smoke Monday returns from injury 100%. He can be a real difference maker in the defensive backfield.

[aubiefifty 18,200]

15 minutes ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

I'm 99.9999999% sure i remember you saying last year that - that theory was incorrect. I guess i could check your post history but frankly im too lazy for that. I remember you saying that last season, but im almost certain that i remember you running out and saying that didnt work.

not me that i can remember. i always have plenty of likes. but i am in and out a lot as well since the more pages i have open the slower my puter gets. i believe you get five likes per visit and i believe they accumulate. shrugs. and not saying you are lying as i do get confused about things sometimes. but i have given out over five likes this morning without running out so far...........