What to know about Auburn as expanded preseason begins

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What to know about Auburn as expanded preseason begins

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

8-10 minutes

The coronavirus pandemic has not subsided, but after spring football as we know it was canceled amid the spread of COVID-19, preparation for the 2020 season marches on this week at programs across the country.

What that season will look like, as cases of the virus continue to surge with the scheduled start to the season less than two months away and some conferences have already announced plans for a conference-only slate of games, remains up in the air. Yet after six-plus months away from traditional practices, Auburn this week will be allowed to begin its NCAA-permitted extended preseason. For teams whose seasons are set to begin, officially, Sept. 5 — Auburn is scheduled to host Alcorn State on that date — a preseason acclimation period that includes eight hours of weight training, conditioning and film review per week, with no more than two hours dedicated to film review, gets underway Monday and runs through July 23, at which point the next phase of the preseason—which will include eight hours per week for weight training and conditioning, up to six hours weekly each for walk-throughs and meetings (film review, team meetings, position meetings and one-on-one instruction).

So, as we prepare to reset the 2020 offseason, let’s take a closer look at Auburn and everything you need to know as it enters Year 8 under Gus Malzahn.

OFFENSE

Returning starters: 4 — QB Bo Nix, WR Seth Williams, WR Eli Stove, C Nick Brahms

Other returning contributors: WR Anthony Schwartz, RB D.J. Williams, RB Shaun Shivers, TE/HB John Samuel Shenker, WR Shedrick Jackson

Key signee: RB Tank Bigsby (No. 39 overall player in 2020 class)

Wild card: RB Mark-Antony Richards. The former four-star athlete missed all of last season due to a preseason leg injury, but upon signing with Auburn he drew comparisons to former Tigers running back and 2017 SEC Offensive Player of the Year Kerryon Johnson. With last year’s leading rusher, Boobee Whitlow, no longer with the team and the Tigers eyeing more of a by-committee approach to the backfield, Richards — a former top-100 prospect — could emerge as a key playmaker on a revamped offense.

Biggest questions:

-- Offensive line: Auburn must replace four starters along the offensive line, with center Nick Brahms as the only returning figure from last year’s unit, which struggled at times last season, especially when it came to establishing the run. The Tigers have a handful of players who will vie for those four other spots in preseason camp, but the group is overall short on game experience. Some names to keep an eye on as the preseason plays out include right tackle Brodarious Hamm, who has been described as a “mauler” and could be the team’s most physically imposing lineman; left tackle Austin Troxell, who should be back healthy following another knee injury that sidelined him last season; redshirt sophomore guard Jalil Irvin and redshirt junior guard Tashawn Manning, as well as Akron grad transfer lineman Brandon Council.

-The Chad Morris factor: Auburn brought in former Arkansas head coach Chad Morris as its new offensive coordinator this offseason. Morris has been given the reins of the offense from Malzahn—who has a longstanding relationship with his new right-hand man—and will have his fingerprint on that side of the ball for Auburn. Offense was the issue for the Tigers last season, and if Morris can help turn things around and assist Nix in taking the next step as a starting quarterback, it will have major implications on just how good Auburn can be in 2020.

Defense

Returning starters: 5 — Buck Big Kat Bryant, DT Tyrone Truesdell, LB K.J. Britt, LB Owen Pappoe, Nickel Christian Tutt

Other returning contributors: LB Chandler Wooten, LB Zakoby McClain, CB Roger McCreary, S Smoke Monday, S Jamien Sherwood

Key signees: CB Marco Domio (No. 7 JUCO player in 2020), DE Zykeivous Walker (No. 77 overall player in nation)

Wild card: DT Daquan Newkirk. A former four-star signee, Newkirk’s time on the Plains has been marred by a pair of Achilles injuries that cost him most of the 2018 season and parts of last season. The 6-foot-3, 306-pound defensive tackle is regarded as one of the strongest—if not the strongest—players on the entire team, and if he can stay healthy can emerge as a major contributor in the middle of a reloaded defensive line that must replace top NFL picks Derrick Brown (No. 7 overall selection) and Marlon Davidson (No. 47 overall selection).

Biggest questions:

-- Can the defensive line avoid a drop-off from last season’s production? Auburn had one of the nation’s top defensive lines last season, thanks largely to the production of Brown and Davidson, and maintaining that level of excellence following their departures will be a tall order. It’s something Kevin Steele and Rodney Garner have prepared years for, and while the Tigers will be without two of the all-time great defensive linemen in program history, Auburn has ample depth to help avoid drop-off in the front six. All eyes will be on senior Big Kat Bryant to lead the defensive line, as he and senior Tyrone Truesdell at defensive tackle are the two returning starters up front. The aforementioned Newkirk could also be in for a breakout season, while the Tigers also return the likes of Coynis Miller Jr., Derick Hall, T.D. Moultry, Colby Wooden and Jaren Handy from last season while welcoming in four-star defensive end Walker, who many believe could be in the same mold as Davidson, who was a four-year starter at defensive end.

-- Will the secondary improve upon last season’s player? Auburn lost four of its five starters from last season’s secondary—safeties Jeremiah Dinson and Daniel Thomas, as well as corners Javaris Davis and Noah Igbinoghene, the latter of which was a first-round pick—but could be an improved unit in 2020. Tutt is the lone returning starter on the back end, though both Monday and Sherwood have been key contributors for two seasons and are set to take over the safety positions, with Sherwood viewed by many as one of the team’s top NFL prospects entering the season. McCreary is slated to slide into the No. 1 cornerback slot vacated by Igbinoghene, while the second spot is up for grabs, with junior Nehemiah Pritchett and JUCO signee Domio the two most likely options.

Special teams

Returning starters: 4 -- K Anders Carlson, LS Bill Taylor, PR Christian Tutt, KR Shaun Shivers

Other returning contributors: KR Matthew Hill

Wild card: Shivers. Igbinoghene handled the majority of kick returns last season, but that No. 1 spot should now fall to Shivers, a two-sport athlete whose track speed could make him an X-factor on special teams when given the opportunity.

Biggest question:

-- Punter: The Tigers’ starting punter for the last two seasons, Arryn Siposs, declared early for the NFL Draft and eventually signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent. That left Auburn with no punters on scholarship heading into 2020, with the team’s most experienced college punter being starting quarterback Bo Nix, who had three punts averaging 37.33 yards last season. Auburn did not add a punter to its roster in the 2020 signing class, and it’s unclear if any other players were added this summer, but Malzahn said in February that the team had a “real good plan” for the position this season. What that plan is remains to be seen with the season less than two months away, though options could include redshirt freshman walk-on Patrick Markwalter, who averaged 41.3 yards per punt as a senior in high school; utilizing Nix to punt in the same manner as his attempts last season; going the Pulaski Academy route and avoiding punting altogether; or a player who has yet to emerge at the position. Either way, it should be interesting after two steady seasons of Siposs handling punting duties.