Shivers takes on leadership role

[aubiefifty 18,231]

247sports.com

 

Shivers takes on leadership role for young running back group

ByJason Caldwell

3-4 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama—With the loss of leading rusher JaTarvious Whitlow off last year’s team along with the leadership of senior Kam Martin, finding someone to step up as a leader at the position is an important part of the preseason for the Auburn Tigers heading into the 10-game SEC-only football schedule in 2020.

A guy who has tried to take on that role, not only for the running backs but for the entire offense, is junior Shaun Shivers.

“That’s something I’ve always wanted to do, be a leader for the team and the program and just let people feed off my energy,” he said. “I knew I wanted to step up because it was time. This year I just took on a big role. It’s time to step up this year and lead the team and just do what I’ve always done since growing up, be a leader.”

With 657 rushing yards and six touchdowns in two seasons with the Tigers, Shivers has done some good things even though he’s only carried the ball 125 times. Now with an opportunity to see his role expanded under new coordinator Chad Morris, Shivers said his focus has been about taking advantage of every opportunity he receives.

“Well I can say that, when we had the break, when we were back home for that long period of time, I’ve been working out every day, working my craft, working my game, working on catching the football, working on things I need to add to my game, catching kick returns and catching punts and things like that,” Shivers said. “I was doing that a lot when I was back home and now it’s transferred over here to the field so I can say it is going to be a big year. It is going to be a good year, this year.”

Returning at running back for Auburn along with Shivers are sophomores Harold Joiner and DJ Williams, but there are also a pair of newcomers prepared to throw their hats into the ring this season. With redshirt freshman Mark-Antony Richards and true freshman Tank Bigsby both prepared to push for playing time, Shivers said the competition is at a high level for the running backs.

“Our first goal is to push each other and just work hard,” Shivers said. “Our goal is to stick together and be a complete running back room and uplift one another. We don’t really have any personal goals. Our personal goals are really just to stay with each other and lift each other and just keep pushing.

“We don’t really think about how many carries we’re going to get a game or how much we’re going to play in a game," he said. "We’re just here to support each other and get better as a room, as a unit. At the end of the day, whoever gets the most carries or whatever, all us are going to go out there and do what we do, because that’s why we came to Auburn—to make plays, do what we’re being taught and add more explosiveness to the offense.”

 

Shaun Shivers could be in line for more work as a junior. (Photo: Jason Caldwell/Inside The Auburn Tigers, 247Sports) 23COMMENTS

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[AuMarine 1,382]

I love everything about Shivers. I hope Morris has a plan to get him the ball. 

[Win4AU 4,182]

Loved what I read today from him.  The things he said about MAR makes me excited to see these guys in real games.  If I were Chad I’d be running full backfields with 2 Rbs, H/TE, and 2 WR with Flash/ Seth a lot.  Worm said they’ve been running a lot of Rb vs Lb passing plays so you could run RPO right down the field.  

[Sizzle 3,948]

1 hour ago, Win4AU said:

Loved what I read today from him.  The things he said about MAR makes me excited to see these guys in real games.  If I were Chad I’d be running full backfields with 2 Rbs, H/TE, and 2 WR with Flash/ Seth a lot.  Worm said they’ve been running a lot of Rb vs Lb passing plays so you could run RPO right down the field.  

I think we should run more 4/5 WR sets imo. Let Bo turn it loose. You can take advantage of LB’s in space against RB’s with everybody spread out with 5 WR’s

[WarTim 3,525]

Shivers has the potential to do Great things. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

9 hours ago, Sizzle said:

I think we should run more 4/5 WR sets imo. Let Bo turn it loose. You can take advantage of LB’s in space against RB’s with everybody spread out with 5 WR’s

We have such diverse pass catching talent right now. Whatever you want, we've got a couple of them. I also hope we take advantage of that.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

11 hours ago, Sizzle said:

I think we should run more 4/5 WR sets imo. Let Bo turn it loose. You can take advantage of LB’s in space against RB’s with everybody spread out with 5 WR’s

I think the beauty is....we have the personnel to run both. We can turn loose with 4-5 WRs and rip it up on one drive then turn around and Put in 2 RB, 2TE 2 WR on the next and drive down their throats. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

5 minutes ago, Tigerpro2a said:

I think the beauty is....we have the personnel to run both. We can turn loose with 4-5 WRs and rip it up on one drive then turn around and Put in 2 RB, 2TE 2 WR on the next and drive down their throats. 

And the personnel to do both without substituting. A speed sweep/slot guy? We've got at least two. RBs that can run routes and catch? Three off the top of my head. H/TEs that can line up in-line, in the backfield or in the slot? One of them weighs 300 lbs. 

In Chad We Trust. Just need Gus to do same.