What we learned from final week of fall camp

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What we learned from Auburn’s final week of fall camp

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

9-11 minutes

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The preseason is winding down, and No. 8 Auburn will hold its final practice in Jordan-Hare Stadium before its season-opener next weekend against No. 23 Kentucky.

The Tigers will do situational work under the lights (Auburn installed a new LED lighting system this offseason) at Jordan-Hare Stadium and pipe in crowd noise to get accustomed to what will be a new normal for gamedays with limited crowds and a decidedly different environment than the team is used to playing in. Auburn has already spent the last week gameplanning for Kentucky, but s the calendar flips to game week on Tuesday, the Wildcats will have the Tigers' full attention with their 11 a.m. kickoff looming next Saturday.

“Been a good week of prep,” Gus Malzahn said Friday. “I know it’s been very good for our players and coaches to start transitioning to another opponent. You can tell it’s getting closer just from the excitement, not only on the practice field but in the complex.”

With Saturday essentially closing out what has been an extended and unusual preseason for Auburn, here’s a look at what we learned from the final week of fall camp:

-- On the COVID-19 testing front, Malzahn said Friday that the team reported no new positive cases in its most recent rounds of testing this week, as the team shifted to the SEC-mandated thrice-weekly testing. Auburn still had eight players miss practice this week while going through COVID-19 quarantine protocols, but Malzahn expects them to all be cleared by Tuesday.

Does that mean everyone should be available for the Kentucky game? Well, Auburn isn’t out of the woods just yet. There are still three more rounds of testing before gameday, and things can change if any more positive tests pop up -- but if Auburn doesn’t have any more new cases, the Tigers should be at full strength for their season-opener.

-- On a related note, Malzahn said Friday that while the team has had its share of COVID-19-related setbacks this preseason, the Tigers have been fortunate on the injury front, with no major or season-ending injuries to report during fall camp. There have been some minor injuries, naturally, but Malzahn doesn’t believe there is anything serious enough to hold players out of the Kentucky game.

“We’ve put the ball down and we’ve played old-school football a whole lot, so we’ve been pretty fortunate as far as that goes," Malzahn said. "We are pretty banged up in a few areas, but our goal has been, by Tuesday of next week, hope everyone is healthy and ready to go. Hopefully that will happen. We do have a chance for that to happen, so we’ll see.”

-- One unit that has been impacted in recent weeks, either due to COVID-19-related reasons or minor injuries, has been the offensive line. Auburn still had multiple offensive linemen miss practice this past week, which has slowed down the team’s process in terms of settling on a starting unit up front. Malzahn said he still feels like they’re “getting closer” to a starting five along the line but hopes to have it all sorted out by Tuesday, when the Tigers release their first official depth chart of the season. Even then, Malzahn said they have to enter the season as if they have 8-10 starting-caliber linemen due to the circumstances and uncertainty of the season.

“Hopefully this next week, we’ll get into a routine,” Malzahn said. “One thing I will tell you is that this offensive line will have a chance to grow each week. But we’re just trying to get the right five guys, get them beside each other, get them used to communication, get them used to playing beside each other with the steps and everything that goes with that.”

Our final projected depth chart at the start of the week had a starting five consisting of Nick Brahms, Brodarious Hamm, Austin Troxell, Brandon Council and Tashawn Manning.

-- There has been ample talk about Auburn’s tight ends this offseason, and understandably so: New offensive coordinator Chad Morris has often featured the position in his offenses over the last decade, and he said last week that the involvement of tight ends and running backs in the passing game has been the biggest evolution of his offense throughout his career.

“That position alone creates an opportunity to play at a faster pace or increase mismatches,” Morris said last week. “How do people want to play you? Are they going to play him as a wide receiver? If they are, they’re going to bring a nickel on the field. If they do that, then this guy will come back into the backfield, and you’re able to run the football well. Then it’s OK, no, we’re gonna play him as a true tight end. Well, great. Then I’ve got the opportunity to get him mismatched in space, whether it’s on option routes, rail routes or crossing routes. So it’s really a chess match when it comes to that. Just to be able to disguise and move them around has been really big for us.”

That bodes well for incumbent starter John Samuel Shenker, who had just three receptions last season but figures to see an uptick in production under Morris. We also heard rave reviews about freshmen tight ends Brandon Frazier and J.J. Pegues, who aren’t your “normal freshmen” and have a chance to be “really special” for the Tigers in the coming years.

-- Morris also said last week he wants to have four steady running backs to use this season, and while Malzahn said he feels like the team has five quality running backs, it remains to be seen how the snaps will be divvied up this year. That hasn’t seemed to bother the Tigers' running backs this preseason.

“Looking at the battle in the running back room, I don’t really see it as a battle," sophomore D.J. Williams said. "We’re all family here to make each other better, so it’s pretty good.”

-- Anders Carlson had some issues with consistency last season, particularly on longer kicks, but he finished the year by making each of his final six field goals, including a 4-for-4 effort in the Iron Bowl that included a season-long 52-yarder as time expired in the first half. That performance provided Carlson with a needed confidence boost that has carried through the offseason, and Malzahn believes he has a chance to be the best kicker in the country this year. As Carlson said this week, confidence is everything at this level because all players at his position have the requisite leg strength to be good.

-- On another special teams note, Auburn is still sorting out its battle at punter between one-time starter Aidan Marshall and new arrival from Australia, Oscar Chapman. Saturday’s practice under the lights at Jordan-Hare Stadium could be the separation point in this ongoing competition, as the team will do some special teams situational work later today when it takes the field.

“This week was a big week," Malzahn said. "...I will tell you this: Both guys can definitely help us, and both guys are very solid punters. So, that helps you too with what could happen throughout the season.”

As for other special teams roles: Bill Taylor has returned to his starting spot at long snapper after a hand injury sidelined him down the stretch last season. Auburn is still figuring out its holder situation, with grad transfer quarterback Grant Loy, backup kicker Ben Patton and walk-on receiver Jackson McFadden all getting some reps there. Loy, it seems, is also the favorite to be the No. 2 quarterback behind starter Bo Nix.

Shaun Shivers will be Auburn’s primary kick returner, with Eli Stove and Mark-Antony Richards also getting reps. Anthony Schwartz is another possibility to keep an eye on. With punt returns, Christian Tutt remains the No. 1 option.

-- On the defensive side, Auburn is still figuring out the No. 2 cornerback spot opposite Roger McCreary. Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said last week that it’s a five-man battle with Nehemiah Pritchett, Marco Domio, Devan Barrett, Jaylin Simpson and Matthew Hill in the mix. Malzahn didn’t provide any more clarity on the competition Friday but said that Auburn will likely need more than two or three corners to step up this season because he expects more teams to take similar offensive approaches to the one LSU won a national championship with last season.

-- The SEC this week also announced roster guidelines and cancelation/postponement protocols for this season. Teams will need to have at least 53 scholarship players, including one quarterback, seven offensive linemen and four defensive linemen, in order to play a game, though the impacted team has the option to still play if it feels it can without reaching that threshold.

-- We also learned that two of Auburn’s most treasured gameday traditions -- Tiger Walk and the pregame eagle flight -- will not take place this year due to COVID-19 safety/health protocols. It will be the first time since the 1960s that Auburn will not have thousands of fans line Donahue before games on Saturdays to greet the team as it enters the stadium, and it will be the first time since 2000 that there is no pregame eagle flight, as the SEC is not allowing live animal mascots on the field at any point this season.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.