Wooten having 'heck of a spring

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Chandler Wooten having 'heck of a spring' for Auburn after 2020 opt-out

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

5-6 minutes

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Senior linebacker Chandler Wooten (31) goes through a tackling drill during Auburn football practice on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU AthleticsTodd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Chandler Wooten became a father in the fall, but when winter rolled around, he may have felt more like a grandpa.

After opting out of last season due to health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wooten returned to the field with his teammates back in January to participate in Auburn’s offseason workout program. Needless to say, after more than five months away from the team and the game he loves, Wooten needed time to get back into the swing of things.

“There was a little rust in the first part of workouts,” inside linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding said. “He was joking around that he felt a little bit old at that point — but the rust is off.”

As Auburn is underway with the second half of spring practices, Wooten was a player who on Wednesday garnered some unprompted praise from Schmedding, who said the fifth-year senior is having a “heck of a spring” so far.

It would be easy to forget about Wooten, or for the veteran to get lost in the mix after sitting out last season, especially given what Auburn brings back at the linebacker position this season. Most of the attention, understandably, is on junior Owen Pappoe, a former five-star prospect who has been a starter since Day 1 on the Plains, and senior Zakoby McClain, who led the nation in tackles a year ago.

Those two make up the heart of Auburn’s defense, but the return of Wooten to the fold this offseason provides Auburn with valuable depth, as well as experience that is otherwise lacking from the rest of the linebacker corps. Wooten appeared in 19 games during his first three seasons on campus, racking up 43 tackles and an interception, and while he wasn’t a starter, per se, he was a vital part of Auburn’s core four group of linebackers during his junior season in 2019, when he had 25 tackles in 11 appearances.

“We love to have him back, man,” Pappoe said. “We really missed him a lot last year…. He’s gonna be a big help for us this year.”

Wooten has primarily repped with the second-team defense at inside linebacker this spring, lining up alongside Cam Riley while Pappoe and McClain have gotten the bulk of the first-team work. Defensive coordinator Derek Mason, meanwhile, said Wooten has the ability to play some outside linebacker in Auburn’s new-look defense this year and also has the skillset to “walk in space” off the edge.

Regardless of where he lines up, Wooten has done well in leaving a strong impression on the new staff from the get-go this spring.

“I have been extremely impressed with his professional manner,” Schmedding said. “He goes about his business. He has been handling his business. Whatever drill, it doesn’t matter if it’s a defensive drill or special teams drill, he stands out because it’s important to him.”

While Wooten brings invaluable experience to the linebacker position, his most valuable asset to the team has been in his leadership. The 6-foot-3, 232-pounder has long been a respected voice within Auburn’s locker room, and that hasn’t changed since his return to the team in January. That is something that Schmedding has been particularly pleased with, because Wooten is one of those leader types who can help a new staff with its transition and really help hammer home new concepts and new ways of doing things.

“Guys listen when he talks,” Schmedding said. “A guy that has that ability, you’re not just hoping but you’re trying to make sure it’s the right message and it has been. He reiterates what we’re saying, and he does a good job of self-diagnosing too. He’s not just one of those guys that points at other people. That’s a big step for everybody when you’re talking about a new staff.

“The teams that get split are the ones that blame and defend themselves. I have not seen anything like that from Chand;er. On the daily, I think his performance and his voice are on the right trend. I always talk about trends because one day doesn’t really cut it. You can have a good day or a bad day, but what’s your trend. His trend is pointing in the right direction both on the field and with his off-field leadership.”

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

[Mikey 16,781]

I'll have to admit that I'm surprised. When Wooten opted out last season I thought we'd seen the last of him at AU. Here's hoping he has a great senior season!

[aubiefifty 18,231]

theplainsman.com

Wooten returns to LB room with high hopes

Last Updated 17 hours ago

7-8 minutes

Chandler Wooten (31) Auburn football practice on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Linebacker Chandler Wooten is taking advantage of opportunities in spring practice after opting out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19 concerns. 

His last game for the Tigers was the 2019 Outback Bowl loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, so Wooten’s biggest adjustment will be adapting to the changes that have occurred since.

“It’s been a transition for sure, coming back from being gone for a substantial amount of time. Getting back into winter workouts was a very good feeling for me and transitioning to spring ball has been pretty good, so I’m excited to be back,” Wooten said. “Getting back into that playing shape would probably be the toughest thing so far.”

In the 2019 season, Wooten had 18 individual tackles and assisted in nine, giving him a total 27 on the season. He had an interception against Arkansas and 4.5 tackles for loss, but there has been an eight-month, football-free dry period in the time since then.

“Being gone for that amount of time, it was definitely strange, so getting back out there on the field is definitely a transition period. I’m not where I want to be yet, so I’m trying to get better every day,” Wooten said. “With Coach Schmedding, just the way he pays attention to the details every day, I can see myself and feel myself getting better on a day-to-day basis.”

With defensive coordinator Derek Mason’s new approach across the board, the linebacking position has been host to numerous adjustments, as with any staff change.

“It’s definitely a different scheme than what we’re accustomed to, with some different aspects to it. Of course, with the defense being multiple, we’re going to be asked to do some different things and so we’ve all got to continue to get bigger, faster, stronger, just be able to play inside, outside, whether we’re blitzing, dropping into coverage, whatever it may be,” Wooten said. “It’s a lot of moving parts. That’s why, especially in our room, we’ve got to continue to be leaders.”