things we learned from preseason camp

[aubiefifty 18,231]

AUBURN, Alabama — After just nine full practices, Bryan Harsin’s first preseason camp at Auburn is over.

With the fall semester at Auburn starting Monday, the Tigers were given a shorter window than usual to complete their dedicated, preseason practice schedule. Their first day of practice was only last Friday, and they wrapped things up Sunday with a study session and practice to go over fixes from Saturday night’s scrimmage.

Obviously, Auburn’s preseason is not over, though. This week, the Tigers will blend fall-camp elements and practices with an “in-season” schedule, Harsin said, before the second and final scrimmage of the preseason Friday. After that, the coaches will work on a depth chart, and the players will transition to game-prep mode for the season opener Sept. 4 against Akron.

So there are still plenty of developments to be had, players to improve and position battles to wrap up, but after five different practice viewing periods, three interviews with Harsin, a chat with the coordinators and several discussions with players in the span of nine days, there’s a solid baseline of knowledge about the Tigers leading into the 2021 season.

Here are 10 things we learned about Harsin’s first Auburn team during its fall camp.

Note: Auburn’s coaching staff has prohibited reporters from sharing information about injured and absent players from the open practice viewing sessions this preseason. There are names at a couple different positions who are not currently practicing with the team due to injury, but disclosure of said players by a reporter could result in limited or restricted access to the program moving forward.

(Photo: Todd Van Emst / Auburn Athletics)

By a significant margin, Auburn’s wide receiving corps is its most unproven and inexperienced group on the entire roster. The top returning contributor from last season brings back seven receptions, and the most veteran player in the room had 10 career catches.

That was, until Auburn added Georgia transfer Demetris Robertson this offseason. Although he reported to campus three days after the rest of the team after he finished up his academics at UGA, Robertson has come along quickly in the Tigers’ offense, developing a particularly strong rapport with Bo Nix in practices.

“He's going to have to learn pretty quickly,” Nix said of Robertson. “But also, already having some experience and already being in this kind of pro-style offense is going to help him a lot. The difference between competition levels is not going to change much coming from an SEC school. He's got a pretty good advantage so far, but the only thing he's got to do now is learn our playbook and learn the terminology — which I feel confident in that.”

Robertson’s career output (99 catches) in his four-plus years of experience across his time at Cal and Georgia more than quadruples Auburn’s returning receptions at the position. In his first scrimmage with the team Saturday, he made “several” important catches, according to Harsin.

Besides Robertson, Auburn now has all hands on deck at receiver after Ze'Vian Capers, J.J. Evans and Shedrick Jackson missed most of spring practices with injuries. Add in newcomers Robertson and four-star freshman Tar'Varish Dawson, and the group is now one of the deepest in the SEC.

But besides the Georgia transfer, it’s still a heavily unproven room. Leading up to the season opener — and through the Tigers’ first two home games against low-level opponents — Auburn will continue to look for separation in its lineup out wide. There’s only so many snaps to go around, and the Tigers’ pass-catchers are working around the clock to impress their coaches and become fixtures in the passing game this fall.

“That's what I love about this group: They all understand that it's a wide-open competition at this point,” Nix said. “Therefore, they're giving maximum effort.”

Auburn lost its third starting-adjacent player from last year’s defensive line when Harsin revealed early in camp that Tyrone Truesdell, set to start at defensive tackle for the third straight season, was no longer part of the program. The Tigers also saw defensive tackle Daquan Newkirk and defensive endBig Kat Bryant transfer in the offseason.

In Derek Mason’s 3-4 defense, Truesdell was expected to play a big role as a true nose tackle, anchoring the center of Auburn’s front seven. His snaps are now up for grabs, and there’s an opportunity for another name to emerge on the interior.

The leader out of fall camp, seemingly, is UAB transfer Tony Fair, who received plenty of buzz over the team’s week-plus of practice for his surprising athleticism at 6-foot-1 and 330 pounds, and his overall veteran presence and mindset on the defensive line.

“I love playing alongside a guy like him because he's guaranteed to take up two (blockers),” defensive end Colby Wooden said of Fair. “He moves better than what he looks like, which was a surprise to me. He doesn't ask for much. He's going to give you his all. Plus, he's very good at the point of attack as well as defeating a block and rushing the quarterback.”

Converted tight end J.J. Pegues, former JUCO product Marquis Burks and four-star freshman and early enrollee Lee Hunter also figure to see increased roles at defensive tackle in the wake of Truesdell’s absence.

Fair isn’t the only player stepping up along the defensive line, however. The vibe from practice after Truesdell’s exit has been that the Tigers’ front line has collectively raised its level of play and is progressing nicely under first-year position coach Nick Eason. They might be one of the roster’s most-improved position groups from fall camp.

Wooden is the “alpha” of the room, according to Pegues, with Derick Hall leading the edge rusher position. Additionally, Kansas transfer Marcus Harris has not only garnered a significant share of praise this preseason; he’s also been a consistent player along the first-team defensive line in practices.

Auburn’s defensive front stood out to Harsin in the team’s first scrimmage and have, at times, dominated the Tigers’ offensive line — helped by the duo of All-SEC linebackers behind them.

“I thought our linebackers — they were hitting it downhill — and then there were some negative plays that the defense created,” Harsin said. “I thought that front seven did well.”

If Auburn’s defensive front elevates its level of play from where it was in 2020, Mason’s defense would likely be in a good spot to be one of the best in the SEC, seeing as the Tigers have a loaded secondary and linebacking corps already.

“Cross-training” was the buzz word for Auburn’s offensive linemen this preseason, as position coach Will Friend is ensuring his players learn multiple positions along the line — not only to be able to play different spots, but also for players to develop a stronger perception of the responsibilities of neighboring roles along the front five.

"I think it helps them get a better understanding of the communication — the work that those two have to do together," Harsin said.

Brodarious Hamm has played right guard and right tackle, as has Brandon Council; Alec Jackson has worked at both tackle spots; and Jalil Irvin has taken reps at left guard and center, to name a few examples.

All that is to say that Auburn isn’t ready to name a starting five for the season. Harsin would like to before the season opener, but there are still some kinks to iron out before then.

Along the first-team offensive line in camp, Austin Troxell and Jackson split time at left tackle; Tashawn Manning was the primary left guard, though Irvin moved up occasionally from second-team center to take some first-team reps there; Nick Brahms worked mostly uncontested at center; and Council and Hamm worked at right guard and right tackle, respectively, for the majority of practices.

The group had highs and lows in the first scrimmage Saturday. “A little inconsistent,” Harsin described them. This final week of practice before game prep for Akron begins figures to be critical for the offensive line, as Harsin is wanting to start working on his official depth chart for the season. If a player along that front five wants to stand out and create separation at his respective spot, now is the time.

(Photo: Todd Van Emst / Auburn Athletics)

Many Auburn fans hoped that the addition of LSU transfer T.J. Finley would provide pressure to Nix and force the third-year starter to step up his game in the preseason, lest Finley take his job.

So far, Finley has been a big positive for the quarterback room, but he’s not truly threatening for Nix’s job at the moment. The two QBs have played off each other well in the preseason, attempting to out-work one another in practices. If Harsin desired a change to Auburn’s personnel at quarterback that would push Nix to work even harder than he already does, bringing in Finley seems to have been the right move.

“I feel like as a group, we've all done a good job of challenging each other,” Nix said. “Like you said, competition brings out the best. In me specifically, I feel like I've always been at my best when I'm competing."

From the first day of full-team practices, Finley has been manning the No. 2 QB spot. Grant Loy, Nix’s backup last season, was working with the third-team offense, but it seemed freshman Dematrius Davis jumped him for the third-string job in the past few days. Davis had a standout scrimmage Saturday and made more than a few highlight plays, according to Harsin.

Obviously, the progression of Auburn’s offensive line and receivers will be crucial in elevating Nix’s performance level under his third offensive coordinator in as many seasons. Right now, Auburn is still harping on the fundamentals with Nix.

Auburn’s offense will lean on Tank Bigsby and the running game, yes, but its ceiling will be raised if Nix — or maybe Finley, at some point — can add an explosive and consistent passing attack. Right now, Harsin and his staff are still trying to make sure everyone is on the same page with the new offense. Friday’s scrimmage will be big for the quarterbacks, too, after Nix and Finley combined for a few interceptions over the weekend.

“There’s plenty to correct,” Harsin said Saturday of the quarterbacks. “That will be the focus with that position moving forward this week is the decision-making process.”

In the past year, Auburn has seen four former four-star recruits transfer out of its running back room: Harold Joiner, Mark-Antony Richards, D.J. Williams and Devan Barrett.

Behind a proven one-two punch in Bigsby and senior Shaun Shivers, Auburn needed its two newcomers at the position — true freshman Jarquez Hunter and Central Michigan transfer Jordon Ingram — to learn quickly in order to provide quality depth in the backfield. Those four players are the only scholarship tailbacks on the roster, after all.

In fall camp, the two youngsters seemingly delivered. After being lauded for his freakish abilities in the weight room all summer, Hunter took on the role of Auburn’s No. 3 running back, as a runner comfortable with the offense’s “downhill” approach. Ingram, on the other hand, is an intriguing change-of-pace player, whose pass-catching abilities and smoothness in the open field reminded his teammates of a young Kerryon Johnson. Ingram had a touchdown run in Saturday’s scrimmage.

“He's real patient,” Shivers said of Ingram. “And then once he sees it, he hits it.”

On Hunter: “Jarquez, he's real strong. He's physical. I watched a lot of film of him today, too. He hit the hole. He's explosive. That's a downhill runner right there.”

The headliner for Auburn’s offense, obviously, is Bigsby, who returns to the backfield after taking home SEC freshman of the year honors last season. Now fully healthy, he should be receiving 20-plus carries a game on a regular basis.

How has he looked in the preseason? His teammates said he’s as strong and athletic as ever, and they expect his production to be taken up another notch in 2021.

“What y'all seen last year, he was still a freshman,” Shivers said of Bigsby. “But now, he grew up. He's looking way better than he looked last year. I think this offense is really good for him, too, because now we'll be getting him downhill. He's one cut and go. That's the type of player that he is: a real explosive player. You know when you put the ball in his hands you can expect a big play every time."

Auburn has a position battle at safety on its hands for the first time in a few years, after Jamien Sherwood left early for the NFL. Smoke Monday is a known commodity for the Tigers’ secondary, and he’s taken on a big leadership role this offseason. But who will start alongside him?

It appears the two finalists are both transfers: Bydarrius Knighten, from Southeast Missouri State, and Donovan Kaufman, from Vanderbilt. The other two presumed contenders, Zion Puckett and Ladarius Tennison, have been Auburn’s top two players at nickel.

Of course, Mason craves versatility in his defensive backfield, especially flowing from safety to nickel, and vice versa. But in the interest of naming a designated starter, Kaufman was working with the first-team defense in a brief 11-on-11 setting late last week in practice, and Knighten was getting a large share of the reps alongside Monday earlier in the week.

“One thing I like about both of their games is that both of them are going to play hard,” Monday said of Kaufman and Knighten. “They're real hard workers. They've learned the playbook. I feel like they both know the playbook very well. That's really a big thing for me — for them to come in this late and just pick up the playbook so quickly. It's just great to see.”

As the pictures at safety and nickel have come into focus, so, too, have the other spots in the secondary. Nehemiah Pritchett, who played nickel in the spring, is back at his standard cornerback spot and has been a top performer for Auburn’s defense in the preseason. Leading that room is senior Roger McCreary, while Jaylin Simpson and Dreshun Miller look to round out the rotation. JUCO addition Roterius Torrence has had a strong camp, as well.

Auburn ended up with nine non-JUCO transfers added to the roster this offseason. Here’s how each held up in fall camp.

• Finley (LSU): backup quarterback behind Nix, has impressed with his arm strength and downfield accuracy

• Ingram (Central Michigan): third- or fourth-team running back who’s made a few highlight plays in the offense

• Robertson (Georgia): late camp arrival who quickly progressed within the offense after a couple days of acclimation, is setting up for a role in the primary receiver rotation

• Fair (UAB): emerged as a leader at defensive tackle, expected to be a utilized piece in the main rotation along the defensive front

• Harris (Kansas): received starting reps early and often on the defensive line, presents more versatility for a group that has plenty of it

• Eku Leota (Northwestern): a former All-Big Ten pass-rusher who has been Auburn’s second or third option at edge behind Hall and T.D. Moultry

• Miller (West Virginia): has had a relatively quiet camp but is expected to be a starting piece in the cornerback lineup

• Knighten (SEMO): former FCS All-American who is contending for starting safety spot

• Kaufman (Vanderbilt): reuniting with Mason, has also pushed for a starting role at safety, received some reps at nickel, too

(Photo: Todd Van Emst / Auburn Athletics)

In all likelihood, it will take a while for his vision to get rolling on the Plains, but Harsin is planning on winning championships at Auburn.

One of the primary ways he thinks the Tigers can do that is with strong leadership and a feeling that they, the players, are in control of their success.

Harsin has preached to his players that, when he won championships at Boise State, it was because of the strength in the locker room, coupled with a talented and capable roster. The former Auburn players Harsin has brought in to speak to the team have echoed the same sentiment.

“Coach (Harsin) talked about this team has to be player-driven,” Shivers said. “They said that when they won championships, it was player-driven, player-driven. So when we're out there, we take it upon ourselves to lead the team. We know what the expectations are. We know what the standard is for the team. We want to implant that each and every day, just keep moving forward. We know have the talent to keep going, keep working hard and just keep pushing."

Harsin has been around his new team long enough to know where Auburn’s strengths and weaknesses lie for 2021. In some of the more deficient or unproven areas, Harsin isn’t forcing the issue. All he wants out of groups like wide receivers, offensive line and defensive line is effort. Effort leads to consistency. Consistency leads to success on the field.

His coaching staff has subscribed to the same line of thinking. Both Mason and Mike Bobo preached similar concepts about their respective sides of the ball.

Harsin thinks Auburn has the talent to be a top-tier SEC team as early as this season. But he’s able to balance optimism and belief with practicality in a way that his players understand exactly what he wants from that every day on the practice field.

“A lot of people want perfection,” Mason said. “I’m not looking for perfection. I’m looking for consistency. I can trust that. I know what that looks like.”

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[USATiger 741]

Man, I love Harsin's message and I'm sure the guys do as well.  Shivers and Monday, in particular, are guys that seem to understand and value their place on this team.  Those guys are leaders of men, and I appreciate them for sticking with Auburn during this change.  Love those guys.