'big boy ball'

[aubiefifty 17,487]

Auburn's Bedell says he's teaching tight ends 'big boy ball'

ByMark Murphy

4-5 minutes

---

 

AUBURN, Alabama–Throwing the football to tight ends was expected to be a bigger part of Auburn’s offense this season and so far that has been the case. However, the team’s coach for that position is looking for more than receiving skills when he works with the group.

Brad Bedell, who made the move to Auburn for the 2021 season from Boise State along with Head Coach Bryan Harsin, has been in charge of teaching the tight ends what is expected of them in a new offensive system. Harsin and Bedell both have pointed out that good blocking from the tight ends is necessary for Auburn’s pro style offense to reach its potential.

“It is more in-line, more attached," Bedell said Wednesday on Tiger Talk, Auburn's weekly call-in show. "It is not so much the swing screens and things like that in the past. You have got to be more involved blocking the defensive ends and double-team with the tackles, playing with big boys, playing some big boy football. That is one thing we started way back in spring. It is a mindset and a culture that has to be within that room.”

The Tigers regularly will use multiple tight ends at the same time and those players can be lined up like traditional tight ends with a hand on the ground, like H-backs or fullbacks and even split out like wide receivers.

“They have to be able to understand everything in this offense from the shifts. to the motions, to the protections, the run game and the passing game so you have got to be smart,” Bedell said.

Senior tight end John Samuel Shenker has 11 receptions through three games, which ties him with senior wide receiver Demetris Robertson for the team lead in catches. Shanker’s 108 receiving yards is 13 behind team leader Kobe Hudson, a sophomore receiver.

Brad Bedell is in his first season on the Auburn coaching staff. (Photo: Adam Sparks / Inside the Auburn Tigers)

The Tigers have played all five of their scholarship tight ends in games this year. The group includes sophomores Luke Deal, Tyler Fromm and Brandon Frazier along with newcomer Landen King. “It’s a great group,” Bedell said. “Obviously, John Samuel has played quite bit. He has played a lot of football here at Auburn.”

Bedell said that Shenker is continuing to improve as both a receiver and blocker the more time he spends in the offense after missing spring practice because he is also a member of the baseball team.

“Luke Deal is very physical,” the coach noted. “He has really, really stepped up and Tyler Fromm has played quite a bit. We’ve got four guys going, throwing in Brandon Frazier and things like that, and the first two games with our true freshman, Landen King, getting some snaps and getting the college atmosphere. It doesn’t matter what the game is to be quite honest with you. It is still a big stadium, college football game and every snap you get, that comes with growth as a freshman.

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“I am excited about this group,” Bedell added. “There is good leadership in there. They are great academically, so I was very lucky to step into the group we have.”

Up next for the tight ends and their teammates is Saturday’s Homecoming contest vs. Georgia State. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CDT for a game that will be televised on the SEC Network. It will be the first matchup in football for the Tigers vs. Georgia State.

">247Sports

[AU9377 5,368]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

Auburn's Bedell says he's teaching tight ends 'big boy ball'

ByMark Murphy

4-5 minutes

---

 

AUBURN, Alabama–Throwing the football to tight ends was expected to be a bigger part of Auburn’s offense this season and so far that has been the case. However, the team’s coach for that position is looking for more than receiving skills when he works with the group.

Brad Bedell, who made the move to Auburn for the 2021 season from Boise State along with Head Coach Bryan Harsin, has been in charge of teaching the tight ends what is expected of them in a new offensive system. Harsin and Bedell both have pointed out that good blocking from the tight ends is necessary for Auburn’s pro style offense to reach its potential.

“It is more in-line, more attached," Bedell said Wednesday on Tiger Talk, Auburn's weekly call-in show. "It is not so much the swing screens and things like that in the past. You have got to be more involved blocking the defensive ends and double-team with the tackles, playing with big boys, playing some big boy football. That is one thing we started way back in spring. It is a mindset and a culture that has to be within that room.”

The Tigers regularly will use multiple tight ends at the same time and those players can be lined up like traditional tight ends with a hand on the ground, like H-backs or fullbacks and even split out like wide receivers.

“They have to be able to understand everything in this offense from the shifts. to the motions, to the protections, the run game and the passing game so you have got to be smart,” Bedell said.

Senior tight end John Samuel Shenker has 11 receptions through three games, which ties him with senior wide receiver Demetris Robertson for the team lead in catches. Shanker’s 108 receiving yards is 13 behind team leader Kobe Hudson, a sophomore receiver.

Brad Bedell is in his first season on the Auburn coaching staff. (Photo: Adam Sparks / Inside the Auburn Tigers)

The Tigers have played all five of their scholarship tight ends in games this year. The group includes sophomores Luke Deal, Tyler Fromm and Brandon Frazier along with newcomer Landen King. “It’s a great group,” Bedell said. “Obviously, John Samuel has played quite bit. He has played a lot of football here at Auburn.”

Bedell said that Shenker is continuing to improve as both a receiver and blocker the more time he spends in the offense after missing spring practice because he is also a member of the baseball team.

“Luke Deal is very physical,” the coach noted. “He has really, really stepped up and Tyler Fromm has played quite a bit. We’ve got four guys going, throwing in Brandon Frazier and things like that, and the first two games with our true freshman, Landen King, getting some snaps and getting the college atmosphere. It doesn’t matter what the game is to be quite honest with you. It is still a big stadium, college football game and every snap you get, that comes with growth as a freshman.

*** Subscribe: Receive the latest Auburn intel and scoops***

23COMMENTS

“I am excited about this group,” Bedell added. “There is good leadership in there. They are great academically, so I was very lucky to step into the group we have.”

Up next for the tight ends and their teammates is Saturday’s Homecoming contest vs. Georgia State. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CDT for a game that will be televised on the SEC Network. It will be the first matchup in football for the Tigers vs. Georgia State.

">247Sports

The situational irony of someone from Boise coaching "big boy football" just can't be overlooked.  LOL

To the sensitive ones... that isn't a slight, but it is a reference to when Boise started scheduling SEC schools.  Teams like uga talked smack about how they would be facing big boy football etc when they came to play.  I think one of the phrases was "grown man football".

Edited September 24, 2021 by AU9377