Freshmen at the bye week, who can still redshirt

[aubiefifty 18,236]

Taking stock of Auburn’s freshmen at the bye week, who can still redshirt

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

7-8 minutes

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Auburn is just beyond the midway point of its 2021 regular season, with five games still remaining on the schedule as the team enjoys a much-needed bye week.

Auburn, which is coming off a 38-23 win against then-No. 17 Arkansas on the road, will use the off week to regroup, refresh and focus on areas it needs to improve upon heading into the final stretch of the season. So, what better time to take stock of Auburn’s freshman class and take a look at which newcomers have carved out a role so far this season -- and which of the 2021 signees could still be in line to redshirt.

 

Jarquez Hunter, running back: The former three-star prospect and last-second addition to the Tigers’ class has been the most impactful freshman on the roster this season. Hunter has appeared in all seven games, and he made his first career start last week against Arkansas -- when Auburn trotted out him and Tank Bigsby in a split-back set to open the game. He is second on the team with 57 carries for 492 yards and three touchdowns, and he is averaging 8.36 yards per carry, which is tops in the SEC and third-best among qualifying FBS players. Hunter opened his career with back-to-back 100-yard performances and set the program record for longest run from scrimmage (94 yards). His production has tailed off in recent weeks, but he remains a key part of Auburn’s rushing attack.

Landen King, tight end: The former three-star tight end out of Texas has emerged in recent weeks, working his way up from the scout team to see meaningful reps within Auburn’s offense against Georgia and Arkansas. He has appeared in three games this season, meaning a redshirt is still, technically, on the table. Don’t expect that to be the case, though, as he looks to have a growing role on offense. He has four receptions for 54 yards over the last two games.

Tar’Varish Dawson Jr., wide receiver: A four-star athlete out of Florida, Dawson’s stock was on the rise before the season, as he was the lone true freshman to appear on Auburn’s season-opening two-deep depth chart. Since then, however, he has appeared in just one game, seeing limited action against Georgia State. He was unavailable for each of Auburn’s first two games for undisclosed reasons, and while he traveled to Penn State, he did not see the field. He has also not played in any of Auburn’s three SEC games. Once thought to be a potential breakout freshman, a redshirt is still possible for Dawson this season if he appears in only three of the team’s final five games.

Dylan Brooks, edge defender: The highest-rated signee in Auburn’s 2021 class, as well as the last addition to the group, Brooks has yet to see the field for the Tigers, as the team’s depth and production at edge rusher has been impressive with the likes of Derick Hall, Eku Leota, Romello Height and T.D. Moultry. Barring a late-season emergence, the 6-foo4-, 227-pounder who was once thought to be an instant-impact freshman is likely to redshirt this season.

Lee Hunter, defensive tackle: The second-highest rated recruit in Auburn’s class, the four-star defensive tackle out of Mobile has not seen the field for the Tigers this season. The 6-foot-4, 321-pounder has, like Brooks, been stuck behind some veteran talent on the defensive line, with Marcus Harris, Colby Wooden, J.J. Pegues, Marquis Burks and Tony Fair holding things down on the interior. Hunter is in line to redshirt at this rate.

Dematrius Davis, quarterback: The four-star quarterback out of Texas hasn’t seen the field this fall. He is behind third-year starter Bo Nix and backup T.J. Finley on the depth chart at quarterback, and barring some unexpected injuries or other impacts to the depth chart, it’s unlikely Davis will get much of an opportunity to get game action this season. Expect him to redshirt.

Marquis Robinson, defensive tackle: A four-star defensive tackle out of Florida, Robinson has seen the field in just one of Auburn’s seven games this season. He got his first action in the 24-point loss to Georgia, playing a handful of snaps on the interior of the line and recording one tackle. The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder will likely redshirt, though he can appear in three more games this season before that opportunity is burned.

Tobechi Okoli, defensive lineman: Okoli has appeared in just one of Auburn’s seven games, getting his first college action during the team’s blowout of Alabama State in Week 2. The 6-foot-5, 252-pounder did not record a tackle or any other stat during his brief appearance against the Hornets. He’s in line to redshirt this season.

Colby Smith, offensive lineman: A three-star offensive tackle out of North Carolina, Smith has yet to see the field for Auburn this season. The Tigers returned all five of their starters along the line and have considerable veteran depth in the trenches this season. As is often the case for offensive linemen, it will take some time for Smith to develop for the college level and get onto the field in a meaningful capacity. He’s all but guaranteed to redshirt this season.

Garner Langlo, offensive lineman: Like Smith, Langlo has not appeared in a game for Auburn this season. An early enrollee, Langlo got a jumpstart on his development, but it’s still going to take time for him to get in a position to where he can contribute along the line at this level. The 6-foot-6, 277-pounder will certainly redshirt this season.

Ian Mathews, defensive lineman: A 6-foot-4, 272-pounder out of Columbus, Ga., Mathews has yet to make his collegiate debut. Like Hunter, Brooks and Robinson, he has been developing behind key returners from last year’s team as well as impactful transfers along the defensive line. Anticipate a redshirt for the former three-star prospect.

A.D. Diamond, defensive back: A three-star recruit out of Mobile, Diamond has not seen the field this season. With an influx of transfers in the secondary -- including Donovan Kaufman, Ro Torrence, Bydarrius Knighten and Dreshun Miller -- and an increased emphasis on starters contributing on special teams, it was always going to be difficult for Diamond to crack the rotation this season. Expect him to redshirt.

Cayden Bridges, defensive back: Bridges, the lowest-rated signee in Auburn’s 2021 class, has appeared in just one game this season, getting in one some special teams work. Like Diamond, it was going to be hard for him to find reps in a deep secondary. Unless he continues to work his way onto the field on special teams, Bridges is likely to redshirt this season as well.

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

[JGLEATON 1,247]

I'd like to think maybe we'll see a bunch of these guys for depth off the bench the last 3 or so games this year so they can keep their redshirts n also get some valuable game experience.  

[gabo4au 237]

A bigger question in my mind is which ones of these will enter the transfer portal and whether or not we care. 

 

It's increasingly becoming a difficult thing to manage. Keep a good player on the bench in hopes of redshirting him and you risk him entering the portal. Play him when he's not ready and he loses a year of eligibility and possibly causes problems with older players.

 

Then there are players that may never develop or have a bad attitude or whatever. Those players you would like to enter the portal so you could replace them with better options, either from the portal or recruiting. Again, being able to evaluate and understand those players is skill that may not have been necessary in past times.

 

Every player is different and understanding their mindset is key for the coaching staff. Coaching staffs that can understand each individual's psychology and keep them engaged in the team are going to do well. 

 

Bottom line is, we want all our young players who will never develop enough to contribute (or cancerous personalities) to enter the portal. While keeping, and possibly redshirting, all the players that are going to contribute and be good team players. That requires a lot of skill by all the coaches.