Spring preview: roster outlook on offense

[aubiefifty 17,487]

Spring practice preview: What is Auburn football's 2022 roster outlook on offense?

•  
•  
•  

• 

   
• American football player and coach
•  

AUBURN — Bryan Harsin's defining responsibility in the 2022 Auburn football season will be how the offense performs.

The first 14 months of his coaching tenure have been somewhat head-spinning in their instability: Receivers coach Cornelius Williams was fired mid-season, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo was fired after the Iron Bowl and new offensive coordinator Austin Davis resigned after 43 days. Starting quarterback Bo Nix transferred to Oregon, leaving Auburn with uncertainty ahead.

As former receivers coach Eric Kiesau moves into the offensive coordinator role, Harsin is expected to be involved in playcalling. What do they have to work with? Here's a breakdown of Auburn's offensive position groups before spring practice begins March 16.

Quarterback

The starter: T.J. Finley or Zach Calzada

The backups: Dematrius Davis, Holden Geriner, Robby Ashford

The departed: Bo Nix, Grant Loy

The outlook: Welcome to an offseason of QB competition on the Plains. The sum of Auburn's parts in the quarterback room is promising, but Harsin lacks a clear starter at this point. Finley started the last three games of 2021 and showed encouraging flashes, but Auburn lost all three games because of offensive inconsistency.

Enter the Texas A&M transfer Calzada, who has SEC starting experience. He and Oregon's Robby Ashford both committed during Davis' 43-day tenure (he was also quarterbacks coach). Player retention becomes critical now as Calzada seems to be Auburn's best option to challenge Finley. But discount Davis, who took second-team reps during bowl prep, and Geriner, who is Harsin's incoming four-star.

Running back

The starter: Tank Bigsby

The backups: Jarquez Hunter, Jordon Ingram, Damari Alston

The departed: Shaun Shivers

The outlook: Bigsby has the talent be the SEC's or the nation's best running back. Whether he achieves that as a junior is a matter of whether he'll get more carries in the new offense, and whether Auburn's run blocking can improve with the same personnel. Behind Bigsby, Hunter showed promise as a freshman, and four-star signee Alston is a talented addition.

COACHING BACKGROUND: Four things to know about Eric Kiesau, Auburn football's new offensive coordinator

BRYAN HARSIN: Auburn keeps Bryan Harsin is staying: 5 biggest questions about what's next for his tenure

AUBURN BASKETBALL: What's it like to get swatted by 7-foot-1 center Walker Kessler, college hoops' best shot blocker? Let me tell you

Receiver

The starters: Shedrick Jackson, Malcolm Johnson Jr., Ze'Vian Capers

The backups: Tar'Varish Dawson, Camden Brown, Jay Fair, Omari Kelly, J.J. Evans

The departed: Demetris Robertson, Elijah Canion, Kobe Hudson, Caylin Newton, Ja'Varrius Johnson

The outlook: Auburn's five departing receivers combined for 1,420 yards and 10 touchdowns on 105 catches last season. Shiver also had 22 receptions out of the backfield. That leaves Auburn with five returners who have a combined career total of 69 receptions for 870 yards.

The loss of Hudson to UCF was detrimental. If Jackson was not returning for his extra year of eligibility, Auburn would be losing all three of its leading receivers for the second straight season. Instead, Jackson is a starting point: He improved and became less prone to dropped passes throughout 2021. Signees Camden Brown and Omari Kelly don't arrive until summer. Also of note: With Kiesau moving to offensive coordinator, Auburn technically doesn't have a receivers coach right now.

Tight end

The starter: John Samuel Shenker

The backups: Landen King, Luke Deal, Tyler Fromm, Micah Riley-Ducker

The departed: None

The outlook: Auburn is in a much better position here, which saves the receiver situation from appearing quite so dire. Shenker's return for COVID eligibility is the major win. He broke the single-season school records for catches and receiving yards by a tight end. That passing game involvement is sure to continue next season with a deep room. King was one of Auburn's only freshmen to play significant game reps. Riley-Ducker is a solid three-star addition.

Offensive line

The starters: Austin Troxell, Brandon Council, Nick Brahms, Keiondre Jones, Kilian Zierer

The backups: Brenden Coffey, Alec Jackson, Jalil Irvin, Colby Smith, Tate Johnson, Garner Langlo, Kameron Stutts, Avery Jernigan, Jeremiah Wright, Eston Harris Jr.

The departed: Tashawn Manning, Brodarious Hamm

The outlook: Auburn managed to delay its inevitable search for a new offensive line by returning four seniors, including three starters. Still, Auburn's production wavered in the trenches in 2021, so there's work to do even with a similar starting five. Jones (starting right guard) had the Tigers' highest Pro Football Focus grades in run blocking and pass blocking. Zierer proved himself a worthy Hamm replacement at tackle when he filled in for teammates' injuries. Jackson, a returning senior, can slide in at tackle or guard.

But additions still feel necessary. Wright was a defensive lineman who missed last season with a knee injury and practiced with the offensive line during bowl prep. Converting him might be a worthwhile experiment. Harris is the only signee. Auburn should still mine the transfer portal. This offense's success hinges on improvement up front.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football 2022 offensive roster outlook: Spring practice preview

•  
•  

[maryland tiger 616]

 

I fixed it! I don't want to see T.J. Finley anywhere near the 1st team nor Zach. They have both reached their ceilings. It is time for something new and more mobile! 

The starter: Dematrius Davis, Holden Geriner, Robby Ashford

The backups: T.J. Finley or Zach Calzada

 

[Win4AU 4,056]

If the WRs can be halfway decent it will go along way toward this offense being good.  I have a feeling a lot of the Calzada haters are going to be singing a different tune by the end of the year.  I would love to see what Dee and Ashford can do as well.  RBs, TEs, and Oline are basically the same as last year.  Gotta keep Trox healthy.

[W.E.D 11,070]

2 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

Receiver

The starters: Shedrick Jackson, Malcolm Johnson Jr., Ze'Vian Capers

The backups: Tar'Varish Dawson, Camden Brown, Jay Fair, Omari Kelly, J.J. Evans

Man that's terrible 

[aubiefifty 17,487]

i say never say never on qb's.those guys can make incredible progress in a years time with good coaching. but i am different form others writing some of them off. i have been a DD guy for a while and folks and insiders say he cannot do this and he cannot do that.well get off your behind and coach em up. instead of putting out negatives about a kid that loved auburn enough to come here coach them up. those days of letting kids like willis go elsewhere should be over. on willis i will admit the auburn lagacy probably hurt willis as much as anything. i bet people would have lost their minds if gus had not played BO.

[CR 2,448]

43 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

Man that's terrible 

Other than Tank there is nobody on this offense who a DC worries about beating him.

[W.E.D 11,070]

9 minutes ago, CR said:

Other than Tank there is nobody on this offense who a DC worries about beating him.

And it's pretty hard to worry too much about him with our OL

[aubiefifty 17,487]

8 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

And it's pretty hard to worry too much about him with our OL

 

18 minutes ago, CR said:

Other than Tank there is nobody on this offense who a DC worries about beating him.

then we need to strap on those chin straps and just pound the hell out of them and never, ever, let them forget when they played the mighty tigers.

[PoetTiger 1,901]

Oline is old, that could be good and bad. Good - they have played a lot of SEC ball and seen a lot. Experience matters as much as talent. Bad - were not elite prospects, did not perform optimally in run blocking last season.  
 

Freshman receivers will have to step, up. This is a must. The talent is there in Kelly and Brown. I am curious to see what they can do. Tight ends, their experience and size will be a needed plus. Someone needs to catch the damn ball.
 

 

[DAG 34,119]

3 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

Spring practice preview: What is Auburn football's 2022 roster outlook on offense?

•  
•  
•  

• 

   
• American football player and coach
•  

AUBURN — Bryan Harsin's defining responsibility in the 2022 Auburn football season will be how the offense performs.

The first 14 months of his coaching tenure have been somewhat head-spinning in their instability: Receivers coach Cornelius Williams was fired mid-season, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo was fired after the Iron Bowl and new offensive coordinator Austin Davis resigned after 43 days. Starting quarterback Bo Nix transferred to Oregon, leaving Auburn with uncertainty ahead.

As former receivers coach Eric Kiesau moves into the offensive coordinator role, Harsin is expected to be involved in playcalling. What do they have to work with? Here's a breakdown of Auburn's offensive position groups before spring practice begins March 16.

Quarterback

The starter: T.J. Finley or Zach Calzada

The backups: Dematrius Davis, Holden Geriner, Robby Ashford

The departed: Bo Nix, Grant Loy

The outlook: Welcome to an offseason of QB competition on the Plains. The sum of Auburn's parts in the quarterback room is promising, but Harsin lacks a clear starter at this point. Finley started the last three games of 2021 and showed encouraging flashes, but Auburn lost all three games because of offensive inconsistency.

Enter the Texas A&M transfer Calzada, who has SEC starting experience. He and Oregon's Robby Ashford both committed during Davis' 43-day tenure (he was also quarterbacks coach). Player retention becomes critical now as Calzada seems to be Auburn's best option to challenge Finley. But discount Davis, who took second-team reps during bowl prep, and Geriner, who is Harsin's incoming four-star.

Running back

The starter: Tank Bigsby

The backups: Jarquez Hunter, Jordon Ingram, Damari Alston

The departed: Shaun Shivers

The outlook: Bigsby has the talent be the SEC's or the nation's best running back. Whether he achieves that as a junior is a matter of whether he'll get more carries in the new offense, and whether Auburn's run blocking can improve with the same personnel. Behind Bigsby, Hunter showed promise as a freshman, and four-star signee Alston is a talented addition.

COACHING BACKGROUND: Four things to know about Eric Kiesau, Auburn football's new offensive coordinator

BRYAN HARSIN: Auburn keeps Bryan Harsin is staying: 5 biggest questions about what's next for his tenure

AUBURN BASKETBALL: What's it like to get swatted by 7-foot-1 center Walker Kessler, college hoops' best shot blocker? Let me tell you

Receiver

The starters: Shedrick Jackson, Malcolm Johnson Jr., Ze'Vian Capers

The backups: Tar'Varish Dawson, Camden Brown, Jay Fair, Omari Kelly, J.J. Evans

The departed: Demetris Robertson, Elijah Canion, Kobe Hudson, Caylin Newton, Ja'Varrius Johnson

The outlook: Auburn's five departing receivers combined for 1,420 yards and 10 touchdowns on 105 catches last season. Shiver also had 22 receptions out of the backfield. That leaves Auburn with five returners who have a combined career total of 69 receptions for 870 yards.

The loss of Hudson to UCF was detrimental. If Jackson was not returning for his extra year of eligibility, Auburn would be losing all three of its leading receivers for the second straight season. Instead, Jackson is a starting point: He improved and became less prone to dropped passes throughout 2021. Signees Camden Brown and Omari Kelly don't arrive until summer. Also of note: With Kiesau moving to offensive coordinator, Auburn technically doesn't have a receivers coach right now.

Tight end

The starter: John Samuel Shenker

The backups: Landen King, Luke Deal, Tyler Fromm, Micah Riley-Ducker

The departed: None

The outlook: Auburn is in a much better position here, which saves the receiver situation from appearing quite so dire. Shenker's return for COVID eligibility is the major win. He broke the single-season school records for catches and receiving yards by a tight end. That passing game involvement is sure to continue next season with a deep room. King was one of Auburn's only freshmen to play significant game reps. Riley-Ducker is a solid three-star addition.

Offensive line

The starters: Austin Troxell, Brandon Council, Nick Brahms, Keiondre Jones, Kilian Zierer

The backups: Brenden Coffey, Alec Jackson, Jalil Irvin, Colby Smith, Tate Johnson, Garner Langlo, Kameron Stutts, Avery Jernigan, Jeremiah Wright, Eston Harris Jr.

The departed: Tashawn Manning, Brodarious Hamm

The outlook: Auburn managed to delay its inevitable search for a new offensive line by returning four seniors, including three starters. Still, Auburn's production wavered in the trenches in 2021, so there's work to do even with a similar starting five. Jones (starting right guard) had the Tigers' highest Pro Football Focus grades in run blocking and pass blocking. Zierer proved himself a worthy Hamm replacement at tackle when he filled in for teammates' injuries. Jackson, a returning senior, can slide in at tackle or guard.

But additions still feel necessary. Wright was a defensive lineman who missed last season with a knee injury and practiced with the offensive line during bowl prep. Converting him might be a worthwhile experiment. Harris is the only signee. Auburn should still mine the transfer portal. This offense's success hinges on improvement up front.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football 2022 offensive roster outlook: Spring practice preview

•  
•  

Thanks for the article. Can't wait to see these guys grow in action.

[aubiefifty 17,487]

7 minutes ago, PoetTiger said:

Oline is old, that could be good and bad. Good - they have played a lot of SEC ball and seen a lot. Experience matters as much as talent. Bad - were not elite prospects, did not perform optimally in run blocking last season.  
 

Freshman receivers will have to step, up. This is a must. The talent is there in Kelly and Brown. I am curious to see what they can do. Tight ends, their experience and size will be a needed plus. Someone needs to catch the damn ball.
 

 

they will have more time in the weight room which should be huge for our O line guys. gus did get his S and C guy to do more quicker with less injuries and that is great running the hunh but when you go toe to toe for longer time you got to have the guns or you get pushed around. plus they will be entering another year learning correct technique. and those poor cats have had several guys teaching them different things..........

[W.E.D 11,070]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

then we need to strap on those chin straps and just pound the hell out of them and never, ever, let them forget when they played the mighty tigers.

Yay moral victories

[shabby 1,958]

3 hours ago, CR said:

Other than Tank there is nobody on this offense who a DC worries about beating him.

The Tight End position is pretty stout! 

[CR 2,448]

16 minutes ago, shabby said:

The Tight End position is pretty stout! 

Some good players there but do any of them strike you as player opposing coaches fear? I could see King maybe being that guy but the rest just lack big play ability. Definitely the best group on offense as a whole.

[aubiefifty 17,487]

4 minutes ago, CR said:

Some good players there but do any of them strike you as player opposing coaches fear? I could see King maybe being that guy but the rest just lack big play ability. Definitely the best group on offense as a whole.

one thing we have going for us is we i believe have a better OC than bobo. no disrespect to coach bobo but too many times last year i believe he called plays where we had to hold the ball longer than possible. i know bo running around some hurt us and i believe bobo dis as well. if our oline does not have to hold blocks forever i think we are better. they are experienced and with more time in the weight rooms will be huge. that is my take and i certainly do not claim to be a guru at all but we should have better technique since that was screwed up from what the newer coaches said and was discussed on here.so i am looking for an improved line.

[auburnphan 6,050]

Did Brandon Frazier change positions or hit the portal?

[weagl1 1,793]

King needs to be moved to one of the receiver positions he is better than any of the other 3.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

10 hours ago, maryland tiger said:

 

I fixed it! I don't want to see T.J. Finley anywhere near the 1st team nor Zach. They have both reached their ceilings. It is time for something new and more mobile! 

The starter: Dematrius Davis, Holden Geriner, Robby Ashford

The backups: T.J. Finley or Zach Calzada

 

. I know it's your opinion, but it has absolutely no merit behind it. Finley has less than a full season of starting experience combined in his career from 2 stops with 2 different OCs and 2 different systems. Calzada has basically one season of starting experience. To say either of these two have reached their ceiling is just a dumb@#$ thing to say. You may not like where they are at right now, and that is fine. You may not like where they finish, and that is fine as well, but there is zero evidence to say either of them has come close to hitting their ceiling.

[au302 2,669]

TE and RB are absolutely fine. Tank's the only superstar, but those are very solid rooms. QB is just a huge question mark. I don't think Calzada will go blackout mode and lose you any games per se, but can he improve and get more efficient? OL is what it is. Not a talented group by any means but decent enough to hopefully keep the QB clean for the most part. WR just feels hopeless 

Edited February 23, 2022 by au302

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

1 hour ago, au302 said:

TE and RB are absolutely fine. Tank's the only superstar, but those are very solid rooms. QB is just a huge question mark. I don't think Calzada will go blackout mode and lose you any games per se, but can he improve and get more efficient? OL is what it is. Not a talented group by any means but decent enough to hopefully keep the QB clean for the most part. WR just feels hopeless 

Good post. I am not hopeless on the WR room just yet. If we can snag just 1 big time WR1 it will go a LOOOOONNNG way. I think we have a couple guys on roster capable of being solid WR2 and WR3s, but we need 1 stud whether comes from the portal or the ghost like JJ Evans appears out of nowhere and just blows everyone away lol.

[aucanucktiger 1,812]

Baby steps - begin w/ a starting QB that can hit wide open receivers, esp since this years receiver crop is less likely to BE open.

[aucom96 1,648]

Barring any future transfers, we don't significantly improve anywhere and in a number of spots, we've declined. 

The next couple of seasons are really going to show just how much Gus (and now Harsin) have failed in recruiting O-line. 

[aubiefifty 17,487]

18 hours ago, W.E.D said:

Yay moral victories

you know my quote was from the movie the titans right?

[80Tiger 904]

2 hours ago, aucanucktiger said:

Baby steps - begin w/ a starting QB that can hit wide open receivers, esp since this years receiver crop is less likely to BE open.

Problem is, there does not seem to be any indication that person is on campus. Finley showed what he was down the stretch; Calzada ranked worse than Bo in every statistical category (worse completions %, worse yards per attempt, threw more interceptions and was sacked more times); DD did not take a snap last year when there was plenty of opportunity, Ashford has not sniffed the field while at Oregon and we have an incoming freshman.

I just do not feel very good about the QB position at all.

[W.E.D 11,070]

17 hours ago, CR said:

Some good players there but do any of them strike you as player opposing coaches fear? I could see King maybe being that guy but the rest just lack big play ability. Definitely the best group on offense as a whole.

We dont have a difference maker like Brock Bowers or any other top TE in the country.

Can Landon King become that? He had some very brief moments, but only 5 total catches even after "moving" to WR. He doesn't need to become the top TE in CFB to become a playmaker, lots of room between what he is and Bowers.