offensive line grateful for rare coaching continuity

[aubiefifty 17,487]

'Confident' Auburn offensive line grateful for rare coaching continuity

Nathan King

6-7 minutes

QBs and DLs drill on Opening Day of Auburn Football Practice

AUBURN, Alabama — Year-over-year coaching continuity has been difficult to attain in the Auburn football program over the past few years.

The head-coaching change in 2020 played a big role in that, of course. But even from Bryan Harsin’s first season to now, less than half (four coaches) of the 10-man assistant staff are currently in the same role as 2021.

And perhaps none are as crucial to improvement at his position group than Will Friend, who’s just the second Auburn offensive line coach to return for a second consecutive season with the program over the past five years.

Austin Troxell would know. The sixth-year tackle was recruited by Herb Hand. Heading into Troxell’s second season, J.B. Grimes returned to the Plains and coached the position for two years. He stepped down in 2020, replaced by Jack Bicknell Jr. from Ole Miss — who was not retained on Harsin’s inaugural staff. Friend was brought over after his most recent gig at Tennessee.

“Huge,” Troxell said Friday. “Just terminology, we know what he's thinking. He knows how we play and what we're thinking. So that's huge. I've had a lot, like you said, over the years. But Coach Friend, he's top-notch.”

That familiarity is even more crucial for the Tigers this preseason when considering their less-than-optimal injury situation in the spring. It’s a group that returns six players with starting experience, but only two of those were available for all of the spring. Troxell, Nick Brahms, Brandon Council and Keiondre Jones all either sat out for the entirety of spring ball, or got dinged up and missed time (Jones).

None of the injuries — or recoveries from last season, in the case of Troxell, Brahms and Council — were severe, though, and the room is at full strength for the start of preseason camp, which got under way Friday morning. A first-team unit littered with inexperienced faces in the spring featured Troxell at right tackle — he started at left tackle last season, but former JUCO product Kilian Zierer seems to have that locked up — Brahms back at center and Jones back at right guard. More on Council’s battle at left guard later.

“We're a confident group,” Troxell said. “We know what we're capable of. We have a lot of depth, especially on the interior. We have a lot of guys who can play a lot of different positions. We're confident. There's a lot of things that we need to work on.”

With Troxell out, senior Alec Jackson worked at first-team right tackle in the spring, and was expected to compete with Troxell for the starting job in fall camp. That may still be the case, though Jackson was the backup right guard in practice Friday.

Of course, it was the first day of practices, and Friend usually tests out differing lineups over the course of camp. But Auburn hopes it’s a bonus that its flexibility at multiple positions — Troxell can play either tackle, as can Zierer, and Council has played both guard spots in the past — is now compounded with added reps and confidence for the group’s less-experienced names. Even veterans like Jackson wouldn’t have received so much first-team work in the spring if not for injuries. Auburn’s hoping for a silver lining there.

“The great thing about it is, yes, we had a lot of those guys out during spring — we had some minor things and just we kind of wanted to keep them fresh and get healed up and ready for the season,” offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau said Thursday. “But the positive of that is all the guys behind them, all those backups, what you’d call 2s and 3s, they got invaluable reps. They got reps they’d never have gotten if those guys weren’t out. So getting those guys back healthy, having the 2s and 3s get that experience, get those reps, and kind of collectively putting that group together when they all come back, it’s going to be exciting.

“I think it could really be a strong group for us up front, especially as they gain that chemistry of working together from Game 1 to Game 2 to Game 6 as the season goes on. It could be a lot of fun to watch.”

Likely the biggest standout among the O-lineman who received unexpected opportunities was senior guard Kam Stutts. With Council out, the 6-foot-5, 339-pound Stutts worked exclusively as the first-team left guard — and, again, it was the first day of practice, but he trotted out with the starters at that spot Friday. Council rotated in with the second team.

“Knowing what to do,” Troxell said of Stutts’ improvement. “I think he really got in the playbook. Running off the football — he's got really good get-off.”

Auburn’s had ample returning production up front last year, too, but still weren’t an overly consistent group. There were impressive showings blended in over the course of the season — like 207 rushing yards against Ole Miss, or an overall dominating performance at Arkansas — but especially as injuries to Council, Troxell and Brahms set in in the latter stages of the year, that steadiness took a hit.

Everyone in the building is aware of the stigma surrounding Auburn’s offensive line performance. A completely healthy unit with coaching continuity seems capable of changing it in 2022, though.

“I know when I first got here, I mean that group was — they were always under fire,” Harsin said. “Everybody was talking about the O-line. It just is what it is. And so I think we have good players in that group. I think we showed it last year at times. I don't think we're consistent enough.

"I think we've got to find guys that are going to be able to do that through four quarters.”

12COMMENTS

[maryland tiger 616]

I believe the offensive line will be a pleasant surprise this season. I was hoping Brenden Coffey would start over Troxell but that doesn't seem to be the case. It is a long season though and I hope he gets to start at some point. 

[AuburnNTexas 7,236]

 

I believe the offensive line will be a pleasant surprise this season. I was hoping Brenden Coffey would start over Troxell but that doesn't seem to be the case. It is a long season though and I hope he gets to start at some point. 

I think Troxell for 1st time since he has been here is totally healthy. Last year he was officially recovered from his knee injury but that type injury really takes more than a year to get back to 100%. Stutts showed a lot of promise this spring I hope he wins out the starting job because he is better than the other people as we will need him next year.  I may have on my Orange and Blue glasses but I really think this O-Line will be very solid this year because of continuity and also because of a better strength and conditioning program. Especially having a legitimate LT in Zierer.  I have also heard good things about Tate Johnson coming into his own at Center so I hope he gets a lot of reps in what should be a few easy games against less then stellar opponents. In those same games I hope Smith, Harris, and Langlo can get some Reps to see if they have developed enough as possible options for next year which I think is a much bigger issue than this year.

 

[Randman5000 4,238]

This is the first time in awhile, where I think our offensive line will be improved from the previous year.