Five things we learned from first fall camp scrimmage

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Auburn's first fall camp scrimmage has come and gone.

The Tigers worked on getting comfortable in some situational settings according to head coach Bryan Harsin. The effort? Definitely there.

The execution? Not always there - but Coach Harsin said he loved the energy and was pleased with what he saw.

Following the scrimmage, Harsin spoke with the media and broke down what he saw out of the team during the first scrimmage.

Here are five things we learned about the practice.

Freshman WR Camden Brown continues to shine, wide receiver room improving

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Per Harsin, freshman Camden Brown is playing his way into the rotation. He caught a touchdown pass during the scrimmage.

"Camden is a young player that is catching our eye right now," Harsin said.

Ja'Varrius Johnson and Shedrick Jackson are two other receivers that Harsin said are having good camps. He also noted that Jackson had a great catch and that the offense needs to get him more touches.

"I think that whole group with Coach (Ike) Hilliard has made a lot of progress. That's a group that runs all the time. There have been very few issues out of that group. They're working, they've got to get better, and we ask them to do a lot of things... but overall they know what to do. I think they practice hard."

All of the quarterbacks played well... to some degree

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

According to Harsin, all quarterbacks had good moments during the scrimmage. On the very first drive of the practice, TJ Finley led a 14-play drive with the first-team. Robby Ashford and Zach Calzada both played solid as well. Calzada threw a touchdown.

"I've always been impressed with TJ as far as his command," Harsin said when asked about Finley. "He's always been a coach on the field. He understands what we're trying to accomplish. I think he conceptually picks things up very quickly. He listens to the details... I thought tonight he was good... I think he executed well when he needed to in some critical moments. He can improve with some of the easier throws that we didn't complete tonight. Don't know if that was him or not, but I think there's some things that we can improve in those areas from an accuracy standpoint. But overall, I thought he operated well."

Unfortunately, no announcements on movement in the QB room.

"No decisions right now are going to be made," Harsin said about the depth chart. "We're going to watch the film tonight, tomorrow we'll correct, and then Monday will be a day off for these guys."

The secondary is communicating much better than last season

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

I asked Coach Harsin about how the secondary is performing, specifically in pass coverage. He said that he's liking what he's seeing out of the group, but first and foremost he likes the speed on the backend.

"We can move now, that's one thing, I think we can get from point A to point B very quickly," Harsin said.

I noted in my five things to look for during the first scrimmage that better execution and communication from the defensive backfield was something to expect Harsin to note.

"I think our communication in the backend has been good," Harsin said. "I like what Coach (Zac) Etheridge and Coach (Jeff) Schmedding are doing with those guys."

Safety Donovan Kaufman was mentioned by name as a player who has stepped his game up during camp. With the departure of Smoke Monday, the Tigers need a new leader at that nickel/safety spot.

"Kaufman has really emerged as a guy that's communicating well back there. You've got Nehemiah Pritchett, Simp (Jaylin Simpson)... those guys have played a little bit. I think they're all communicating well."

RB Damari Alston is picking things up quickly

Rusty Mansell, 247Sports

Freshman running back Damari Alston scored twice during Auburn's scrimmage on Saturday night. Harsin had a lot of praise for the newcomer.

"The one thing about having tailbacks, you don't want to overcoach them," Harsin said about Alston. "He's just got a good feel for it, he knows where to go. I think he's just got a good feel for when the play opens up to hit it. He doesn't lose many yards, he's got a good change of direction when he has to. He showed a good burst tonight."

Alston, a four-star running back out of Atlanta, ran for 1,507 yards and 25 touchdowns during his senior season at Woodward Academy. He will likely fall to third-string on the week one depth chart, but Alston will get his touches if he continues to play hard.

"I thought overall him running the ball tonight looked like he understood what we were trying to accomplish, had a good feel for what the o-line was doing, as was just kind of getting into a groove maybe more than anybody else."

The offensive line still trying to establish consistency

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Harsin noted that the offensive line was "solid," but then immediately turned around and pointed out several areas where the unit still needs to improve.

"We had a few plays that we got penetrated on. There wasn't a lot of negative plays from that standpoint. I think we've got to do a better job of getting some push. But there were were some good run lanes that they created - I just think our d-line is doing a good job, and I think that we've got some guys on the d-line that can play. So I think especially with that first group, that's a challenge for the o-line."

Auburn's rotations along the lines were consistent with their play, and ball carriers had opportunities, but didn't necessarily execute in one-on-one situations.

"We worked our combinations together well... and we had our chances too. We got to break some tackles with some one-on-one opportunities, but overall, I thought we moved the pile."