New faces on offense Auburn fans need to know

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New faces on offense Auburn fans need to know

Updated: Aug. 18, 2022, 5:44 p.m.|

Published: Aug. 18, 2022, 5:19 p.m.

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Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com

Auburn has 13 practices out of an allotted 25 during fall camp remaining before opening the season on September 3rd against Mercer. There are 16 days left before Bryan Harsin begins his second season as the Auburn football coach.

Finding new contributors to replace production from players transferring and graduating will be at a premium for Harsin and offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau. Auburn starts with games against the Bears and San Jose State before playing a rematch against Penn State in Game three. Five home games before traveling to play rival and defending national champion Georgia won’t leave a lot of margin for error.

Suppose a player with less experience gets on the field. In that case, it’ll be imperative that he can adjust quickly to playing in a conference that has nine of the last 11 National Champions—playing as a freshman fresh from high school or after a red-shirt season gets more problematic when your schedule has five teams ranked in the AP Top 25 poll.

Let’s look at some guys who’ve quickly made strong impressions on the Plains.

Damari Alston

Running back coach and former Tiger star Cadillac Williams has one of the deepest position groups on the team this season. Tank Bigsby is an elite talent. Jarquez Hunter was a solid player last season with the potential to evolve further as a runningback. Alston will have a tough time breaking into the starting lineup. However, the 5′9 209 pounder out of Atlanta is pushing strongly to get on the field. Passing Bigsby and Hunter is quite a challenge, but Alston won’t quit trying.

“I truly think he’s a young man that can come in and contribute. I think he’s wise beyond his years. I think just mentally; he’s a mentally tough person,” Williams said. “Not only physically, but, as I said, wise beyond his years. A guy who runs behind his pads, a one-cut runner, and has excellent vision. Just have that demeanor with him when you watch the film; he’s just a natural runner between the tackles. Just gets yards and breaks tackles.”

Robby Ashford

Ashford is in the mix for the starting quarterback role. He’s one of the fastest players on the team. He also has a strong arm with accuracy. Even if Ashford doesn’t win the starting role, Harsin and Kiesau may find ways to get him in games.

“Robby’s fun; he’s fun to play against. As you can see, he’s got wheels, so we’ve got to contain him more. It was fun playing against him -- especially when he gets out of the pocket,” Auburn defender Colby Wooden said. “He’s extremely dangerous with his feet or with his arm. We’ve got to learn to keep him contained. I’m excited to see what he does this fall.”

Camden Brown

Auburn needs playmakers at receiver. Brown, at 6′2 220, might be someone who can make an impact instantly. He’s already made several impressive catches during fall camp. His size and skill are already at the level expected of a wide receiver in the Southeastern Conference.

“He’ll be really good. You obviously look at him — he’s long, he’s strong, he’s athletic. More importantly, he’s a good kid,’ Tight end Luke Deal said. “I’ve gotten to know him pretty well, and he’s a great guy. And I mean, he makes some crazy catches. He’s an athletic player. Athletic wide receiver. Big body.”

Zach Calzada

Calzada transferred from Texas A&M. He’s in the quarterback competition with Ashford and T.J. Finley. The battle will likely continue for the next couple of weeks. Calzada has shown toughness and grit with a strong throwing arm. He’s got experience as a player winning big games. Can he surpass Finley and Ashford? We’ll find out soon enough.

“Zach Calzada brings leadership and everything a quarterback is supposed to bring,” Bigsby said. You want to play with somebody that got that dog in him. And he didn’t back down, he didn’t give up, he didn’t quit. I’d rather play with somebody that doesn’t want to quit all the time.”

Tar’Varish Dawson

Dawson didn’t make his debut in a game until the Birmingham Bowl. A combination of factors, including Dawson entering COVID protocols before last season’s first game and depth at the position, forced Dawson to red-shirt after the 2021 season. He’s made lots of plays in camp, and there’s a chance he’ll work into the starting lineup. Harsin noted his growth during SEC media days.

“Tar’Varish Dawson’s a completely different player than he was last year, and he would say that too,” Harsin said. He was a little just kind of goofing around and enjoying being out there, and now he’s out there to try to make plays, and he can roll.”

Koy Moore

Auburn’s search for deep threats could create a mutually beneficial relationship between Moore and the starting quarterback. Moore totaled 27 catches for 248 yards at LSU during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The 6′1 wide receiver is quick and has a wide catch radius.

“I see him out there catching — 9 o’clock in the facility at night, catching balls by himself, doing drills, running routes with Zach Calzada,” Bigsby said. “Just seeing him out there — if you guys can be around someone and they’re working, if you’re a competitor and you see a media guy out there get more attention, getting more stories and stuff, what are you gonna say? You’re gonna be like, ‘Oh, I need to be on my game.’ That’s how it is on the team right now. When one guy sees someone working, they’re fixing to go work. That’s where I feel like we’ve worked so hard to get to this point.”

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.