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re: Fall Camp Discussion- Bo Nix Named Starting QB
Posted on 7/28/19 at 8:36 pm to jangalang
Posted on 7/28/19 at 8:36 pm to jangalang
Auburn's 10 Most Important Tigers
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No. 10 Big Kat Bryant, junior
Recruiting ranking: 4 stars, 0.9238 247Sports Composite; No. 14 weakside defensive end
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2019 outlook: Nick Coe is projected to be the Tigers’ starter at Buck this fall after finishing with a team-high seven sacks to go along with his 27 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries, but questions at the defensive tackle position may change those plans and open the door for Bryant to possibly start or at least play more often at Buck.
Coe will play inside and outside this upcoming season, and Bryant knows there is a window of opportunity in the fall to become a star player at the most coveted position on Auburn's defensive roster should Coe play more inside next to Derrick Brown at tackle than at Buck. Bryant had two goals in the offseason: get stronger and faster. It's a common approach and utterance, sure, and Bryant admitted as much when he talked about adding muscle, but there is more to it than just listing a few superlatives.
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No. 9 Noah Igbinoghene, junior
Recruiting ranking: 4 stars, 0.8969 247Sports Composite; No. 39 wide receiver
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2019 outlook: We believe Igbinoghene has only started to tap into his potential as a lock-down cornerback in the SEC, and should improvements continue to be made, he could be an All-SEC candidate by the end of the season.
Moving from receiver to cornerback is not easy, particularly when he didn't have much preparation heading into preseason camp in August of 2018. And yet Igbinoghene took advantage of the opportunity and turned it into a starting job, where he played alongside future NFL draftee Jamel Dean. Now that Dean is gone, Auburn coaches and players will look Igbinoghene to lead the unit as they also move Javaris Davis from Nickel back to cornerback as a starter.
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No. 8 Anthony Schwartz, sophomore
Recruiting ranking: 4 stars, 0.9334 247Sports Composite; No. 30 wide receiver
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2019 outlook: Anthony Schwartz skipped spring football practices to concentrate on the outdoor track season, which was hamstrung by a hamstring injury in the spring. He returned to football workouts this summer and is projected to be a big contributor for an offense that will utilize him all over the field and in different ways.
Coaches want to move Anthony Schwartz and Seth Williams outside to replace the production of Darius Slayton, the Tigers' top deep threat last season. Slayton declared for the NFL Draft after catching three touchdown passes and recording 160 yards in the Music City Bowl in December. It appears Williams will play more outside, which could open things up for Schwartz this season.
Schwartz had 357 receiving yards and two touchdowns to go along with 211 yards and five rushing touchdowns as a freshman. He will continue to be the fastest threat on the field for the Tigers, but the question is whether the return of Eli Stove from knee surgery will cut into Schwartz' playing time. The thinking here it will not affect his production, and coaches will do everything in their power to use Schwartz on the run and on routes. He might be Auburn's top yards producer on offense this season if coaches legitimately give him as many touches as he probably deserves this upcoming season.
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No. 7 JaTarvious Whitlow, sophomore
Recruiting ranking: 3 stars, 0.8667 247Sports Composite; No. 36 athlete
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2019 outlook: Boobee Whitlow exited spring practices as the de facto starter at running back. Coaches may still want to share the carries among Whitlow and Martin, but it's clear Whitlow is the better all-around tailback. One insider tells us they wouldn't be surprised if Whitlow rushes for 1,300 yards this season and that he was the most impressive tailback in the spring, and one that increased his work ethic in the process.
Auburn running back legend Cadillac Williams was hired in the offseason to coach the running backs, and his different style has placed a different set of expectations on the corps of running backs that is as deep as it has been in recent years (Whitlow, Kam Martin, Shaun Shivers, Malik Miller and DJ Williams).
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No. 6 Marlon Davidson, senior
Recruiting ranking: 4 stars, 0.9813 247Sports Composite; No. 4 strong side defensive end
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2019 outlook: The Buck position has become the sexy spot to play for pass rushers in Kevin Steele's defense, but that doesn't mean a player at another position will be left out of the fun. In fact, Davidson should be the type of player to lead the Tigers in sacks and that's what he's aiming to do this upcoming season for defensive line coach Rodney Garner.
"Coach G trusted me enough to play me as a freshman and start every game. I’m going to do right by him," Davidson said. "One of my decisions was to come back and make sure us, as a group, get to the younger guys and make sure that everything goes well after us. You just fulfill your legacy. I’m trying to make sure now that I leave the best legacy that I can — the Marlon Davidson legacy, for people to look at and be like, ‘dang, I want to be like Marlon Davidson one year.’"
Being a four-year starter in the SEC is a difficult mark to reach. Reaching double-digit sack numbers? Well, that would be the perfect capper for Davidson, who will get some help from a defensive line that returns every starter but one from one of the best units in the country last season.
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No. 5 Nick Coe, junior
Recruiting ranking: 4 stars, 0.9034 247Sports Composite; No. 13 strong side defensive end
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2019 outlook: There's no reason to believe Nick Coe will be replaced as the starting Buck, but there is a possibility a bulkier Coe could move inside and play more often at defensive tackle. Why? There are some concerns about who replaces Dontavius Russell next to returning starter Derrick Brown at tackle. Coe appears to be the best answer as a potential replacement as Tyrone Truesdell, Coynis Miller and others try to prove themselves as the next starter. The issue: can they play more than 20 snaps per game and be effective? Rotation is everything along the defensive line, but having a dominant tackle (like Brown) in the game in the biggest moments is crucial, and that requires more playing time and proof of work.
It's quite possible Coe's productivity as a pass rusher goes down, but be a more important player than he was a year ago. Why? His flexibility between the tackle and Buck positions could prove huge for the Tigers' defense.
Coe spent the offseason getting stronger and working to better read offensive tackles, something that will help him at Buck and not necessarily at defensive tackle.
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Posted on 7/28/19 at 8:41 pm to AUFan2015
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No. 4 Bo Nix, quarterback
Recruiting ranking: 5 stars, 0.9857 247Sports Composite; No. 1 dual-threat quarterback
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2019 outlook: The battle for the starting job between Nix and redshirt freshman Joey Gatewood will begin in earnest Aug. 2, when preseason camp opens at Auburn. The work preparing for the battle started seven months ago, however. For Nix's part, he worked to gain strength and add muscle to his freshman frame. He is listed at 207 pounds on the roster, but we're told at Auburn Undercover he is tipping the scales at 215 pounds after a strong offseason of workouts.
Nix and Gatewood are both dual-threat quarterbacks, with much different statures and styles. Nix (6-2, 215) is a pocket passer, but can run zone-read plays to the outside much like Jarrett Stidham did during the previous two seasons. The difference? Nix is faster, though no one will confuse his quickness for that of former Auburn speedster Nick Marshall. Gatewood is bigger at 6-foot-5 and 233 pounds and can run inside more often to pick up third-and-short downs.
Auburn coaches have not ruled out the possibility of entering the season opener Aug. 31 with a plan to play both quarterbacks against Oregon. In fact, at this point, that's the expectation. Gatewood has a tad more experience and a bigger frame. Nix might have the better arm.
"The more reps they get, obviously the better they’re going to be," Malzahn said in the spring. "But they showed that they can lead our offense and both of them have a chance to be a very successful quarterback here at Auburn."
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No. 3 Joey Gatewood, quarterback
Recruiting ranking: 4 stars, 0.9759 247Sports Composite; No. 1 athlete
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2019 outlook: If Gatewood does not win the starting job, the redshirt freshman will likely play in the opener in a package. That’s our expectation, at least.
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn’s eyes light up whenever he discusses Gatewood’s ability to run over linebackers and pick up three yards when nothing seems to be there. "When you let him go live," said Malzahn, "there’s a big difference." He also did well throwing the ball in Auburn’s A-Day game, something his high school coach (Darrell Sutherland) and private coach (Denny Thompson), tells us is extremely underrated and not talked about enough when analysts dissect Gatewood’s performances.
Gatewood threw for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 8 of 12 passing at the A-Day game, which included seven completions, 123 yards and two scores in the first half. He rushed only once for 1 yard because of the restrictions placed on the quarterbacks, who were not allowed to be tackled by defenders.
"I’m telling you," receiver Seth Williams said. "He’s another Cam Newton back there. Once he gets live, he turns into a whole other person. Like, you couldn’t see it for real with this spring, with the scrimmage, the QBs not live — but once they’re live, I don’t think, [the defense] can’t get back there."
Gatewood’s huge build and fire power as a runner and thrower, along with a one-year jump of experience on Nix, might be enough to tempt coaches to hand the reins of the offense over to the big man.
“I’m not going to sit here and lie to you," said receiver Matthew Hill. "He doesn't like being compared to Cam Newton, but that's just the only person you can compare him to."
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No. 2 Prince Tega Wanogho Jr., senior
Recruiting ranking: 4 stars, 0.4981 247Sports Composite; No. 4 strong side defensive end
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2019 outlook: Wanogho was projected as a late-round prospect in the 2019 draft, but should he play how offensive line coach J.B. Grimes believes he is capable as a senior, his stock will soar this fall.
“You know what I mean by one of them? He can be one of them, with improvement this year, and I see him really, really having a big year this year if he can stay healthy," Grimes said. "I think he can be one of them, one of those guys on the first day.”
Should Wanogho Jr. be selected in the first round, he'll be the first left tackle from Auburn in the first round since Greg Robinson in 2014, yet another player under Grimes.
Is he capable of reaching that level? Scouts certainly love his size and improvement last season, particularly near the end of the season. He earned the highest grade, regardless of position, in the Tigers' 63-14 victory against Purdue in the Music City Bowl, according to Pro Football Focus.
Auburn returns all five starters (all seniors) along the offensive line, but Wanogho Jr. is easily the best player. He's dominant, consistent and has yet to reach his potential. He not only is the best player on offense entering the fall, he probably also has the longest NFL career among his teammates with a great senior year at Auburn. He's a left tackle an NFL team could build its offense around and block the blind side of its quarterback.
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No. 1 Derrick Brown, senior
Recruiting ranking: 5 stars, 0.9964 247Sports Composite; No. 4 defensive tackle
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2019 outlook: Auburn returns all but one starter along the defensive line, and that spot is next to Brown at tackle. There will be more pressure on Brown to perform because coaches are not quite sure who will replace Dontavius Russell, who demanded plenty of attention next to Brown throughout Brown's career as a starter. Simply put, Brown will get more attention this upcoming season from offensive linemen as Auburn tries to figure out what to do at the other tackle spots.
“There’s a lot of talk about us being the top-rated group, but I mean, we’re going to go in there every single day and work like we’re last place in what we do," Brown said. "If you don’t, if you’re in first place and you don’t work hard, there’s only one way to go. If you’re already at the top, the only thing you’re going to do is go down at that point. We’re just going forward and being humble about it and have no attitude about it. Push forward.”
Brown is the best NFL Draft prospect on the roster, and could be a top-5 pick, which is something Brown strives to achieve with yet another strong season. He demands double teams and distracts opposing coaches as they devise game plans, and that's all you can ask for from a player.
Off the field, Brown has been the model student-athlete in the classroom and with charities. He even volunteers to help coach at camps across the country, along with speaking across the country at events, including an event at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in the spring.
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