re: Spring Practice Thread

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Just a funny guy.”

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Quarterback

Jarrett Stidham
Malik Willis
Joey Gatewood

Running back

Kam Martin
Devan Barrett
JaTarvious Whitlow or Asa Martin (Up)
Malik Miller

Once again, Whitlow has been a popular name among teammates after practices. Chandler Cox described him as a mix between Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway, and Mike Horton raved about his toughness in running through tackles. The redshirt freshman is becoming a more vocal player in practice and has a shot at becoming a key running back in 2018.

Martin wasted no time in getting on the field early when he took a pace drill rep with the first-team offense on the first day of camp. Gus Malzahn liked his offseason work and has been a big fan of his all-around skill set, particularly in the area of pass protection. Most early enrollees don’t have that ability right out of the box. Kam Martin and Devan Barrett are the top two names, but these freshmen are on the rise.

H-back

Chandler Cox
Spencer Nigh

Wide receiver – X/split end

Darius Slayton
Nate Craig-Myers
Marquis McClain

Wide receiver – Y/big slot

Nate Craig-Myers
Marquis McClain
Sal Cannella

Wide receiver – Z/flanker

Eli Stove
Shedrick Jackson (Up)
Noah Igbinoghene

Jackson’s “rise” up the depth chart has a lot to do with Noah Igbinoghene’s move to a two-way role — more on that later — but he’s done great work early, too. The freshman looks like a polished playmaker, which is to be expected from a powerhouse high school program such as Hoover (Ala.). Darius Slayton said Tuesday “it’s pretty evident that he’s related” to Bo Jackson. That’s high praise for the new guy to watch at second-team flanker.

Wide receiver – slot

Ryan Davis
Will Hastings
Eli Stove

Tight end

Jalen Harris
Tucker Brown

Left tackle

Prince Tega Wanogho
Bailey Sharp

Left guard

Marquel Harrell
Brodarious Hamm
Tyler Carr

Center

Kaleb Kim
Nick Brahms

Right guard

Mike Horton
Tyler Carr
Tashawn Manning (new position)

Manning was going to have a tough road toward playing time at defensive tackle. Auburn’s staff needs more bodies on the interior offensive line, so he made the long-rumored move official Tuesday. Manning worked with the second team in the pace drill. While he needs a lot of teaching from J.B. Grimes, there’s potential here for the redshirt freshman.

Right tackle

Calvin Ashley (Up)
Austin Troxell

Ashley taking first-team reps on the offensive line isn’t a surprise. But he’s worth highlighting here for how sharp he’s looked in open viewing periods. Ashley has slimmed down from the 350 pounds he was listed at last season, and he has the physical tools needed to succeed. It’s been a strong start for the 5-star tackle.

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Auburn went through spring practice the last two years entirely unsettled at quarterback.

Sean White, Jeremy Johnson and John Franklin III battled for the job in 2016 before White eventually emerged in the starter in the fall. Johnson graduated after that season and Franklin moved to wide receiver before eventually transferring, which led to Jarrett Stidham getting most of the reps in 2017 while White recovered from a broken arm.

Stidham was the favorite all along after joining the program as a highly touted transfer from Baylor, but he wasn’t named the starter until Aug. 14.

That won’t be the case this spring. Stidham has been limited by an offseason surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder and may not fully begin throwing until sometime after the team returns from spring break on March 20, but he’s still the starter after completing 66.5 percent of his passes for 3,158 yards and 18 touchdowns in his first season on the Plains.

It doesn’t sound like there’s any question about who his backup will be, either. Asked last week if there was a competition between Malik Willis and early enrollee Joey Gatewood, head coach Gus Malzahn, after a pause, simply said “we've got a lot of confidence in Malik.”

“He really is taking a step forward and he looks like a starter out there. You know, I'd say right now Joey is just learning the foundation,” he continued. “Last year, Malik would have played — especially the second half of the season, we would have felt pretty good that we could have run most of our offense. We've got a lot of confidence in Malik.”

Willis has taken the bulk of the first-team reps through Auburn’s first three practices this spring while Gatewood continues to learn the ropes, and teammates say he’s taking advantage of the opportunity.

Wide receiver Darius Slayton said he feels like the rising sophomore is “getting the hang of” commanding the first-team unit on the field. Eli Stove said the wide receivers’ chemistry is growing with Willis, who he added is a “good thrower.”

The 6-foot-1, 202-pound former three-star athlete out of Roswell High in Atlanta completed 6 of 7 passes for 45 yards and a touchdown over parts of seven games in relief of Stidham last season. He also rushed 16 times for 221 and another score, showing off the Nick Marshall-type skill set Malzahn said he saw in him when he first arrived last spring.

“I think Malik has taken a great step in the right direction. You can tell he’s maturing, taking advantage of the opportunity actually controlling the one unit. He actually looks like an SEC quarterback when he is out there,” senior linebacker Deshaun Davis said. “He has total control of that group. Everyone is listening to him. He’s made some great throws. There’s still room to get better, but that’s for everybody though. You can still see the young flash. He’s have a great spring so far.”

Gatewood has drawn positives early in his first spring, too. Stove said the 6-foot-5, 235-pound true freshman out of St. Augustine, Fla., has showed off a strong arm and looks, physically, like Cam Newton, which is what Malzahn said when he signed.

But it seems clear right now that Willis is first up behind Stidham and may get the first crack at being the future beyond him.

“I think the coaches have all the confidence in him,” junior guard Mike Horton said. “It’s just about what he does from now on. You talk about freshmen taking that next step, like I just said, that’s another guy that has to take that next step. Coach Malzahn talks about that all the time. I think they have confidence in Malik and it’s all about what he does from here on out.”

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Surprised Shanker isn't even getting mentioned

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Punt returner Ryan Davis

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Gatewood will start in 2019. DWI

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