re: Spring Practice Thread

Posted on 3/7/18 at 11:30 am to TigerPaw1

Posted by TigerPaw1

Chattanooga, TN

Member since Apr 2011

16979 posts

Posted on 3/7/18 at 11:30 am to TigerPaw1

quote:
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.

This post was edited on 3/7/18 at 11:31 am

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Posted by TigerPaw1

Chattanooga, TN

Member since Apr 2011

16979 posts

Posted on 3/7/18 at 11:34 am to TigerPaw1

quote:
Buck defensive end

T.D. Moultry (Up)
Big Kat Bryant

Moultry was already the expected replacement for Jeff Holland at Buck. But the early reviews of Moultry heading into his sophomore season are phenomenal. Teammates recalled Moultry hawking down Malik Willis multiple times during the Tigers’ first full day in pads. Moultry’s speed is standing out early, as he’s shown an impressive burst during chute and dummy drills during viewing windows. Auburn is expecting big things from him in 2018.

Nose tackle

Derrick Brown
Andrew Williams
Jaunta’vius Johnson

Defensive tackle

Dontavius Russell
Tyrone Truesdell
Alec Jackson

Defensive end

Marlon Davidson
Nick Coe

Middle linebacker

Deshaun Davis
K.J. Britt (Up)

Auburn’s pace drills call for two sets of two linebackers. In both viewing windows, K.J. Britt has joined seniors Deshaun Davis, Darrell Williams and Montavious Atkinson for reps. Britt has a key role to play behind Davis this season, and he could become the “fourth starter” that Atkinson was last season for the Tigers. Britt’s stock continues to rise.

Strongside linebacker

Darrell Williams
Chandler Wooten

Weakside linebacker

Montavious Atkinson
Richard McBryde

Cornerback

Jamel Dean
Christian Tutt (Up)
Travion Leonard

Auburn wasted no time throwing its newcomers into second-team reps on defense. Tutt has the potential to be a Carlton Davis-type cornerback for the Tigers, and he’ll challenge for playing time as a true freshman. With Igbinoghene moving to cornerback, it’s clear Auburn is looking for people to step up at this position. Jeremiah Dinson spoke highly of Tutt’s speed and footwork, and he’s made a big impression on other teammates already this spring.

Cornerback

Javaris Davis
Noah Igbinoghene (new position)
John Broussard Jr.

Igbinoghene is now playing both sides of the ball for the Tigers, and he looks like a good fit at cornerback. The track star has elite speed and great hips. One Auburn coach said Igbinoghene could have a future in the secondary — and he wasn’t just talking about his playing days on the Plains, either. Auburn is giving him second-team reps already, so the opportunity is there for this ultra-athletic talent.

Nickel back

Jordyn Peters
Daniel Thomas
Jayvaughn Myers
Malcolm Askew

Free safety

Jeremiah Dinson
Smoke Monday (Up)

Monday is becoming one of the most popular names of the offseason, and it’s not because he’s going by Smoke. Monday was a second-team safety alongside fellow freshman Jamien Sherwood early. Deshaun Davis told reporters Tuesday that Monday rotated in with the first-team defense, as well. Monday has the body type to play both free and strong safety, so he could be in a future starter pairing with new full-time deep man Jeremiah Dinson.

Strong safety

Daniel Thomas
Jamien Sherwood

Kicker

Anders Carlson
Ian Shannon

Punter

Aidan Marshall

Holder

Ian Shannon
Will Hastings
Griffin King

Long snapper

Bill Taylor

Kick returners

Noah Igbinoghene and Kam Martin
Devan Barrett and Javaris Davis

Punt returner

Ryan Davis
Noah Igbinoghene
Griffin King