"I can’t really say too much about it, it’s going to look like a whole new Auburn offense"

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The hot topic in Auburn’s linebacker room this preseason hasn’t been so much who would step in to fill the fourth spot in the rotation — though, that’s certainly a priority for Travis Williams and his group. Instead, it has been what is happening on the other side of the ball, where first-year offensive coordinator is bringing his own flavor to the offense Auburn has traditionally run during Gus Malzahn’s tenure.

While Morris’ offense comes from the same tree at Malzahn’s Hurry Up, No Huddle system, the Tigers’ new offensive coordinator is bringing some notable changes to the offense this season, and players have already noticed those stark differences in practice.

“Man, salute to Chad Morris,” sophomore linebacker Owen Pappoe said. “We talk about it almost every day in the linebacker room. I can’t really say too much about it, but y’all are going to see it this season. It’s going to look like a whole new Auburn offense, man.

“All the stuff they’ve brought in, it’s ridiculous.”

Pappoe may have been coy about the changes in the new-look offense, but some of his teammates on the offensive side of the ball have been a bit more forthcoming in discussing what thing will look like under Morris this season.

Really, it comes down to a few key tweaks: added emphasis on the use of tight ends in the passing game, how running backs are employed out of the backfield and the general philosophy Morris utilizes when it comes to passing concepts — with an affinity for deep balls and a focus on intermediate routes over the middle of the field.

“I would say his plays just get people open a lot more,” redshirt senior receiver Eli Stove said. “We’re going to have more explosive plays down the field, of course. We’re going to be throwing the ball a little bit more. I think everybody does (like the offense). We’re doing good in practice. We’re learning.”

The added involvement of tight ends in the offense is something that has been missing for Auburn for some time, with the position accounting for just 3 percent of all receptions during the Malzahn era. That includes just three catches from the position in 2019, when John Samuel Shenker accounted for each of them and totaled 21 yards and a touchdown.

The Tigers eclipsed that reception mark in the first scrimmage in Morris’ offense alone, with Malzahn saying last Saturday that tight ends recorded four or five catches during the 92-play scrimmage at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Morris has a history of highlighting the tight end position, with tight ends accounting for 23.5 percent of all receptions, 23.6 percent of the team’s receiving yards and 41.2 percent of receiving touchdowns during his time at Arkansas. His stops at SMU and Clemson also generated plenty of production from the position.

Now, after a couple of years of the Tigers overhauling the talent at the position in recruiting, Morris hopes to apply that same element to Auburn’s offense this season. Malzahn noted last weekend that Morris likes to utilize a lot of 11 and 12 personnel groupings—which feature one and two tight ends, respectively—while Stove mentioned the tight ends have seen their share of deep balls in practice the first two weeks.

“What I can say is, there’s been more talking to the tight ends,” running back Shaun Shivers said. “All the tight ends have been getting reps. All the tight ends, they catch the football well. You know, once you catch the football well that opens up more plays for you. And I can just say — it’s going to be a real good year for the tight ends as well, because that opens us more — once you can throw to the tight end it opens up more of the playbook.”

That includes how Morris plans to utilize running backs in the passing game. During the first week of fall camp, Auburn’s practice highlights included redshirt freshman running back Mark-Antony Richards making a nice catch on an angle route out of the backfield, as well as a deep ball downfield on a wheel route. The latter isn’t particularly new for Auburn, but the former has been introduced more under Morris, who will try to get more one-on-one opportunities for Auburn’s running backs against linebackers.

“I’d say that we’ve been in a more, like you said, seeing backs catch the ball out of the backfield, more getting the backs one-on-one with the linebackers, creating plays, creating opportunities for us to make big plays, explosive plays,” Shivers said. “That’s really been a difference for us as running backs, to get one-on-one with linebackers and just do what we do.”

While Morris is trying to get Auburn’s running backs and tight ends more involved in the passing game, he’s also trying to open up the middle of the field for the Tigers’ wide receivers. According to SEC StatCat, Auburn quarterback Bo Nix had the fourth-lowest intermediate route target rate among SEC quarterbacks with at least 80 pass attempts last season and was sixth in the SEC in total mid-range pass attempts, with the overwhelming majority thrown outside the numbers.

For his freshman campaign, Nix completed 11-of-18 pass attempts between the hashes and within 20 yards of the line of scrimmage.

And though Morris wants to open up the middle of the field for Nix this season, he doesn’t seem hesitant to take deep shots downfield, either, according to Stove, who said Auburn’s receivers are “really excited” because it’s something the Tigers are “going to be doing a lot” this season.

“Basically, get your playmakers the football, and it’s explosive plays,” Shivers said. “That’s what Auburn do. We’re here for explosive plays and to get the playmakers the football. The offense is real good.”

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