Position Breakdown - Receivers Outlook

Auburn is in a position it that it has not been in the past decade. That being having such a great wealth of talent at the wide receiver position that they do not have enough spots to get all the talent on the field. Heading into last season it was freshman DeAngelo Benton and Emory Blake who were getting rave reviews from fans and coaches while veterans Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachary worked behind the scenes without much fan fair. The proof was shown on the field as both Adams and Zachary had breakout seasons with Adams reaching almost one thousand yards and catching over sixty balls, and Zachary reaching four hundred plus yards and making plays in the running game on receivers jet sweeps and reverses. That play making ability from multiple guys on the outside was a pleasant surprise for most fans as most had written off veterans in the hope the freshman would have taken over.

Adams and Zachary are now entrenched as the X and Y receivers starters this season but the wealth of talent behind them promises that if either start to falter that Trooper Taylor will not hesitate to use the hook on them. The slot receiver spot may be the swing spot were you will see some guys come and go between series. I say between series because Coach Gus Malzahn has mentioned, as well as the players, getting the offense to go faster than last year on offense. This means Malzahn is beginning to feel comfortable enough to run with the philosophy of making very few substitutions during drives to keep the pressure on the defense. Malzahn will be looking at players who have the ability to be versatile in his offense so he can keep his substitutions a a minimum.

At the X receiver I expect you are going to see improvement from Adams route running ability. Adams has good speed with his long strides on his 6'3" frame which allows him to get up and over defensive players. He will of course now be drawing the attention of the best defensive backs on each team the Tigers play this season. I expect his output stat wise may be diminished this season because of that but his contributions as a leader and drawing the attention of defenders will help allow other play makers to develop. I see Quindarius Carr and Benton being the guys coming in behind Adams though I do not expect to see them as much as replacements for Adams. Carr and Benton both have the ability to stretch the field like Adams but not the length and hands Adams has had.

Terrell Zachary is the starter hands down at the Y receiver spot this coming season much like Adams at the X receiver spot. He will more than likely have very similar numbers (catches: 24 , yards: 466 , 5 TD) to what he did last year, but he may be the forgotten man in some cases that may open up some more down the field looks as Darvin Adams will be drawing the focus of a great deal of the safeties until Zachary already has a step on them. He is also a great option on the receiver jet sweep that he made big gains on several times last season. Expect Zachary or possibly freshman Trovron Reed to get a lot of the sweep runs and motion and more fakes to them both this season which will open more holes for Fanin and the other backs. Jay Wisner may get a slightly diminished role this season but I expect to see him getting playing time especially when we are trying to establish the run as he was a great down field blocker for us last season.

The Slot receiver position is an open competition much like last year where you saw a lot of Jay Wisner and Tommy Trott as they were used as extra blockers as much as they were used for another offensive weapon. That may change a bit this year as Benton and Blake have now developed and gotten a bit more experience under their belt. They have the size and strength to be good blockers down field as Wisner was last season and I have no doubt that Coach Taylor has made sure that all the receivers understand that they will have to be able to block down field. I expect that this is going to be a big swing position for the offense that will make a difference in how effective our offense moves the ball late in the season as defenses in the SEC adjust to the change in personnel and schemes. I expect to see around 25 to 30 receptions and 400 yards and a few touchdowns to come out of this position this year.

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Position Breakdown - Offensive Line Outlook

Last year was a significantly better season for the offensive line than was expected by me as they found some unit cohesion and found a way to stay relatively healthy as depth on the line was barely if even two deep at each spot.

The Tigers have four starters returning this season with only senior right tackle Andrew McCain moving on after an impressive campaign were he came from the depths of former Auburn Coach Tuberville doghouse. McCain came into his senior campaign with a new life with this coaching staff and made the best of his situation starting every game last season.

Six foot eight inch Left Tackle Lee Ziemba returns for his senior season despite some promising draft predictions to finish what he started. Ziemba is a tenacious blocker with a great work ethic that was named to some All-SEC Preseason teams. If he plays in enough games this season he will have a significant chance to break former Tiger Will Herrings record for the most games started as a Tiger. Ziemba had a few problems with false starts last season but Coach Grimes does not seem concerned with it and I also think the entire situation may be a bit over hyped. Ziemba will more than likely be backed up at Left Tackle by Junior Jared Cooper who has played fairly regularly off the bench for Auburn, and will more than likely have a significant shot at a starting role at guard or center as a senior. Cooper does not have the prototypical size you like at the Tackle, but his good technique and quick hands make give him the ability to compensate.

The Right Tackle position that Andrew McCain has vacated is the most interesting position on the line this year with two junior college transfers fighting to take over the position and anchor the line on the right side.

Rozell Gayden who many picked to win the starting has struggled during spring practices with a wrist injury, and did not play in the spring game. The leader coming out of the spring therefore is a converted tight end Brandon Mosley who has the size and strength needed to play the position. Mosley must however improve his footwork and ability to control faster pass rushers off the end. Mosley will definely need to work on getting out of two point faster and maybe putting on a few more pounds of muscle.

Returning starter senior Byron Isom will bring his experience to the Left Guard position as he the four core group of seniors will make up an effective group of starters left over from last year. Isom is a consistent player that excels in run blocking. He may be pushed for playing time by sophmore John Sullen and senior Jorell Bostrom who both after getting their weight down and overall fitness level up may be able to become a strong contributers to the position this season. Eric Mack a freshman out of South Carolina could also potentially contribute at either gaurd position.

Mike Berry returns to start at the right gaurd position were he had an impressive season last year playing next to Lee Ziemba. Berry has been a staple on the Auburn line the past two seasons and there is no reason to believe he will be pushed by anyone behind him now for a position that he held and played well at his entire career. He will be backed up by Bostrom and Sullen who may see more time than last year but I would expect to see Berry out there a great deal of the time.

Ryan Pugh is one of my favorite players on the line right now. A very technical blocker with fluid footwork and good size and strength. Pugh is in my opinion right up there with any center in the country with a very possible NFL future with the kind of work ethic and sound blocking he has. He will likely be on the field with relatively breaks and will be backed up by Bart Eddins who is a solid veteran with a workmans mentality who will do anything needed to help the team. Jared Cooper is also likely to see some time on the interior based on his versatility.

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Position Breakdown - Runningback Outlook

Ben Tate was the primary running option in last years offense as he ran for a career highs of 1362 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was ultimately one of the most consistent play makers on offense taking pressure off the passing game and Chris Todd. The focus Malzahn's Auburn offense will once again be establishing a consistent running game to loosen up defenses and open up options for deep throws.

Mario Fanin is the obvious front runner to carry the majority of the carries in next years offense. Many questions surround Fanins ability to be a consistent runner in the SEC. Fanin has the size and explosiveness to be a good back in this offense as well as the duality as a passing game threat out in space. Fanin has consistently been a powerful runner who was not afraid of laying the lumber on the defender. He is extremely hard back to put on the ground and that leads me to one of the questions marks about his ability to be a productive back in the SEC. Fanin has shown a great deal of promise but durability may be the largest question I have. He has never taken over 100 carries in a season and while I do not question his toughness I wonder if he can hold up to the amount of hits he is going to be taking with high contact running style he employs. The idea that Fanin has a fumbling problem has also been raised in some circles but I feel those should be put to rest a little by the fact coaches reported he did not put the ball on the ground all Spring Practice. Fanin will undoubtedly have a majority of the carries this season should he stay healthy and have at least a 1000 yard season.

With the departure of Dontae Aycock the depth chart behind Fanin becomes even more fuzzy than before. McCalebb has made progress towards gaining weight and thus a little more durability that will be needed if expects to become more than a change of pace back in the SEC. His speed his speed gives him a game breaking kind of back but his tendency to run to much east and west may become an issue with faster defenses of the SEC. If McCalebb can get his weight up to around 175 to 185 pounds and work to improve as a north south runner he may have a good shot at an increased role this fall.

Eric Smith had some off the field issues last season but seems to have cleaned up his act. Though he may have has his hands full a bit more this season as he showed at several points last season that he can be a very valuable weapon in the passing game as well as a superb blocker. I believe he is better suited to stay at the H-Back position were he can continue to make a great contribution.

The wild card it seems comes in the form of Micheal Dyer. A 5'8" 208 pound freshman who has all the physical tools to be a stud runningback. With more than adequate speed to pull away from defenders and a very good explosion to the hole if he could break into a part time role as a freshman if the veterans ahead of him falter at all. Dyer is the kind of back that most coaches would love to have a good blend of speed and power with a good feel for catching the ball he is a great weapon. The only knocks I have on the young man is that he is a bit shorter than I'd like to see and he will definitely need to work on his pass protection as was evident in a large portion of the tape I saw on him.

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