AUBURN | Believe it or not, Auburn’s fall camp begins this week and, with that, comes a bunch of questions about the 2021 Tigers in Bryan Harsin’s first season in charge.
Outside of Tank Bigsby at the running back position and a loaded linebacker corps and secondary, there are no certainties heading into camp as Harsin and his staff try to figure out what they have on their hands and keep building toward what they accomplished during the spring.
A new beginning and fresh start can always be a positive thing and that is what Auburn is counting on starting on Thursday with the first day of camp. Here are five things I’m most interested in observing as the Tigers prepare for the season.
Competition for QB 1
It seems that Bo Nix is a heavy favorite to keep his starting job for the third straight season, especially as he appeared as one of the two Auburn player representatives at SEC Media Days last month. That doesn’t mean that the competition is completely closed.
In steps T.J. Finley who the new coaching staff signed from LSU for a reason. At 6-foot-7 and 247 pounds, he has the size that you can only dream of as a quarterbacks coach, yet the accuracy and decision-making he showed for the Bayou Bengals last season – five interceptions with five touchdowns on 57.1 percent passing – leaves much to be desired. Still, he was just a freshman last season starting for a team that underwent a lot of turmoil.
For the first time since his first fall camp, Nix has a competitor for the top spot. This should force him to step up his game or face losing that position. It is going to be a lot of fun to follow.
Who becomes the man in the trenches?
For the first time in quite a lot of years, the Tigers had no player that could force his way into opposing backfields and make life a living nightmare for the quarterback. Will that change this season? If so, one of a few players will have to step up their game.
The one person that is likely to take on the role that Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson made so special back in 2019 is Colby Wooden. He certainly looked the part at times as a freshman last season, recording 9.5 tackles for a loss and four sacks. With Jay Hardy transferring, the Tigers will also count on Zykeivous Walker and Dre Butler to make some noise against opposing offensive lines.
Where are you, wide receivers?
Gone is Seth Williams. Eli Stove and Anthony Schwartz have also departed. So who is going to catch the ball in 2021? Well, part of that problem was solved with the arrival of Demetris Robertson from Georgia. Starting out at Cal in 2016, the Savannah, Georgia native showcased what he is capable of, recording 50 receptions for 767 yards and seven touchdowns for the Golden Bears. He was productive for Georgia in 2019 as well with 30 catches for 333 yards and three scores. Can he be the experienced veteran who steps up after injury problems in the past and returns to form? The Tigers hope so.
Then there is Elijah Canion who has found a bond with Nix, showing that chemistry in Auburn’s A-Day Game. He’s still green, though, with only three catches as a freshman last season. Besides Canion, Mike Bobo’s offense absolutely needs production from players such as Kobe Hudson, Ze’Vian Capers, Shedrick Jackson and the plethora of tight ends on the roster or else teams will stack the box against Tank Bigsby and the running game.
Will Friend’s impact on offensive line
Every possible thing has been said or written about how bad Auburn’s offensive line has been the last few seasons, so we aren’t going to repeat it. The important thing here is that the arrival of Will Friend from Tennessee helps solve some of those problems so Nix (or Finley) isn’t running for their lives and has confidence to stay in the pocket.
The problem shouldn’t be at center with Nick Brahms holding the position. What’s important will be the left side of the line that has to protect the blind side of the quarterback. Alec Jackson is the leader for the left tackle position while Tashawn Manning is likely to fit at left guard.
We shall see early on if Friend has made any difference.
The loaded secondary
There might be a lot of question marks about this Auburn team but there are absolutely none about what the secondary is capable of despite losing Christian Tutt and Jamien Sherwood. The cornerbacks are set with veterans Roger McCreary and Nehemiah Pritchett, rising sophomore Jaylin Simpson and West Virginia transfer Dreshun Miller arriving on campus.
Smoke Monday headlines the safety position while Ladarius Tennison and Zion Puckett are ready to dominate at nickel.
Can this be the best secondary the Tigers have had in quite some time? It's definitely possible.
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