Nathan King of AuburnSports.com has been following and reporting on Gus Malzahn's program through the most unconventional offseason in the sport's modern history. Cats Illustrated reached out to him this week as part of our Behind Enemy Lines series.
Read up on the Auburn Tigers as we prepare for the first week of SEC action.
Cats Illustrated: What are some of the things you have learned about Auburn during camp and the practices leading up to this season that you might not have known months ago?
Nathan King: Like most teams playing amid the pandemic, Auburn put a huge emphasis this offseason on increased depth. Gus Malzahn's first official depth chart of the year was the most extensive it's ever been, and the coaching staff has been grooming a bunch of Tigers to play multiple positions in case of a nightmare COVID-19 scenario leading up to a game.
Malzahn said he doesn't remember ever working so closely with third- and fourth-string players as much as he did this preseason camp. He and Auburn know they may need that No. 3 offensive guard or that backup tight end at a moment's notice this year.
In terms of on-field changes, the biggest can be expected with new offensive coordinator Chad Morris. Malzahn is turning the controls over to his good friend in the coaching industry, which is a big deal for someone like Malzahn who likes doing things his way on that side of the ball.
We're seeing Malzahn put so much trust into Morris because of their prior relationship. The head coach will obviously have his input, but it appears Morris will have autonomy with Auburn's offense that we certainly didn't see in coordinators past.
CI: What kinds of changes can be expected with Chad Morris as Auburn's offensive coordinator?
King: Morris is leaning on what's worked for him in the past: stretch the field with a bigger emphasis on the vertical passing game, get tight ends and running backs involved catching balls, and create chunk plays.
All those aspirations are easier said than done, obviously, but it's still been eye-opening to hear and see the results of Morris' new system in the preseason.
Tight ends are giddy that they "don't have to block so much." Receivers say Morris is demanding they diversify their route trees. Running backs are catching passes for big gains in scrimmages. And most importantly, sophomore quarterback Bo Nix is soaking in knowledge from the QB guru, and the two are on the same page for Nix's goals moving forward.
We'll see how different the offense looks compared to last season on Saturday. I'm willing to bet the increased usage of tight ends and tailbacks will make things simpler for Nix in Game 1, while Morris' more complex intentions will appear gradually as the year progresses.
CI: The offensive and defensive lines are being retooled to some degree this year. What's the outlook in the trenches?
Each side of the line of scrimmage for Auburn loses tons of experience. All-American defensive linemen Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson are now in the NFL, while the O-line lost four of five starters.
A dropoff should be expected for both groups, but it's thought that the departure of Brown and Davidson — two of the top defensive players in program history — will be felt as a bigger loss in 2020.
Auburn’s other two starters on the D-line are back, with end Big Kat Bryant, who moves from the weak side to the strong side, and tackle Tyrone Truesdell, who was underrated playing next to a monster like Brown last year. Both were solid last season and should be in the running for all-conference recognition in 2020.
While sophomore Derick Hall and redshirt freshman Colby Wooden are technically the starters at edge rusher and the other defensive tackle spot, respectively, Kevin Steele’s defenses always rotate plenty along the front lines — and a by-committee approach could be more pertinent than ever before for Steele as he works to replace the big-time production of Brown and Davidson.
There’s no shortage of talent for the D-line. Seemingly every player is either a former blue-chip prospect, a sought-after JUCO transfer or a proven veteran. I’m of the opinion that this group can get along just fine this season being good but not great, since they may have the best linebacker corps in the SEC filling in the gaps.
The offensive line, meanwhile, has drawn the ire of many Auburn fans over the past couple seasons.
The truth is that the unit got better over the course of last season, and Bo Nix was actually the best-protected quarterback in the conference by November. A fair knock against them was their ability to create push in the ground game — especially against some of the beefy defensive fronts they faced in the SEC.
Only center Nick Brahms returns from last year’s starting five. Right tackle Brodarious Hamm, at 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds, is preseason All-SEC on the second team, and Malzahn thinks he could be the most powerful O-lineman to come through Auburn in a long time.
The rest of the group is plenty talented, too, and new position coach Jack Bicknell Jr. has brought an intense, “pro-style” approach to the room this preseason.
It’s one of Auburn’s biggest unknowns on the roster. If Nix is to take another step forward in his sophomore season — and if all the skill talent around is meant to succeed like many believe they can — the O-line will have to be at least decent against a conference-only schedule.
CI: How do you think teams will try to attack Auburn's defense this year?
King: The easy answer here would be to cite the relative inexperience along the defensive line.
I don’t think that’s going to be as big of an issue as some others do, but Auburn may get into some trouble off the bat against Kentucky’s offensive line, considering it might be tops in the conference and one of the best in the country. Teams with more punishing ground games may be able to find an edge there.
The Tigers’ linebackers are top-notch, with first team All-SEC recipient K.J. Britt leading the charge. But they were beat at times covering shallow routes from receivers and tight ends, so that should be an area to watch. Plus, they’re not as deep as expected after senior Chandler Wooten opted out of the season. If injuries or coronavirus issues flare up, the backup linebackers could be exploited.
Auburn’s secondary is replacing four of five starters, but three of the four new faces aren’t really new. Roger McCreary was one of the nation’s most effective cover corners last season, and safeties Smoke Monday and Jamien Sherwood have been making plenty of plays for Auburn since their true freshman seasons in 2018.
The Tigers’ defensive backs are wildly efficient with tackling and making stops in the open field, and that’s not expected to change this year. But over the years, they’ve fallen victim to more than a few well-placed deep balls and some pass-interference issues.
If Kentucky can set itself up with play-action opportunities by succeeding on the ground, it could find success with some downfield shots.
CI: Any thoughts on how you see the matchup between Kentucky and Auburn?
King: These defenses are full of talented and physical playmakers. And in the first game after an abbreviated and strange offseason — with no spring practices — I don’t expect the quarterbacks to light up the scoreboard.
Whoever can make good on their red-zone opportunities down the stretch will win. Both these teams have struggled in the past with capitalizing on big plays from their defenses, or capping a strong possession with touchdowns instead of field goals.
Kentucky’s defense is more experienced and doesn’t necessarily have many weaknesses. I think Nix is primed to make even more noise in the conference this season, but UK isn’t exactly the easiest team to carve up.
Still, he and his weapons should be more than capable of breaking a few plays open for big gains or touchdowns, and that could be the difference in the game.
I think Kentucky is too good for Auburn to cover -8, but it’s difficult for me to envision a scenario where the Tigers won’t ultimately come away with the win.
Auburn 24, Kentucky 20
