AUBURN | Auburn will hold its A-Day game Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. Below is a look at the players and position groups to keep a close eye on as the Tigers hold the 14th of 15 spring practices.
QUARTERBACKS
We probably won’t see starters like Bo Nix for more than a quarter or two Saturday but it will be a good first look at how he fits into a new offense and what improvements the junior has made under head coach Bryan Harsin and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. This will also be the first opportunity for redshirt freshman Chayil Garnett and true freshman Dematrius Davis to compete in front of fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium for that coveted position as the heir apparent to Nix, at least until Holden Geriner enrolls next year.
DEVAN BARRETT
It’s probably a given that Auburn builds its offense around sophomore Tank Bigsby, but the running back position is ultra thin behind the sophomore and senior Shaun Shivers. The Tigers need Barrett to step up and show he’s reliable and can step in if one or both of the top two get banged up. That’s putting a lot on a player that set out last season and has played defensive back the previous two years after working as a running back his first season. True freshman signee Jarquez Hunter is the only other scholarship running back scheduled to be on the roster this fall so Barrett’s progress could determine whether or not AU needs to pursue a running back in the transfer portal.
JOHNSON AND THE WIDEOUTS
Ja’Varrius Johnson has been one of the players most talked about this spring and Saturday will give the diminutive wideout an opportunity to showcase his skills. A talented but inexperienced group of wide receivers is probably having to make as big an adjustment to a new scheme than any other position group on the team. With Shedrick Jackson and Ze’Vian Capers limited with injuries this spring, Kobe Hudson is the team’s No. 1 wideout at the moment but it’s pretty wide open with Elijah Canion, Malcolm Johnson Jr., J.J. Evans and Caylin Newton looking to join Johnson in taking a big step forward.
OFFENSIVE TACKLES
It remains the biggest question on the 2021 team regardless of what happens Saturday but it will still be important to see how much progress left take Alec Jackson has made this spring along with right tackle Brodarious Hamm and projected backups Austin Troxell and Brenden Coffey. It’s a really tough position to evaluate in a spring game, however, because Auburn’s edge pass rushers haven’t exactly tore it up the past couple of seasons so if the tackles keep a relatively clean pocket, does that mean they’ve stepped up or is AU still lacking on the edge. It’s sort of the glass half empty/half full debate. If the edge rushers run wild Saturday is it because they’ve stepped forward under the new staff and scheme or because AU’s offensive tackles are lacking. Personally, I’m not sure we’ll have an answer to either question until Auburn lines up against Penn State Sept. 18 or back-to-back games against LSU and Georgia in early October.
J.J. PEGUES
Pegues made the big move from tight end to defensive line midway through spring and the A-Day game will be a great opportunity to show how much progress he’s made. Nobody is expecting a polished, All-SEC defensive tackle, but his combination of size and athleticism could allow him to make some plays and get the crowd fired up once Harsin turns the scrimmage over to the backups. Auburn has a total of 16 defensive linemen and edge players on the roster so the whole group and what the depth chart looks like for the first and second-team will be interesting to watch.
TENNISON
Ladarius Tennison took over the starting nickel position at the end of last season and is now the favorite to start alongside Smoke Monday at safety after making the position move this spring. Tennison has earned a lot of praise from his coaches and teammates this spring and it will be interesting to see if the playmaker can force or come up with some turnovers during A-Day. At 5-foot-10, Tennison is one of those defensive backs that Auburn seems to have just about every season that are playmakers in coverage and will come up and put a lick on a ball carrier or receiver.
MORE TO WATCH
** If Auburn is to build its offense around Tank, the offensive line needs to get nastier in the run game. Can that group get more movement upfront and give AU’s running backs more room to operate this year?
** Will Auburn’s tight ends catch more than a couple of passes and will any of the group show the ability to gain yards after the catch and be more of a big-play option?
** Marquis Burks has gotten a lot of opportunities with the first-team defense this spring. He didn’t play much last fall so this will be an opportunity to see the former JUCO transfer healthy and competing for a spot in the playing rotation.
** Auburn desperately needs an edge pass rusher to step up this year. Of the current guys on the team, Derick Hall probably has the most potential and any progress or big plays from the junior would be a big positive from A-Day. Northwestern transfer Eku Leota will bring some help this summer.
** Owen Pappoe, Zakoby McClain and Chandler Wooten have had outstanding springs. But all three will likely be gone after this season so the development of AU’s young linebackers such as Cam Riley, Wesley Steiner and Desmond Tisdol will be an important area to keep an eye on.
