AUBURN | J.J. Pegues had a pretty good true freshman season.

He’s on track to have an even better sophomore campaign under a new coaching staff that includes offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and tight ends coach Brad Bedell.

“He’s got explosiveness, he’s got size, he has speed, he has extraordinary quickness, he’s got great hands. Just those three things with him—it just doesn’t happen very often,” said Bedell. “So, the other thing is he works at it; he works extremely hard. He’s studied. He’s lifted. He’s doing great in the classroom.

“All those things are really coming together for J.J., and it’s really fun to watch. It’s fun for young men like that, and he’s not the only one to buy into what we’re doing here and continue to develop that. J.J. can develop as a good leader on this football team if he continues to do things the right way.”

The 6-foot-3 and 308-pound Pegues played in all 11 games last fall catching seven passes for 57 yards. He also carried the ball five times for 14 yards as a Wildcat quarterback.

For Bobo, Pegues’ combination of size and athleticism reminds him of a defensive lineman. But he’d certainly like to keep the jumbo athlete on the offensive side of the ball and has plans to use his skills in different ways.

“We’re moving him around a lot, playing him at a lot of positions,” said Bobo. “Coach Bedell has done a nice job with teaching him. He’s been very, very diligent in how he’s approached learning what to do. It’s a lot different – he was just the off-the-ball guy last year. He’s been off the ball and on the ball for us. This is new stuff for him.

“But he is athletic and he’s over 300 pounds. He’s going to be able to move some people at the point of attack, and he’s going to be able to get out and be able to run routes and stretch the field vertically, too. He can do that. The thing for him is just getting him in shape to where he can do it for a whole game. But I’ve been pleased with J.J., how he’s worked. You’re right – he’s the true definition of an athletic big man.”

Auburn will hold its eighth practice of this spring Wednesday afternoon. The A-Day is April 17 at 1 p.m. CT on SECN+/ESPN+.