It was only a matter of time before redshirt freshman Tez Doolittle found himself back in the trenches. That time finally came Tuesday afternoon.

Doolittle, who was signed by Auburn out of nearby Opelika High School as a fullback, had previously been working with the defensive ends. However, with the depleted numbers of defensive linemen following the injury to noseguard T.J. Jackson Sunday, Doolittle worked at the tackle position and believes he may have found a home.

“They moved me inside to get more reps because T.J. is out right now,” said the 6-foot-3, 285-pounder. “I like it down there. I get more reps and there is more contact down there. I think I will be better there. (The move) is permanent.”

Doolittle was impressive in drills at the three technique (tackle) and defensive line coach Don Dunn liked what he has seen out of the youngster since a lack-luster effort in the spring.

“It is night and day (with Tez) from spring. He has grown up and he’s learning how to play football at this level,” said Dunn. “He’s still got tons of things to learn and miles and miles to go, but he will eventually help us if he keeps working.”

Doolittle’s move didn’t come as a big surprise to Dunn. The coach knew it was inevitable after the Opelika-native gained weight during his freshman season. Although Doolittle initially requested to stay at end as a freshman, Dunn believes Doolittle belongs at tackle.

“We had to move him inside with T.J.’s injury, but we figured even before that because of his size,” said Dunn. “That’s where he needs to be. He’s a tackle. He’s big enough and strong enough so that is where he will probably stay.”

The biggest difference between Doolittle in the spring and Doolittle in the fall is his effort during practice.

“That was missing in the spring. He didn’t work hard in the spring, but he’s working hard now," said Dunn. "People grow up. He’s a year older. That’s the best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.”

Doolittle’s move to the tackle spot now gives Dunn a five-man rotation at the two interior defensive line positions. Along with Doolittle at the three-technique is starter Jay Ratliff and true freshman Pat Sims. At the noseguard, with Jackson slated to be out at least four weeks, redshirt freshman Josh Thompson and junior Wayne Dickens are listed as the top two.

While many new freshmen are having to learn a completely new way of football, junior linebacker Travis Williams is completing his education at linebacker. Williams already knows both the sam (strong-side) and the will (weak-side) positions, but is learning the mike (middle) position because of his experience and knowledge of the game.

Williams, who is listed at 6-foot-1, 212 pounds, started all 13 games last season at the will spot. However, with the departure of Dontarrious Thomas to graduation and ultimately the NFL, Williams has been called upon be the field general of the defense.

“I’m just trying to get my feet wet. I am getting it down, but I just have to train my eyes because I was looking from the outside-in and now I’m in the middle,” said Williams. “I’ve got will down and sam down so if I learn mike I can play all three positions. It is just up to the coaches where they put me.”

Currently Williams is running second-team during practice behind fifth-year senior Mayo Sowell, but regardless of which backer position he plays, he will be on the field somewhere.

“I am just learning mike so you can’t just throw me out there in the fire,” he said. “That is why I am in the film room a lot and with (linebacker) coach (Joe) Whitt. “I’m just learning the position, but once Sept. 4 comes I will be out there somewhere.”

Although the junior has worked extensively at the outside positions in college, the move to the middle is something that he is embracing.

“I like mike because there is more action,” he said. “Everything is moving real fast. The coaches told me that I was picking it up.

“I’m strong and I’ve got good leverage so I will be able to handle it.”

It may have only been a routine inside drill, but you wouldn’t have known it by the way a few players went after each other. At the end of one play, the freshman defensive lineman Sims and sophomore offensive guard Jarrod Britt evidently didn’t like the outcome as they both began pushing before the shoves turned into round-houses.

Just as those two were finishing up, the fight carried over to another brawl that involved offensive guard Tim Duckworth and linebacker Montavian Collier. During the scuffle, Duckworth lost his helmet, but that didn’t stop the 6-foot-3, 314-pounder from throwing a few punches. Everything settled down shortly thereafter and no one was injured.

“They swing at each other and then laugh about it when they get back,” said head coach Tommy Tuberville. “It’s not like it looks, but it is good to see them compete.”

Auburn ran these drills Tuesday at practice:

*** Inside Drill ***

Emphasis of drill: Minus the cornerbacks and wide receivers, the Tiger offense and defense go head-to-head from end-to-end working only on the running game mostly between the tackles.

Top performers: On defense, Sowell continued to look good at the mike linebacker position as he made several plays including one where he burst through the line and stopped tailback Carnell Williams for a loss. Doolittle showed some flashes of his potential at the tackle spot as he shucked his blocker from the left side and slid down the line of scrimmage to make a stop on redshirt freshman Carl Stewart. Doolittle also made a good play using his quickness to get off his block and stop Jerald Watson. Strong-side defensive end Doug Langenfeld also made a nice play on Tre Smith as he got off his block and stuffed the junior tailback for a loss. Collier showed he could be a future playmaker at the linebacker spot as he made a few good plays including filling his run-gap and stopping freshman Brad Lester. The biggest hit of the day came when outside linebacker Derrick Graves lit up freshman fullback Mike McLaughlin and knocked him back into the running back Watson for a big loss. Offensively for Auburn in the drill, guard Danny Lindsey sealed the hole paving the way for Ronnie Brown to break free. Stewart also had a good run off the block of freshman offensive tackle Leon Hart, who pulled and sealed defensive end Chris Browder.

*** Pass Skeleton Drill ***

Emphasis of drill: Also called the “skele”, this drill is designed to work exclusively on the passing game with only the offensive skill positions battling the defensive linebackers and secondary.

Top performers: Quarterback Jason Campbell was once again sharp throwing the ball. On the very first play of the drill, Devin Aromahodu got past David Irons on a go-route down the left side, but Irons used his speed and managed to catch back up and save a long touchdown when their feet got tangled. Campbell later hooked up with Aromashodu threading the ball between two defenders on a slant pattern. The biggest play of the day came when Campbell found Courtney Taylor on a deep post pattern. On the play, Taylor got behind Courtney Denson and Donnay Young and Campbell threw a strike to hit the receiver in stride 40 yards down the field. Freshman wideout James Swinton continued to look impressive as he made a few nice catches. Defensively, Montae Pitts, Kevin Hobbs and Pat Lee all had pass break-ups. There were no interceptions Tuesday.

*** Pass-Rush Drill ***

Emphasis of drill: Putting the offensive linemen up against the defensive linemen in a drill that benefits both sides. It allows the offensive linemen to work on its pass blocking while the defensive linemen work on their pass-rush. Players line up 5-on-5, but only one of the five go at a time allowing for a one-on-one match-up.

Top performers: Ratliff continued his dominance on the defensive line as he literally pushed guard Ben Grubbs off the ball and back into the quarterback. Grubbs rebounded however, to fend off a bull rush from Dickens. Center Jeremy Ingle had a standout performance during the drill as he managed to contain Thompson on back-to-back occasions. Senior end Bret Eddins got the best of Troy Reddick, but Reddick came right back and stopped Langenfeld on the next series. Newly re-converted defensive end Quentin Groves used a nice spin move to get around Duckworth. The best match-up of the day came when sophomore end Stanley McClover went up against freshman tackle Leon Hart. On the first battle, McClover anticipated the snap count and blew by Hart like he wasn’t even there. Hart might have managed to get a finger on him. However, on the very next repetition, Hart came right back and did a good job of holding up The Predator and evening the score.

*** One-on-One Drill ***

Emphasis of drill: A defensive lineman and an offensive line go head-to-head with a running back lined up five yards deep behind the line of scrimmage. At the whistle, the defensive lineman tries to shed the block and make the tackle while the offensive lineman tries to hold the block and allow the back to get through the hole.

Top performers: Offensively, Rhett Autrey beat Marquies Gunn on back-to-back tries. McClover used his upper body strength to man-handle freshman Antwoin Daniels as he hook him around the shoulder pads and threw the new Tiger to the ground with one arm. Hart, Marcus McNeill and Duckworth all had a strong drill on offense. Defensively, Sims, Doolittle and Thompson were standouts.

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