AUBURN | One of the biggest question marks going into the 2021 season for Auburn is at the wide receiver position. Other than Georgia transfer Demetris Robertson, there is a vast lack of experience.
So with the Tigers starting practice on Friday, what is Bryan Harsin looking for from this group? The Auburn coach summed it up with one word.
“Consistency,” Harsin said on Thursday. “Showing up every day. Preparing themselves every day. Coming out to practice every day. The details that they take from the meetings, the application on the field and then what they do in the evenings, especially in camp coming back and viewing that and studying it — that’s a position, you have to be a student of the game.”
A lot of eyes will be on how Elijah Canion, Kobe Hudson, Shedrick Jackson, Ze’Vian Capers and others step up into bigger roles after the departures of Seth Williams, Eli Stove and Anthony Schwartz. Quarterback Bo Nix and Canion seemed to have found a comfort level with each other starting in the Citrus Bowl loss to Northwestern and continuing in the annual A-Day Game in April.
Yet Canion, for all the potential he has shown, has just three career receptions. Hudson has seven. Jackson? He has 10. Capers recorded seven as a freshman last season.
You get the point. These guys are more green than the turf of Jordan-Hare Stadium, but the potential is definitely there and, for Auburn to have any success in the passing game, at least a couple of them need to step up.
“I meant what I said, we’ve got talented players in there,” Harsin said. “I think that group’s got to create that identity so they’re that type of unit and those type of players that we know we need in this offense. They’re capable of doing it so, to me, that’s the key. What I saw this summer, a lot of really good work and a lot of those things are happening now. I’m just looking forward to seeing that on the field when we go practice.”
Harsin will stress that they bring their best to every practice and meeting, with that one certain word showing up yet again.
“I think one thing that stands out is they’re very consistent. They’re getting off the ball. They understand their adjustments. They get lined up properly. There’s not a lot of issues from really good wide receivers from that standpoint.”
The mental part of the game, possibly, is just as important as the physical, especially when the game is on the line. Harsin is looking for those guys who can seize the moment but also know exactly what to do in crunch time.
“I think the really, really good ones understand the game and those critical, critical moments in the game. It’s catching the ball and it’s in the two-minute drill and running it to the middle of the field. It’s getting out of bounds. It’s being able to put yourself in a position based off coverage that’s going to give us an advantage because you understand and you paid attention in practice.”
Today is the first day for these receivers to show Harsin and the rest of the new coaching staff the work they have put in all spring and summer, yet one good practice won’t assure anyone a role on Saturdays.
What is that thing that Harsin is looking for? Oh, right.
“We’ve got to be consistent every single day.”
