Position pecking order No. 10: Tight ends and H-backs
This week at AuburnSports.com, we're kicking off another rankings series, this time with the goal of determining the pecking order of 11 Auburn position groups.
We know who Auburn's most talented and most valuable players for this coming season are. But just how much a difference do they make when it comes to their position room as a whole? Are they one of a number of standout performers at their position, or are they the outlier?
Likewise, Tiger fans are well aware of what the most inexperienced or unproven spots on the field are.
Our staff ranked the 11 position groups on the roster based on a number of criteria. The staffer who voted a particular position the highest will have to defend his reasoning.
NO. 10 (out of 11): TIGHT ENDS, H-BACKS
VOTES: Jay G. (9), BMatt (9), J-Lee (10), Nate (10)
John Samuel Shenker has done plenty of good in his two seasons as Auburn's go-to tight end. He just hasn't caught a ton of passes.
The 6-foot-3, dual-sport athlete — who also plays infield for Butch Thompson's Auburn baseball club — has done what Gus Malzahn has asked of him: block effectively at the line of scrimmage and be a red-zone target. Shenker is strong and physical enough to be consistent at the former, and he has two red-zone, touchdown grabs as part of his six total receptions over the last two years.
The insertion of new offensive coordinator and noted tight-end savant Chad Morris will undoubtedly expand the responsibilities of the position. Auburn hasn't had a dangerous, pass-catching weapon like Morris will want for the offense in a long time.
Shenker can be that guy in Morris' system, but Auburn has also stockpiled the tight ends room with a glut of young talent over the past two years. Malzahn brought in a pair at the position in each of his last two recruiting classes — Luke Deal and Tyler Fromm in 2019, and J.J. Pegues and Brandon Frazier in 2020.
Morris values the tight-end slot in the passing game far more than Malzahn has in recent years, evident in Morris' starting tight end at Arkansas, Cheyenne O'Grady, having 785 yards and nine touchdowns during Morris' two seasons with the Razorbacks.
Shenker will have to fight off the youngsters trying to unseat him while also learning Morris' offense, but he should be given the benefit of the doubt that he'll be quarterback Bo Nix's No. 1 option at the position when this coming season starts.
Auburn hasn't utilized the H-back much since Chandler Cox graduated two years ago, but the 6-foot-3, 285-pound Pegues is thought to be an athlete who could slide into the role over time. Deal, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound redshirt freshman, lined up at the position a handful of times during his three game appearance last year.
WHY NO. 9? (Jay G.): Auburn's situation at tight end and H-back intrigues me a lot insofar as these positions appear to be taking a step forward. Since Robert Johnson was here during the late 1990s and early 2000s, Philip Lutzenkirchen is really the only tight end to truly thrive (from a statistical perspective) on the Plains. Was C.J. Uzomah a great player? His success in the NFL certainly proves that point, but he never caught more than 11 balls in a college season.
So it's fair to say the tight end is underutilized in Gus Malzahn's system. But this really isn't Malzahn's system now; it's more about Chad Morris these days. Morris loves tight ends, loves the physical presence they bring to middle-of-field passing. I think this is the year that guys like John Samuel Shenker and Luke Deal and Tyler Fromm and Brandon Frazier get a chance to contribute — and for Malzahn to pretend like he was planning to do this all along.
The keys for me here are Frazier and J.J. Pegues. Those are two true freshmen that were must-haves for both Malzahn and Morris. Frazer has the look of a do-everything tight end. Pegues also has those kinds of skills, albeit less refined, but he probably will develop into an H-back who offers the power of Chandler Cox with more versatility. Malzahn wants Pegues to be a candidate at Wildcat Quarterback in short order, believing the Oxford, Miss., native can run the football with authority and throw the football with surprisingly good effect.
Am I skeptical about this position group? I am to some degree. Still, having Frazier and Pegues in the pipeline is a big deal for the future (and possibly the present) of this improving offensive system.
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