AUBURN | Like most schools, Auburn didn’t have a spring practice last year.
It was especially difficult for Bo Nix and the AU offense trying to implement a new system under their second offensive coordinator in two years.
Bryan Harsin has first-hand experience with Nix’s plight even as he installs a third new offense in three years in his first season as the Tigers’ head coach.
“Talking about last year, not having spring practice is crucial,” Harsin said. “That’s something, especially for a quarterback, that’s very challenging to not be able to do that. You said it’s the third offense. I remember myself and when I played it was four different head coaches and four different systems and all that.
“That takes some time, and I think that’s underestimated when there’s a change and players have to learn something new. That takes a tremendous amount of time to do that and a lot of energy and a lot of focus and a lot of dedication to have yourself ready.”
Harsin was a quarterback at Boise State and has risen through the coaching ranks mainly as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. He hired SEC veteran Mike Bobo, another former quarterback, to run AU’s offense.
“I feel like our quarterbacks have done a good job and Coach Bobo has done a good job of getting them prepared,” said Harsin before Monday’s first spring practice. “We’re going to see how that looks when we get out there and practice. My expectations for that group, let’s operate. Let’s operate from the sideline. Let’s get on the field. Let’s make sure we go through our process of communication. Let’s make sure we do it consistently in practice.
“Then when we get our chance to go make plays for the quarterback position you want to be accurate and you want to make great decisions. I think that comes from our preparation and then also just our habits that we’re developing on the field as we get a chance to practice.”
A junior, Nix returns with 24 starts under his belt. The quarterback room includes three other scholarship players, senior Grant Loy, redshirt freshman Chayil Garnett and true freshman Dematrius Davis. Walk-ons Trey Lindsey and Sawyer Pate round out the group.
“I wouldn’t say that we necessarily have a depth chart set. We have a pecking order,” Harsin explained. “Bo will go out there first. Grant will be out there. That will get mixed as we go through practices. Guys will get their shot to run with the 1s and 2s, or whatever we consider the 1s and 2s at the time.
“What I want to see from that group in particular, I want to see guys prepared every single day. I want to see guys come out there and compete, execute, operate the system. I think that’s a big part of what we have to do at the quarterback position — we’ve just got to operate every day, and how we do that at that position is going to lead to how our offense goes. If we can get that down and feel good about what we’re doing at the quarterback position, I think our operation as a whole can improve on the offensive side. Those guys know that.”
Auburn practiced Monday and will finish out the week with workouts on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The A-Day game will be April 17.
