Tega determined to improve run blocking

AUBURN | Prince Tega Wanogho feels like he made a lot of progress in year one under J.B. Grimes. He’s ready to make even more in year two.

The left tackle, who has only been playing offensive line for three years, is determined to improve on a junior season that saw him named first-team All-SEC by Pro Football Focus.

“Just last year alone, with coach Grimes coming back, I felt like I actually improved my game a lot,” Wanogho said “I know I still have a long way to go. That’s also one of my reasons for coming back, to just get those mental reps, get ready and develop myself, my technique. And I feel like coach Grimes, he’s actually done that for me as a player. He’s done that for me. I feel like I have room, like a lot of space, that I can fill also. Just playing O-line—I’ve been playing O-line for three years now. I feel like there’s a lot to come.”

The biggest area of improvement needed as Wanogho’s sees it? His run blocking. It’s an area that can help him go from a projected third or fourth round pick in this year’s draft to potentially much higher in 2020.

“I’m going to really focus on my run game right now, because that’s one of the evaluations I got back of stuff I need to get better on,” he said. “I feel like I can do better on my run game, too. Because pass blocking, I was probably one of the best in the nation last year.

“Now I feel like it’s just taking the next level and actually working on something more and being able to work on the run game, my hand placement and all that, being able to like finish players, get off the ball quicker. Just little stuff like that is going to make a difference at the next level. So while I’m in college right now, I’ll do it right now before I get to the next level.”

PFF rated Wanogho with a 89.6 pass blocking grade, seventh in the country, and a 74.2 run blocking grade, which ranked 51st, last season.

Wanogho is one of five senior returning as starters on Auburn’s offensive line, a unit that ranked 14th in the country with an 86.1 pass blocking grade and 20th with a 73.9 run blocking grade.

He's confident the entire front five will take a big step forward in their second season under Grimes.

“We’re just going to try to go get it. Every time,” Wanogho said. “Play the way we did late last year, finish plays, finish blocks, and, you know, just play as a team, a whole unit. And I feel lime we’ll be able to do that because we were able to do that in the bowl game. We already know we can do it. So we just have to go do it every time, every game. That’s the expectation as the whole unit. Me being a leader of the team right now, I feel like that’s what I expect my room to do, like all the O-linemen in my room. We need to do that every time.”

Auburn will hold the first of 15 spring practices Monday afternoon.