TOP 20: Eli Stove
Eli Stove should be happy with that.
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His freshman season at Auburn wasn't exactly a revelation — 11 catches for 131 yards overall — but he managed to crack the playing rotation at two different receiver positions. He didn't play against Clemson during the season opener, but he saw the field in every game after that. His 78-yard touchdown run against Arkansas was a highlight. Stove was a benefit from start to finish. That's high praise for someone that young at such a crowded position.
Stove split time last season between the "small 3" (inside) position and the 9 (outside) position. That's impressive considering position coach Kodi Burns prefers to keep young players at one spot to let them master it. Stove showed unusual aptitude, however, and gained Burns' confidence quickly. That's a good sign for Stove's short- and long-term future.
The Florida native has a chance to at least double his numbers this fall. Auburn will be throwing the ball more often due to Chip Lindsey's run-pass option paradigm, of course, but Burns appreciates Stove's mix of acceleration and maturity.
Maturity is such an interesting topic right now as it applies to wideouts. Since the Duke Williams debacle, a spectacle wholly created by Williams' lack of maturity, Auburn appears to be valuing high character more than before. There is a belief in some corners of the recruiting world that focusing on high-character targets invariably will lead programs toward a roster of diminished athletic ability, but that's not necessarily true.
There always are prospects who check both boxes. It's a matter of identifying them and winning those recruiting battles, which hasn't always been the Tigers' top strength.
Regardless, most of the Tigers' current receivers are extremely unlikely to throw tantrums or otherwise create spectacles that detract from team chemistry. Stove fits that description. Though he's not vocal at this stage of his career, he may emerge as the kind of person who works behind the scenes to quietly quell issues with/among teammates before they become a problem. That doesn't sound important, but guys like T'Sharvan Bell (2010) and Quan Bray (2013) played huge roles in the locker room during Auburn's most recent SEC Championship seasons.
Like both of those players, Stove has the ability to make a difference on and off the field.
ON THE UP SIDE: Straight-line speed, level-headed demeanor, versatility
ON THE DOWN SIDE: Ground squirrel, inexperience
VOTING RESULTS: Jeffrey Lee (11th), Jay G. Tate (11th), Bryan Matthews (15th), The Bunker (18th)
2016 RANKING: Not ranked
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