As fall camp approaches for Auburn football and Bryan Harsin, a look at the depth chart and some under the radar players who could make an impact this season or rise up the depth chart.
Tight end is a bit of an enigma when it comes to finding an under the radar player. John Samuel Shenker, who Auburn’s top tight end last season with nine receptions for 97 yards, missed most of the spring to play on Auburn’s baseball team.
Stepping up in his place was Tyler Fromm, who has yet to record a reception in his first two seasons at Auburn. So while he would’ve been the under the radar pick originally, he has a legitimate shot at beginning the season at No. 1 on the depth chart.
That leaves Luke Deal, Brandon Frazier and Landen King. Expectations were high last year for Frazier but he dealt with injuries that forced him to miss most of the season. King is a talented freshman, but needs a little time before being able to make a major impact.
That makes Deal the pick for Auburn’s under the radar tight end.
The tight end position should be utilized more in Harsin and Bobo’s offense, so it’s entirely possible two and even three tight ends are on the field at once.
Deal played in three games and redshirted his freshman season. Last year, Deal was primarily a blocking tight end who caught two passes for 11 yards. But Deal has the athleticism and the ability to be more than just a blocking tight end for Auburn.
If Deal slips out of a blocking situation or has some designed dump downs in case Bo Nix is rushed, he could rack up quite a few catches and make a big impact at tight end.
Heading into the fall the depth chart remains a little bit of a question mark with Shenker and Fromm likely at the top and Deal and Frazier below them, but Deal’s potential impact on this year’s football team should not be discounted.
All the tight ends will be utilized more this season, but Deal is an under the radar the guy who could end up with 15 or more receptions by the end of the season
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