Auburn Tigers : Fall Camp Questions
At last the long dark of the off-season is nearing its end. Football is less than one month away, and that means that Fall Camp is getting underway throughout the SEC. The month of August will be absolutely critical in determining how each team fares in September, October, November, and beyond. With that in mind, each team has pressing questions they have to answer before the end of the month. We will continue our series by taking a look at the questions facing Gus Malzahn and the Auburn Tigers.
Previous Entry: Fall Camp Questions: Arkansas
Is John Franklin III the Next Nick Marshall?
Last season Auburn struggled mightily at the quarterback position. Jeremy Johnson, who was penciled in as a preseason Heisman contender, was an unmitigated disaster. Sean White was little better, completing just 58 percent of his passes and throwing one touchdown against four interceptions. Neither looked like the man who could return Auburn to the top-tier program it was in 2013 and 2010.
Enter John Franklin III. A small, but lightning fast running quarterback from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Like Nick Marshall and Cam Newton before him, Franklin spent time in the junior college ranks before arriving in Auburn this January. Needless to say, Auburn fans were expecting him to follow in their footsteps and be the next great Auburn quarterback. Rhett Lashlee seems to be trying to temper these expectations. During a press conference Saturday, Lashlee said, “I just hope everybody is fair with him with expectations because we put so much on hype and expectations just because we have so much time and we need something to talk about.” That doesn’t sound like an offensive coordinator who is confident that he has a star on his hands.
Verdict: No. He is too small and too inaccurate to be an effective quarterback in the SEC. Sean White, as unspectacular as he may be, will likely be the best option because of his consistency.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see John Franklin III see snaps as a wildcat quarterback, where he can use his incredible running ability to his advantage.
Can Kevin Steele Build on the Defensive Momentum Will Muschamp Started?
Auburn’s defense has not been an elite unit since Tommy Tubberville’s heyday. Gus Malzahn thought he had found the man to remedy that in the form of Will Muschamp, who he hired as defensive coordinator. In his first and only season at Auburn, Will Muschamp’s unit ranked 71st in total defense. That sounds pretty awful, but everyone who watched Auburn last season could see that the unit was getting better every game under Muschamp’s tutelage. Unfortunately for Auburn, Muschamp bolted after one year to take the head coaching job at South Carolina.
The man brought in to replace Muchamp is former LSU defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. In his one season in Baton Rouge LSU’s total defense ranking dropped from 9th to 25th. In his prior stint as defensive coordinator at Clemson, his defense declined every year he was there. His 2010 defense ranked 13th in scoring defense, while his 2011 defense ranked 81st. That sort of drop in just one year is almost inconceivable.
Verdict: In the short-term he probably will. Because Auburn has a lot of veteran talent on the defensive side of the ball. But in the long-term he will most likely allow the defense to regress, just as he did at Clemson and LSU.
Who Will Catch the Ball?
Last season Ricardo Louis was far and away Auburn’s best receiver. He led the team in catches with 46 catches for 716 yards and three touchdowns. But Louis is no longer on the team, as he is now a Cleveland Brown. Also gone are Melvin Ray, Roc Thomas, and Peyton Barber. The trio combined for 42 catches for 591 yards and 3 touchdowns.
So who is still on the plains this season? Marcus Davis, who was second on the team in catches with 30, has earned a starting spot according to Gus Malzahn. Veterans Jason Smith and Tony Stevens also return, but have produced very little to this point in their careers. This could open the door for Auburn’s talented incoming freshmen. The Tigers signed four: Nate Craig-Myers, Kyle Davis, Eli Stove, and Marquis McClain. The youngsters will certainly have a shot at earning playing time if they can
Verdict: Marcus Davis will be solid, and hopefully a couple of the freshmen will step up. If they don’t life will be hard for the Auburn quarterbacks, because so far the other veterans have been unimpressive.
The Tigers have questions, as do all teams at this stage. How Coach Gus Malzahn answers them will determine how well the Tigers do this season. Let us know how you think he will handle them in the comments. And come back tomorrow to see which questions the Florida Gators are currently facing.