AUBURN, Ala. — During a players-only meal before fall camp began, Auburn’s veterans delivered a clear message to the Tigers’ highly touted incoming freshmen at receiver.
With two older receivers out indefinitely with ACL tears suffered in spring practice, the young guys needed to deliver on their hype early.
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“We told them when they first got here … we need freshmen receivers to step up because we lost Will (Hastings), we lost Eli (Stove),” Ryan Davis said Thursday.
Through the first week of fall camp, it’s obvious the freshmen took those words to heart.
“They’ve made a lot of plays for us,” Davis said.
The main storylines that Auburn carried into fall camp are still there, and there hasn’t been much progress with them. The Tigers are still trying to sort out their inexperienced offensive line and secondary. Kam Martin continues to be the leader for the starting running back job. Jarrett Stidham is back to 100 percent in scrimmage situations.
So the biggest development has been the success of Auburn’s freshmen. And while the receivers have received the most buzz, they’re not alone. Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele had several positive takeaways from his first-year players.
“I think this: (Freshmen catch your eye) when you can go out there and you can work with the twos … not all the time, but some,” Steele said. “They’re competing well and not making mental errors, and they have skillsets.”
Newcomers are always hot topics, especially at the beginning of fall camps. Reporters constantly ask questions about freshmen because fans constantly want to know more about freshmen.
But the young players who stick out the most are the ones who are mentioned by coaches and veteran players unprompted. They’re named specifically when asked about general takeaways from camps or scrimmages. Gus Malzahn and his assistants aren’t shying away from praising freshmen, which can be a rarity this early in a camp.
Which ones are standing out early? With one week of camp down, let’s look at the 12 Tigers who have attracted a ton of talk before taking a single snap in a college game, starting with the players who have caught teammates’ eyes the most.
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WR Matthew Hill
“The thing I love about Matthew is, like I said, he’s very savvy. He may not be the fastest guy or anything like that, but he just knows how to wiggle, he knows how to run the ball, he just sees the open field and can move really, really well.” — quarterback Jarrett Stidham
Both Stidham and his top receiver, Ryan Davis, have given a one-word scouting report on Matthew Hill: “savvy.” Hill, a 6-foot-1 playmaker from Snellville, Ga., has showcased a smoothness to his game that goes beyond his years. A top-100 player in the Class of 2018, Hill was an effective receiver and rusher during his days at Brookwood High School, one of the biggest in Georgia.
Hill has primarily worked at slot receiver during fall camp after getting some experience at split end behind Darius Slayton over the summer. He has an opportunity to break into a role similar to Hastings’, but he also has the ability to bring something similar to Davis’ game to the table. Hill broke multiple tackles on a tunnel screen in the first scrimmage Thursday.
With impressive route-running, quickness and vision, Hill has the tools to be the next short-yardage target in Auburn’s offense. He has been the most talked-about freshman through the first week by both coaches and teammates, and there’s a void he could fill with two of the Tigers’ top targets sidelined. Hill also brings bonus ability at punt returner, where he’s battling for the starting job.
WR Seth Williams
“I think Seth Williams has done some really nice things down in the red zone. He’s a long, athletic guy.” — offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey
As much as Auburn’s passing game took a major step forward in 2017, the Tigers didn’t rely on Stidham much inside the red zone. Auburn ranked 93rd nationally in red-zone passing attempts (35) and 76th in touchdowns (nine). A lot of that had to do with Stidham’s supporting cast: Slayton was primarily a deep threat, and Davis and Stove were short-yardage specialists.
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Enter Williams, who has the ideal body size for a red-zone threat at 6 feet 3 and 210 pounds. Nearly every time Williams has been mentioned during camp, a particular play in the red zone is referenced. Davis mentioned his great hands and high-pointing ability, and Stidham said he might have the best leaping ability on the roster.
Auburn lacks a go-to red-zone target, and Williams could provide that as early as this season. His value goes beyond that area, too, as he took a slant for a touchdown of at least 60 yards and caught several back-shoulder throws Thursday. He played four sports at Paul W. Bryant High School — yes, named after the legendary Alabama head coach — just outside of Tuscaloosa, Ala. Now that he’s able to focus solely on football, the ceiling is high for Williams.
WR Anthony Schwartz
“The 10-flat is 10-flat. (Schwartz) can run that. It’s not a joke.” — linebacker Deshaun Davis
Stove’s injury has created a void for Auburn on speed sweeps, as he took 30 handoffs from a wideout position in 2017. Running back-turned-receiver Devan Barrett is an ideal fit for that role, but Auburn is already trying something similar with Schwartz, who is arguably the fastest player on any college football roster this fall.
Schwartz took one of those jet-sweep handoffs and turned it into a gain of 20-plus yards Thursday in the scrimmage. He’s been a fast learner, too, and as Deshaun Davis mentioned he’s picked up the playbook quickly after missing almost all of the summer with track obligations. Schwartz finished second in the 100 meters at the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships earlier this year, and he holds the world junior record time in the same event at 10.15 seconds.
Ryan Davis complimented Schwartz’s hands after the first day of practice, so don’t expect him to solely be a rushing threat in 2018. He has too much speed to leave on the sidelines, and it looks like Auburn is already trying to find creative ways to get him the ball.
WR Shedrick Jackson
“Since he’s been here, he’s more experienced. Shedrick is a strong, stout guy. He’s kinda built like Marquis McClain. They have similar build, similar type of body. He looks great, too.” — receiver Ryan Davis
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Jackson might be the forgotten one of the four Auburn freshman receivers — which is a surprise, considering he’s Bo Jackson’s nephew. Jackson enrolled early this spring and got acclimated to college ball before the other three. However, a leg injury late in the spring kept him from making a real impact in the annual spring game.
At 6 feet and 204 pounds, Jackson is stockier than his fellow freshman receivers. He brings both quickness and versatility to the unit, and he was also the target on several successful back-shoulder throws in the scrimmage Thursday.
Jackson might not have the most buzz of this receiver quartet, but part of that might be because he’s already been on campus. The newness isn’t there as much. Still, the spring experience might be a factor into him getting on the field earlier than other players who were rated as three-star recruits in this freshman class.
RB Asa Martin
“I think Asa Martin has been a surprise, for sure. We knew he was going be a good player. He’s a smart guy. He was well-coached in high school, so you can tell he understands what’s going on.” — offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey
By the end of spring practice, it was clear Auburn had three running backs who had separated themselves from the rest. Asa Martin, the 2017 Mr. Football award winner for the state of Alabama, was one of them.
Asa Martin has a solid chance to be the first go-to true freshman running back at Auburn since Michael Dyer helped the Tigers win a national championship in 2010. He has put on solid weight and is now listed at 209 pounds. He has the body type of a player who can be a workhorse back, and he’s just getting started in the Tigers’ weight program.
Asa Martin’s pass protection has been improved since spring. Defensive players have noticed his power, which is something the Tigers will need to complement junior Kam Martin. Redshirt freshman JaTarvious Whitlow might have an edge because of his experience, but Asa Martin has the tools to be a key piece of Auburn’s offense this fall.
DBs Smoke Monday and Jamien Sherwood
“They’re out there with the second group. They’ve got a very good skillset. The thing that helps them right now, five days into it, is that they went through spring practice. So they’re pretty far along in that regard. … Right now, if we keep progressing, that would be four (reliable) guys at safety, which I don’t think anybody in this room thought that would be the case — including myself.” — defensive coordinator Kevin Steele
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Safety depth has been a running concern over the past two seasons. Last year, the Tigers had seniors Tray Matthews, Stephen Roberts and Nick Ruffin, but not much else in terms of true safeties. This spring, Auburn moved nickel back Jeremiah Dinson to free safety and kept the versatile Daniel Thomas at strong safety.
But the depth will have to come from Monday and Sherwood, two four-star prospects who enrolled early. After learning the defense during spring practices, the duo seems to be locked in as the second-team safeties behind Dinson and Thomas.
The coaching staff is high on what they bring to the table, but the Tigers will lean on experience early in the season. Don’t be surprised, though, if one of these talented freshmen make a move up the depth chart sometime this fall. The potential is there as they continue to impress in fall camp.
CB Christian Tutt
“(Tutt is) one of those that can go on the board and draw up everything. Then he can turn around and tell everybody else what they have to do. So that really impressed me, because I know he could be a key player this season for us.” — cornerback Jamel Dean
At cornerback, Auburn has Dean leading the way after a strong first full season with the program. Sophomore Noah Igbinoghene, who is out of practice right now, is in line to start after making a quick move from reserve wide receiver to first-team corner in the spring.
Behind those two, none of the Tigers’ returning cornerbacks have separated themselves. Tutt, though, earned reps with the second-team defense in no time. That has continued into fall camp, where he has shown a strong grasp of Steele’s defensive scheme. And, like Hill, Tutt is working at punt returner, giving him another shot at early playing time.
Tutt was recruited by Auburn to be the next Carlton Davis — a lockdown cornerback who can be the future anchor of a strong secondary. He figures to be a fixture in Auburn’s rotation at a position that could use as much help as it can get, especially early in the 2018 season.
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RB Shaun Shivers
“Shaun has really surprised me. I thought he was a speed guy, but he’s kind of tough and runs inside the tackles. He doesn’t like getting tackled. I can tell you that. He has a low center of gravity, and he’s a very strong running back. He surprised me running in between the tackles. He opened my eyes a lot.” — linebacker Deshaun Davis
Auburn has never had a player quite like Shivers, at least since Malzahn first came on staff in 2009. Shivers is listed at 5 feet 7, 173 pounds, but he doesn’t shy away from contact. He packs a lot of punch with a speed that is not too far behind Schwartz’s — Shivers finished third to him in the Florida state track meet earlier this year.
Like with Schwartz, Auburn will be able to get creative in using Shivers’ speed. Ryan Davis mentioned him as a potential speed sweep candidate, yet he’s taken a good number of reps at running back.
Shivers’ size might prevent him from being a true every-down back in the SEC, but Lindsey likes the “explosive” value he brings there. Fans aren’t going to want to miss his first between-the-tackles run at Auburn, and there’s a good chance it happens early in the season.
LB Zakoby McClain
“Really who’s standing out to me right now is Zakoby McClain. To me, he’s separating himself from the freshman class, the freshman bunch. … He’s 202 (pounds), but he sticks you with every pound. He hits you with that 202. … I think Zakoby will definitely be able to help us this year. — linebacker Deshaun Davis
Auburn has plenty of veteran talent at linebacker with three seniors, two sophomores ready to step into starting roles in 2019 and a couple of depth pieces with solid experience. The Tigers might not need a freshman linebacker to step into a role, but that might not matter for McClain.
On paper, McClain might look undersized for SEC play at 6 feet and 202 pounds. Yet he was a tackle magnet in the Thursday scrimmage, which caught the eye of Deshaun Davis. His coverage skills could be an added boost to a unit that needs to assist a retooled secondary as much as it can.
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McClain’s linebacker coach, Travis Williams, was once considered too small to be an impact player. He defied the odds and became an All-SEC performer. McClain is learning from the ideal position coach, and his opportunity to play might come earlier than expected.
CB Roger McCreary
“He’s a lot like Noah (Igbinoghene) in that he can run, he understands it and he’s a physical guy. I mean, of course, he played every position on the field in high school. When you can run like that and be an edge player still who has some physicality to you, that helps.” — defensive coordinator Kevin Steele
When Steele rattled off a list of freshmen who impressed him early in practices, McCreary’s name was a surprise in the midst of several higher-rated newcomers. McCreary, a late-cycle commitment who was once pledged to South Alabama, arrived in the summer and didn’t get the same head start as other freshmen in the secondary.
Auburn has developed several under-the-radar defensive backs into strong playmakers over the past several seasons. Though his spot on the depth chart is still unknown, there’s a lot to like early about the length and aggression of McCreary at cornerback.
Deshaun Davis, who also hails from the Mobile, Ala., area, liked what he saw from McCreary when he was covering top receivers such as Slayton and Ryan Davis. He might be a long shot for a significant role this fall, but McCreary is turning heads early.
BUCK Richard Jibunor
“He can run, and he knows there’s one football out there and he likes to practice. So, if you’ve figured out that there’s only one ball out there, chase it and you could run, then you got a chance.” — defensive coordinator Kevin Steele
Auburn’s Buck defensive end position is loaded, especially if sophomore Nick Coe gets significant reps there with T.D. Moultry and Big Kat Bryant. The Tigers are already developing the next wave at edge rusher, though, with the arrival of Jibunor.
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Malzahn, who normally doesn’t talk a lot about defensive players, mentioned Jibunor as someone who stood out in the first practice. Jibunor’s speed has been a defining characteristic early, along with a high motor. The descriptions of his all-out effort are similar to what was said of Marlon Davidson in his freshman season.
Of course, Davidson became a true freshman starter on Auburn’s defensive line in 2016. Jibunor won’t challenge for a starting job this fall, but he’ll be one to watch off the edge if he continues to work his way up the depth chart.