On a football field, the position of safety strikes me as misunderstood. Thanks to headhunters like Ed Reed (University of Miami, Baltimore Ravens) and Troy Polamalu (University of Southern California, Pittsburgh Steelers), we think of the safety as either a ball-hawking, super intelligent Venus fly-trap (Reed) or a heavy-hitting assassin that roams the field with intentions of distributing concussions (Polamalu).
Correct me if I’m wrong, but “fly-trap” and “assassin” are bonus attributes for a safety. A satisfactory safety is intended to be a catch-all or a last resort. Or in other words a safety net. Imagine that.
This is what makes Auburn’s national championship run unfathomable. The weakest spot on the roster was the safety position. Defensive coordinator Ted Roof and the Tigers performed a season-long high-wire act without the aid of a net. Although three names that will arguably live forever in Auburn lore lined up at safety last season, none were considered satisfactory in the biggest five-month stretch of football in the school’s existence.
The three safeties in Auburn’s 2010 rotation are no longer on the roster. The two initial starters – Zac Etheridge and Aairon Savage – were seniors in eligibility. Mike McNeil, a junior, entered the fray as a starter late in the year, but as we later learned, was already suffering from a litany of personal issues.
Etheridge returned from a frightening neck injury in 2009 to reclaim his starting role in fall practice. While his leadership was vital to the family-tight locker room atmosphere, it was visibly evident that his body was still reacclimating to full-speed, full-contact football. In spurts, he looked like his old, spry self. Most times, his body looked weather-beaten. He was not a lost cause for the Tigers, making 69 total tackles (second-best on the team behind linebacker Josh Bynes) and picking off three interceptions; however, he did leave holes in the safety net against bigger, faster receivers and running backs in the open field. He was not an outright liability, but one could not help but imagine that Roof could have used an upgrade.
Savage saw his career come to an end at the halfway point of the season, immediately becoming the worst kind of case study for a college football player. For two straight seasons in 2008 and ’09, Savage’s season succumbed to injuries during fall practice. Last season, the sixth-year senior returned to the field but was a shell of his former self (in ’06, Savage was the third-leading tackler for the Tigers as a redshirt freshman). What occurred this past fall was unfair. For someone who gave all his physical gifts to Auburn and encountered copious amounts of mental strain from rehabbing for two consecutive years, his body betrayed him. Even before his season-ending injury, Savage no longer could run against SEC speed. A Savage in street clothes acted as a coach during the Tigers’ march toward Glendale. It was irony that the Tiger with the biggest heart and a gifted brain graduated with his heart and brain as the only body parts intact.
Our top two safeties exemplified everything from a character perspective that head coach Gene Chizik has preached since his arrival to Auburn on December 13, 2008. They just could not physically compete.
McNeil had the physical tools. Unfortunately, as the Tigers rolled toward immortality, his personal life was already falling from grace.
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A tainted legacy
Mike McNeil’s 56 tackles in a championship-winning season, mostly coming in a backup role, will not be remembered. Instead, McNeil, a top-rated recruit coming out of high school, will be remembered for a year-long personal breakdown that culminated in the morning hours of March 11, 2011.
According to Auburn football beat writer Evan Woodberry, McNeil and teammate Mike Blanc were served with an eviction notice in April 2010. (Note: At the time, McNeil was undergoing rehab from a broken leg and most likely operating at an elevated-level of stress.) The landlord sued McNeil and Blanc shortly thereafter. At the duo’s next apartment, it was more of the same: McNeil, Blanc, and teammate Neiko Thorpe were served with an unlawful detainer complaint in March of this year. A week later on March 11, McNeil and three other Auburn players – all freshmen – robbed a motor home and were subsequently arrested and dismissed from the team.
Frustration sets in upon the realization that McNeil should have been a leader of this year’s team. But for someone who is supposed to be a safety net, it’s doubtful that he would be the likely choice to fill the role that Auburn so desperately needs. The description of the safety position implies that it needs to be the most reliable player on the field. The trait of reliability typically translates to off-the-field antics as well. That said, McNeil’s actions proved he was anything but reliable.
What does the foreseeable future hold for Chizik, coach of three Jim Thorpe Award winners for the nation’s best defensive back? Will he get the safety that logic suggests he should covet?
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The not-so-loose cannon
The likelihood of freshman-to-be Erique Florence becoming one of my favorite Tigers is high. He has yet to see the field, but already is establishing his own quirky corner in Auburn history.
He was supposed to go on his official visit the University of Alabama the weekend of January 22-23. But then Auburn, who he openly rooted for last year, won the national championship. The visit to Tuscaloosa conflicted with the day of Auburn’s championship celebration in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Florence didn’t hesitate to pick up the phone and cancel the Alabama visit. He and his camera were headed to Auburn for the celebration and subsequent partying.
Alabama fans slam him on message boards as a “loose cannon” and “trouble.” I don’t see any of that in a video interview with a Tuscaloosa publication in which Florence came off as a calming presence that actually had an interesting, thought-out take on playing in high school all-star games and living in a state where both Auburn and Alabama fans co-exist. Contrary to the deductions of the Alabama faithful, Florence might be the antithesis of a loose cannon: a methodical worker who can quickly digest, analyze, and execute with the information provided.
Florence also played quarterback his senior year at Valley (Ala.) High School. Those leadership skills and reliability that is so desired at the safety position? Florence starting honing them last year as the vocal leader of a team that went on a run to the post-season. Auburn’s safety spot is staring him right in the face.
To the liking of Chizik, Roof, and safeties coach Tommy Thigpen, Florence will have competition.
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“I think he’s a much better safety than he is a corner”
Neiko Thorpe knows he has to make this work.
A soon-to-be-senior, Thorpe was the recipient to a slap in the face this spring. Going into spring practice, Thorpe was Auburn’s most seasoned cornerback. But don’t mistake seasoned for productive. Thorpe’s 2010 year as a starting cornerback proved that his Outback Bowl appearance the previous January (14 tackles, including the game-winning tackle, and an interception vs. Kansas State) was an anomaly. Thorpe was frequently terrorized by big, fast receivers Alshon Jeffery (South Carolina), A.J. Green (Georgia), and Julio Jones (Alabama). The emergence of T’Sharvan Bell as a big-game performer at cornerback placed Thorpe on the bench at the start of the national championship game against Oregon.
In the fastest conference in football, Thorpe was a step slower. Ted Roof knew this. The move to safety was inevitable. And Roof didn’t sway away from explaining the move to Charles Goldberg:
“We thought that would be best for our football team and best for Neiko. I think it’s a win-win for both because right now we’ve got more depth at corner than we did at safety. I think he’s a much better safety than he is a corner. And I think he’s very comfortable back there. I think we’re going to see an increased level of production.”
Translation: “He might not be able to chase down a parked car, but surely, he could be the last resort on our defense.”
I hope for Thorpe’s sake, there is a payoff to Roof’s logic. I assume I am not the only Auburn fan who cursed out Thorpe through the television last year. It was not out of hate, but frustration as Thorpe demonstrated the potential to be an All-SEC performer his freshman year. Where was that kid? Why hasn’t that potential been realized?
Thorpe has one more year on The Plains. Since he did not start the national title game, one could assume there is a large chip on Thorpe’s shoulder pads. Game experience accounts for a lot in the SEC. Can that experience carry him as Auburn’s catch-all? We better hope, because as an incoming senior, he has the first crack at being the final man between the opponent and the goal line.
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Throwing more logs on the fire
The Auburn coaches are manufacturing depth.
Demetruce McNeal’s ability to barrel downfield as the gunner on the kickoff team leads fans to believe that he’s a future star at safety. That thought is not completely out of line seeing that McNeal transcended anonymity in a role that typically goes unnoticed. The sophomore-to-be exited spring practice as one of the starters alongside Thorpe.
Jermaine Whitehead could have just as easily told Auburn to stick it. The Mississippi State commit was coveted by the Bulldogs, only his heart belonged to the Tigers. It was not until the day before National Signing Day 2011 that Whitehead got the scholarship offer from Auburn. He accepted. That simple act proved that Whitehead wants to play here. In a time where young players detach their heart from the decision-making process, Whitehead followed it. The all-purpose defensive back (he could dabble at corner if need be) will be on campus in the fall, just as he wished. Based on desire alone, I wish he gets an opportunity to prove himself at safety.
Robenson Therezie was never going to switch his commitment. Alabama fans enjoy their delusion of grandeur to an extent that they view Auburn as a safety school for Crimson Tide players that failed to make Nick Saban’s cut. I would have believed that Therezie would switch if he was nicknamed “Sherman Williams,” but he was not. His nickname was “Cadillac,” as in childhood favorite Carnell “Cadillac” Williams. Thought to be a future star running back in Pop Warner, Therezie projected as every bit the head-hunting safety an Auburn fan could relish while in high school. Regardless of his success during his prom-going years (if scouting reports were any indication, the kid was a monster) the adjustment to safety at the SEC level begins with summer workouts. For the kid dubbed “Cadillac,” reaching similar stardom as his namesake will be a daunting process.
**
Why finding a reliable safety has plagued Auburn, I’ll never know. I was a die-hard Roshard Gilyard fan when No. 3 roamed the secondary, but he was not as reliable as Tommy Tuberville had hoped or else he would have been a starter. Junior Rosegreen may have overachieved on that undefeated team in 2004, seeing as how his post-Auburn days have been filled with travels through football’s alternatives to the NFL. Etheridge was certainly an overachiever in a full year removed from a paralysis scare.
That signature safety – one that stands out as a great – has consistently eluded the Tigers. Before 2010, a national championship and a signature quarterback were considered elusive. That changed.
As I look at the five aforementioned names, I hope the same holds true for this position in 2011.
Walking the tight-rope without the aid of a net makes for a fantastic show. It also makes for a fantastic fall.
David Smith is the Editor in Chief of The Jungle Cat. David has previously written for The Daytona Beach News-Journal and NASCAR.com. You can follow David on Twitter at twitter.com/davidsmith28.
In the weeks leading up to its national championship win over Oregon, the Auburn football team saw an increase in detest unbeknownst in previous years. Did Cam Newton accept money to play for Auburn? Did Cecil Newton (Cam’s father) shop his son to the highest bidder? Was Nick Fairley’s level of play too dirty for even the rough-and-nasty Southeastern Conference?
One could surmise that a championship contender would take a certain amount of heat. This was the first time that the Tigers and their fan base had been thrown on stage, blinded by an unruly spotlight. The championship was won. The season was over. The vitriol continued.
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Stanley McClover, handshakes, and lies
Stanley McClover, a former defensive end who was a member of the 2004 undefeated team, came forth on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumble saying he willingly took hundred-dollar handshakes from boosters and received performance bonuses, such as $1,000 per sack for walloping the Alabama quarterback in the Iron Bowl. On the Plains for two years, McClover, dubbed “The Predator,” for his long dreadlocks and menacing play, was only a fan favorite to those Auburn fans with an acquired palette (most thought he was too much of a nuisance). One could assume McClover was convinced (or paid) to say something shedding bad light on Auburn. A member of the show’s production team tried doing this to former four-year Auburn safety Junior Rosegreen , who told the story to AuburnSports.com:
“I called (the HBO producer) and cussed his ass out. He would say, ‘I just want to hear Stanley’s story.’ I said, ‘Stanley’s story is he’s a storyteller. That’s his story.’ He tried so hard to get me to say something bad about Auburn. He would say, ‘Off the record…off the record.’ He said that about 10 times. I said, ‘Fine. You want me to tell you something off the record? Here you go: Stanley is a damn liar.’”
McClover, who many fans (including I) cheered wildly for in the 2005 Iron Bowl as he sacked Alabama’s Brodie Croyle four times, has become something of a tragic figure.
Rosegreen did not hesitate to light into McClover:
“The coaches told him that he didn’t need to leave (college) early. The (NFL) general managers said he needed to stay in college and learn how to play the run, but he didn’t listen. He spent four years in the NFL and is already broke. I was told Stanley got $20,000 (by HBO for the interview), and I know for a fact you don’t get that money until you give them something, until you tell them what they want to hear. That is the only motive he has for telling these lies.”
Regardless of whether or not McClover’s word is true, the court of public opinion – which already seems to despise Auburn following the attempt by both ESPN and The New York Times to sully the Cam Newton Era – has ruled against Auburn. The Tigers are cast as cheats. They are hated. Gene Chizik might as well trot out the Tigers in black jerseys.
**
In addition to HBO punching a solid hole through any reputation that Auburn had left, this happened.
The scuff with the law, more akin to something that you would see at Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, or Florida State, was new territory for Auburn. A fan of the Tigers should chalk it up as an anomaly and note the gumption of Chizik to kick the four arrested players off the team immediately. The swift booting proved that Auburn’s coach had some PR savvy; instead of “Four Auburn players arrested” the typical headline for the incident was “Four Auburn players arrested, kicked off team.”
The fallout of Auburn continues at the professional level, where Cam Newton is under fire for practically everything.
**
Cam Newton is a bust before he takes a snap
If at all possible, I am more of a Cam Newton fan than I was while he made it a practice to don an Auburn jersey every Saturday. I hate professional football. I live in Charlotte. And because of the pre-existing admiration for Newton and the seemingly universal hate of the young man, I’m all in like Chizik vs. Clemson. I might actually make the trek to Bank of America Stadium one Sunday.
The pre-draft coverage of Newton was embarrassing. The weight of which Newton cared about football was questioned by NFL.com’s Mike Mayock. His character was outright assassinated in an over-the-top scouting report written by Pro Football Weekly’s Nolan Nawrocki. His bizarre QB Camp interview on ESPN with Jon Gruden was replayed over and over with a ferocity that was intended for the viewing audience to focus on his inability to name a specific play in the Gus Malzahn offense, a cheap shot from a network feeling jilted of a Pulitzer.
All of the aforementioned quarterbacks came out of college early and were taken with the top pick in the pro football draft. All were mobile, cannon-armed passers that competed within an easy-to-learn collegiate offense. All were African-American. Vick, despite his troubles with the law, has been a success on the field. Russell is no longer in the league. If all three compare on the surface, how come very little linkage between Vick and Newton has been made? That would result in a positive connotation for the reigning Heisman winner and national championship-winning quarterback. And those two distinctions are exclusive to Newton in this discussion of three college standouts.
And how intricate is professional football, really? When talking with someone who plays football or used to play football and now covers the sport, it is a game beyond the realm of typical human comprehension. As someone who has not played organized football at all, my understanding of the sport is this:
1. The offense is scripted with the intention of moving the ball for positive yardage.
2. The defense, unscripted, reacts to the offense in hopes of stopping the offense from gaining positive yardage.
3. This is a timed contest.
With that, it is my understanding that having a smart coach (from a football-standpoint) that is adept in clock management is crucial. An offense that can adequately carry out a script is required. If by chance the defense causes the offense to go off-script, a quarterback with the acumen/instinct to create a play on the fly for positive yardage is essential.
It is also my understanding, after watching Newton do this for 14 games in a five-month span, that he is capable of fitting what equates to be my template of a good quarterback.
So why is it that this is questioned? What in his previous college experience (he also won a junior college national championship while playing at Blinn Community College in Texas) indicates that he would be incapable of being a quality quarterback?
If his off-the-field decision-making is an issue that “football minds” deem unworthy, then a holier-than-thou, presumptuous approach has been taken in grading Newton’s prospective professional career. It is also a hypocritical outlook.
Ben Roethlisberger has won two Super Bowls and has played in a third in the last six seasons as the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, currently making him one of pro football’s most successful quarterbacks. Away from the field, Roethlisberger has crashed a motorcycle while not wearing a helmet. He has also been accused of rape on two occasions: the first, stemming from an incident in 2008, the second in 2010.
The motorcycle crash without wearing a helmet stands on its own merit. The accusations, and that might be all they are, of rape implies that Roethlisberger likely employed some very questionable decision-making. Evidence suggests that Roethlisberger is a stupid individual; however, his ability to win is placed at a premium in the professional football ranks.
Newton’s brush with the law was purchasing a stolen laptop. The pay-for-play scandal, if true, was only illegal under the watch of the NCAA. And even that turned out to be a minor offense, despite the continued assurance by ESPN, The New York Times, et al that the claims were real.
Newton was also 14-0, playing in the nation’s toughest college football conference.
Common logic suggests that Newton would make for a very successful quarterback at the professional level. The football lifers, who fancy themselves as intelligent and articulate within their industry, have said otherwise, panning the Panthers’ selection.
In the typical workplace, Roethlisberger would be fired and hardpressed to find another job. Newton, might nail the job interview, but uncertainty of his hiring is understood. With Roethlisberger remaining on the Steelers, it is clear that this is not the typical workplace. If football lifers accept Roethlisberger, it is only fair that Newton is allowed into the inner circle, at least by their logic.
Football is not as intricate as some may think. It certainly is not a sport broken down by statistics and flocked to by intelligent minds like basketball, baseball, and soccer (March’s MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, which I attended, was evidence of this). While I appreciate and admire Auburn’s players and coaches as football savants, those that participate in and cover the sport are not likely to be in the nation’s top percentile for intelligence, at least at the professional level, as Malzahn’s methods have been praised by Chuck Klosterman. We do not watch football to revel in awe-inspiring thought from a defensive end.
(You already knew this. You cheered for Stanley McClover’s ability to sack Brodie Croyle four times, not his affinity for acing an exam in the Haley Center).
Football is a simple game played by athletes with incredible strength and skill. It is also a game managed by jock-smart individuals who often fail to use common sense.
Cam Newton is common sense personified. And any reason against the notion is further vitriol surrounding the Auburn program.
**
As fans of our beloved Tigers, we may as well get used to the fact that we are riding with black hats for the foreseeable future. That Auburn’s current team has gone under the radar during spring practice and could be expected to rank in the 16th-22nd range prior to fall camp, should help soothe some of the heavy hate.
People are naturally fans of winning. Outside of the Auburn fan base, fans are not winning, so they turn to whining. We knew that a crystal trophy was a result of blood, sweat, and tears. We did not know that a crystal trophy resulted in verbal, mental, and – in the case of the Toomer’s Corner oak trees – physical bruises.
In the crazy world of sports, being the hunted is an enviable position. The hunted is hated and the hated is hunted.
Breathe the double-whammy in easy, Auburn fans. We will get through this together.
The Jungle Cat is an online magazine dedicated to Auburn Tigers Football, written by David Smith.
It seems as if it’s been a while since The Jungle Cat chimed in on the goings-on in the world of Auburn football. A lot has happened since the last post over a month ago (February 6 to be exact). The poisoning of the oak trees at Toomer’s Corner has been discussed in the media ad nauseam, so there’s no need to delve into the lunacy of that event (The Jungle Cat doesn’t weep for trees, but agrees that this was a bizarre occurrence). What does need to be pondered aloud is the departure of five malcontent players and one terrific coach.
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A fond farewell to Eric Smith, Football Player
In separate incidents, senior-to-be Eric Smith and a group of four Tigers (senior-to-be Mike McNeil, sophomores-to-be Shaun Kitchens and Antonio Goodwin, and redshirt freshman-to-be Dakota Mosley) were dishonorably discharged from the football team. Smith’s dismissal came after a public third strike: being charged for domestic assault. The other four were booted in a swift, concise manner following robbery charges.
Smith, our back-up at the h-back position (behind Philip Lutzenkirchen), was a favorite of The Jungle Cat. He announced for Auburn at the Seffner, Fla. Beef O’Brady’s in front of his family and the genuine happiness about being an Auburn Tiger that exuded in the announcement’s aftermath was contagious. He built an on-field reputation for being a dependable blocking back and emerged as a safety-valve/final option in the Gus Malzahn spread attack. Unfortunately, his off-the-field antics preceded him: he beat the holy hell out of a frat boy at an Auburn bar (The Jungle Cat would like to know the whole story instead of hearing shady student accounts), he was ruled academically ineligible for the 2010 Outback Bowl, and was perpetually in the Gene Chizik dog house. With the latest charge, it’s tough to give a third (or possibly fourth) chance to a kid on scholarship. Coach Chizik and staff should be applauded for working to keep him on board and trying to right his ship, but nothing seemed to take for No. 32. Alas.
**
TJC to Mike McNeil: “Have you lost your damn mind? ‘Cause I’ll help you find it.”
As for the other morons, a similar sympathy does not exist. The four were arrested early Friday for being sought in a burglary of a house in Auburn. One player – none of the media outlets have pinned which one – carried a pistol. The dumbest of the bunch has to be McNeil, our starter at safety last year following Aairon Savage’s season-ending injury. The fifth-year senior was slated to be a full-time starter this season. It’s clear that McNeil failed mightily on being a team leader during this situation. The remaining three were only on the Auburn campus for a year. Big things were expected from Kitchens and Goodwin at the receiver position, but both only played sparingly last season. Mosley was given a “friend-of-the-superstar” scholarship before last season after he and high school teammate Michael Dyer committed to Auburn. The loss of Mosley will actually be addition by subtraction: The Jungle Cat doesn’t have an affinity for dudes, but in terms of attractiveness, Ol’ Dakota was an eyesore.
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Mr. Rocker goes to Nashville: This one will hurt
It’s the nature of the business that coaches move and shake in the football industry. Any assistant coaching gig – especially if the coach is good – will inevitably see turnover. Such was the case with former defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, who just left Auburn to accept a position with a pro football squad in Nashville. And rightfully so: in his two years as an assistant under Gene Chizik, Rocker reinvigorated the Tigers’ d-line culture, turning Nick Fairley into a game-changing, hated-by-opponents monster.
A coach of his kind has the ability to make average players with promise realize their potential. Without Rocker and the 2010 Auburn football season, Fairley – who didn’t originally qualify into Auburn and joined the Tigers following a season in the junior college ranks – would have merely been a fat kid from Mobile. A coach of Rocker’s kind is rare and his replacement has awfully big shoes to fill.
Mike Pelton, like Rocker, played at Auburn and has produced successful d-lineman for another southern school (Troy). Pro football stars DeMarcus Ware and Osi Umenyiora became high-paid talents out of Troy after Pelton’s seasoning (Ware and Umenyiora are both from Auburn, further proving that Tommy Tuberville was a gawd-awful recruiter).
There’s every indication that Pelton is a coach first, recruiter second. That’s a good thing. If he can turn boys into Auburn men, it’s a great thing.
The Jungle Cat is an online magazine dedicated to Auburn Tigers Football, written by David Smith.
Cyrus Kouandjio is now a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide, after some further deliberation.
War Eagle anyway; our Tigers have arguably the best incoming offensive line class in the nation.
Let’s discuss how this year’s offensive line will take shape. First, the graduates that leave behind open spots:
Lee Ziemba, starting left tackle for all 14 games Mike Berry, starting left guard for all 14 games Ryan Pugh, starting center for all 14 games Byron Isom, starting right guard for 14 games Bart Eddins, Berry’s back-up Jorrell Bostrom, Isom’s back-up
The slots filled by Eddins and Bostrom are inconsequential. The four names above them were the soul of Auburn’s ground game during a national championship season and are not easily replaceable. But here’s who the Tigers have coming back that have the ability to compete for starting spots:
Brandon Mosley (Senior), starting right tackle for 11 games A.J. Greene (Senior), starting right tackle for three games John Sullen (Junior), Mosley’s back-up; started one game in 2009 Blake Burgess (Sophomore), Pugh’s back-up Jared Cooper (Senior), spare back-up Andre Harris (Sophomore), spare back-up
Mosley will be penciled in as a starting tackle (left or right, depending on the amount of faith O-line coach Jeff Grimes has in the former junior college tight end). Greene, if he’s able to participate in spring practice following a season-ending ankle injury last September 18, should be the opposite tackle. If not, count on Sullen to move up. Between Mosley, Greene, and Sullen – three players that do have starting experience – the Tigers will have a bona fide starting battle going on in spring practice. Joining the battle for the remaining spots will be several players that were redshirted in 2010:
Eric Mack (Redshirt Freshman), projected as a guard Chad Slade (Redshirt Freshman), projected as a tackle Tunde Fariyike (Redshirt Freshman), projected as a center Ed Christian (Redshirt Freshman), projected as a guard
Three newly-signed Tigers will take the field in March/April after enrolling early:
Reese Dismukes (Freshman), can play guard or center Thomas O’Reilly (Freshman), projected as a guard Shon Coleman (Freshman), projected as a tackle
Big Shon is expected to redshirt the 2010 season as he works to put weight back on following chemotherapy, meaning Slade and possibly Harris will be the only tackles battling the Mosley-Greene-Sullen combo. Here’s what the depth chart for both tackle spots will resemble following spring practice, purely based on The Jungle Cat’s thoughts:
Left Tackle Brandon Mosley Chad Slade Andre Harris
Right Tackle A.J. Greene John Sullen Andre Harris
The guards and center positions will be more staggering battles to watch. Ultimately, the center position depends on whether or not Dismukes, rated as the top high school center in 2010 by ESPN, gets moved to guard. Burgess came to Auburn as a preferred walk-on, while Fariyike was a 2010 Signing Day back-up plan that was forced to come to fruition. Though Fariyike has the smarts to man the center position – he’s the son of a doctor that had Duke atop his list before the Tigers came calling – he might be pure depth as far as sheer talent goes. Dismukes, for all intents and purposes, could step foot on the AU campus and immediately be the starter at center.
For this drill, we’re going to make two center projections and two guard projections, with Dismukes lining up as a center and as a guard.
Here’s what the center depth chart should look like following spring practice, if Dismukes stays as center:
Center (with Dismukes) Reese Dismukes Blake Burgess Tunde Fariyike
If Grimes moves Dismukes to one of the guard spots, though simple enough, here’s what it would look like:
Center (without Dismukes) Blake Burgess Tunde Fariyike
Dismukes moving to guard would throw a major wrench into the position battle. He would go up against Cooper, Mack, Christian, and O’Reilly. Cooper has system experience on his side, but as a third-string option at guard last year, his actual playing time isn’t much better than Mack and Christian, who red-shirted in 2010. With Dismukes as a guard, the depth chart takes form in this manner:
Left Guard (with Dismukes) Reese Dismukes Ed Christian Jared Cooper
Right Guard (without Dismukes) Eric Mack Thomas O’Reilly Jared Cooper
With Dismukes as a center, here’s how it could look:
Left Guard (without Dismukes) Eric Mack Thomas O’Reilly
Right Guard (without Dismukes) Ed Christian Jared Cooper
Personally, The Jungle Cat hopes that Dismukes gets moved to guard, for depth purposes, rather than the more sexy idea of having him play center. That said, Blake Burgess’s development is going to be crucial during spring practice.
The guard and center spots, however they shake out with Dismukes, will likely carry over to the fall. The same can’t be said for the tackle positions since two freshmen will join the Tigers and are expected to have an immediate impact:
Greg Robinson (Freshman), projected as a tackle Christian Westerman (Freshman), projected as a tackle
How will the two kids adjust to being a tackle in the SEC? They won’t have to immediately. They might even be redshirt candidates since The Jungle Cat has projected two seniors to be the starting tackles in 2011. Here’s how it will likely look in the fall after Robinson and Westerman join:
Left Tackle Brandon Mosley Christian Westerman Chad Slade
Right Tackle A.J. Greene Greg Robinson John Sullen
It would be tough for Westerman and Robinson to beat out two returning seniors who started in 2010, but it isn’t out of the question that Slade and Sullen could be edged out.
By The Jungle Cat’s standards, Auburn will trot out a starting O-line consisting of Mosley, Dismukes, Burgess, Mack, and Greene in the opener vs. Utah State. That might not be the starting front five come the Iron Bowl, but as the spring and summer move forward, that’s a likely estimation of how the Tigers will replace a stout line from the 2010 season.
The Jungle Cat is an online magazine dedicated to Auburn Tigers Football, written by David Smith.
War Eagle everyone! The Jungle Cat hopes the post-Signing Day hangover for each of you has already been remedied.
Unfortunately, there is no update on Cyrus Kouandjio’s decision. The gritty of the situation is that he made the announcement and quickly got cold feet. He never sent in the letter of intent and wanted to take time to make sure the decision he made was the correct one. Fortunately for us, this seems to be something that falls all on Cyrus’s shoulders. His brother Arie, an offensive lineman at Alabama, Tweeted shortly after the announcement, demonstrating support for his little brother. From most national media accounts (ESPN and the like), his parents and high school coach have been open-minded as well. Whatever choice Cyrus makes will be of his choosing.
**
The Tigers addressed their three primary needs: the offensive line, the defensive line, and the secondary.
With or without Cyrus, O-line coach Jeff Grimes is licking his chops at this incoming class. Two highly-touted linemen – Christian Westerman and Greg Robinson – join already-enrolled freshmen-to-be Reese Dismukes and Thomas O’Reilly and likely 2011 redshirt candidate Shon Coleman in revamping Auburn’s line. Starter Brandon Mosley returns, along with junior-to-be John Sullen, A.J. Greene, who started in 2010 prior to his season-ending ankle injury, sophomore-to-be Andre Harris, and redshirt freshmen Ed Christian, Eric Mack, Tunde Fariyike, and Chad Slade. Not only will this be a position battle to watch during spring practice, but in fall practice when Westerman, Robinson, and, potentially, Kouandjio enter the fray.
Head coach Gene Chizik, in his Signing Day presser, spoke highly of the newbies on the O-line:
“One of the things as we targeted these different young men on our offensive line was we felt like we had to really do a great job of evaluating, not just are they really, really good high school players, but what is the opportunity or what is the probability that they can come in and play young? That was one of the biggest criteria as we looked at them. We were trying to not necessarily bring a guy in that we felt like three years from now could help us. We feel like every one of these guys have the ability, depending on how fast they learn, to come in here and help us immediately. That was the idea on every offensive lineman we brought in. Reese Dismukes is a great sign out of Spanish Fort here in the state. He has a great chance to come in and compete for a job right now. He’s already in school and he’s doing that. Thomas O’Reilly, the same thing. He has a great chance to come in and compete for a job and do that. So they are both here. Christian Westerman, I can’t say enough about his family, just the recruitment process of him and the ability we think he has and what he brings to the table and the opportunity to come in here and help us right now. This young man on film now, he is dynamite. It’s just going to be how fast he can get used to the college game. Greg Robinson is just another unbelievable athlete, great size, and great athletic ability. Guys like that, we think have a chance to come in and help us right now, so we feel really good about that position.”
Regarding Shon Coleman – who is recovering from leukemia – Chizik used a little more trepidation:
“We are going to wait. Medically, we have great people that are paying a lot of close attention to that. We are just going to let time go by and just kind of see how he progresses. There’s no rush for anything. He’s doing great, he looks great. He’s doing well in school and that’s our main concern right now. Our main concern is that he is healthy as a human being, and then whatever happens football-wise, that’s all icing on the cake, if and when that happens.”
Icing on the cake, huh? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Coach Chiz reads The Jungle Cat. Below is from TJC’s first post on Wednesday morning, a full eight hours before Chizik’s press conference, about Big Shon:
“Projection: We want (Coleman) 100 percent healthy. Anything else is icing on the cake.”
Is Gene a closet TJC fan? We can only hope.
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The new D-line recruits might not be equally impressive as the O-line, but they are ripe for Tracy Rocker’s tutelage.
Off the bat, defensive tackle Gabe Wright is a standout that will play immediately. His “Nick Who?” stunt came as a result of a private conversation he had with Nick Fairley at the championship celebration in Auburn. According to Fairley, who told this anecdote on ESPN’s First Take on Thursday, he told young Gabe to be his own man and to not let the obvious comparisons of the two of them rattle any personal cages.Gabe took it to heart and unveiled the “Nick Who?” hat on Signing Day, which Fairley enjoyed.
Chizik gave big praise to Gabe, a player that has been recruited by the Auburn staff for the last two years:
“(Gabe) is a guy that we have targeted for so many years, really since we got here. He was probably one of the first priorities that we had when he was a young player. We knew about him, he had come over to our camps, he had come over and visited, and that was a huge part of our puzzle defensively. We feel like he was the best defensive tackle in the country and he was a major target for us. He was a guy that was very highly sought after, and rightly so. We feel like we developed a great relationship with him. Things can get confusing down at the end, but I feel like in his heart of hearts, he was Auburn through and through. I feel like he’s going to come in here and be one of those guys that has an opportunity to have an impact immediately, and we told him that. We just want him to come in and be Gabe Wright and continue to improve and be a better football player every year, which he really has a chance to, in my opinion, be a very good player in this league. That was a huge get for us, and we’re excited to have him and his family on board.”
Gabe Wright will be a star. He joins a D-line that’s impressive for its collective age. Three sophomores to-be – Corey Lemonier, Nosa Eguae, and Jeffrey Whitaker – are expected to start. Eguae is the only returning starter, but Lemonier, who somehow got All-SEC Freshman Team honors over Eguae, and Whitaker were rotation players.
Gabe is joined by incoming freshmen Angelo Blackson, Keymiya Harrell, JaBrian Niles, and Devaunte Sigler. Blackson could be the best of the remaining bunch. He’s a sleeper, mainly because Delaware isn’t known as a football hotbed. There’s no getting around the fact that he has size: the 6’5”-300 lb. warrior could be a mauler on the defensive line. ESPN’s analysis of him suggests that he’ll be a project for Rocker, suggesting he “…needs to develop a pass rush arsenal and be sure to have a plan. Blackson is a big kid with upside. He will need to keep developing his game and adjust to a likely big jump in competition, but could be a handful with some work.”
In addition to the freshmen and the returning rotation players, ends Dee Ford, Kenneth Carter, and Joel Bonomolo and tackles Jamar Travis and Derrick Lykes will be players to watch come springtime as Auburn reloads on the front four.
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The new-look secondary has The Jungle Cat excited. Anything is an upgrade from the 2010 bunch (seriously, Tylenol is more fast-acting than Neiko Thorpe).
Thorpe will likely get pushed to the side – no joke – and Zac Etheridge and Aarion Savage have graduated. This will open the door for Erique Florence, Jonathan Rose, Robenson Therezie, and Jermaine Whitehead to play early and often.
Those four – Florence and Therezie at safety and Rose and Whitehead at cornerback – could be inserted into the defensive back rotation immediately. Don’t be surprised if the already-enrolled Rose comes out of spring practice the starter at one of the corner spots.
Chizik is thrilled with how solid the DB class shook out:
“I couldn’t be more excited. We have Erique Florence from this state. He is a huge get. Just a tremendous athlete, a great student, just one heck of a football player. He can play so many different positions like he did in high school, but obviously we think he’s going to be a great safety for what we’re trying to do. I think he brings a great speed element back there. He loves contact. I think he’s going to be really good at that. We have Jonathan Rose at one corner. He’s already enrolled, and we’re thrilled to death. Another young man from Alabama, and we feel like he was the best corner in the state. It’s really big to have him on board here with us right now. Robensen Therezie from Miami. He’s really a dual guy, can play safety or corner. That’s what we really love about him. He has flexibility in his game and what he brings to the table. He’s just a phenomenal young man. He played some tailback in high school. Again, just a great young man. Then Jermaine Whitehead, that was one that we’re really excited about. This is a great player out of Mississippi that has the ability to play probably numerous amounts of things, but we want him playing at corner. He’s another guy that in high school had his hands on the football a lot, so he was a very good and exciting football player offensively, as well. Our idea is, even in the secondary, the more they have their hands on the ball and the more they touch the ball and they’re used to doing that, then I think you build in the ability back there to get turnovers and make interceptions and things of that nature. He has great speed, good size, and we’re extremely excited about the whole secondary. That’s one of the parts that we really wanted to stress.”
With how well T’Sharvan Bell played at the end of the season and the maturation of Demetruce McNeal and Chris Davis, the Tigers’ secondary could potentially be a thing of beauty. If The Jungle Cat were a betting man, defensive coordinator Ted Roof will trot out Bell and Rose at the corners and Florence and senior Mike McNeil at the safety positions in the first game vs. Utah State.
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There are lots to like about this year’s recruiting class – let the man-crush of Kiehl Frazier commence! – but the best part is that these kids can make an immediate impact on the field this coming season, while the Auburn staff continues their position-in-need scouting process. To think Auburn was thisclose to getting the top recruiting class in the country (the consensus was that this year’s title went to Florida State, who capitalized on in-state rivals Florida and Miami undergoing coaching changes) focusing solely on O-line, D-line, and secondary. Imagine what happens next year when Auburn can look at players at skill position roles and linebackers (the sexy prospects): the excitement level will topple this year’s class.
Hope all is well and War Eagle.
The Jungle Cat is an online magazine dedicated to Auburn Tigers Football, written by David Smith.
As reported in several recruiting publications (including ESPN, linked above), it appears that Cyrus Kouandjio has yet to send in his letter of intent to Auburn and is evaluating his decision.
Both ESPN and the Rivals-affiliatied AuburnSports.com were incorrect in reporting that Kouandjio had signed with the Tigers earlier in the afternoon.
No need for panic just yet. If a 17-year-old needs some time to figure out one of the biggest decisions of his life, we’ll respect it. Keep in mind, without Kouandjio, Auburn still has a stellar offensive line class that includes the nation’s second-best offensive tackle (Christian Westerman) and top-overall center (Reese Dismukes).
The Jungle Cat is an online magazine dedicated to Auburn Tigers Football, written by David Smith.
Defensive tackle Gabe Wright has just become Auburn’s third commitment live on ESPNU today, wrapping up the Tigers’ outstanding 2011 recruiting class. Wright followed wide receiver Quan Bray in sending his letter of intent:
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QUAN BRAY, RB/WR; LaGrange, Ga.
EVALUATIONS: Four-star prospect on Rivals Recruiting and ranked as the fifth-best all-purpose back and 109th-best prospect in the nation; Ranked as the eighth-best prospect in Georgia…Four-star prospect on ESPN and ranked as the fifth-best “athlete” and 40th-best prospect in the nation…2011 Under Armour All-American Game Participant.
GRITTY: Recruited to Auburn by Trooper Taylor and Tracy Rocker, Quan was brought in to play wide receiver for the Tigers. His spurning of the Georgia Bulldogs on national television (“I’m going to Auburn! Whoa Eagle babuh!”) was a cattle prod to the ass of the Bulldog faithful, but the Georgia native has been in love with the Tigers since his cousin Jayson Bray was a defensive back under Terry Bowden. Since he’s now signed, forget about the win in the border battle over Georgia. This kid is here to play. Says ESPN: “This guy has a chance to be special at the next level. Bray is an electrifying athlete that can run like the wind and possess outstanding quickness and chance-of-direction skills.” With the departure of receiving targets Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachery, now is an opportune time to be an electrifying athlete.
PROJECTION: If he stays focused, he could be Emory Blake’s understudy in less than a year. While the spots after Blake are up for grabs, there will be a lot of competition early (i.e. Trovon Reed, Shaun Kitchens) that would get that initial slotting. Bray’s major impact will most likely be felt a season or two from now.
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GABE WRIGHT, DT, Columbus, Ga.
EVALUATIONS: Four-star prospect on Rivals Recruiting and ranked as the 13th-best defensive tackle and 141st-best prospect in the nation; Ranked as the 13th-best prospect in Georgia…Four-star prospect on ESPN and ranked as the third-best defensive tackle and 26th-best prospect in the nation…2011 Under Armour All-American Game Participant.
GRITTY: Recruited to Auburn by Tracy Rocker and Curtis Luper, Gabe has been one of the biggest targets in Auburn’s eyes since the start of the recruiting process for the 2011 class. He finally pledged to the Tigers this afternoon. Thanks to the departure of Nick Fairley (and Mike Blanc AND Zach Clayton), Gabe will play immediately. Gabe holds what is easily my favorite analysis of any incoming Auburn player saying that “Wright is a high motor kid who needs to channel some of his energy into better technique at times to maximize his abilities, but you like the way he plays the game with a violent nature and could be a productive college defender.”
PROJECTION: Are you kidding me? Do you want me to retype that ESPN quote again? Holy mackerel, I never thought Auburn could top last year’s Nick Fairley game vs. Georgia, but here it is. “High motor kid…with a violent nature.” And he’s from the state of Georgia? How sour are Georgia fans going to be when a home state player rips out their souls a la Fairley? I’m giddy.
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This will be the final live update for the day. Look for a recruiting wrap-up featuring some of Gene Chizik’s comments on Friday.
The Jungle Cat is an online magazine dedicated to Auburn Tigers Football, written by David Smith.
