Auburn Football: Nothing Can Happen to These 5 Players in 2012

Auburn will finish up the spring practice session this coming Monday, a day after the annual A-Day spring game. As the Tigers move into summer workouts, there are five players that nothing can happen to if the Tigers want to battle for the SEC this coming season.

Auburn returns 18 starters on both sides of the ball and a host of experienced talent that will back up the starters. The Tigers are still looking for leadership, and these five guys are keys to the team’s success on the field and off of it. 

Auburn can’t afford to lose any of these five players this season. They are too vital to the cause. 

Emory Blake: WR

Emory Blake is the only proven receiving threat that the Tigers have heading into the 2012 season. The Tigers have recruited extremely well in the past few years for the receiving position, but not one receiver has shown promise like Blake.

Early in the season, Blake will be a crutch for a young quarterback to lean on when they are in trouble. As the season progresses, Auburn will hope to develop other threats. As of now, Blake holds the key to the vertical passing attack for the Tigers.

The Tigers must do everything to protect their star receiver. The best thing for Blake is for the Tigers to find a second and third option at receiver in the Clemson game. 

It would be catastrophic for Auburn to lose the leadership and talent at a weak position if Blake were lost to injury. 

Philip Lutzenkirchen: TE

Philip Lutzenkirchen hasn’t caught a ton of passes in his career, but his value in the passing game for Auburn is undeniable. Lutzenkirchen has filled the H-back role by necessity for the Tigers the past few seasons, limiting his catches.

Lutzenkirchen is a rising senior, and a major leading voice for this team. With his ability to haul in passes, he will likely be a big target for a blossoming quarterback in a new offense. 

OC Scot Loeffler’s offense is expected to feature the tight end much more often than the previous offensive scheme. Look for two and three tight end packages. Lutzenkirchen is the only tight end on roster that has caught more than three passes.

A spring shoulder surgery kept Lutzenkirchen from practicing this spring, so getting him back this summer and keeping him healthy will be a must for the Tigers.  

Jake Holland: MLB

Jake Holland has had to battle through injuries during the past two seasons with nagging ankle and wrist injuries. This needs to be an injury-free year for Holland. 

Holland will take sole possession of the middle linebacker position this season, which has taken on a huge amount of responsibility in the Brian VanGorder defense. Holland will be a huge key to the defense, so keeping him upright is a must. 

The Tigers currently have two other guys taking reps behind Holland with walk-on Ashton Richardson and Chris Landrum in the backup positions. 

There isn’t a lot of experience for the Tigers to fall on, meaning losing Holland this season would cripple the linebacking corps for the Tigers. 

Jermaine Whitehead: S/CB

Jermaine Whitehead will be a bigger part of this season's defense than most will expect. Whitehead is a very talented and intelligent player for the Tigers. 

Whitehead is one of the few players that has been cross-trained for multiple positions this spring. He has a reputation for diving into the playbook and understanding every player’s role on the defense, not just his own.

Last season, key plays would not have happened if it were not for Whitehead. Expect his year of experience and knowledge of the defense to bring out a very impressive sophomore season. The Tigers need Whitehead on the field and healthy to be as good as they can be in the secondary. 

Corey Lemonier: DE

The Tigers have to have a consistent, penetrating defensive presence this season. A lot of Auburn’s issues last year came from a lack of a pass-rush against the elite teams in the SEC. 

Corey Lemonier came on strong during the 2011 season, but he had a lot of misses despite his success. Keeping Lemonier in the game is a must. 

Lemonier has to improve his run defense, but his pass-rushing skills are something that the Tigers will need this fall. Keeping a consistent pass-rush will help the secondary to perform at the level that it's capable of. 

It starts with a healthy Lemonier. 

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