Auburn Tigers Football: Summer Position Battles That Will Greatly Impact Season

The Auburn Tigers have begun summer workouts with questions remaining at key positions. The Tigers return 17 starters this season, but there are six summer position battles that will greatly impact the season.

With the quarterback competition taking the forefront in most discussions, positions like running back, safety and receiver are all forgotten. All three positions are entrenched in competitions for starting time and big-time snaps this season.

With concerns over impact roles still plaguing the Tigers roster, most preseason predictions have steered clear. If these six battles finish the summer with solutions, the Tigers will be among the conference best by season's end. 

Quarterback

Spring practice began with the quarterback race taking center stage for the Tigers. Who will be the next to lead the Auburn offense is a hot topic all over the college-football landscape. It is rated as a top spring battle to watch according to Athlonsports.com. 

Kiehl Frazier and Clint Moseley are battling for the starting position. Both Frazier and Moseley have experience in games, but Moseley is the only one of the two that has starting experience. 

While it appears that the Tigers coaches want to maintain the company line that the race is open, all signs point to Kiehl Frazier taking over as the starter this fall. Frazier is the most athletic of all the quarterbacks on Auburn’s roster. He also has a cannon for an arm. 

The Tigers will find their leader on the field this summer. Building chemistry and leadership is a major goal for the Auburn offense, and finding the starting quarterback is a major part of that growth. 

Running Back

The Tigers head into the summer workout period with questions swirling around the offensive backfield. Outside of the quarterback race, the Tigers are trying to find a feature back to use in the new Scot Loeffler offense. 

The Tigers have a host of capable backs with Tre Mason and Onterio McCalebb returning with experience under their belts. McCalebb has put up a ton of yardage at Auburn—2,504 yards in just rushing and receiving—but lacks ideal size at 170 pounds. 

Mason has the grit to be an inside runner but is being challenged by Corey Grant and Mike Blakely for the starting role. Jovon Robinson is an incoming freshman for the Tigers, and he has the size, speed and athleticism to make a difference early. 

The Tigers are least worried about the development at running back as the coffers are full of talented backs. Finding a leader from the position during the summer will help mold the unit as the season approaches. 

Safety

The Auburn Tigers head into summer workouts with a number of playmakers pushing for time at safety. The Tigers return starters Demetruce McNeal, Erique Florence and Ryan Smith. Auburn also moved Jermaine Whitehead to safety this spring. 

Add to the mix Trent Fisher and Ikeem Means, and it is easy to see why choosing the starters will be a tough decision. Each Tigers safety has built a name for himself growing his skills and tenacity on the football field over the past few seasons. 

What that has done for Auburn is overload the position with talent.

Look for Auburn to use a rotation that will incorporate all of the talent found at the position. Also look for Jermaine Whitehead to play nickelback often, increasing his field time. 

New defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder has to be excited to see the results that the talent at safety will bring for the Tigers this fall. 

Outside Linebacker

One defensive position that is receiving a ton of focus this summer is outside linebacker. The Tigers return two sure starters in Jake Holland and Daren Bates, but the strong side linebacker position is up for grabs. 

Jonathan Evans is a rising senior and has played for the Tigers since his true freshman season. He has earned starts throughout his career, but he has battled holding a firm grip on a starting role. 

This summer, Evans will continue his battle against Kris Frost for the starting position. Frost was rated a five-star recruit by Rivals.com and came to Auburn in the 2010 recruiting class. He was expecting to make an impact as a true freshman, but a shoulder injury sidelined him last year. 

This will be a tough battle for the starting position, and the Tigers coaches will get great results from either selection.

Expect Evans to earn the official start, but Frost will play often. This position will be a fun battle to watch this summer and fall. 

Right Guard

The Auburn offensive line lost a few experienced bodies to graduation this winter, but the Tigers return a very deep lineup along the line. The right guard position appears to be the last position that remains unsettled. 

Christian Westerman and Eric Mack were battling for the staring position this spring, leading the competition into the summer months. Mack was a victim in the recent Auburn shooting, but he is expected to make a full recovery, according to Evan Woodbery of the Auburn Bureau. 

Finding the right mix along the line is crucial for the Tigers' offensive success this fall, especially if they plan to rely on the rushing attack early. 

This battle will push into the fall as both Westerman and Mack are extremely talented and appear neck-and-neck at this point in the race. 

Receiver

If the Tigers want to raise the Auburn offense from the dead this season, receiver play has to get better. Emory Blake is expected to have a good season, but who will surround him?

The Tigers will expect the slot to be filled by Trovon Reed and Quan Bray. Both have game experience, and both can explode past any defender in the conference.

Staying healthy will be the major concern for Reed, and gaining consistency will be the theme for Bray. 

On the outside opposite of Blake, the Tigers will look to DeAngelo Benton and Travante Stallworth—both rising seniors.

The Tigers have talent and experience that will find its way to the field on Saturdays this fall. How that experience and talent can respond to the Auburn quarterback and the Scot Loeffler offense will determine a large portion of the Tigers' success on the field this fall. 

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