Auburn Football: Spring Practice Week One Review

Well, new Auburn football coach Gene Chizik's first week of spring practice is in the books, and from all accounts it went well. Seems the players are very comfortable with the new coaching staff, and all their new rules (we'll get to those in a second).

So here's a look at some highlights from the first week of practice, along with some great quotes from Eltoro Freeman, Auburn linebacker on why he decided to stick with Auburn.

Strongside Defensive End Battle

Antoine Carter has moved from weakside backup to Antonio Coleman, to strongside end where he is battling returning starter Michael Goggans for that spot. Carter is a gifted pass rusher, and the battle between he and Goggans should be a good one all the way into the fall.

Wide Receiver Spots Wide Open

If there's one position that is wide open, it's at receiver. Auburn was in need of playmakers last season, so it's a fresh start this spring for all wide receiver positions. The strong candidates early on look to be Montez Billings, Tim Hawthorne, Darvin Adams, Terrell Zachery, and Quindarius Carr. Phillip Pierre Louis is still in limited action coming off ACL surgery from last season.

Caudle With a Fresh Start

The QB battle coming into the spring is not only the most wide open, but it's the most watched and anticipated. Through a week of practice, Junior Neil Caudle may have had the best week of the QB's so far. He reportedly looked the best throwing the ball on Sunday as well. Fellow junior Kodi Burns and Caudle split reps, while freshman Barrett Trotter got plenty of reps as well. Senior Chris Todd is still not throwing coming off shoulder surgery in the offseason.

Tate Looking Good Early

Auburn has been searching for that one true, No. 1 running back for two years now, ever since Kenny Irons left. Senior Ben Tate came in as the highly regarded prep star from Maryland, but hasn't quite lived up to billing, but that could change this year.

Running back coach Curtis Luper said Tate should rush for 1,000 yards this season, and with junior Mario Fannin's versatility taking him to a number of positions, Tate is left as the only true running back, and so far he's looked good.

Young Players Showing Some Positive Signs

It's always good to see what young players look like they are ready to make the next step. So far, some young players that have been singled out by the coaches have been, sophomore backup safety Christian Thompson, sophomore backup safety Drew Cole, and freshman running back Onterrio McCalebb.

Offensive Line Looks to Get Back on Track

Last season, offensive coordinator Tony Franklin wanted his linemen to slim down so they could be ready for the fast paced offense and be able to move laterally better. Well that really turned out to be a disaster, especially in the SEC where defensive linemen are very big, and very quick.

So needless to say, left tackle Lee Ziemba and center Ryan Pugh are among the ones happy to be getting back to normal. Ziemba has reportedly gone from 280 last year, to 308 right now. Pugh as well has jumped from 270 last season, to close to 290 right now. Both linemen are thrilled about being bigger and stronger this season and believe it will really pay off.

Chizik's New Rules

No earrings. No jewelry. No cleats. No hats. All of those have been banned in the football complex by the new head football coach. The players are buying in as well. Junior linebacker Josh Bynes said it was a needed move, and junior defensive end Antoine Carter said he likes the move, as it adds a business like approach to the complex at all times. When you can make moves like that and the players respect them and embrace them, that's a very good sign for a new coach.

On a side note, Eltoro Freeman is quickly becoming a fan favorite among the Auburn people, partly because of these quotes from last December on his commitment to Auburn:

"I know a lot of people say that they don't like him for the job because of his record at Iowa State and this and that, but I believe in Chizik and I believe in Auburn University," said Freeman. "I absolutely believe they hired the right guy. Me and Coach Chizik and the rest of the Auburn Family, we are going to get this thing back right."

This linebacker from Alexander City, Ala., signed with Auburn in 2007, but had to go to Junior College. There were some questions of whether he would stick with his Auburn commitment after former coach Tommy Tuberville resigned. Well this is what Freeman had to say on Sunday about his decision to come to Auburn:

"When I signed with Auburn University in 2007, I didn't sign with coaches. Tuberville wasn't on my scholarship, Coach Willis wasn't on my scholarship. Auburn University was on my scholarship. So when I didn't qualify, Auburn, they didn't drop me, they still kept in contact, they still kept on encouraging me. When Auburn had a down season, I sat back and thought about that, they were with me when I was down, so I decided to stick with them when they were down. Plus, it's a great place. I wouldn't want to be nowhere else."