Auburn Football: Why Ricardo Louis Is the Real Key to the Auburn Offense
When you think of who might be the centerpieces of the Auburn offense in 2015, the obvious names come up.
Quarterback Jeremy Johnson is shooting for a 3,000-yard passing, 1,000-yard rushing season, wide receiver D'haquille "Duke" Williams is a freak as a possession receiver who lines up all over the field and running backs "Roc" Thomas and Jovon Robinson are both potential stars in an Auburn ground game that's well-versed in creating stars.
Let's dig a little deeper, though.
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If you're looking for the true "key" to the Auburn offense, look no further than wide receiver Ricardo Louis.
The 6'2", 215-pound senior who seems like he's been at Auburn for a decade is best known for being on the receiving end of the "Miracle on the Plains" vs. Georgia in 2013, but the best could be yet to come in a variety of ways.
Replacing Sammie Coates
Sammie Coates was one of the best deep threats in the nation over the last two seasons, when he averaged 21.62 yards per catch and helped kick-start an Auburn offense that barely knew what a downfield passing attack was in 2012.
Williams can provide that threat, but if you're head coach Gus Malzahn, it's a better move to simply try to replicate Coates' production with somebody else and keep Williams in the same role as last year.
| 2012 | 3 | 36 | 12.0 | 0 |
| 2013 | 28 | 325 | 11.61 | 2 |
| 2014 | 21 | 261 | 12.43 | 3 |
Louis can do that.
He doesn't have the same frame or strength of Coates, but he is bigger than most realize and has the speed to create space downfield.
"We need someone to assume that role and we've been really good the last couple of years of taking the top off and opening things up," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said this spring, according to James Crepea of the Montgomery Advertiser. "But I think Ricardo, he can still be an all-around, well-rounded receiver."
He doesn't have to match the production of Coates, but if he poses the threat of being able to do it, that might be all Johnson and Malzahn need to open up the passing game. Those windows to Williams and the rest of the receivers will be a little bit more open, safeties won't be able to focus so much on the run and that balance that Malzahn has been searching for over the last year will finally be attained.
Edge Threat
For the majority of the last two seasons, running back Corey Grant was the primary edge threat in Malzahn's multidimensional ground attack.
Down the stretch last year, though, things changed a bit.
Grant saw his production decrease, and Louis saw his responsibility on the ground grow. Louis earned just five carries over the first six games of the 2014 season, but against South Carolina, his role changed. He rushed three times for 102 yards against the Gamecocks—including a 75-yarder for a score—which set the tone for the rest of the season.
He rushed 10 times for 111 yards, 50 of which came against Texas A&M and 41 of which came in the Outback Bowl against Wisconsin.
Will the Auburn defense look different this year with Johnson—who's more of a pro-style passer—taking the snaps?
Yes, but the multidimensional rushing attack will still be in place, and it will likely be Louis providing that edge threat before the snap as the option on jet sweeps.
Veteran Leadership
Auburn saw several veteran offensive skill players move on to the NFL this offseason, including Coates, quarterback Nick Marshall, running back Cameron Artis-Payne and tight end C.J. Uzomah. That has left a void in the leadership structure of the Auburn offense.
Enter: Louis.
Malzahn is expecting big things from Louis on and off the field in 2015.
"He's one of those guys—one of those seniors that has a lot of experience, a lot of big-game experience and has played well in big games," he said, according to Tom Green of the Opelika-Auburn News. "We really just want (him) to take that next step. He's one of our leaders, so we'll expect big things out of him next year."
He'll have help, though. Williams has a year in the system under his belt, and with veterans Marcus Davis and Melvin Ray with him in the receiving corps and Johnson's experience as a backup, there are plenty of players to help him provide that leadership.
Because of all that he's been through—from the frustrations of the 2012 season to the highs of 2013 and the step back in 2014—Louis can help the Tigers through the good and bad times that pop up this fall, and potentially back to the Georgia Dome for a shot at the SEC title.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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