Auburn Football 2010: An Update With Impact In Mind

It is time for some updates from the plains. There are some things happening that will have an effect on Auburn football. Some are wondering about Big Cat Weekend; it is under way and looks to be fully as effective as it was in 2009.

Big Cat Weekend is an exceptional recruiting tool and this is the best analysis and guest list I have found.   Information for this year’s event has been more guarded. This was made necessary after some negative happenings in 2009.

The biggest obstacle for a freshman to succeed anywhere in the SEC is strength and conditioning. Most high school seniors have no idea of the level of conditioning required to compete without injury. Freshman injuries are very common and have limited the impact many Auburn freshmen could have had.

There is a definite effort under way to raise the level of conditioning for incoming freshmen. It is something they can do that will give them insurance against injury and possibly allow them to get on the playing field earlier.

Auburn players are very familiar with the benefits of Coach Yoxall’s yoxercise program. What most Auburn fans do not realize is its simplicity. This is a program that can be implemented by recruits long before they arrive on campus. It uses equipment available at most local gyms and even high school weight rooms.

There are two ways a recruit can get ahead in the strength and conditioning required to play SEC football. One is to simply graduate and sign up early. This allows a recruit to join the team for conditioning as well as spring practice and is a definite benefit.

Linebacker Jessel Curry and defensive end Craig Sanders enrolled early this year and the benefits were very evident when watching them during the A-Day game. These two freshmen have certainly improved their chances for playing time this year.

The other way a recruit can improve his chances is to self start the conditioning program before arriving. Many of the recruits in the 2010 freshman class have worked to get their bodies ready to play early in the SEC. The significance of this is huge; it will give them many of the benefits they would get from a red shirt year.

We know that Jessel Curry and Craig Sanders will make their mark on the field this year, now let’s take a look at other freshman that have a potential for immediate impact on the field.

Potential Defensive Freshman Impact Players

Ladarius Owens is SEC ready right now; he will walk on the field with confidence of a player that can compete. With the shortage of depth at linebacker and his 4.5 forty yard speed, there is little doubt he will get his chance.

Jeffrey Whitaker is another player that is physically SEC ready. This will allow him to work harder on defensive technique this fall. I think this dominating defensive tackle will be a freshman impact player for Auburn this year. He is up to 314 lbs. and has incredible strength.

Ryan Smith has arrived on campus ready to begin working toward making an immediate impact at the safety position. He will certainly get an opportunity to contribute to a very thin rotation at this position in 2010.

Kenneth Carter was assumed to have been signed as a defensive tackle. In a recent interview he commented that he was working at keeping his weight at around 270 lbs. While he is certainly ready physically for SEC play, this attracted my curiosity. It has the smell of a 3-4 or hybrid 3-4 defensive end. This will certainly be something for Auburn fans to contemplate over the next months.

Ten of the 2010 freshman class have now enrolled. This will allow them to get into physical shape; as well as study plays and watch film early. It should give them a leg up when fall practice begins. This adds 13 total potential impact players to the Auburn roster from the 2010 recruiting class.