Auburn Tigers: Five Newcomers To Watch for in 2010

Last season was a year marked by a record setting quarterback and a new era for Auburn Football. After an abysmal 2008 campaign Chris Todd rose to the occasion and threw for 22 touchdowns and 2612 yards. With only six interceptions to top that off it was quite the comeback performance for the injury prone quarterback.

So what does that mean for this year? What relevance does my historical rant bring to you? Simply put, Cameron Newton. He took a somewhat similar path to the Auburn campus through JUCO.

The main difference between the two is quite obvious. The size and rumored skill set that Newton brings to the table is amazing. One can only hope for the Auburn faithful that he does live up to hype that precedes him.

With the limited exposure that Newton received in the A-Day game and the black ops style closed practices no one outside of the coaching staff has been able to really see his upside or downside for that matter. However, with the athleticism he does possess it should be an upgrade from last season if he can grasp the nuances of the Malzahn offense.

What about the running game? There has to be some type of drop off with the graduation of Ben Tate and no true backup that received a lot of true running back carries last season. Mario Fannin has seen his fair share of carries over the years but has battled shoulder injuries in the past and became somewhat of a utility player last season.

This year coach Luper placed his famous 1,000 yard label on Fannin early. That is a true testament to his skills and work ethic. But what is behind him? Michael Dyer arrived a blue chip recruit and quite possibly one of the highest regarded recruits at the running back position in some time. From all the reports that have been received thus far, he will be a contributor right away.

Much like McCalebb last season he should make an immediate impact but one could only hope his production doesn’t drop off after the first few games. Freshman fatigue is bound to set in at some point but he arrived a very impressive physical specimen and should be able to produce around 500 yards or so of productivity.

The wildcat position at Auburn seems all but secure right? Kodi Burns even threw a few touchdowns passes in the latest scrimmage. This guy Trovon Reed, he may be pushing some for playing time and it may be sooner than some expected. All reports from fall camp are that he is quite the athlete. Speed and quickness are off the charts to the point where a fellow incoming freshman said he wasn’t sure what was in the water down in Louisiana.

The guy is no doubt fast and with his growth over the past few weeks in the system and learning from his upperclassmen I expect Reed to be quite the pleasant surprise for Auburn fans this year. Playmakers are something that this coaching staff has stressed in their recruiting and I believe that they found a gem in Reed.

Defensive end has never been an issue for Auburn. This year just seems to be a restock for the Tigers at the end position. Joel Bonomolo was a guy coming in that everyone expected to make an impact. No questions asked simply because of his work ethic and frame. But a freshman has been receiving a lot of praise not just from writers but from the head man himself.

Chizik rarely praises individuals, especially this early in the process but Corey Lemonier has been showered with praise so far this camp. I would expect him to push for playing time very early. He has a great frame and is learning the defense quickly. With the guidance from coach Rocker and the team leadership that this group of seniors seems to possess I really see him making a difference this year. Let’s just hope that he doesn’t suffer the same rare bad luck of injury that was seen last year with Nosa Eguae.

The final impact newcomer to expect this year to me should be Shaun Kitchens. He was a guy that seemed to be an athlete type that could float to defense because of his size and the lack of depth seen at the linebacker position last year. So far through camp however he also has received a lot of nods for his work ethic and tenacity while going up to grab the football.

He has the no fear attitude and the size that is needed in the Auburn receiving corps. Despite the depth at the receiver position, the coaches have been multi-tasking this guy to just get him on the field. That is always a good sign. Expect some great things.

Well that’s all I have for my five impact newcomers. I hate to leave guys like Jeffery Whitaker and Craig Sanders out of the mix but I really see the others being showcases early. But who knows, time will tell.