Auburn Tigers Football: Position Battles That Count in 2010

Key positions and players have been in the spotlight so far this season for Auburn. The quarterback race was keeping the typewriters hot in the spring, but it took the turn that everyone expected. There are some positions that are left open, however that have not taken such a predictable path. Let’s dig deep and take a look at what positions have some instability and possible unpredictability for 2010.

To start, one of the most stable position sets on this year’s team is the offensive line. One spot however does leave a little to be concerned about. The right-tackle position has been wide open since the departure of Andrew McCain after last season. Roszell Gayden and Brandon Mosley were JUCO players brought in for the quick fix. With some knee injuries hampering Gayden, it seems that he has found himself out of the fold, at least for now. Within the first few weeks of camp John Sullen and A.J. Greene have come on strong.

Sullen, a sophomore from Auburn high is my pick as a regular rotational player this year. Expect to see him play early and often this year.  A.J. Greene is a guy that has been in the program for three years and has never really stood out. Attitude and work ethic have been some reasons that he has stayed out of the limelight but a new beginning has come about him this season. He has shown toughness and tenacity this fall which I expect to see lead to a starting role. With that being said, expect to see Sullen and Greene a lot this season.

The second battle that should have game-changing implications is the defensive line. The standard answer for solid contribution there begins with Nick Fairley, Antoine Carter, Derrick Lykes, Mike Blanc, and Michael Goggans. Those positions seem to be set but with the incoming freshmen and those players that had some contributions last year, you can expect some game-changers to develop early and often.

Dee Ford was a guy last year that had some playing time under his belt, but at just under 220 his size hampered his ability to get around the end on some of the larger OT’s in the SEC. Ford has added some 30 or so pounds to his frame, which will help leverage his body while keeping the speed and quickness that got him on the field in '09. Nosa Eguae is another player who came on strong early and was set to start last year until a nagging foot injury forced him into a red-shirt season. Expect good things from those ends this season.

On the interior, Jeffrey Whitaker is a guy that has really shown up this fall. He is a true freshman out of Warner Robins, Georgia, that has been every bit as good as advertised while he was being recruited. Expect him to show up this season starting on September 4^th. Not to leave out Craig “the Animal” Sanders, but I see him more as a special teams contributor early on with some time mixed in on the line. But with the depth at the end position, his contribution may be limited simply because of experience this season. One thing is for sure, production is hard to predict but this d-line should exceed the expectations of most this season.

A battle that may not have huge implications for the coming season is the backup quarterback role. Neil Caudle is a guy who has been through injury after injury, and truly represents the meaning of an Auburn man.  Unfortunately enough for Neil, there are other guys that seem to be more consistent and have a little more talent. As much as I like the guy, I don’t see him being much more than a player-coach and mentor for the younger quarterbacks.

Of the three guys in the competition, Caudle, Barrett Trotter, and Clint Moseley, I would expect Trotter to get the nod from the bench if something happened to Newton. Caudle has been known to show brilliance at times, but also an amazing ability to throw to the wrong jersey from time to time. Moseley is still young and had some attitude issues that didn’t help his growth last year. Of the three, Trotter seems to not only be the safest choice but a guy that knows this offense and seems a little more careful with his throws.

With Craig Stevens and Josh Bynes locking down their respective positions, the remaining linebacker spot seems to be a position of concern. Last year, the depth issues were apparent and did not help as the season wore on. It became a visible concern in the Kentucky game. This year I don’t expect issues with depth, but finding the right guy to fill the other backer spot is huge.

Daren Bates is a guy that has shown a lot of promise this year while adjusting from the safety role and moving closer to the line. His attack skills and killer mentality led to the move closer to the line. His safety experience will no doubt help his coverage of the flats.

The other player to watch will no doubt be Eltoro Freeman. Talk about a guy that looks the part. His biggest adjustment has been the mental side of the game. He has a nose for the football but at times that led to blown coverage following the vapor trails instead of finding the ball carrier. He was an easy backer to scheme last year because of his lack of assignment football. He has battled a foot injury this year rumored to be turf toe but Freeman still seems to be leaps and bounds above his mentality last year.  

A surprise position battle I see having some implications on success should be the wildcat. Kodi Burns is a great player and truly a team guy. Moving from quarterback to receiver last year shows that he is willing to help the team any way he can. I would assume that the coaches would want his focus to be more on pure receiver now that Trovon Reed has shown promise in the wildcat. Sure, Reed is young but to steal a line from Jeffrey Whitaker that guy is fast. He is very talented as well. Playing the quarterback role in high school doesn’t hurt his abilities there and assuming he can stay healthy, I think he may be the go to guy there as well.

Finally, punter. Seems strange when you have a guy like Shoemaker that was an all-SEC selection in the past but his inconsistencies and commonly shanked punts led to a walk-on turned scholarship guy, Clinton Durst, to take the role the past two seasons. With Durst gone, the position is open again.

The only other option is Steven Clark, a true freshman that was brought in to win the job. It will no doubt be interesting to see the development this coming season of Clark and the punting job but it is hard to place hope in a true freshman. This battle may be the most important because the game of field position will win or lose football games.