Auburn Tigers Football: 10 Recruits, Redshirt Freshmen Expected to Contribute
Coming into the 2011 college football season, the talent level is at an arguably all-time high across the board on the Plains. Auburn has had two of the most successful recruiting seasons in memory for the Tigers faithful.
The key to this season will lie in the ability of the coaching staff to grow this raw talent into skilled, experienced players.
The national championship squad left lasting memories, but it also left massive holes across the offense and defense. The Tigers return seven starters, four on offense and three on defense. The next level of players have to be ready for the challenge starting day one.
With only 47 scholarship players taking part in spring training this season, there also seems to be a lack of bodies as well. With all of these issues at hand, a few playmakers will be found and at the end of the day these are some names to look for.
CB Jonathan Rose
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Rose stepped onto campus in the spring to begin his transition into college football. The defensive backfield was a huge hole last season as depth was a major issue. Depth got so bad last season that Ryan White, a talented athlete from Florida, moved from quarterback in the first few weeks of fall camp and saw playing time in games last season at cornerback.
This season, depth doesn’t look to be an issue as many players gathered experience on the field last season and Auburn had quite the haul at defensive back this past recruiting class. Rose is talented enough to step in and rotate in games from day one this season.
The spring report is that Rose has been making plays all over the field and so far has two rumored interceptions to his name. One was a circus-style diving catch.
Rose may not be a listed starter against Utah State, but he will be on the field and should turn out quite the freshman season in 2011.
C Reese Dismukes
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Dismukes was one of the first commitments to Auburn for the 2011 recruiting class. He is also one of the early enrollees on campus this spring. With the overhaul of the offensive line that is coming this season, his chances are as good as any for playing time this fall.
Blake Burgess is the heir apparent to the starting center spot on the offensive line as he backed up Ryan Pugh last season. Recent reports, however, have senior Jared Cooper also taking reps at the center spot. Does this mean that Dismukes and Burgess aren’t getting the job done?
The most likely scenario is that Cooper is building depth and will be a starting guard. That strategy was seen the past two seasons with Mike Berry. Dismukes and Burgess are the most likely to get the starting nod and have been rotating reps with the first team.
Whether or not Dismukes starts, he will see time at the position. He came in early to compete. Dismukes will likely earn the starting nod by season's end.
LB LaDarius Owens
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Owens was a great grab for Auburn in its 2010 signing class. Owens redshirted last season and is looking to step in and fill a role at the outside linebacker position for Auburn in 2011. Owens' largest challenge is learning how to play from the linebacker position.
In high school, Owens played defensive end, so the shift earned him the redshirt in 2010. With linebacker being one of the most glaring voids with the departure of Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens, Owens has an opportunity.
If Owens can get the schemes down and continue to develop his field vision, he will be an impact player from the outside. Watching his development could be a treat for the Auburn faithful in 2011.
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OL Eric Mack
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Mack was a surprise pick up late in the process for the Tigers in 2010. Auburn had always been heavily involved in the recruiting of Mack but a commitment to the in-state Gamecocks seemed to have locked up his recruitment.
As Auburn continued to pursue, Mack turned and joined arguably the most talented recruiting class in Auburn history. With a redshirt year under his belt, learning the offense and proper preparation have helped position Mack for playing time in the coming season.
With the offensive line being such a loss this season, the opportunity will be there. Mack arrived on campus a bit overweight but the strength and conditioning program has trimmed his size down to an acceptable limit.
Mack will see the field this season whether as a starter or as a backup. Whatever capacity he finds himself in, he will be on the field.
WR Trovon Reed
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Trovon Reed stepped onto the field and became an instant practice legend last fall. The rumors of his speed and big-play ability spread like wild fire and the hope was that fans would see the impact immediately.
Unfortunately for Reed and fans alike, a redshirt season was the reality. He attempted some runs last season and gained a few yards each time, but the pain from a nagging knee injury sent him to the sideline. This season, however, looks to be different.
With so much talent at the skill positions returning, Auburn is surely going to be dangerous on offense yet again this season. Reed will play a big role in how successful this Auburn offense is. His speed and vision are in an elite class of their own, and getting him on the field early and often is a must for this offense in 2011.
CB Jonathon Mincy
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Mincy stepped onto campus and was expected to make an impact on the defensive side of the ball immediately in 2010. Depth concerns were well known, and as the season wore on injuries continued to pile onto each other.
Despite moving an athlete and lifelong quarterback to corner because of those depth issues, Mincy was nowhere to be found. Rumors spread that Mincy had found his way to the Chizik doghouse for a number of different reasons.
Despite falling from favor, this offseason and during the spring, Mincy has received rave reviews. Coach Lolley went as far to say that he may be one of the most talented corners he has ever coached.
With Mincy having a year of discipline and college under his belt, he should be on the field making plays early and often this coming season.
FB Ladarious Phillips
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Phillips no doubt puts the “full” in fullback. At a large 290 pounds, Phillips will be a bruiser this coming season. His quickness and pure athletic ability have become stories of message boards and emails alike. Anybody who sees a 290-pound man do a flat-footed backflip must be impressed.
With the departure of Eric Smith for what were seemingly extremely bad personal choices, the role of the blocking back has to be redefined for the Tigers. Coaches have gone on record to say that Phillips could stand to lose a few pounds but that his abilities are good enough for him to play now.
Assuming that the strength and conditioning program will assist in Phillips’ weight loss between now and fall, he may get the starting nod for the season opener. He did suffer an injury to his ankle last season, so that will be a thing to monitor as the season draws closer.
DL Angelo Blackson
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The defensive line lost the best player at the interior position last season as Nick Fairley departed from the Tigers defensive line. One of the quiet steals from the recruiting class seems to be Angelo Blackson from Delaware.
Delaware is no hotbed of recruiting talent, but the Red Lion Christian Academy has found itself becoming a part of the national recruiting scene. With the void left by Fairley, young guys are going to have to step in and get a ton of snaps this fall.
Blackson has the size that fits the mold, and if you watch the explosiveness of his video, he looks the part. Blackson could show up this fall and be someone that finds himself on the field right away. Whether on the defensive line or special teams, Blackson is sure to be making plays in 2011.
ATH Kris Frost
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Two positions of need for Auburn next season are linebacker and playmaking receivers. Frost has the ability to come in and play both. Frost is one of the most physically impressive recruits that signed with Auburn this past February.
How Frost fits into the game plan has yet to be seen. Looking at the recent departure of two receivers and the development of Ladarious Owens and others at the linebacker spot, Frost may get his first reps of the fall on the offensive side of the ball.
Frost will have an instant impact no matter where he lands. Auburn made the right decision by making Frost a part of the 2011 signing class.
RB Tre Mason
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Auburn has been a part of the recruitment of the top running backs in the country in the past two seasons. A year ago, Auburn snagged Michael Dyer from Arkansas. This year, Tre Mason comes to town from the state of Florida.
While Auburn would have liked to have signed at least two backs this past year, Mason was a great grab for this team. Mason has the structure to carry the ball, being well over 200 pounds, and could become an every-down back in the future.
Dyer will be the leader, and Onterio McCalebb will fill the speed role, but Auburn is looking for a third back to help spread the load. While the recent shift of Anthony Morgan back to running back will help fill out the depth chart, Mason is likely to see the field and earn some yards in the coming year.
Wild Card: QB Kiehl Frazier
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Gus Malzahn is entering his sixth season as an offensive coordinator in the game of college football. This will also be the sixth straight year that Malzahn has coached a first year quarterback. Auburn has the luxury of having two guys that have been in the system and should be able to step into the starting role after spring.
Despite having experience by age at the position, Kiehl Frazier is a dark horse in the race. Frazier will not make it to campus until the fall, but he has been raised in the Malzahn system all through high school. Frazier also set state records in a very illustrious career as a starting high school quarterback, but that doesn’t always translate to the field in college.
How the quarterback competition unfolds this spring may go a long way in determining how much of a shot that Frazier will have in the fall. Malzahn is not afraid to start a freshman, as he did just that at Arkansas, where Mitch Mustain led the Razorbacks to an 8-0 record with him at the helm. He also started a freshman while in his second year at Tulsa.
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