Tag: Chad Morris

Auburn WR Anthony Schwartz completely focused on football

The speedy wide receiver is positive that the Auburn offense will light it up in 2020.

For some time, it seemed that Anthony Schwartz would choose to go after a track career and drop football to completely focus on that. Now, it is the complete opposite.

On Friday, the Auburn wide receiver said that after his track season got cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it sort of put a kink in his plans and that playing for the Tigers on the gridiron is now his focus.

“When everything got canceled, that kind of just put my mind towards football, trying to improve on football,” Schwartz said. “Being able to hone in on my craft, I feel like football is the way for me. I feel like football is the way for me and I feel like I’m locked in 100% for football for the future.”

There’s good reason why Schwartz would have been okay picking to go the track route. He was part of the gold medal-winning USA team in the 4×100 meter relay at the World U20 Championships in 2018 and earned the silver in the 100 meter.

Yet his speed is even more apparent on the football field where he can continually outrace defensive backs for long touchdowns. Against Texas A&M last season, he took a reverse toss and hit a hole that … well … didn’t look like it was smart to hit and then he was gone.

He finished the season with 41 catches for 440 yards and a touchdown while rushing for two more scores. In Chad Morris’ offenses in 2020, Schwartz feels as if he will be even more productive, spending the time learning the new playbook and working with his quarterback.

“I feel like we’re a completely different offense. I can’t go into detail, but just know it’s not the normal Auburn offense. It’s going to be something completely different.

“Really in the offseason, I worked on becoming a complete receiver — able to run every route in the route tree, being able to catch the ball,” Schwartz said. “That’s most of the stuff that I worked on. Then, over the summer, just trying to get back into it with Bo, getting back into the playbook, getting back into the whole offense in shape and just getting ready to have a big season this year.”

Auburn football: Tigers feature a (GULP!) tight end in scrimmage

Chad Morris’ offense will feature a tight end or two for the first time in a while at Auburn.

Wipe that crust away from your eyes, Auburn fans. What you might have seen or heard during the Tigers’ first scrimmage on Saturday was the use of a tight end.

You see, a tight end is …. okay, maybe I don’t need to explain what that position is but, during the Gus Malzahn era, that player has widely been ignored in the passing offense. C.J. Uzomah was the only key player during Malzahn’s tenure to make a mark at the position but with Chad Morris now leading the offense, it could once again become a feature in the passing game.

“Looking at the stat sheet, the tight ends had four catches or five catches during the scrimmage,” Malzahn said. “He likes to throw to tight ends. He likes to utilize 11 personnel (one tight end). He uses 12 personnel, which is two tight ends. I think it’s a good changeup. We have some guys that are competing for those positions.

“It’s real hard in one week to say anybody has stood out. The two freshmen coming in, one thing I can tell you is they are as talented as we thought. They have the talent. Now, the experience and getting used to the physicality and everything that goes with it, we’ll have to see how that goes and give them enough scrimmage reps the next couple of weeks.”

Auburn isn’t lacking from talent at the tight end spot either. Tyler Fromm returns along with John Samuel Shenker who can fill that role. Who might become a standout is true freshman Brandon Frazier, who stands at 6-foot-7 and is a big target in the red zone for Bo Nix.

No matter who wins the starting position, it will be nice to see another weapon utilized on offense.

25 Bold and Downright Insane Predictions for the Auburn, SEC Football Season

The 2020 college football season is already going to be weird so let’s predict some bold and insane things that could happen.

It is already going to be a weird season of college football, so let’s just go ahead and get crazy. Mascot-on-mascot violence? Sure. Coaches losing their minds? Absolutely. Gary Danielson not mentioning Alabama during a SEC on CBS broadcast? Well, we aren’t at that point yet, but I say we celebrate the upcoming season with a look at some things that could possibly but hardly likely to come true in 2020.

MORE: What Auburn’s SEC only 2020 football schedule could look like

Yes, it is that time again for some wackiness so let’s go ahead and list 25 bold and, some would say, downright insane predictions for both the Auburn and SEC football season. Ready? Ready.

  1. Bo Nix will release his much awaited debut rap album titled “Nix’in and Fix’in It.” He will forget to thank his five offensive lineman for their contributions to the album, especially the song “Blocking is Only For The Strong,” resulting in Nix being sacked a record 25 times against LSU.
  2. Also mad about not being included on Nix’s album, Seth Williams will start tipping passes into the air or, as they sometimes call it, the “Georgia secondary method.”
  3. Gus Malzahn will refuse to come out of his dressing room after accidentally being told that his beloved Dubble Bubble gum has been replaced with a cheaper knockoff.
  4. Auburn’s running backs will have no leg strength after doing nothing but leg lifts for six hours after new offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. insults “those puny calves that look like a baby.” Also, in this scenario, Bicknell talks like Hans and Franz from the old Saturday Night Live skit. Look it up, kids.
  5. In a moment of whimsy, Nick Saban will go for the lighter blonde hair coloring instead of the darker version … errr, not that he colors his hair or anything. All natural. 
  6. Struggling to put away Kentucky in Jordan-Hare Stadium, Malzahn will employ the secret Jared Harper package at quarterback with the actual Harper taking the snaps. The Wildcats will immediately melt down as the Tigers win by 28.
  7. Anthony Schwartz, feeling unchallenged in track, will challenge a live cheetah to a 100-yard dash. Sensing a predator in the area, the eagles will circle the stadium and attack the cheetah at precisely the same time, resulting in the worst massacre on the field since Brodie Croyle visited in 2006.
  8. Sensing the job security that usually comes with winning a national title, Ed Orgeron will decide to coach via Zoom from a remote island that will be undisclosed. It will turn out that he is actually just bathing in Mike the Tiger’s habitat. 
  9. Following the first victory of the season, Chad Morris will be seen hyperventilating beneath the stadium, overwhelmed by the accomplishment of winning a SEC game.
  10. The season ticket holders in Section 13 will sign a petition asking for the name of the section to be changed as 13 is an unlucky number. Auburn officials will perform the ultimate troll by renaming it Section 2020.
  11. In a moment of hysteria, Associate Athletic Director/Communications Kirk Sampson will announce that he and only he will be answering the media’s questions following games. He will then spend 15 minutes rambling about deep dish pizza. 
  12. Mike Leach and Lane Kiffin, forgetting that the Egg Bowl was to be played the next day, have to hire a private charter plane to get back to Mississippi from Key West where they were last seen closing down Flying Monkeys.
  13. Anders Carlson will mock Alabama by kicking field goals barefooted and blindfolded while drinking a cup of hot tea.
  14. Charles Barkley will show up in President Jay Gogue’s box and accidentally call him Dr. Leath. In a moment of irony, it will be Barkley that is thrown out a plate glass window.
  15. Texas A&M’s “12th Man” will be down to nine after three fall ill from a case of preseason hype. The only cure is a mixture of disappointing losses and telling Texas that its song sounds like hell.
  16. Dan Mullen will suddenly retire and take the job he was born to have: a salesman at a Mercedes dealership in South Florida. He WILL sell you on the platinum package, just a deal between you and him.
  17. Patrick Nix will break the record for most shots of a dad in the crowd, formerly held by Archie Manning.
  18. Tired of Auburn settling for a field goal after reaching the red zone, The Voice of the Auburn Tigers Andy Burcham will release a tirade that includes such dirty words as “shucks” and “dang.” 
  19. Listening to Gary Danielson call a game for the first time, Tua Tagovailoa will think, “Man, that man needs to shut up about me.”
  20. Smoke Monday will return an interception for a touchdown and then disappear into a literal cloud of smoke, landing him the starring role in the sequel to The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.
  21. Georgia will once again fail to win its first national title since 1980. This is neither bold or insane.
  22. Will Muschamp will finally snap for good, interrupting a game by punting the ball into the stands, sacking his own quarterback and escaping the scene via one of the cabooses parked outside the stadium. 
  23. Big Kat Bryant will be forced to change his name after Carole Baskin mistakes him for competition and orders a hit on him. Not that she would ever do that. (Wink! Wink!) Wow. Tiger King feels so long ago.
  24. The 2010 National Championship team will be welcomed back at halftime of the LSU game. Pete Thamel will immediately write that the ceremony is an insult to the game of football, nay, the entire world.
  25. Auburn fans will take a loss in measure, seeing that it is only a game and won’t flood message boards and radio call-in shows with “Gus needs to be fired and now!” rants and will definitely not spread rumors about Bob Stoops hiring a realtor in the area because a friend who knows a friend’s brother’s cousin heard it over drinks at The Hound. Nope. That won’t happen at all.

Two former QBs name Bo Nix as one of the breakout stars for 2020 season

The Auburn quarterback enters his sophomore season after starting all 13 games for the Tigers as a true freshman in 2019.

Bo Nix had a successful season as a true freshman in 2019, throwing for 2,542 yards and 16 touchdowns while rushing for seven more scores.

Even more is expected of him in his sophomore campaign and two former college quarterbacks, Matt Leinart and Brady Quinn, have picked the Auburn signal caller as one of their breakout players for the 2020 season.

Auburn fans are familiar with the work of Leinart who was the starter for the USC Trojans in 2003 when the Tigers met up with the Pac-12 team. He went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 2004, the year that Auburn was shut out of the BCS National Championship Game.

With the arrival of new offensive coordinator Chad Morris and his passing attack, Nix is expected to make major strides under center this season. Already a leader for the Tigers, he will need to improve on his 57.6 completion percentage while also dealing with a new offensive line.

2020 Notre Dame Opponent Lands Florida QB Transfer

Former Florida quarterback and grad-transfer Feleipe Franks announced Monday he would be transferring to Arkansas for his fifth year.

At first glance the Notre Dame home opener isn’t against a stunning opponent as the Arkansas Razorbacks make their first trip to Notre Dame Stadium.  However, when the two programs meet for the first time in each other’s history the Razorbacks will do so with more intrigue than perhaps previously thought.

Arkansas is coming off an embarrassing 2-10 season in which they fired Chad Morris with just two games remaining.  Barry Lunney, Jr. coached the final two games of 2019 in an interim role before the school announced Georgia’s offensive line coach Sam Pittman to be their head coach in early-December.

Pittman doesn’t appear to be wasting any time upping the talent at Arkansas as he has found his quarterback for 2020.

Former Florida quarterback and grad-transfer Feleipe Franks announced Monday he would be transferring to Arkansas for his fifth year.

Franks started 13 games for Florida in 2018 and helped lead the Gators to a massive turnaround, going 10-3 and winning the Peach Bowl over Michigan.  He threw for 2457 yards that season with 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions while adding seven more scores on the ground.

Franks broke his ankle in Florida’s third game of 2019 and missed the remainder of the season.

Arkansas will be the third SEC opponent to visit Notre Dame Stadium the last four seasons, joining Georgia in ’17 and Vanderbilt in ’18.

Oklahoma receives commitment from 2020 quarterback Chandler Morris

The Sooners get a 2020 quarterback and add a bit more depth to Lincoln Riley’s laboratory.

Much needed.

Chandler Morris, a three-star quarterback according to rivals, just committed to Oklahoma prior to the Under Armour All-American game.

The son of former Arkansas head coach Chad Morris, Chandler was committed to play for his father at Arkansas prior to Chad being fired before the end of the season.

Auburn was in play as much as the Sooners were, as Morris was hired by Gus Malzhan to serve as the Tigers’offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Chandler Morris, standing 5-foot-10 and weighing in at 172 pounds, fits the Riley prototype. Short in stature, Morris can still sling it and can tuck it when he needs to.

Morris is the No. 17 ranked quarterback in the 2020 class and the No. 51 ranked overall prospect in the state of Texas.

Morris passed on offers from , Auburn, USC and TCU among others. Morris will be the only scholarship quarterback in the 2020 class, adding a bit more depth behind Tanner Mordecai and Spencer Rattler.

The Under Armour All-American game broadcast details can be found here.

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Local stars remain unsigned after committing to Razorbacks

Local stars remain unsigned after committing to Razorbacks.

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KNOXVILLE — The first day of the Early Signing Period is now in the rear view mirror and two local West High School prospects remain unsigned.

Linebacker Drew Francis and defensive end Tyrece Edwards both originally committed to Arkansas over the summer, but the Razorbacks fired head coach Chad Morris during the 2019 season, leaving both players uncertain about their futures.

Both are weighing their options and will likely sign in February.

Neither player, however, have firmly decomitted from the Razorbacks, who are now coached by former Tennessee offensive line coach Sam Pittman.

Both have scheduled a visit to Fayetteville in January.

The duo led West High to the Class 5A State semifinals where the Rebels lost to two-time defending state champ Knox Central High School. The Rebels went 12-2 this season and ousted heavily favored Powell in the state quarterfinals.

Francis also has offers from Arizona, Memphis, Purdue and Tennessee while Edwards has offers from Arkansas State, Arizona, Coastal Carolina and Indiana.

Both players are three-star prospects.

Recapping an eventful college football Sunday in the SEC

Recapping an eventful college football Sunday in the Southeastern Conference

After Georgia defeated Georgia Tech on Saturday to advance its playoff hopes another week, the college football world began to take a turn.

Sure, there was the Iron Bowl, which virtually eliminated Alabama from playoff contention, but that was an afterthought by Sunday afternoon.

The Sunday after the final day of the college football regular season began to work its magic, or terror, depending on who you are.

Arkansas’ Chad Morris was already fired weeks ago, but Sunday brought the end to the Barry Odom and Matt Luke era’s in the conference, at least for now.

 

Though both firings make sense, they didn’t go as easily as the athletic departments had initially planned. Odom, dealing with a program on probation from the postseason for 2019, kept every returning player on the roster last spring. Meanwhile, Luke guided the Rebels through a couple probation years of their own, to what seemed like a bright future with John Rhys Plumlee at quarterback.

Neither coach ever pulled any massive upsets or got their teams into the Top 15, but a case could be made on retaining them for a few more seasons. However, this is the current age of college football, where change is to be expected.

If you thought we were done, you’re in for an even bigger twist. Remember Feleipe Franks and Jake Bentley, the quarterbacks many picked to upset Georgia in 2018? Well, they’re gone too.

Franks, the uber-confident three-year Florida starter, took to Instagram to announce he intended to transfer out of Gainesville or enter the NFL Draft. As for Bentley, it’s on to a new path as well, after having an almost identical storyline to Franks’ in 2019.

Both quarterbacks suffered unfortunate season-ending injuries at the beginning of the season and saw their jobs get taken by once unproven backups in Kyle Trask and Ryan Hilinski.

The future in Athens seems much more clear, with Fromm returning for his senior year and Smart coaching another season on the sidelines almost a sure thing.

Of course, we have no confirmation that Fromm will return, but it seems very likely at the moment.

As of right now, this is where we’re at. However, it wouldn’t be a shock if South Carolina’s Will Muschamp gets sent packing in the next couple of days, though several minor changes have already been made in Columbia.

Stay tuned to UGA Wire throughout the week as we bring you the latest on the changes coming to the SEC.