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As we head into game week, let’s take a look at every Auburn position group and grade them.
We’re almost a week away from Auburn football.
Auburn has had an up and down fall camp. At least according to the media. Bryan Harsin held a Zoom press conference and had a lot of positive things to say about the team and how they were progressing leading into this final fall practice.
As we head into game week, let’s take a look at every Auburn position group and grade them.
This season, can Bo Nix reach the level fans thought he could reach coming out of high school?
A topic of conversation amongst Auburn fans for two years.
Can Bo Nix reach the level fans thought he could reach coming out of high school?
In 2019, Nix was arguably carried by his defense. As to be expected. I mean, it’s a freshman quarterback that had to play seven top 25 teams, six of which finished in the top 10. Most fans would be happy with 9-4 (the bowl result, however, I can understand fans being upset with).
But what frustrated fans was how poor Nix played on the road. His numbers dipped dramatically in road games against Texas A&M, Florida, and LSU. he didn’t even throw for 200 yards in a blowout win on the road against Arkansas. Nix was an underachiever on the road.
He entered 2020 with a lot of hype and expectations. Chad Morris was running the show. There was seemingly no way Nix didn’t improve.
Statistically, Nix regressed. What was 16 passing touchdowns to six interceptions in 2019 turned into 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions in 2020. His mechanics didn’t improve. He continued to stray away from the pocket, even when he had protection (71% of Nix’s dropbacks were kept clean by the offensive line, per PFF). And his road stints were bad.
His TD/INT ratio at home was 8/1. His ratio on the road was 3/6. His overall ratio over the course of his Auburn career is 15/1 (home) and 11/12 (road).
What changed this offseason that could help Nix get better?
Auburn got rid of the coaching staff that was not good at developing quarterbacks. They hired Bryan Harsin, who in turn hired Mike Bobo, the former Georgia OC. Bobo has said this offseason he’s been working with Nix on everything that makes him bad: mechanics, decision making, presnap reads, etc. Was it coach speak? Or was there some legitimacy to it?
Then came Auburn’s first scrimmage. According to reports, Nix threw at least two interceptions, one that was entirely his fault, and another that was a miscommunication. According to Harsin, both Nix and Finley weren’t making good decisions. Turnovers and reads for Nix appear to be a continuous issue for a quarterback that is three years into SEC ball. We will see what the coaching staff dials up for him during Auburn’s open scrimmage this Saturday. I can’t imagine Bobo will make Nix look bad in front of the public. But if Nix can’t perform, Auburn fans should be seriously evaluating the quarterback position. How many reps should both Finley and Dematrius Davis be getting?
If Nix can’t do it against the first-team defense in a scrimmage, can he do it in Happy Valley? Can he do it in Death Valley? I see this next scrimmage as an opportunity for Auburn to approach the quarterback situation similar to the way they’ve approached the offensive line- cross-training. In this case, however, it’s cross-training the second and third team QBs with the first team. I’m not calling for Nix’s job. I hope he does become the five-star prospect we all saw coming out of high school. He has the athleticism to do it. But Bobo and Harsin should be prepared to pull the plug if things get ugly. And after hearing an entire offseason about changes, based on what happened in the first scrimmage, nothing’s changed.
Auburn needs to continue to evaluate itself going down the road. If there was a year to make changes, this would be it.
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How much can Mike Bobo and his new scheme help improve the offensive line play?
Death. Taxes. Auburn fans talking about how the offense is going to get better.
Over the past two seasons, expectations of Auburn’s offense have been squandered by offensive line play. Last season, it might have been the unit that put the final nail in Gus Malzahn’s coffin. Offenses can’t run the ball without an offensive line. Quarterbacks can’t have time to throw the ball deep without an offensive line. So how does Mike Bobo and his new scheme help improve the offensive line play?
Mike G of the War Rapport joined Zac Blackerby with the Locked on Auburn podcast to talk about how much the offensive line will benefit from this new Mike Bobo scheme.
“I expect to see a scheme that helps (the offensive line) out quite a bit this year,” Mike G said on Locked On Auburn. “A scheme that is not dependent on slow developing, run play-action plays, they’ll get the ball out of the quarterbacks hands. The scheme will take a little bit of pressure off of these guys. And then in games one, two, and four (Akron, Alabama State, Georgia State), i expect that we will see some new guys rotating into the lineup. Hopefully Auburn is in a position where they can see some new guys in action and then find out what kind of depth they have at offensive line. In the past when, say, a left tackle has gotten injured, Auburn has had a merry-go-round at that spot, taking guys out of their natural position, instead of actually letting the backup left tackle step in. I’m looking forward to seeing more depth because we’ve been one guy deep on offensive line since 2017.
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Contact/Follow us @theauburnwire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion.
Oxford High School quarterback Kamari McClellan came away with an offer from Auburn and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo on Monday.
There’s still a long way for Kamari McClellan to go in his recruiting process, but the Oxford (Ala.) quarterback was ecstatic to receive an offer from the home-state Tigers.
“It was amazing,” McClellan said per Auburn Undercover’s Jason Caldwell. “I got my first SEC offer. I thought it was going to be coming but I wasn’t sure.
In the signing class of 2024, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound signal-caller was on Auburn’s campus Monday taking part in camp and getting to show what he could do in front of new head coach Bryan Harsin and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.
He must have made quite an impression as he left the Plains with the offer from Bobo.
“We did the individual session after the camp,” McClellan said. “We went to take pictures and Coach Bobo gave me the offer then. I just said ‘thank you coach, thank you for the opportunity.’”
McClellan his entering his first season as the start for Oxford after backing up Trey Higgins, who signed to play baseball at Mississippi State. He’s planning on trips to rivals LSU and Alabama soon as well but enjoy his time learning under Bobo.
It was good,” he said. “I learned some things after getting coached by him. He told me I had a nice ball and my footwork was good. He just told me that I was talented.”
Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin had high praise for sophomore wide receiver Ja’Varrius Johnson after the Tigers’ first scrimmage Thursday.
Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin had high praise for sophomore wide receiver Ja’Varrius Johnson after the Tigers’ first scrimmage Thursday.
“He’s been one of the more consistent players, day in and day out, as far as his execution and preparation. Being able to come off the ball and be an explosive player play after play, the great ones who play that position at wide receiver, that’s what they do. He’s played faster, and he’s done it more consistently. He’s made some plays in practice.”
As a senior out of Hewitt Trussville High School, Johnson recorded 87 receptions for 1,683 yards and 15 touchdowns. His first two seasons at Auburn have been less than ideal as he has not yet recorded any stats. As a redshirt freshman he suffered from a sports-related hernia and last season only saw game action against Georgia.
Bo Nix completes a pass to Ja’Varrius Johnson: pic.twitter.com/BZ4z2p5fWZ
— Christian Clemente (@CClemente__) March 20, 2021
The Tigers wide receiver corps last season was filled with veteran leadership, but now that former starters Seth Williams, Eli Stove, and Anthony Schwartz have departed for the NFL, this spring is Johnson’s time to prove himself capable as a starter.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo shared his thoughts on what makes Johnson a standout player:
“The bottom line is that you get out there, you notice guys on tape – are they coming off the ball, creating space making plays? He has made plays for two days. His ability to get off the ball with speed and urgency has put pressure on the defense. I think we got to get all these receivers exploding off that football and creating stress on the defense, whether we’re running a 6-yard route or a 9 route, which is a go ball or takeoff. He’s looked the same every time. When we’re run blocking, you got to explode off the ball, and he’s been doing that.”
Ja’Varrius Johnson brings consistency and talent to a youthful wide receiver corps. 158 days separate fans from the start of the season and while it is still unclear who Auburn’s starters will be at wide receiver, it is clear that Johnson’s breakout spring performance sets a standard for all receivers moving forward.
Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin settled any doubts on who will call the plays for the Tigers offense during his tenure.
Auburn fans won’t have to drive themselves crazy trying to figure out who is really calling the shots on offense in 2021.
During his press conference on Thursday afternoon, new Tigers head coach Bryan Harsin announced that Mike Bobo, who he hired at the offensive coordinator position, will be calling the plays.
“Mike’s calling the plays,” Harsin said. “My responsibility right now is to help install and be there for the DNA for who we are on the offense side.”
Of course, Harsin also had to throw a joke in on the play-calling duties.
“We both agreed I’ll call the touchdowns and he can call the other plays,”
The two should be familiar with each other’s offenses as they battled for five seasons when Harsin was still at Boise State and Bobo was the head coach at Colorado State.
What sort of offense they will run is still up in the air and will be discussed among the two during the offseason.
“It’s open discussion,” Harsin said. “That’s the best part about having really good coaches together is, yes we have a foundation and there’s some non-negotiables in there, but there’s a lot of things that we want to work through and try as we install it. … We’re having fun. We’re enjoying it. We’re able to work through some things. There’s some really good, healthy arguments in there, which you should have.
“To me, that’s how you develop that conviction for what it is you want to do and the system you want to put in so we can take that into the meeting rooms and share that with our players.”
Auburn legend Tracy Rocker is returning to the Plains as the defensive line coach.
It appears that head coach Bryan Harsin isn’t finished with purging from South Carolina’s coaching staff just quite yet. One week after hiring former South Carolina OC Mike Bobo and OL coach Will Friend, Harsin has claimed yet another Gamecocks coach to his inaugural staff.
Tracy Rocker’s Auburn roots run deep. As a player at Auburn, Rocker finished his 1988 senior season as a two-time All American and was acknowledged as the SEC Player of the Year. That year he also became the first SEC player to ever receive the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Trophy. Rocker was selected by the Washington Redskins as the 66th overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-JIcRjRTTI
After three seasons of professional football, Rocker entered the coaching realm in 1992 as Auburn High School’s defensive coordinator. While coaching with AHS, Rocker completed his bachelor’s degree from Auburn University. Rocker left AHS in 1994 to coach the defensive line at West Alabama.
Before returning to Auburn in 2009 to coach the Tigers’ national championship defensive line, Rocker gained experience with Troy, Cincinnati, Arkansas, and Ole Miss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xYDFEDekUE
In the 11 years separating Rocker’s return from his last job at Auburn, he’s coached for the Tennessee Titans, Georgia, Tennessee, and most recently South Carolina. His resume is one that consumes multiple pages in length with success found in every column.
It’s also worth noting that his son Kumar Rocker is an early favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2021 MLB Draft.
Welcome back home, Coach Rocker!
South Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Bobo is reportedly set to join Bryan Harsin’s staff at Auburn in the same role.
The news keeps coming on Thursday as Bryan Harsin’s coaching staff at Auburn is taking shape.
Per Auburn Undercover, the new Tigers coach is expected to hire Mike Bobo away from South Carolina to serve as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on his staff.
From the report:
South Carolina’s Mike Bobo agreed Thursday to become the Tigers’ new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, sources close to the situation tell Auburn Undercover. An official announcement is expected from the school later today.
The former Georgia quarterback previously was the offensive coordinator at South Carolina in 2020 under Will Muschamp. The Gamecocks finished 96th in the FBS this season in total offense, putting up just 355.1 yards per game.
Prior to that, Bobo was the head coach at Colorado State from 2015-19 after a successful stint as offensive coordinator at his alma mater from 2007-14.
A good recruiter who has deep ties in the state of Georgia, he will reportedly be the second SEC coach alongside Derek Mason to be on Harsin’s staff at Auburn.
The Auburn Tigers have hired former Georgia and South Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Bobo to be their offensive coordinator
The Auburn Tigers have hired former Georgia and South Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Bobo to be their offensive coordinator. Auburn fired head coach Gus Malzahn earlier this offseason and is looking for more consistency.
Mike Bobo served as interim coach at South Carolina after the Gamecocks fired Will Muschamp this season. Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin liked the job Mike Bobo did at South Carolina enough to hire him as offensive coordinator. Now, the duo will try to revive quarterback Bo Nix’s career.
Mike Bobo is bringing Will Friend with him to be the offensive line coach at Auburn. Before coaching at South Carolina, Bobo spent 2015-2019 coaching the Colorado State Rams. Before then, he had a lengthy stint in Athens as both the Georgia Bulldogs’ quarterback coach (2001-2006) and offensive coordinator (2007-2014).
Bobo has spent a lot of time around the SEC as both a coach and a player. He played at the University of Georgia as a quarterback in the 1990s and knows the conference inside and out.
Additionally, Auburn is hiring former Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason as defensive coordinator. It will be interesting to see how Auburn’s staff prepares players for the 2021 season. The Tigers have struggled against Georgia and Alabama in recent seasons and are looking to reverse that trend.
Auburn will finalize Mike Bobo as the offensive coordinator & Will Friend as the offensive line coach very soon.
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) January 7, 2021
A look at coaches that could be part of wholesale changes to Tennessee’s staff.
Tennessee (2-6, 2-6, SEC) has two games remaining in the 2020 regular season.
The Vols travel to Vanderbilt today and host Texas A&M Dec. 19 to conclude the regular season.
Third-year Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt could make wholesale changes within his coaching staff following the conclusion of the regular season.
Tennessee has three assistants with expiring contracts. Offensive line coach Will Friend, wide receivers coach Tee Martin and inside linebackers coach Brian Niedermeyer are signed through Jan. 31, 2021.
A vacant defensive line position will also be filled after Jimmy Brumbaugh was relieved of his duties during the season.
Ahead of the Tennessee-Vanderbilt game, Rush Propst, Pruitt’s former boss at Hoover High School, discussed changes that could happen for the Vols’ coaching staff after the season ends.
Propst discussed how Pruitt needs to decide the direction of the staff, offensively and defensively.
“I just think that he needs to make some adjustments to his staff,” Propst said of Pruitt on the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days.” “I think he will. I think he’ll look at it and make some decisions. He’s got to decide what he wants to do. What philosophy, what kind of offense do I want to be, he knows what he wants to do defensively, that is not going to change. Does he bring in a defensive guy, there are some available, to relieve him of what he has been doing, to give him a chance to be more of a head football coach and concentrate on other areas. I think that Jeremy is really good in a lot of other things, maybe from that perspective, or he maybe happy with his whole defensive staff. I’ve got Todd Watson on that staff, that I know helps out in certain ways. Shelton Felton worked for me. I have tremendous amounts of confidence in Shelton Felton. I told Jeremy two years ago you should hire Shelton Felton, he is that good.
“Offensively is where his most work has to come. He’s got to decide which way to turn, but before you go hiring coaches, he has to decide deep down in his heart, deep down in his mind and soul where do you want the offense to be. Do you want to be uptempo, spread, swinging it around the field and doing that kind of stuff, or do you want to be a ground and pound, play-action and run-combo — those kinds of things. Really, there can be a little bit of both.”
The entire show with Propst can be listened to here or below.
Vols Wire takes a look at coaches that could be part of changes within Pruitt’s staff for the 2021 season.
NEXT: Coaches that could join Tennessee’s staff next season
