Mailbag 207: Who will be Auburn football's impact freshmen?
This week: RB outlook, WR numbers, interviews, future SEC schedules, a Bruce Pearl Era starting five and a whole bunch of bobbleheads
AUBURN — Graduation weekend is always a signal that summer — at least, in my perspective as someone who writes and talks about Auburn sports for a living — has arrived.
After the basketball tournament and spring football end, there’s usually a few weeks of stuff to discuss when it comes to roster management and the transfer portal. The NFL and NBA Draft processes keep those lines moving.
But, slowly, things start to wind down. That’s when we hit the true offseason, the summer months where there isn’t much happening on campus when it comes to our two coverage sports — and where we have to get creative here at The Observer.
Fortunately, we have a lot of subscribers who keep supporting and staying engaged throughout these months. That manifests itself nearly every week in the form of the mailbag, where there’s almost always a good list of questions about the Tigers either on the gridiron or the hardwood.
I don’t take any of that for granted. It would be easy to tune out, drop a subscription and maybe come back later. I don’t blame people for doing so. Yet we continue to see people read and listen this time of year, and we even bring in some new subscribers. Simply put, that’s not normal in this business. That’s all thanks to y’all.
This week, you asked about the freshmen on Auburn’s 2025 football team and several position groups that could define how the season goes. You also asked about future scheduling and the Tigers’ continued hunt for a big man in basketball.
You also answered my question of the week: What’s the best giveaway item (t-shirt, bobblehead, souvenir, etc.) that you have ever gotten at a live sporting event?
Let’s have some fun.
Will there be an impact freshman?
Tim
Last season was The Year of the Freshman for Auburn football. Hugh Freeze is big on building through high school recruiting, and after his first full class as the head coach, he just let the kids play. According to Pro Football Focus, Auburn was No. 3 nationally in total snaps from true freshmen in 2024.
Cam Coleman was Auburn’s No. 2 receiver and played the second-most snaps of any back or wideout on the team. Malcolm Simmons was the No. 3 receiver and was No. 6 in snaps among backs and wideouts. Defensively, Kaleb Harris finished No. 4 in snaps on the team and No. 5 in tackles. Jay Crawford emerged as the No. 2 cornerback. Demarcus Riddick cracked the top 10 in tackles. Malik Blocton played the third-most snaps of any interior lineman.
Because all of those standout freshmen from 2024 are back for 2025, it might be tougher for the current kids to break through. That doesn’t include the expected impact of a highly rated transfer class that reinforced several key spots on the field.
Offensively, it’s tough to predict an impact freshman, unless Deuce Knight becomes the starting quarterback at some point. There is obviously no bigger impact than playing that role, and Knight has the skills to be a standout signal-caller at Auburn. I think he’s going to need some time to develop, which is why Jackson Arnold makes the most sense as QB1 in 2025. But if anything happens to Arnold, it might be Knight.
Alvin Henderson plays a running back position that is traditionally more plug-and-play than anywhere else on the roster. However, he’s making a big jump from 1A high school football to the SEC, and the Tigers have three experienced backs in the room. At wide receiver, Sam Turner was impressive in spring ball and could crack the rotation. But it feels too early to tell anything definitive about him or the tight ends. Offensive line, of course, is not a position for impact freshmen — especially with the amount of experience Auburn is bringing back there.
The better breakout potential among the 2025 class can be found on defense. That’s headlined by a defensive back group that did so well in spring ball that several older players decided to hit the portal. While I think Auburn has its quote-unquote “starters” figured out among the returners in the secondary, that second wave could be filled with names like Newboy Fegans, Eric Winters, Blake Woodby and Donovan Starr. All four of those guys made plays and looked like they belonged in spring practices.
Up front, I’m looking at the interior defensive line to see who might emerge as rotational pieces early, like Blocton was last year. Malik Autry makes a ton of sense, since he’s a 5-star who clocks in at 6-foot-5 and nearly 340 pounds. Jourdin Crawford and Antonio Coleman both have instant-impact potential, too. The Tigers are going to need quality depth up front, and there isn’t heavy competition blocking them off from roles here. Former 5-star Jared Smith is also intriguing off the edge, depending on how the Tigers engineer their pass rush without Jalen McLeod.
At inside linebacker, Auburn could use a freshman or two to emerge behind the likes of Riddick, Robert Woodyard Jr. and new transfer Caleb Wheatland. I think the trio of Elijah Melendez, Bryce Deas and J.J. Faulk all look SEC-ready in terms of their physicality. But playing linebacker is tough, considering all the different things you have to do in the middle of the park. Keep an eye on this crew during fall camp.
I don’t know if we’ll see a true freshman jump up and become a starter like the several Auburn got last season. I think the defensive backs and Autry could have that level of talent, though. My best guess is that the Tigers will get at least one impact freshman in the rotation at all three levels of the defense — lineman, linebacker and defensive back — with potentially multiple in the secondary. Knight will be the ultimate wild card on offense, and I’ll be interested to see if Turner can keep it up in the fall out wide.
Not much is being said about the running backs preseason, with all the attention on wide receiver and quarterback. Coach Freeze hasn’t been a huge running back developer in the past. What do you expect from the RB room this season?
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Bandit