Auburn's obvious and not-as-obvious names to watch during spring practices

When the Tigers take the field next week, several players will be attention magnets. But some others should have your attention in spring ball.

RB Jeremiah Cobb (Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers)

Year 2 of the Hugh Freeze era at Auburn will begin with plenty of question marks. And, while no one learns much of anything definitive with five or six months left until the start of the season, spring practices are the first step to finding those answers.

Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal, and the Tigers are hoping that’s the case as they try to bounce back from a third consecutive losing season. The bulk of a celebrated and much-needed top-10 recruiting class is already on campus. Auburn’s busy offseason of staff changes could provide the shakeups it needs to take a step forward as a program.

Next Tuesday, Auburn will take the practice field for the first time as a 2024 roster. It’s easy to recognize the majority of names who will capture the attention of both fans and media members alike over the next several weeks.

But spring ball is also a time to spot some trends and make new discoveries about the players who aren’t exactly getting the same amount of spotlight as others.

With that in mind, today’s newsletter is all about identifying the obvious names and the not-as-obvious names to watch for Auburn in spring ball. We’ll pick (mostly) one player in both categories for each position group. Consider this a bigger snapshot of which Tigers should be getting the most attention over the next month or so.

QB Hank Brown (Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers)

Quarterbacks

Obvious: Walker White

It’s fair to assume Payton Thorne is the favorite to be QB1 for the Tigers in 2024, but Freeze made it sound like the job would be open after the Music City Bowl loss. White enters as the highest-rated quarterback recruit Auburn has had since Bo Nix — a composite top-10 player at his position who also looks like an ideal fit for the Tigers’ system. Could the Tigers start building around him immediately? If White has any chance to get playing time as a true freshman, it’ll be because he took full advantage of enrolling early and going through spring ball. A ton of eyes will be on him.

Not-As-Obvious: Hank Brown