PREAMBLE: This is meant to supplement, and not replace, the fastidious work done yesterday by @BrianStultz and @Caleb Jones with the practice notes.
******
It was a wondrous afternoon on the practice fields Tuesday — abundant sunshine, temperatures in the 60s, a happy vibe all around. Auburn is an everything school, after all, and this also was an afternoon that saw Coach Bruce Pearl ferry his valorous gentlemen across the country to eastern Washington in search of a rare breed of Connecticut-bred Bulldogs. However, that is a hunt for another day.
On this afternoon, Coach Hugh Freeze and his boys chased improvement. They seek legitimacy. They seek a reputation more palatable than "at least they're better than when Harsin was here." They want to be good. No, they endeavor to be great. And they continued their search for excellence Tuesday.
To wit:
• We saw a few periods of 11-v-11 thud work, which was entertaining if not particularly insightful. The quarterbacks again were average, some may have found them less convincing, as a whole. With that said, having all 11 defenders on the field and playing aggressively really changed the reason for the quarterbacks' average performance: Pressure. There was so much pressure. Quarterbacks rarely had time to consider options from a clean pocket, which may or may not have been by design. Quarterbacks don't live in a vacuum; they must be good at ad libbing under pressure in the Southeastern Conference. And, boy, did they get a lot of practice at ad libbing under pressure on this day.
• I was most intrigued by the 15-round duel between Cam Coleman and Colton Hood. We all know about Coleman — the celebrated, 5-star wideout expected to become the focus of Auburn's passing game this fall. We know less about Hood, who was part of the Tigers' Class of 2023 newcomers yet played mostly on special teams as a true freshman. He's listed at 5-foot-11, but plays longer due to strangely long legs and arms — relative to the rest of his body. Hood was matched up with Coleman throughout the 11-v-11 periods and held his own. Coleman beat Hood with an acrobatic snatch down the left sideline for a +/- 25-yard gain late in the afternoon. Prior to that, Coleman didn't get much space when covered by Hood outside and instead did most of his damage when working inside against slot corners and linebackers.
• I watched Terrance Love — known inside the complex as "Tee Love" or "T-Love" — show some real fire when used as a blitzer. He was lined up for at least one decapitation shot that I saw, but didn't collide per procedural regulations. Nobody benefits from an injured quarterback, guys. T-Love's final blitz, however, was summarily quelled when Jarquez Hunter stepped up to the challenge. T-Love was elevated off the ground as Hunter maintained perfect leverage prior to and during that collision. A lesson was learned: You may be tough, but Hunter sure loves a physical challenge.
• The best catch of the day was from Sam Jackson, the transfer from Cal. He stretched as if made of plastic for a ball that appeared destined for an incompletion. It was a two-handed grab. He made it look easy. I was impressed. (We are not allowed to video or photograph practice after the 5th period.)
• It sure seems to me that assistant coach Marcus Davis, who works with the Tigers' wideouts, coaches more intensely and more aggressively these days. He's not a big guy. He doesn't have a booming voice. But he will be up in your shit at a moment's notice — still has that slot-receiver speed — when there is something to discuss. He isn't shy about holding a discussion.
Marcus Davis
• Freshman linebacker Demarcus Riddick plays with a ton of energy. I would say he has a "high work rate." I also like that he wears the No. 16 jersey. I grew up with linebackers wearing numbers in the 40s and 50s. Modern linebackers wear all kinds of numbers now. I am not disappointed with this new trend. A fast and marauding 16, the same number once festooned by Dameyune Craig, is a fun thing to see.
• I still am amazed by Amaris Williams' physique as a young man who should be in high school right now. He is remarkably strong in both his upper and lower body. It sure looks like Auburn got a steal here.
Amaris Williams
• Tight end Brandon Frazier scored on a deflected pass. He playfully decided to dunk the football over the goal post. On this day, however, he didn't elevate quite enough, didn't clear the crossbar and ended up throwing the ball some 20 yards into the indoor facility. Could he have dunked it properly? I'm guessing he could have. We may never learn the truth.
• Seeing Vontrell Williams-King and Josh Aldridge "sky" for a body bump after a successful blitz/twist call brings me much joy. VKW is a large man who actually gets higher than you'd expect for +/- 325 pounds. Aldridge is much smaller and gets higher. These are two very differently sized men, but it sure is fun to see them happy together and celebrating together and really enjoying their jobs together. I didn't see this kind of esprit de corps last season on defense. I suspect DJ Durkin's energy relative to Ron Roberts' general lack of energy is changing the dynamic in a lot of ways.
Vontrell King-Williams
• I shook DeMarco McNeil's hand yesterday. He was there at practice. I really enjoyed watching DeMarco play (he was a freshman when I started at Auburn in 1998) and it stinks that knee injuries limited what should have been an amazing career. He never let the injuries deter his spirit, though, and DeMarco played with all the energy available to him. A real gem.
• I also shook the hand of Marquies Gunn's son, who was there watching practice with teammates. I remember covering Marquies as a FRESHMAN in 2002. Thank you to our friend Jason Caldwell for making that handshake happen.
• One more thing on the quarterbacks. They seem better, as a group, at completing quick passes rather than anything involving a 5- or 7-step drop. I was impressed with Holden Geriner's ability to throw passes from a variety of release points. His accuracy wasn't great, but he can improvise throws really well. I was impressed with Walker White's pocket presence — at least until defenders made his task untenable. He doesn't lose sight of his goal at the first sign of trouble. He really seems to work the problem. I consider that a valuable trait. Hank Brown and Payton Thorne didn't really stand out to me yesterday, good or bad.
******
It was a wondrous afternoon on the practice fields Tuesday — abundant sunshine, temperatures in the 60s, a happy vibe all around. Auburn is an everything school, after all, and this also was an afternoon that saw Coach Bruce Pearl ferry his valorous gentlemen across the country to eastern Washington in search of a rare breed of Connecticut-bred Bulldogs. However, that is a hunt for another day.
On this afternoon, Coach Hugh Freeze and his boys chased improvement. They seek legitimacy. They seek a reputation more palatable than "at least they're better than when Harsin was here." They want to be good. No, they endeavor to be great. And they continued their search for excellence Tuesday.
To wit:
• We saw a few periods of 11-v-11 thud work, which was entertaining if not particularly insightful. The quarterbacks again were average, some may have found them less convincing, as a whole. With that said, having all 11 defenders on the field and playing aggressively really changed the reason for the quarterbacks' average performance: Pressure. There was so much pressure. Quarterbacks rarely had time to consider options from a clean pocket, which may or may not have been by design. Quarterbacks don't live in a vacuum; they must be good at ad libbing under pressure in the Southeastern Conference. And, boy, did they get a lot of practice at ad libbing under pressure on this day.
• I was most intrigued by the 15-round duel between Cam Coleman and Colton Hood. We all know about Coleman — the celebrated, 5-star wideout expected to become the focus of Auburn's passing game this fall. We know less about Hood, who was part of the Tigers' Class of 2023 newcomers yet played mostly on special teams as a true freshman. He's listed at 5-foot-11, but plays longer due to strangely long legs and arms — relative to the rest of his body. Hood was matched up with Coleman throughout the 11-v-11 periods and held his own. Coleman beat Hood with an acrobatic snatch down the left sideline for a +/- 25-yard gain late in the afternoon. Prior to that, Coleman didn't get much space when covered by Hood outside and instead did most of his damage when working inside against slot corners and linebackers.
• I watched Terrance Love — known inside the complex as "Tee Love" or "T-Love" — show some real fire when used as a blitzer. He was lined up for at least one decapitation shot that I saw, but didn't collide per procedural regulations. Nobody benefits from an injured quarterback, guys. T-Love's final blitz, however, was summarily quelled when Jarquez Hunter stepped up to the challenge. T-Love was elevated off the ground as Hunter maintained perfect leverage prior to and during that collision. A lesson was learned: You may be tough, but Hunter sure loves a physical challenge.
• The best catch of the day was from Sam Jackson, the transfer from Cal. He stretched as if made of plastic for a ball that appeared destined for an incompletion. It was a two-handed grab. He made it look easy. I was impressed. (We are not allowed to video or photograph practice after the 5th period.)
• It sure seems to me that assistant coach Marcus Davis, who works with the Tigers' wideouts, coaches more intensely and more aggressively these days. He's not a big guy. He doesn't have a booming voice. But he will be up in your shit at a moment's notice — still has that slot-receiver speed — when there is something to discuss. He isn't shy about holding a discussion.
Marcus Davis
• Freshman linebacker Demarcus Riddick plays with a ton of energy. I would say he has a "high work rate." I also like that he wears the No. 16 jersey. I grew up with linebackers wearing numbers in the 40s and 50s. Modern linebackers wear all kinds of numbers now. I am not disappointed with this new trend. A fast and marauding 16, the same number once festooned by Dameyune Craig, is a fun thing to see.
• I still am amazed by Amaris Williams' physique as a young man who should be in high school right now. He is remarkably strong in both his upper and lower body. It sure looks like Auburn got a steal here.
Amaris Williams
• Tight end Brandon Frazier scored on a deflected pass. He playfully decided to dunk the football over the goal post. On this day, however, he didn't elevate quite enough, didn't clear the crossbar and ended up throwing the ball some 20 yards into the indoor facility. Could he have dunked it properly? I'm guessing he could have. We may never learn the truth.
• Seeing Vontrell Williams-King and Josh Aldridge "sky" for a body bump after a successful blitz/twist call brings me much joy. VKW is a large man who actually gets higher than you'd expect for +/- 325 pounds. Aldridge is much smaller and gets higher. These are two very differently sized men, but it sure is fun to see them happy together and celebrating together and really enjoying their jobs together. I didn't see this kind of esprit de corps last season on defense. I suspect DJ Durkin's energy relative to Ron Roberts' general lack of energy is changing the dynamic in a lot of ways.
Vontrell King-Williams
• I shook DeMarco McNeil's hand yesterday. He was there at practice. I really enjoyed watching DeMarco play (he was a freshman when I started at Auburn in 1998) and it stinks that knee injuries limited what should have been an amazing career. He never let the injuries deter his spirit, though, and DeMarco played with all the energy available to him. A real gem.
• I also shook the hand of Marquies Gunn's son, who was there watching practice with teammates. I remember covering Marquies as a FRESHMAN in 2002. Thank you to our friend Jason Caldwell for making that handshake happen.
• One more thing on the quarterbacks. They seem better, as a group, at completing quick passes rather than anything involving a 5- or 7-step drop. I was impressed with Holden Geriner's ability to throw passes from a variety of release points. His accuracy wasn't great, but he can improvise throws really well. I was impressed with Walker White's pocket presence — at least until defenders made his task untenable. He doesn't lose sight of his goal at the first sign of trouble. He really seems to work the problem. I consider that a valuable trait. Hank Brown and Payton Thorne didn't really stand out to me yesterday, good or bad.
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