1-The Durkin hire seems to get better by the day. The overall schematic flexibility that he operates with will help AU match up with a diverse SEC week to week. If you haven't seen him coach yet, you'll love the juice. From a recruiting standpoint he quietly makes strong moves. Winters and Deas are prototype hybrid pieces for his defense.
2-The football IQ at the receiver position is markedly improved and I think you'll see that pay dividends early. A lot of what looked like "panic sacks" and wtf throws by Thorne last year were the result of the WRs not running the correct route to correspond with the pre-snap RPO read. Two savvy veteran receivers and two freak monster freshmen who will have to be respected as vertcial threats improve that group's production immediately.
3-Top 4 class with JuJu, top 7 without. Think it's 51/49 AU at this very minute, but as I posted in @AU_256 's thread, there is a major element to consider in this recruitment that has nothing to do with football.
4-Auburn's gap scheme runs will be much more effective with the combination of Wade and Wright at guards. Expect to see a lot more pin and pull/buck sweep into the boundary, and GT/QB read Dart concept, both were Freeze staples at OM and Liberty.
5-I think your breakout players this year are Cobb (getting the AP reps that Battie was getting last year), Brendan Frasier as the TE opposite Rivaldo in a crap ton of 12 personnel, Faulk as a full time true on the line DL playing everything from the 3tech out to the 5, and Sly Smith in the secondary as Durk will use a lot of safeties in a lof of ways.
6-Percy Lewis is the OL who will be most fighting for his job in fall camp, he needs to continue to improve his conditioning and body composition over the summer, and in Tyler Johnson there is a player on the rise on his heels.
7-AU should have the best collective special teams in the SEC, i think that could be the difference in a game or two.
8-The effectiveness of the DL and the experienced depth of the secondary are probably my two biggest concerns. Outside of Faulk I'm not sure there is a playmaker up front. Servicable guys, yes, impact players, no. McLeod and Crawford along with the two freshmen should be able to generate pressure on true pass downs from the EDGE/Buck positions.
*** I think this team CAN win 9, should win 8. I'm not as high on Mizzou and Kentucky this season as most, and Okie is a coin flip. Less than 7 is a setback and puts HF in a bad spot.**
2-The football IQ at the receiver position is markedly improved and I think you'll see that pay dividends early. A lot of what looked like "panic sacks" and wtf throws by Thorne last year were the result of the WRs not running the correct route to correspond with the pre-snap RPO read. Two savvy veteran receivers and two freak monster freshmen who will have to be respected as vertcial threats improve that group's production immediately.
3-Top 4 class with JuJu, top 7 without. Think it's 51/49 AU at this very minute, but as I posted in @AU_256 's thread, there is a major element to consider in this recruitment that has nothing to do with football.
4-Auburn's gap scheme runs will be much more effective with the combination of Wade and Wright at guards. Expect to see a lot more pin and pull/buck sweep into the boundary, and GT/QB read Dart concept, both were Freeze staples at OM and Liberty.
5-I think your breakout players this year are Cobb (getting the AP reps that Battie was getting last year), Brendan Frasier as the TE opposite Rivaldo in a crap ton of 12 personnel, Faulk as a full time true on the line DL playing everything from the 3tech out to the 5, and Sly Smith in the secondary as Durk will use a lot of safeties in a lof of ways.
6-Percy Lewis is the OL who will be most fighting for his job in fall camp, he needs to continue to improve his conditioning and body composition over the summer, and in Tyler Johnson there is a player on the rise on his heels.
7-AU should have the best collective special teams in the SEC, i think that could be the difference in a game or two.
8-The effectiveness of the DL and the experienced depth of the secondary are probably my two biggest concerns. Outside of Faulk I'm not sure there is a playmaker up front. Servicable guys, yes, impact players, no. McLeod and Crawford along with the two freshmen should be able to generate pressure on true pass downs from the EDGE/Buck positions.
*** I think this team CAN win 9, should win 8. I'm not as high on Mizzou and Kentucky this season as most, and Okie is a coin flip. Less than 7 is a setback and puts HF in a bad spot.**
