Auburn is trying just about everything this offseason, and under new head coach Alex Golesh, that now includes springing a surprise scrimmage on the entire operation in the middle of practice.
The Tigers were going through a normal Wednesday session when horns and whistles suddenly cut through the field, forcing the team to shift fast to a designated spot for an impromptu 11-on-11 scrimmage. The point was simple: create real-game pressure without warning and see who could handle the chaos.
What made it even more unusual was how tightly it was kept under wraps. According to defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams, some coaches were caught off guard too.
“I had no idea,” King-Williams said. “It was good… You never know what’s getting ready to happen in the game of football.
You really don’t know, and so you have to be able to adapt. That was fun.
I actually enjoyed it a lot, and shoot, you get to play more football.”
Golesh’s approach on the Plains has been about more than simply getting the players in shape for the season ahead. This kind of surprise setup suggests he also wants his position coaches ready to adjust on the fly, whether that means major changes or minor in-game tweaks.
“The ability to say, ‘Alright, put the ball down, let’s go,’” King-Williams continued. “It was a surprise to everybody, and I thought they all brought the juice that came with it.”
The timing fits the broader reality facing Auburn. The Tigers are preparing for a demanding SEC slate with a new nine-game conference schedule, and the path ahead includes Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Alabama and more. With a young roster, the margin for error is thin, and every extra rep matters.
“Just as a group, it’s very interesting, very fun to coach,” King-Williams concluded. “At the core, we’re a very young group, and it’s really exciting to see it because you start seeing the growth, and while everyone has played a bit, it’s still about getting those guys Saturday-ready and putting some adversity on them.
That’s what camp is about. It’s been fun to coach those guys.
They’ve been growing every day, been challenging them, and it’s been fun to see.”
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For now, Washington is running on third-team reps behind Jeremiah Cobb and Omar Mabson, which gives Auburn a pretty clear picture of where he stands entering camp. The more interesting part is what happens as the days stack up, because Porter believes the backs skill set should keep improving as he gets healthier and gets more work, leaving Auburn with a decision to make if that momentum keeps building. [Read more 🡒]