Auburn’s offensive line had a rough night against Florida, giving up seven sacks and never really finding any rhythm in the run game. But even with the Tigers’ front getting battered, first-year head coach Alex Golesh said the staff is still sorting through the moving pieces up front, and that shuffling showed in the lineup against the Gators.
One of the biggest changes was true freshman Wilson Zierer getting his first start in Auburn’s SEC opener. Joel Gordon came away encouraged, even if the performance came with the expected growing pains.
“Man, young pup out there on primetime," Gordon said. "He was just inconsistent.
Long story short, he was inconsistent, which you would expect to some degree. There were some times where you can see he’s gonna be a really good player.
Like man, the sky’s the limit for him. He’s gonna be a stud.
There are some times where, just makes a mistake and all of a sudden it’s a critical error.”
Zierer, the younger brother of a former Auburn offensive lineman, has already made an impression on his teammates with how he works and how he carries himself. Center Cole Best said the freshman has earned trust inside the room because of his effort and mindset.
"Man, one thing about Wilson is I can trust him," said center Cole Best. "I know he's going to go out there, I know he's going to give it everything he's got.
He's going to play super hard, he' sgoing to play his butt off. He really, really, really prides himself on his IQ and knowing what he's doing.
"For Wilson, I mean he shows up every day ready to work, pouring everything he's got into it. That's really all you can ask. He's going to be a really, really important player for us, for this unit, for this university for years to come."
Best also pointed to how Zierer responded after things didn’t go his way against Florida. Rather than letting the moment snowball, the freshman kept his head down and stayed focused on the next snap.
"I'm proud of him. He's got a long way to go, but man, the way he's put his head down and worked.
The biggest thing I'm proud of is how when it hasn't gone his way he hasn't gotten emotional, he hasn't gotten down in his feelings, it's like 'what do I need to do to fix it?' For him it's a next play mentality."
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Auburn has now dropped five straight SEC games at Jordan-Hare, a stretch that has only sharpened the scrutiny around Alex Golesh as Vanderbilt comes to town. The home field is supposed to be an advantage, especially in a season with so much riding on each conference game, and this one feels especially important for Auburns chances to steady things before the pressure around its home performances grows any louder. [Read more 🡒]