Auburn got its first look in full pads on Wednesday, and the Tigers’ seventh preseason camp practice brought the kind of small but revealing snapshots that matter this time of year.
Media members watched about 35 minutes of the workout, which covered stretching, drills and a short 11-on-11 period. With Week 1 against Baylor three weeks away, Auburn is clearly starting to turn up the heat.
A few players were out of the action during the viewing window and handled work with the training staff on the side: Jonathan Echols, Nykahi Davenport, Corey Wells, Ryan Ghea and Nate Johnson. Ghea, Davenport, Echols and Johnson were all new additions to that group. Christian Neptune and Sylvester Smith were on the field in orange non-contact jerseys.
The soundtrack matched the mood early, with Crime Mob and Lil’ Scrappy’s “Knuck if You Buck” playing at the start of the media window.
On the offensive side, the running back order in drills went Jeremiah Cobb, Omar Mabson II, Bryson Washington and Tae Meadows. Brian Williams also stood out with a one-handed grab during a quarterback drill period.
The most notable personnel wrinkle on offense came with Strand working in at guard. He was limited in spring practice, but he brings plenty of experience from his time at Oregon State.
During the 11-on-11 work, the first-team offense looked organized and productive. It was a noticeably cleaner operation than what Auburn showed in spring ball. The first-team defense also took shape in that period, though the source of the workout makes clear that plenty can still change before the opener.
The biggest offensive play belonged to Koger, who turned a catch from Brown into a score from close to 70 yards out after getting past Woodby, who slipped on the play. Koger hasn’t been mentioned as often as some of Auburn’s other receivers this offseason, but he showed again that he can be a dangerous downfield athlete.
On the other side, Atkins delivered the defensive play of the period with a tackle for loss after shooting through the line of scrimmage to stop Cobb in the backfield.
There was one early hiccup for the offense when Singleton dropped a slant route, but the overall feel from the first unit was still positive. Washington also showed good urgency and power while working with the second-team offense.
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