Auburn’s second fall camp practice gave the running back room another chance to sort itself out, and if Thursday showed anything, it’s that the battle behind Jeremiah Cobb is still wide open.
That was already the message from offensive coordinator Joel Gordon on Tuesday, when he said the Tigers still don’t have a clear pecking order beyond the returning starter.
“What we saw from that room throughout the summertime, much like the wide receivers, is everybody is improving and getting better,” Gordon said. “I think the reality is, until we get out there and guys have to run the football and create explosive plays and step up and pass protect, we’re not going to know exactly what the pecking order is.”
With reporters able to watch 25 minutes of the session, Auburn’s backs went through a series of drills that offered a first look at how the group is stacking up.
Cobb opened the first drill with a rep catching and blocking with quarterback Byrum Brown delivering the passes. Omar Mabson II followed Cobb, then Nykahi Davenport and Bryson Washington. Tae Meadows took the fifth rep, and he was the only back to drop a pass in that opening drill.
The group then moved outside for a padded ladder drill with position coach Larry Porter holding them back with a resistance band. That one was rough on most of the room.
Washington’s feet stood out in a bad way, while Alvin Henderson and Meadows looked the quickest. Davenport, Cobb and Mabson were next to get another run through it and looked better on their second attempt.
The last drill mixed everything together. The backs took handoffs, ran through contact and then worked into space for passes.
Mabson and Davenport were the most physical there, showing the kind of power Auburn wants coming out of the line of scrimmage. Cobb flashed the quick feet and burst that have him sitting at the top of the depth chart.
Mabson also stayed steady once the drill moved into space.
Meadows showed burst as well, but his contact work wasn’t as consistent as some of the others. Washington brought power because of his size, though his speed is going to matter a lot when Auburn makes its final depth chart decisions.
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