DEPTH CHART

Just got this press release from Auburn sports information:

DR. ED DYAS ELECTED TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

AUBURN — Former Auburn football All-American Dr. Ed Dyas has been selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame announced the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Thursday. Dyas, who finished fourth in the 1960 Heisman Trophy voting and was a
scholastic All-American, will be the twelfth Auburn coach or player inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A three-year letterman from 1958-60, Dyas is the first Auburn inductee since Coach Pat Dye went into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005. He’s the first Auburn player to be inducted since Tracy Rocker in 2004.

Say what you will about Auburn's "Tiger Prowl," it's certainly generating a buzz.

Although this has been written about at length on most of the recruiting Web sites (props to AuburnSports.com for the photo, by the way), here's an overview of what Auburn is doing: seven assistant coaches are doing a tour of the state in a stretch Hummer limo with Auburn decals and flags on the side to announce the school's presence within Alabama.

The group started in Mobile earlier this week and has been moving north. They hit Central High in Phenix City and Smiths Station on Wednesday morning (stangely they didn't cross the border into Georgia) before moving on to the Auburn/Opelika area and eventually Montgomery. The Birmingham area is on the docket for tomorrow apparently.

Keep in mind, the Auburn coaches cannot talk to the players. This is ostensibly just a fact-checking trip, to brush up on transcripts of some players and meet coaches. But it certainly is a different approach to recruiting.

Here's what some coaches had to say:

RON NELSON, Central High coach

On seeing the limo pull up
"Everybody saw them coming. You knew where they were coming from."

On meeting seven assistant coaches
"I think the biggest thing is, and I really think what Coach (Gene) Chizik and them are trying to do, is a lot of times you come in to recruit and you meet one guy that recruits your area and you don't know the other guys. Right now, we sat down for about an hour today, we had a chance to meet all seven of these guys and build a relationship with them. When I call, they'll know who I am and vice versa."

Was there a buzz around their arrival?
"They just happened to be here during a class change and I think a lot of kids saw them in the halls, so the buzz from that standpoint is there."

On Auburn's commitment to recruiting the state
"I think they know that they've got to get some players from the state of Alabama. And I think that's one of the big things they're doing to make their presence known and to let people know that Auburn will recruit you."

MARK ROSE, Smiths Station coach (it should be noted that Rose was a four-year letterman at Auburn, a teammate of current defensive line coach Tracy Rocker back in the Pat Dye era)

On the visit
"I know they don't go everywhere, so it's a privilege to have them come by."

On if the staff showing up in a limo was unique
"Yeah. I guess that would be a little unique. But I think that's a good thing."

On the Auburn staff's commitment to recruiting Alabama
"Knowing those guys, I know they're committed. They're working non-stop. Like I said, I've had some dealings with a lot of them since they've been here and knew several of them from before. There's no doubt they're committed and they're working for Auburn."

DEPTH CHART

DEPTH CHART

• WR Tim Hawthorne, Jr., 6-3, 214
• WR Terrell Zachery, Jr., 6-1, 209
• WR Darvin Adams, So., 6-3, 184
• WR Montez Billings, Sr., 6-2, 184
• WR Harry Adams, So., 6-0, 185
• WR Philip Pierre-Louis, rFr., 5-8, 157
• WR Quindarius Carr, So., 6-1, 181
• WR Derek Winter, So., 6-0, 200
• TE Tommy Trott, Sr., 6-5, 237
• TE Bailey Woods, 6-5, 230

Walk-ons

• WR Trevor Barden, rFr., 6-4, 172
• WR Woody Parramore, Sr., 5-8, 167
• WR Patrick Collier, rFr., 5-11, 188
• WR Nathan Taylor, So., 5-10, 173
• WR Gabe Barrett, Jr., 5-10, 170
• WR John Cubelic, Jr., 6-0, 207
• WR Nick Padgett, Jr., 5-8, 173

Transfer (can't play this year)

• WR Ralph Spry, Jr., 5-10, 161

Status in the air

• TE Gabe McKenzie, Sr., 6-5, 252

OVERVIEW

Auburn's passing game was nothing short of a disaster last season. There's no other way to put it. And while the quarterback mess and Tony Franklin's inability to truly install his offense were main causes for the Tigers' passing problems, the lack of talent at wide receiver is just as responsible. Things didn't get better in the offseason either. Rod Smith, the team's most consistent receiving threat, graduated. Chris Slaughter, who had a huge game at Ole Miss, left the program. Robert Dunn, an erratic home run threat, exhausted his eligibility and is now pursuing a rap career (Google DunnCity and "Goose & Patron" if you're interested). Auburn's leading returning receiver (Billings) had only 24 catches last year, so yes, there are some big questions around the receiving corps. But there is a ray of light, and it comes in the form of receivers coach Trooper Taylor. The coach has instilled new life in the group, trying to get the receivers to forget about their lack of past production and look forward. It will certainly be a process to get things going in the right direction, but it seems Auburn has at least taken a good first step.

GOOD THINGS

Taylor consistently praised Hawthorne throughout the spring for his maturation as a receiver and ability to go over the top of the defense, a positive sign for a player who caught only eight passes last year. He could emerge as the team's top receiving threat. Harry Adams, one of the fastest players on the team, moved over from cornerback to give the receiving corps a burner who can stretch the secondary. Although he only played there briefly, early returns were positive. And Zachery appeared to take a step forward, as evidenced by his 70-yard run in the spring game.

BAD THINGS

Oh, where to start. How about the lack of a No. 1 wideout? Or maybe the academic situation that kept Billings a spectator all spring? Or how about the fact that Taylor never seemed to have anything good to say about last year's two-a-days darling Pierre-Louis? Or just that Pierre-Louis, seven months removed from knee surgery, still wasn't participating in many contact drills? Or that Carr, despite having all the physical tools, hasn't been able to translate that to the field? Or that Harry Adams has been playing receiver now for (what time is it?) ... about 15 minutes? Or that Darvin Adams' name rarely comes up in conversations? Or that it's unclear if McKenzie will return to the team after dealing with an undisclosed medical issue? Yes, there are some questions about this receiving corps.

ARRIVING SOON

Here's where it could get interesting. Receiver is a position where freshmen typically can step in and play right away at the college level, simply because there isn't the same physical barrier there is on the line or the same mental challenge of a position like quarterback. And Auburn has a solid receiving class coming in, headed by DeAngelo Benton, a former five-star player who has spent the last two years trying to qualify academically, and Emory Blake, a signing day addition from Texas. It seems like both have the physical attributes to contribute immediately at a position that is one of the weakest on the Auburn roster. Travante Stallworth and Anthony Gulley are two more incoming freshmen with 4.4 speed. LaVoyd James is the other receiver in the class. At tight end, Philip Lutzenkirchen seems like he should be able to play immediately. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end, considered one of the jewels of the class, fits the mold of what Gus Malzahn wants in a tight end, big enough to stay on the line and versatile enough to work at many different spots in the receiving game.

POTENTIAL BREAKOUT

Hawthorne has the makings of being the No. 1 guy Auburn so sorely lacks. He's big (6-3, 214), fast, not lacking in confidence and clearly in the good graces of his position coach, which always helps. That's a good recipe for a breakout.

BATTLE TO WATCH

The entire group is engaged in an ongoing position battle. Malzahn will use all sorts of receivers in his offense, so there will be plenty of passes to go around. Right now, though, the starting lineup isn't even set. Harry Adams has been backing Hawthorne up at one of the outside spots. Zachery has a pretty good chance to start, but where does Billings fit in if and when he comes back? A number of guys have rotated in the slot position, including Trott. Playing time seems legitimately up for grabs right now across the board.

THEY SAID IT

"To be real honest, the talk that's happened before we came around, that's all B.T.T. I say that's before Troop time. I don't care anything about any of that. It's what we have now." — Taylor, using one of his many Trooperisms to forget about his receivers' past struggles

NUMBERS GAME

2 — number of returning receivers or tight ends who caught more than 10 passes last year (Billings and Trott)

THE END OF THE DAY

This might be Auburn's weakest unit overall in terms of talent and production, and while Malzahn has stressed Auburn is going to be a run-first team, he still needs play-makers to step up in the passing game to provide any kind of threat and take defenders out of the box, something last year's team could not do. There are some positive things going on, though, and with the addition of a recruiting class that was receiver heavy, the Tigers appear to be on their way to remedying what has been a problem position for a couple of years. But it won't happen overnight, which means there probably will be some growing pains this season.

Tomorrow: Running backs

DEPTH CHART

• LT Lee Ziemba, Jr., 6-8, 304
• LG Mike Berry, Jr., 6-3, 313
• C Ryan Pugh, Jr., 6-4, 287
• RG Byron Isom, Jr., 6-3, 293
• RT Andrew McCain, Sr., 6-6, 295

Reserves

• OL Bart Eddins, Jr., 6-4, 290
• OL Jared Cooper, So., 6-4, 300
• LG Darrell Roseman, Jr., 6-4, 294
• OT Vance Smith, So., 6-2, 255
• OL A.J. Greene, So., 6-5, 279

Walk-ons

• OL Rudy Odom, Sr., 6-5, 293
• OL Charles Bates, rFr., 6-4, 291
• OL Andrew Parmer, rFr., 5-10, 266
• OL Stephen Gibbons, rFr., 6-0, 235

Status in the air

• OL Kyle Coulahan, So., 6-4, 314

OVERVIEW

A year after struggling to adapt to the pace and technique required in Tony Franklin's spread offense, the offensive line has had a makeover. The svelte, nimble group packed on the pounds this offseason. Ziemba, Pugh and Isom added about 30 pounds each. McCain put on some weight too. Berry simply maintained (for obvious reasons). All of it was in order to better play in Gus Malzahn's fast-paced yet run-based offense, which will not shy away from running into the teeth of opposing defenses. So far, so good. Four starters are back and say the extra weight should give them a better shot against the physical defensive lines of the SEC. And the group has not surprisingly been all in favor of the smashmouth philosophy Malzahn and line coach Jeff Grimes hope to install. Now it's a matter of seeing it on the field.

GOOD THINGS

Auburn has plenty of experience in its starting lineup. Ziemba and Pugh are two-year starters. Isom started last year before a concussion sidelined him late in the year, at which point Berry stepped in. And McCain, the tight end-turned-defensive linemen-turned right tackle, seems ready to embrace a prominent role at right tackle in his final season with the team. It also helps that a couple linemen will be more comfortable this year. Ziemba had a bothersome left knee operated on in the offseason and says he feels great, a plus for a player who labored through the second half of last year. And Pugh, who bounced back and forth between center and tackle last year, is back home at center, where he's comfortable.

BAD THINGS

The Tigers simply lack bodies. From a scholarship perspective, they basically have enough for a first team, a second team and one extra person to do drills. That's simply not enough, especially not for a position where injuries are going to happen. Auburn's backups have plenty of issues. Smith is a converted tight end. Greene is a converted defensive tackle. Roseman is coming off a season of endless surgeries. Eddins is dealing with a knee injury. Furthermore, the backups have little to no experience. That's a lot of question marks for a second unit that would be pressed into action if any of the starters have to leave a variety of reasons. Already, Pugh had a scare with one of his knees at the tail end of spring (relax, he's fine according to reports), but that's how precarious the situation is at line.

ARRIVING SOON

There isn't much help coming in. After failing to sign a single offensive lineman in 2008, the Tigers added only two last year — Andre Harris and John Sullen. Sullen seems like a project. I can't imagine him contributing in any way next year. The 6-foot-4, 327-pound Harris has a better chance but would need to pick things up quickly to get on the field in any capacity. I could see him perhaps adding emergency depth late in the season. But with a noticeable bubble in its junior class of linemen, it would seem foolish to waste a year of eligibility for a player to be simply a backup, especially with so few freshman and sophomore in the program.

POTENTIAL BREAKOUT

This isn't so much of a breakout as a return to previous form. I think after being hobbled all of last season with a knee injury that Ziemba is determined to return to the form that made him part of the freshman All-SEC team two years ago. He's 30 pounds heavier and has two solid wheels. Physically, he seems like he should finally be able to bang with the SEC's big boys at tackle. It also helps that he's going against Antonio Coleman every day in practice. I think that should benefit him once the games start.

BATTLE TO WATCH

The starting five is pretty well set, with McCain holding down the right tackle spot from the start of spring. What will be interesting is if any of them go down, who comes in next? There obviously could be a lot of shuffling up front (Berry, for instance, has worked some at center and could slide over if Pugh is out), especially since the order of the second team is so muddled. I think if someone in the backup crew proves he is able to handle getting on the field, he'll immediately move to the top of the backup chart and Grimes will adjust positions to make it work. As of now, I don't think anyone has done that.

THEY SAID IT

"The chaos is much more controlled."

— McCain, describing this year's offense vs. last year's

NUMBERS GAME

8 — number of true offensive linemen on scholarship on the roster. Smith and Greene switched positions in the last year.

THE END OF THE DAY

This could be a major area of concern for Auburn. A lot is riding on the offensive line A) being healthy all season, and B) seamlessly returning to the smashmouth mentality that Gene Chizik thinks is the trademark of Auburn football. It appears the group is off to a good start in heading that direction. The offseason weight gain was a necessary step at getting back to being a run-first team that can move the ball against the physical defenses of the SEC. But when you play physical, there are going to be bumps and bruises. It's inevitable. And right now, that's a problem for a team searching for depth on the line. Maybe the summer and two-a-days will be enough time for the backups to get up to speed, but if not, the Tigers could be in a world of trouble if any of those starting five goes down.

Tomorrow: Receivers/tight ends

Just got off a conference call with Jerraud Powers, who was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the NFL Draft today. Here's what he had to say.

Opening statement

"This day is a big day, obviously. It's a dream I've been chasing since I was 5 and it's just a blessing. I'm just excited. I'm excited about the future and what it holds. Just happy for it to be over with and me being on a team."

How did you get the news?

"It was the president for the Colts that called me like right before the pick was about to show up on TV. He told me that they were going to take me and just congratulating me and we laughed a lot about the whole process. And I was just excited. I started running down the hallway. It's exciting. I just couldn't believe it."

Did you have any idea the Colts would take you?

"I didn't know it was going to be the Colts. The Colts were one of the teams that were showing a lot of interesting, who were showing me that I can fit in their system and play in their defensive system. They showed a lot of interest, starting with the combine and going through it. So I sort of had a feeling, but this whole process, I didn't know who was going to draft me."

Does getting picked this early validate your decision to go pro?

"Yeah, it does. Because I think talking to the teams during this whole process and hearing what they thought about me and what they were grading me, I sort of knew that I could possibly end up as a late second or go third, but a lot of analysts and all the critics didn't see that. So throughout this whole process, I was just going along with what all the critics were saying, just, 'Yeah, yeah. That might happen.' But I had a feeling that this could happen and that I could get picked kind of high and I knew it was definitely going to be a shock to a lot of people."

How important was the combine and pro day in boosting your stock?

"It was important. You wanted to perform the best you could at the combine and pro day just because you are going against all the other guys. It's a big competition, basically, and you want to be the one who stands out. It's important, every bit of it, how you handle yourself during this whole process, so that's the way I looked at it. I looked at it like it was a business and I was on a job interview."

How do you think you fit with the Colts?

"I think I fit in well. They run a Cover 2 type scheme and they're trying to go back to playing a lot of man, and that's what they liked about me that I can play both. I have the toughness, they liked that I was physical as a corner. They liked that I can play zone or can line up and play man-on-man coverage."

Where did you watch the draft?

"I was at home in Decatur, but I didn't watch the draft at all, though. I would have probably been picking my brain cells out one-by-one after each pick. I think I could just let time go by and keep myself occupied and just wait for that phone call, because if I'm watching it pick-by-pick and my phone still doesn't ring, I know my name is not going to get called. I was just trying to keep myself busy and just wait for that phone call. And that's what happened."

Guard Tyronne Green was taken by the San Diego Chargers in the third round of the NFL Draft with the 133rd overall pick.

Green, a Pensacola, Fla., native, started the final 25 games of his Auburn career at left guard. He appeared in 42 games during his four years on the Plains.

Scouts Inc. gave him above average grades in agility, awareness, pass protection and run blocking. The 6-foot-2, 309-pound Green had an average mark in the strength/toughness category, lacking "jarring upper-body power."

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said this was about where Green would go, in the third or fourth round. He called Green a "battle-tested performer."

Auburn has now had at least three players taken in the draft in every year since 2004.

UPDATE: According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chargers drafted Green to play center, not guard.

Now here's s surprise: Former Auburn cornerback Jerraud Powers was selected in the third round of Day 2 of the NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts with the 92nd overall pick.

Powers, who skipped his senior season to enter the draft, was expected to go much later in the draft.

Powers fought through some injuries last season to finish with 47 tackles and two interceptions.

Still waiting to see where OG Tyronne Green goes. I'll have another update when it happens.

UPDATE: Just checked out Powers' Scouts Inc. profile on ESPN.com. He got his highest marks in production, character and ball skills (attacking the ball, natural hands). He got his lowest mark in run support (doesn't always shed blocks quickly). There are also questions about his closing burst and recognition skills/toughness.

Here's a partial analysis from ESPN.com: "Powers does a good job staying low in his backpedal and does an adequate, but not great, job of opening his hips when he's forced to turn and run. He's also strong enough to re-route receivers at the line of scrimmage, but he doesn't always play with enough of an edge."

UPDATE: Just checked into the Colts' situation in the secondary. They have three cornerbacks on the roster who started last year — Kelvin Hayden (10 starts, 62 tackles, 3 INT), Marlin Jackson (7 starts, 57 tackles) and Tim Jennings (12 starts, 74 tackles, 1 INT). Another, Keiwan Ratliff (4 starts, 32 tackles, 2 INT) signed as a free agent with the Steelers in the offseason.

Jackson, a four-year veteran from Michigan, went on injured reserve with a knee injury for the second half of the season.

Other cornerbacks include Dante Hughes (third year, California), Nick Graham (third year, Tulsa), T.J. Rushing (fourth year, Stanford), Michael Coe (third year, Alabama State) and Brandon Sumrall (first year, Southern Miss).

All in all, it doesn't look like a bad situation for Powers. With Ratliff out of the mix and Jackson coming back from a major knee injury, it appears like Powers should have an opportunity to get some playing time early on.

UPDATE: Here's a post form a live chat from Colts beat writer Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star about the Powers pick: "It wasn't a surprise the Colts addressed their defense with their third-round pick. But it might have been a surprise they opted for Jerraud Powers, a cornerback out of Auburn. Starters Kelvin Hayden and Marlin Jackson return, as do key backups Tim Jennings and Dante Hughes. Team president Bill Polian, though, always goes with the best player, regardless of position. Powers is a 5-10, 192-pounder who will provide a physical presence and more depth. The pick should light a fire under Jennings, a 2006 second-round pick, and Hughes, a 2007 third-rounder. Neither has fulfilled expectations, especially Hughes."

Sen'Derrick Marks turned out to be a first-day NFL Draft pick after all. The Tennessee Titans took the former Auburn defensive tackle in the second round with the 62nd overall selection in Saturday's draft, two picks before the end of the first day.

"I just went crazy," Marks said. "When I went to visit the Titans, I asked coach (Jeff) Fisher how it all works on draft day, and he asked if I really wanted to know and he told me. When he just called me, he said, 'Didn’t I tell you that it was going to be a great feeling?'”

The Titans needed help on their interior line after losing defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to free agency in the offseason. The All-Pro signed a 7-year, $100 million contract with the Washington Redskins in February.

The 6-foot-2, 306-pound Marks, who bypassed his senior season at Auburn to enter the draft, turned out to be their solution. He was the sixth defensive tackle taken Saturday.

"Sen'Derrick Marks is perfect getting up the field," ESPN analyst Todd McShay said shortly after the pick. "He is best when he's on the move. A little bit undersized, but I think early on he can come in and rush the passer from the interior. Certainly Tennessee needs some depth at that defensive tackle position. I think Marks will provide some of that."

ESPN's Scouts Inc. gave Marks high grades in agility and quickness but had questions about his strength, toughness and durability.

Many of those doubts arose after an injury-plagued junior season during which he had 32 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss and two sacks. A projected first-rounder before the season, Marks' stock dropped considerably by the time he declared in December.

Those concerns were exacerbated by an offseason hamstring pull he suffered at the NFL Combine in February, an injury that affected him during a sub-par showing at Auburn's pro day just a few weeks later.

But Marks met with several teams individually in the last month to temper concerns about his hamstring, which he declared "100 percent" earlier this week. One of those teams was Tennessee.

"The Titans complex was the only facility that I went to visit and I really enjoyed it," Marks said. "It was a lot like Auburn’s, so I felt very familiar with it. I really liked the d-line coaches and the way that they coach. I really liked my visit and enjoyed it."

According to the team's Web site, the Titans' two projected starters at defensive tackle next year are Tony Brown and Jovan Haye. Brown had 52 tackles and four sacks for Tennessee last season. Haye signed as a free agent after making 33 tackles in 14 starts with Tampa Bay.

Auburn has now had a player selected on the first day of the draft in every year since 2004.

UPDATE: Here are a couple things from the Titans Web site.

First, a video with Tennessee's brain trust about the Marks selection.

Second, an audio only interview with Sen'Derrick (who is mislabeled as Den'Derrick at the top). Some interesting stuff on here, including Marks' impressions of Fisher and his thoughts about replacing Haynesworth, a player he idolized. He also had an interesting comment for why he went pro in the first place, other than feeling he was ready for the next level:

"There was a lot going on at Auburn, and I really wasn't getting a grasp of what was going on. And I felt that that was really personal on me. And I know a lot of other guys felt like that."

Not sure what he means by that, but clearly the coaching change and turmoil of December had an impact on his decision.

Ahh, one of my favorite days of the year. You know those nerds who like to watch eight non-stop hours of draft coverage on ESPN, the ones everyone enjoys making fun of? Well I'm one of them. I thoroughly enjoy everything about the draft.

I will say I don't like the NFL moving the draft back to 4 p.m. ET. There's no reason whatsoever to try to get the early second round in prime time. If you're going to watch it, you'll commit to it. You're not going to get extra viewers at 7 p.m. on what in Auburn at least is a gorgeous day.

But I digress. On to Auburn, which has some slim pickings in this year's draft, as I wrote about Friday for our dead-tree based newspaper. We also had team-by-team capsules for Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Georgia Tech.

Here's some shorthand for Auburn as far as projections go:

• DT Sen'Derrick Marks: 2nd to 4th round (rumors have Indianapolis interested late in the second round)
  
• OG Tyronne Green: 3rd to 5th round
• CB Jerraud Powers: 5th to 7th round
• DT Tez Doolittle: Late to undrafted
• SS Merrill Johnson, RB Brad Lester, RB/KR Tristan Davis, WR Rod Smith and LB Chris Evans: Likely to sign as undrafted free agents.

If that seems like a light crop for Auburn, it's because it is. The Tigers have had at least one player go in the first or second round and at least three players get selected overall in every draft since 2004, a pair of streaks that could come to an end today.

The first two rounds are today with the final five tomorrow, so there's a chance nobody from Auburn gets taken on the first day.

We'll keep you updated when any Tiger gets selected this weekend, so check back for updates.

DEPTH CHART

Punters

• P Clinton Durst, Sr., 6-1, 192
• P Ryan Shoemaker, Jr., 6-0, 191

Place-Kickers

• PK Wes Byrum, Jr., 6-2, 214
• PK Chandler Brooks, rFr., 6-0, 164
• PK Morgan Hull, Jr., 6-3, 190
• PK Graham Sutter, So., 5-9, 146

Deep snappers/holders

• DS Josh Harris, So., 6-1, 224
• DS Bailey Woods, So., 6-5, 230
• DS Dax Dellenbach, rFr., 6-1, 229
• DS/H Clayton Crofoot, Sr., 6-6, 198
• H John Cubelic, Jr., 6-0, 207

Kick returners (in no particular order)

• CB Neiko Thorpe, So., 6-2, 182
• CB Walt McFadden, Sr., 6-0, 176
• HB Mario Fannin, Jr., 5-11, 226
• RB Ben Tate, Sr., 5-11, 217
• RB Onterio McCalebb, Fr., 5-10, 165
  

Punt returners (in no particular order)

• WR Quindarius Carr, So., 6-1, 181
• RB Justin Albert, rFr., 5-8, 169
• HB Mario Fannin, Jr., 5-11, 226
• CB Walt McFadden, Sr., 6-0, 176
  

DEPTH CHART

• CB Walt McFadden, Sr., 6-0, 176
• CB Neiko Thorpe, So., 6-2, 182
• S Zac Etheridge, Jr., 6-0, 204
• S Mike McNeil, Jr., 6-2, 205
• CB Aairon Savage, Sr., 5-11, 173

Reserves

• S Mike Slade, So., 6-3, 191
• S Drew Cole, So., 5-11, 192
• S Christian Thompson, So., 6-1, 200
• CB T'Sharvan Bell, rFr., 6-0, 177
• CB D'Antoine Hood, So., 5-10, 191
• DB Jeremy Flowers, So., 5-10, 205

Walk-ons

• DB Landry Bodie, Sr., 5-9, 189
• DB Matthew Sample, Fr., 6-2, 190
• DB Deante Lewis, So., 6-1, 176
• DB Brandon Evans, rFr., 5-10, 190

OVERVIEW

Jerraud Powers' decision to enter the NFL Draft might not be the blow everybody thought it would be. The secondary is undoubtedly the deepest position Auburn has on the defense, with three starters returning from last year, another player who nearly started before injuring his knee in two-a-days (Savage) and a former nickelback who is coming into his own (Thorpe). Despite injuries that kept both Etheridge (shoulder) and McNeil (broken leg) out for part of spring drills, Auburn has plenty of bodies to take their place, with three sophomore safeties eager to get their shot. The Tigers had so much depth, in fact, that safety Marcus Jemison moved to linebacker and cornerback Harry Adams moved to wide receiver, which tells me the coaches are very comfortable with this group.

GOOD THINGS

From all accounts, McFadden and Thorpe had a great spring. McFadden played second fiddle to Powers last season but emerged by the end of the year as a durable corner who you could rely on in one-on-one coverage. Thorpe (who fans of "The Wire" might notice looks exactly like Dukie from seasons 4 and 5) was so good this spring that he seemingly locked down the other starting corner spot, leaving Auburn with few questions about its cover corners. While injuries are never good, it did give the coaching staff a long, hard look at Slade, Cole and Thompson, who stepped in for McNeil and Etheridge. All got valuable experience this spring, which should come in handy when the bullets actually start flying in the fall. Also, Savage, although limited in the spring, is back on the field. Anytime you can add someone with that experience level to the mix, it's a positive.

BAD THINGS

The injuries are disconcerting. McNeil's broken leg isn't supposed to keep him out for more than two months, but you can never tell how somebody comes back from something like that. Etheridge and Savage were kept out of most contact drills this spring because of their injuries, so they didn't benefit from the drills as much as everyone else. But with their experience, that's not necessarily the worst thing in the world.

ARRIVING SOON

Auburn has four defensive backs joining the team this fall, provided Mississippi Gulf Coast CC transfer Demond Washington starts out on offense, as is expected. Reggie Taylor and Taikwon Paige are both four-star recruits, but they'll find a hard time breaking into the rotation just because the Tigers are deep at the position. Safeties Daren Bates and Izauea Lanier struck me as project players who have some work to do before they would get any time on the field. The good news is that Auburn has enough depth that nobody has to step in and compete immediately, one of the rare positions where that is the case.

POTENTIAL BREAKOUT

Thorpe, to me, has all the makings of a future All-SEC cornerback. He's got a nice frame (6-2, 182), he's fast and, as evidenced by his ample playing time as a true freshman, doesn't appear to be overwhelmed by any situation. He had 29 tackles, two interceptions that he returned for 101 yards and four pass break-ups last year in sporadic playing time. And that was as a true freshman. Not too many players come in and do that right away.

BATTLE TO WATCH

With the starting spots pretty well locked down and Savage as the wild card who could steal some reps or be the fifth man in on the nickel, the real competition is in the reserves. Slade, Cole and Thompson all drew praise from safeties coach Tommy Thigpen this spring. Slade has had a year of learning the position after moving from corner. Cole, although slight in stature, will stick his head into any play. And Thompson, in addition to having a body that seems like it's best suited to play safety, is the best tackler of the three. At corner, Bell and Hood have both made progress. Bell, a converted quarterback, got a little more mention from cornerbacks coach Phillip Lolley, who is quick to compliment anybody in his stable of corners who is doing well.

THEY SAID IT

"He always knew he was athletic. He’s always had tremendous confidence. Now, he’s feeling the next part of the game. He’s getting smart with the game. They tried him on what I call a hesitation-and-go, stutter-and-go, one time. Immediately his eyes (lit up) and he flipped his body, he turned and ran to a point on the field and cut the guy off. Like I tell him, there’s a reason for that. You know they’re going to come back short on you thinking now he’s scared to bite on anything. The very next play they threw one short in front of him and he causes a fumble. That’s the mark of a guy starting to mature a little bit."

— Lolley on Thorpe

NUMBERS GAME

3 — interceptions last year by linebacker Josh Bynes, most on the team. McFadden, Powers and Thorpe each had two.

THE END OF THE DAY

Finally, a position Gene Chizik and Co. don't have to worry about getting the numbers up. The Tigers seem to have a solid starting lineup already in place, with Savage as an option to start or come in as a key reserve. Behind them, there's plenty to work with, so you won't see any iron man action out there this season. All in all, one of Auburn's most solid groups.

Tomorrow: Special teams

DEPTH CHART

• MLB Josh Bynes, Jr., 6-2, 233
• OLB Craig Stevens, Jr., 6-3, 227
• OLB Eltoro Freeman, So., 5-11, 222
• OLB Spencer Pybus, So., 6-0, 216

Reserves

• LB Da'Shaun Barnes, rFr., 6-2, 222
• LB Adam Herring, So., 6-1, 211
• LB Marcus Jemison, rFr., 6-2, 199

Walk-ons

• LB Wade Christopher, So., 6-1, 209
• LB Watson Downs, rFr., 6-0, 212
• LB Ashton Richardson, So., 6-0, 190
• LB Joey Caldwell, rFr., 6-1, 222

OVERVIEW

A veteran linebacking corps that included Merrill Johnson, Chris Evans and Tray Blackmon turned over drastically last season. Blackmon's injury- and suspension-plagued career ended abruptly with a broken hand, then never re-started under the new coaching staff, and Johnson and Evans both graduated, leaving the Tigers with few bodies to replace them. The bright spot of last year was Bynes, who emerged as a force in the middle following Blackmon's injury and is on the cusp of being a star. Under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Ted Roof, a former All-ACC linebacker who has molded that group at every stop of his career, he might achieve that level. Now, if he can get some help on the outside, Auburn can breath a lot easier.

GOOD THINGS

Bynes, from all accounts, is a beast. A physical marvel (seriously, his biceps get bigger every time we talk to him) who can run and lead a defense, he's a rare combination of size, speed and smarts in the middle. With Roof running the show, his development should continue at a more rapid pace. But while Bynes has been good, Stevens has gotten the most praise. He quietly finished fourth on the team in tackles last year with 54, although his TFLs (.5) and sacks (0) don't suggest he was a disruptive player. Freeman, a transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast CC, has been a breath of fresh air. More on him later.

BAD THINGS

Depth, depth, depth. Auburn doesn't have any. Behind Bynes, Stevens and Freeman, who have a pretty good shot at starting, the Tigers are hurting. Pybus had a decent freshman year but at 6-0, 216 pounds isn't the most physically imposing figure. Jemison moved from safety because coaches liked his speed and willingness to throw his body into the fray, but he is still undersized and learning the position. Barnes, Herring and Christopher hardly came up during interviews in the spring, despite some prodding, which isn't a good sign. If any of the presumptive starting three goes down this year, Auburn could be in a bind.

ARRIVING SOON

Help doesn't appear to be on the way. Auburn has a pair of true linebackers in its incoming freshmen class (props to eagle-eyed Joe Cribbs Car Wash for pointing out the one I missed earlier): Harris Gaston and Jonathan Evans. You would have to think both could compete for a spot on the two-deep right away, just because of the lack of competition. Dee Ford has been mentioned as a possible outside linebacker/rush end type player, but he has a very slight frame (6-2, 190) and would have to bulk up quite a bit if he were to take on the big tackles of the SEC.

POTENTIAL BREAKOUT

'Toro, 'Toro, 'Toro. He started as a backup to Stevens on the strong side but quickly started working with the ones along with Pybus at the weak side, his natural position. He's physically imposing (his arms make Bynes' look small by comparison) and a burst of energy when he's on the field. Players and coaches have remarked that he goes 100 mile per hour on every play. It's just a matter of executing the correct defensive plays at that speed, a minor problem common for someone who has only been on the team for a few months. Give him the summer and two-a-days and I'd expect to see him going in the right direction. Oh, and his interview skills are beyond reproach. Not that anybody out there cares about that, but we in the media do.

BATTLE TO WATCH

The only position up for grabs is the weak-side spot, and that doesn't appear to be too much of a competition. I'd expect Freeman to easily beat out Pybus for the job. The real competition might be among the second-teamers for who is the first person on the field in a reserve role.

THEY SAID IT

"Funny how it keeps happening, huh?" — Roof, noting that Stevens' name kept coming up in interviews because the junior was playing so well this spring

NUMBERS GAME

16 — tackles made last year by linebackers currently on the roster other than Stevens and Bynes. Pybus had 14 of them; Herring the other two.

THE END OF THE DAY

If Freeman becomes what most Auburn fans hope he will be at weak-side linebacker, Auburn will have a strong starting three. Bynes appears to be an All-SEC candidate and Stevens, if the reports are true, is making substantial gains this offseason. The problem is when one of them inevitably goes down an injury and is forced out for any period of time, something you simply can't avoid in football. If and when that happens, some of those second-teamers are going to have to prove that they're more than just practice players or Auburn could be in trouble.

Tomorrow: Secondary

Note: This is the first part of an eight-day position-by-position breakdown now that Auburn's spring drills have concluded.

DEPTH CHART

• DE Antonio Coleman, Sr., 6-3, 257
• DE Michael Goggans, Sr., 6-3, 257
• DE Antoine Carter, Jr., 6-4, 255
• DT Jake Ricks, Sr., 6-4, 296
• DT Zach Clayton, Jr., 6-3, 285
• DT Mike Blanc, Jr., 6-4, 288

Reserves

• DT Derrick Lykes, rFr., 6-2, 287
• DL Cam Henderson, rFr., 6-5, 230
• DT Jomarcus Savage, rFr., 6-2, 287
• DL Andre Wadley, rFr., 6-2, 300

Walk-ons

• DE Luke Farmer, So. 5-11, 246
• DE Chris Humphries, rFr., 6-2, 215
• DE Robert Hill, So., 6-1, 234
• DL Ryan Burse, Jr. 6-1, 229

OVERVIEW

With the departures of Tez Doolittle (graduation) and Sen'Derrick Marks (left early for NFL), the Tigers had an enormous hole to fill on their interior line, one that produced 60 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. But new line coach Tracy Rocker, an Auburn legend, didn't concern himself with who he didn't have on the roster. Buoyed by the return of Coleman, who opted not to follow Marks to the NFL, Rocker has gone about trying to instill a play-hurt mentality in his linemen that has worked at every other one of his coaching stops, even if it might take a while to ingrain on the Plains. "I woke up the next morning and I had that look on my face, that frown," Rocker said after the first day of practice. "My wife said, 'Hey, remember it was the first day.' You can't build a house in a day.' It takes work. You know that. But in this time a lot of times we want that microwave success. I understand that process, but everyday we've got to get better and approach practice with the right state of mind."

GOOD THINGS

AC is back, and after a minor tiff with the coaching staff about having to get treatment during practice, seems to be embracing the leadership role Auburn craves on the defensive side of the ball. He had at least two sacks during one scrimmage that was dominated by the defensive line and should be a force next year if he can avoid the minor bumps and bruises that limited him last season. If nothing else, Rocker established a nice rotation on the line, with Coleman, Goggans and Carter rotating at the ends and Ricks, Blanc and Clayton working at the tackles.

BAD THINGS

Despite Rocker's play-hurt mind set, plenty of players were injured to the point that they could not practice. A leg injury kept Carter out of the final week of practice and A-Day, while Savage (shoulder) and Henderson (ankle) both missed significant time as well. Rocker said he saw spurts out of the redshirt freshmen — Savage, Henderson and Lykes — but wanted to see more consistency from the trio.

ARRIVING SOON

Auburn has a giant defensive line class arriving in the fall, including Terrance Coleman (AC's nephew), Nosa Eguae, Nick Fairley, Jamar Travis, Dee Ford and Josh Jackson. Fairley, a 6-foot-4, 295-pound tackle figures to be one that could jump in early, simply because he is two years removed from high school, having redshirted in 2007 and played at Copiah-Lincoln Community College last year. Those years make a big difference in strength, which usually prevents freshman linemen from coming in and playing immediately. It will be interesting to see if Coleman, who also has the physical attributes, can get on the field too.

POTENTIAL BREAKOUT

If you're looking for another Doolittle, who finally thrived in his final season, it might be Ricks. "I’ve seen a lot of things out of him that I didn’t know he had in him," Coleman said. "He’s stepping up big time and making plays that I’ve never seen from him before. He’s not in anyone’s shadow any more and he understands that this is his senior year and he needs to step up and make plays. Everyone’s counting on him to get out there and make plays for us."

BATTLE TO WATCH

Playing time on the inside will be interesting. Ricks, Blanc and Clayton have worked in a three-man rotation, so it's not clear how playing time will be divvied up between the three of them, or if they'll lose any reps to youngsters Lykes and Savage.

THEY SAID IT

"Once I get it going, everybody will follow me, and that's what happened."

— Coleman, after a two-sack scrimmage

NUMBERS GAME

7.5 and 4.5 — tackles for a loss and sacks last year by Clayton, which ranked fourth and second on the team.

THE END OF THE DAY

This unit appears to be one of the more solid ones on the defense. Any line with AC on it is going to be tough, but Goggans is often overlooked at the other side and Carter has shown promise. The real question is if the Tigers can shore up the middle. Clayton's contributions were very under the radar last season, and the junior could be an answer at one of the spots. If Ricks, Blanc or any of the redshirt freshmen can step up, the loss of Doolittle and Marks might not be as daunting. Most likely it's going to be a combination of plenty of players up front. Rocker has made it known that he wants 100 percent effort on every play his linemen are on the field, otherwise he'll put someone else out there. In that case, the more bodies the better.

Tomorrow: Linebackers

No, Auburn did not resolve its quarterback question when spring drills concluded Sunday, the battle to be resumed when two-a-days begin in August after 3½ months of voluntary summer workouts.

But the coaches were pleased with the group’s progress throughout the spring, which ended with Kodi Burns and Neil Caudle in a virtual tie for the starting job, neither having distinguished himself from the other.

“I don’t know if I was disappointed,” Tigers head coach Gene Chizik said. “I think that at the end of the day that would have been the perfect world to have somebody be the definitive guy. But in so many instances when you’re in these situations, it takes more than 15 practices really to find out who the guy is, especially when you’re inserting everything new.”

The staff made sure not to draw too many conclusions from an A-Day in which the offense rolled up 501 yards and scored six touchdowns against a patched together defense that rarely included any first-team members.

“We certainly don’t want to have delusions of grandeur,” Chizik said. “We have not arrived on offense by any stretch of the imagination.”

“Just being totally honest with you, we’re a long way away,” offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn added.

But Auburn managed to install its base offense in the spring, a necessity for the quarterbacks, and any other player, as they enter a summer of position drills and 7-on-7 work that, per NCAA rules, cannot be supervised by coaches.

“It’s really going to be crucial during the summer for our guys to go out there and execute the things they’ve learned so far and to be better than they were when they left the field today,” Malzahn said.

Some other news and notes on the conclusion of spring drills ...

• Burns said he was a little disappointed not to get the starting job in the spring but said he wouldn't let it keep him down. “There are a lot of things I can get better at,” he said. “It’s been really tough for me, but I’m not worried about it. I’m not going to beat myself up about it. I’m not going to get my head down. That’s just part of it. I think I’ve learned that and grown up since I’ve been in college that things might not always go your way, but it’s just about how you bounce back.”

• Caudle appears happy just to be in it, something he wasn't at this time a year ago, when Tony Franklin didn't have him anywhere on his quarterback radar. “Getting reps with the ones, and getting a lot more reps in general, really helped my confidence and made me a better player overall just being out there,” Caudle said.

• Chizik didn't dismiss the notion that one of the two freshmen expected to join the team in August — Tyrik Rollison and Clint Moseley — could compete for the job. “We’re going to have all of our eyes open and leave all of our options open for sure with the new guys,” he said. That being said, you'd have to be a world beater to step on campus and start right away at any program. I can't imagine it happening with an offense that seems as complicated as Malzahn's.

• Goal No. 1 of the coaches: don't let this thing drag out to the eve of the football season like the coaching staff did last year. “You definitely don’t want that scenario,” Malzahn said. “In fairness to the guys, we’re going to have to name a guy as soon as possible so you can let your teammates know and go into that first game. I would really hope it wouldn’t be late in the process.”

• Burns, on the summer workout drills: "This summer the measuring stick of how good we want to be. It’s going to take leadership at the quarterback position as well as the older guys to get everybody out there to make sure they run the right routes, run the right plays, and just try to get better." I'll say this about Burns: he definitely talks the talk of a starting quarterback.

• Players defensive coordinator Ted Roof was pleased with this spring: LB Craig Stevens ("a great spring"), DE Antonio Coleman (became "a force"), LB Josh Bynes ("a steady spring") and S Mike McNeil (pre-injury, obviously), CB Walt McFadden and CB Neiko Thorpe.

• Depth remains an issue on defense. "In this league, you know you've got to have depth," Roof said. "Everybody's got a pretty good first 22, and then what happens after that? We're going to have to continue to recruit and develop some players in order to have some depth there because in order to be successful in this league you can't fall off the cliff when somebody gets injured. It's going to be inevitable that somebody is going to get hurt — or somebodies are going to get hurt. We're just going to have to continue working, but the good news is we've identified where we are and where some guys are and what they need to work on to get better in order to provide some quality depth."

• LB Eltoro Freeman also drew praise from Roof, who was happy the junior college transfer got to enroll mid-year and go through spring drills. "It's invaluable," Roof said. "To think about starting where we started this January with him in August or in June ... We as a football team are going to benefit because of that. He's another guy I thought improved as the spring went on. Once he became more comfortable with the new terminology and new words and new ways of doing things, once he got into a groove, I really saw him get better."

• Auburn's coaching staff doesn't have too much down time, even though they can't do anything with the team until August. Recruiting remains a priority. Chizik, who, per NCAA rules, cannot be on the road, said the rest of his coaches will out there for four weeks.

• Auburn only has four commits for 2010 right now, less than a number of schools (Alabama, for instance, has nine). But Chizik isn't concerned. "It'd be nice if they're the nice ones and the ones you want," Chizik said. "I don't know how many we'll have. There are so many guys that we're recruiting that can go anywhere in the country — West Coast, East Coast and everywhere in between. So, for us to have that many commitments before the summer, that might be a little ambitious."

• That's all from Sunday, although I don't plan for that to be all for the spring. Starting this week, I'm going to go through each position and give a rundown of where Auburn stands following spring drills, so check back for updates periodically.

The Auburn women's golf team captured its seventh SEC championship and first since 2006, finishing at +18 in the three-day tournament to win by six strokes. The Tigers entered Sunday down three to Arkansas but gained 11 strokes on the Razorbacks to win by eight.

Former Central High standout Haley Wilson (picture) finished in 12th place, her best finish as a collegian. She finished at +6 for the tournament, with rounds of 70, 78 and 71 at par-71 University Club course in Blythewood, S.C.

The Tigers had four players finish in the top 12, led by Cydney Clanton, who finished at +3 and tied for fourth. Patricia Sanz (+4, t-6th) and Candace Schepperle (+5, t-10th) rounded out Auburn's top three.

Here's the full individual leaderboard and here's the team leaderboard.

The NCAA regionals are up next for Auburn, taking place May 7-9 at a site to be announced.

Oh, what an A-Day. Unless of course, you are a member of the defense. Or you're someone who wagered a hefty sum of money that the defense would come out victorious, which, judging from the poll on the right, many of you thought would happen. (Let's be honest, though, if you're betting on spring football, that's a fairly good indicator that you have a gambling problem.)

ANYWAY, the offense ruled the day against a mix-and-matched defensive unit, so I don't really know what to make of all of it. It did little to clear up the quarterback race between Neil Caudle and Kodi Burns.

Caudle, who took a hard hit Thursday that forced him out of action briefly, showed no ill-effects Saturday, going 11-for-16 for 161 yards and two touchdowns, a 4-yarder to Mario Fannin in the third quarter and a 34-yarder to Darvin Adams in the fourth.

Burns, who started the final six games last season, had modest passing stats (3-for-8, 48 yards) but led the team to touchdowns on his first three drives with the first-team offense.

“We were scoring so quick, that’s just kind of the way things worked out,” he said of his stats. “I’m not upset about it at all. It just worked out that way. That’s good. We scored pretty quick. It keeps the ball out of my hands and gets it to the playmakers.”

The competition will continue throughout the summer and into two-a-days in August from the sounds of it.

“We’re not ready to make any decisions right now,” offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn said. “When we get to fall camp, we’ll start that thing going. ... We’ll have two quarterbacks primarily working on timing with receivers (this summer), and that’s what we need. We’ll work extremely hard in that area and we should improve.”

Some other news and notes from Saturday ...

• Your offensive MVP: Ben Tate -- 4 rushes, 72 yards, 2 touchdowns, one that went for 46 yards and another for 9.

• Your defensive MVP: Michael Goggans -- 2 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFLs.

• Your special teams MVP: Wesley Byrum -- made a field goal from 46 yards, just came up short from 51. Also missed the net on the sidelines during some warmups one time from about five yards away. That can't be the most comforting thing for Auburn fans.
  

• Your most heart-warming story was running back Onterio McCalebb. I wrote at length about McCalebb's tough upbringing in Fort Meade, Fla., in today's newspaper. He hoped his mother, Staphisa McMillian, would be able to make the trip up for A-Day and see him play for the first time in her life. She's battled drug problems and had her son forcibly taken away from her when he was in the fourth grade, but McCalebb would do anything for her and wants to make the NFL to get her off the streets. Well, she did show up to A-Day Saturday, watching him break off a 70-yard run for a touchdown in the third quarter. “It’s just wonderful,” McCalebb said. “I turned around one time and saw my mom on the sidelines, and she was just sitting there laughing. It looked like she was crying. I was so excited.”

• Nobody was close to McCalebb on that run, by the way. By the time he reached the end zone, he was a good 15 yards ahead of the closest defender. The boy is fast. "As soon as I got past the line of scrimmage, I knew no one was going to catch me," he said.

• WR Terrell Zachery had a pretty play for a touchdown in the second quarter that seemed to be vintage Malzahn. Burns took the snap, faked a handoff to Tate and appeared to run an option play to the right before flipping the ball to Zachery, who passed by the other direction on an inside end around. He got a block and shot up the left sideline for the score. “We’ve been working on that play all spring, and every time we ran it we were one block away from busting it,” Zachery said. “Today it was wide open.”

• That makes three big runs for Auburn on the day, each going for at least 46 yards. "Great running backs are going to be able to get to the second level and they're going to be able to make somebody miss," head coach Gene Chizik said. "Any time we can get what we call an explosive run, we think it demoralizes the defenses and we certainly strive to get six or seven of those a game."

• Fannin, the H-back, had two carries for 22 yards and four catches for 71 yards and a touchdown. He made a 41-yard catch on a deflected ball from Burns that was nearly intercepted. Fannin lost his helmet on the play and continued fighting for extra yardage for about five seconds. The defense never tackled him. With all that added bulk in the offseason, he is a beast. I wouldn't want to try to tackle him.

• Plenty of drops from the receivers today, most notably one by Derek Winter on a long pass from Burns that appeared to hit him right in stride. Converted cornerback Harry Adams had some trouble as well. "That's kind of what we're working on right now," Chizik said. "The wideouts have got to catch every ball that's thrown to them regardless of where it's put. It can be high, low, inside, outside, right on. It doesn't matter. We've got to be able to catch the football."

• Auburn didn't pull out all the stops on offense. "Obviously you're on TV, it's a spring game," Malzahn said. "We're in the base stages of our offense. We're just trying to get the base foundation so that in the summer they can actually work on things and improve without the coaches."

• BTW, the scoring system that Auburn used was more complicated than it should have been. I'm skeptical that all of the points were being awarded. For example, Tate only got six points on his first touchdown run, which went 46 yards. According to the scoring sheet, he should have also gotten two for it being the third straight first down and two more for being an "explosive play" of more than 15 yards. The defense seemed like got ripped off of a couple points for a couple three-and-outs as well.

• DT Mike Blanc had the defense's other sack but had to remind himself to hold up hitting the quarterback. “I had a sack and I was about to take him down, but I was like hold on, we can’t hit him,” he said. “It’s good. It teaches you how to practice. We can’t be hurting our teammates.”

• Blanc said he understood why the coaches didn't match up the first-team defense against the first-team offense. “There was no real reason for the first-team defense to play that much against the second-team offense,” he said. “Because our defensive line coach, he feels like he has a pretty good understanding of what we can contribute when the season comes around.”

• Chizik, on not pitting the ones vs. the ones: "It's been a real physical spring, and that's all we've done all spring, more than usual. I don't think most people subscribe to that theory and that's all we've done pretty much for 13 previous days."

• There was no real big reward for the winning team, like a better post-game meal. "Nah," defensive lineman Antonio Coleman said. "If there was a bet like that I can guarantee the scoreboard would have been different."

• QB Barrett Trotter, who was on crutches Saturday,will have surgery next week on his torn left ACL, according to AuburnSports.com. The general recovery time for that kind of injury is six to nine months. “It’s really tough,” Caudle said. “Barrett’s worked so hard in the offseason and he played so good in the spring. It’s not good for something to happen to that good of a guy, but it’s part of the game. You’ve just got to roll with the punches and get back.”

• The crowd of 45,381 was an A-Day record.

• Some other stats from Saturday:

• Offense: 55 plays, 501 yards
• Rushing plays/yards: 29-280
• Passing plays/yards: 26-221
• Third-down conversion: 4 of 11
• Defense: 0 turnovers (I thought this was a priority all spring?)
• WR D. Adams: 4 catches, 103 yards, TD
• RB Justin Albert: 7 rushes, 31 yards, TD
• P Clinton Durst: 3 punts, 42.7 avg., long of 52
• DB Matthew Sample: team-leading six tackles

• Practice wraps up with an evening practice Sunday. Chizik said it will be largely a teaching session. "We're just really going to go in and touch up and brush up because it's the last thing they're going to hear from us until next fall," he said.

• UPDATE: Auburn picked up a commitment from 6-foot-7, 275-pound Olive Branch, Miss., offensive tackle Shon Coleman on Saturday, according to AuburnSports.com. Coleman chose Auburn over offers from Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Southern Miss and Florida International. He is the Tigers' fourth commitment for 2010 and the first on the offensive line, a major need. Auburn signed safety Daren Bates out of Olive Branch in its 2009 class.