Who is eligible and who is the backup qb?
There are still some loose ends to tie up before Auburn begins preseason practice on Thursday.
Auburn coaches hope to find out soon the status of four signees - defensive back Ryan Williams, lineman Nick Fairley, linebacker Eltoro Freeman and wide receiver Chris Slaughter. All have questions of one kind of another about their eligibility.
There are also some current players who had to make grades this summer to be eligible. Finals are this week. All are thought to be on track to do what they need to do.
We'll try to find out Monday just where things stand in the race to be Brandon Cox's backup at quarterback. Junior Blake Field was listed No. 2 on the post-spring depth chart, and offensive coordinator Al Borges has said Field would get first shot. But the man with the final word, head coach Tommy Tuberville, has said at least three times in the past week that redshirt freshman Neil Caudle will go into practice as the backup.
Unless we hear differently, we'll assume it's going to be Caudle. But it's a safe bet that Field, Caudle and redshirt freshman Steven Ensminger will all get their chances. Freshman Kodi Burns will get a look, too, but it would be asking a lot for a newcomer to pick up enough of Al Borges' offense to be an effective backup at the start of the season.
Another interesting race to watch will be at tailback. Junior Brad Lester seems set as the starter, but there isn't a lot of separation among sophomore Ben Tate, redshirt freshman Mario Fannin and junior Tristan Davis. All of them are talented enough to be the starter should Lester falter.
The best player in the backfield behind Cox just might be senior fullback Carl Stewart. He's an exceptionally intelligent guy who is working on a second degree. You can also expect to see him playing some in Auburn's one-back set and, if Danny Perry or John Douglas can handle the load at fullback, at tailback in goal-line situations.
Reporting day used to a big deal, but it's kind of ho-hum now. That's because the players all stay on campus during the summer. There was a time not so long ago when most of them went home and worked during the summer.
I'll be breaking new ground, at least for me, with this blog when practice starts. The plan is to update it several times a day with the latest news, quotes and tidbits of interest. It should be fun.
[More at http://blog.al.com]
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