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Things haven’t been going Auburn’s way lately, and the Tigers are looking to bounce back. After consecutive 6-win seasons, patience has run out. This is a program used to winning, and winning big at times.
Not since the 1998-99 seasons — when they won 3, then 5 games — have the Tigers had worse back-to-back campaigns than the last 2. And you have to go all the way back to 1975-78 to find the last time Auburn had 3 consecutive seasons of 6 victories or fewer.
So returning the program to respectability is the goal of 2nd-year head coach Bryan Harsin. It was rough initial season, to say the least, but reversing that trend is paramount for a coach already on the hot seat.
Can he do it? Can Harsin whip this team into shape and lift it to the upper echelon of the SEC? Leading rusher Tank Bigsby is back, and so is Shedrick Jackson, the team’s 2nd-leading receiver. The Tigers will be without their top 3 tacklers from last year, but Nos. 4 and 5 return in Colby Wooden (5 sacks) and Derick Hall, who led the team with 9 sacks in 2021.
Here’s a closer look at the Auburn depth chart as the Sept. 3 season opener with Mercer at Jordan-Hare Stadium approaches.
QB: D+
Probably the biggest question mark this season is at the most important position. Can Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada handle the role? He was inconsistent, to say the least, last season in College Station, but he did beat Alabama, and that’s good enough to be accepted to the Plains.
T.J. Finley is a raw talent who has yet to win a game at Auburn as a starter. However, he did throw 128 passes last season with just 1 interception. And his arm strength can’t be questioned. His accuracy, however, can be. Finley completed 54.7 percent of his throws in 2021. Calzada wasn’t much better, completing 56.1. Both ranked near the bottom among SEC quarterbacks.
Redshirt freshman Robby Ashford (Oregon), one of 9 transfers who could be among the team’s 2-deep roster, could ultimately wind up being the answer. The Hoover, Ala., native comes back home to perhaps set the Tigers back on track.
In any case, it’s the quarterback position that appears most unstable. Good quarterback play could lead the Tigers toward double-digit victories this season. If neither Calzada nor Finley has improved — and there is no reason to think either has — then keeping their heads above .500 is all that can be expected for the Tigers.
RB: A-
Bigsby is the top returning RB in the SEC, rushing for 1,099 yards last year. If the offensive line is as improved as anticipated, Bigsby should have a monster year. Backup Jarquez Hunter turned in a big freshman year, carrying 83 times for 593 yards (6.66 yards per carry).
The Tigers look to rely heavily on these 2 standouts, and why not? Ground and pound just might prove to be a winning formula in 2022 regardless of how the quarterback position pans out.
WR: D
Thank goodness for Jackson, a super senior with the only real experience (40 catches, 527 yards, 1 TD) in the WR group. It’s anybody’s guess after that. Combined with the uncertainty of a proven quarterback, and the passing game looks to be a glaring weakness.
But that’s not to say that there isn’t potential at the position. Ja’ Varrius Johnson caught 19 passes last season for a team-high 14.42 yards per catch, and Harsin brought in transfers Koy Moore (LSU) and Dazalin Worsham (Miami) to help shore up the position.
TE: B-
John Samuel Shenker is one of the top returning tight ends in the SEC. The super senior made 33 catches for 413 yards last season. He will be counted on heavily again in 2022.
Tyler Fromm and Luke Deal got some experience last season, combining for 13 catches and 153 yards. Each scored a touchdown.
OL: C+
If nothing else, the Auburn offensive line should be among the most experienced in the conference. Nick Brahms (C) and Brandon Council (LG) lead a group that includes 4 super seniors and one that could include 9 seniors total on its 2-deep interior.
Granted, this group took its share of criticism last season, especially in the run game, but experience and cohesiveness has to count for something. It better, because it appears that the Tigers will have to rely heavily on their run game this season.
DL: B
Wooden and Hall anchor a defensive line that should be among the SEC’s best. Hall and Eku Leota combined for 16 of the team’s 36 sacks last season, and Oregon transfer Jayson Jones steps in to clog up the middle.
It’s a group that is deep with talent and experience. Junior Marcus Harris returns along with senior Marquis Burks. Memphis senior transfer Morris Joseph Jr. has 36 games and 123 tackles under his belt.
It’s a solid group that figures to be among the strengths of the team in 2022.
LB: B-
Owen Pappoe looks to get back on track after playing in just 5 games last year before a foot injury shortened his season. The former 5-star recruit leads a LB corps that includes juniors Wesley Steiner, Cam Riley and North Carolina transfer Eugene Asante.
DB: C
The Tigers’ secondary lost a lot of production from last year, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the cupboard is completely bare. Donovan Kaufman (34 tackles), Nehemiah Pritchett (27 tackles) and Jaylin Simpson (27 tackles) return. Each had an interception last year. The trio combined for 9 pass breakups in 2021. So, talent remains.
Zion Puckett (48 tackles, 35 solo) and Iowa State transfer Craig McDonald (41 tackles, 2 INTs) man the safety positions, with a group of freshmen and sophomores behind them.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
