Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Final spring depth chart released

Auburn spring depth chart

Auburn announced its post-spring practice football depth chart Wednesday. It’s as follows, with jersey number, name, measurements and class:

OFFENSE

Running back
1 Brad Lester (5-11, 198, Sr.)
44 Ben Tate (5-11, 215, Jr.)
9 Tristan Davis (5-10, 217, Sr.)

Quarterback
18 Kodi Burns (6-1, 205, So.) or 12 Chris Todd (6-4, 212, Jr.)
19 Neil Caudle (6-3, 200, So.)
15 DeRon Furr (6-3, 218, Fr.)

Wide receiver
6 James Swinton (6-0, 178, Sr.)
23 Chris Slaughter (6-3, 179, So.) or 21 Charles Olatunji (6-2, 197, Sr.)

Wide receiver
13 Tim Hawthorne (6-3, 209, RFr.)
27 Mario Fannin (5-11, 217, So.)

Left tackle
73 Lee Ziemba (6-8, 288, So.)
79 Jared Cooper (6-4, 297, RFr.)
75 Andrew McCain (6-6, 300, Jr.)

Left guard
71 Tyronne Green (6-2, 307, Sr.)
58 Kyle Coulahan (6-4, 309, RFr.)

Center
68 Jason Bosley (6-4, 281, Sr.)
50 Ryan Pugh (6-4, 284, So.)
66 Mike Berry (6-3, 313, So.)

Right guard
57 Byron Isom (6-3, 291, So.)
53 Bart Eddins (6-4, 292, So.)
76 Chaz Ramsey (6-4, 290, So.)

Right tackle
50 Ryan Pugh (6-4, 284, So.)
66 Mike Berry (6-3, 313, So.)

Tight end
5 Tommy Trott (6-5, 251, Jr.)
83 Gabe McKenzie (6-4, 253, Jr.)
35 Brent Slusher (6-3, 231, So.)

Wide receiver
3 Robert Dunn (6-0, 178, Sr.)
14 Terrell Zachery (6-1, 208, So.)

Wide receiver
80 Rodgeriqus Smith (6-0, 196, Sr.)
84 Montez Billings (6-2, 188, Jr.)
81 Quindarius Carr (6-1, 175, RFr.)

DEFENSE

End
52 Antonio Coleman (6-2, 250, Jr.)
45 Antoine Carter (6-4, 253, So.)

Tackle
91 Jake Ricks (6-4, 302, Jr.)
98 Zach Clayton (6-3, 286, So.)
65 Luke Farmer (5-11, 239, RFr.)

Tackle
94 Sen’Derrick Marks (6-1, 288, Jr.)
93 Mike Blanc (6-4, 287, So.)
41 Darrell Roseman (6-4, 270, So.)

End
49 Michael Goggans (6-3, 254, So.)
90 A.J. Greene (6-5, 269, RFr.)
42 Raven Gray (6-5, 253, Jr.)

Outside linebacker
46 Craig Stevens (6-2, 218, So.)
56 Courtney Harden (6-0, 237, Sr.)
40 Bo Harris (6-2, 244, So.)

Middle linebacker
10 Tray Blackmon (6-0, 220, Jr.)
17 Josh Bynes (6-2, 234, So.)
31 Adam Herring (6-1, 224, RFr.)

Outside linebacker
59 Chris Evans (6-0, 221, Sr.) or 55 Merrill Johnson (6-0, 204, Sr.)
56 Courtney Harden (6-0, 237, Sr.)

Strong safety
4 Zac Etheridge (5-11, 206, So.)
11 Mike Slade (6-2, 189, RFr.)

Free safety
26 Mike McNeil (6-2, 201, So.)
17 Jonathan Vickers (6-2, 216, Sr.)

Left cornerback
8 Jerraud Powers (5-9, 188, Jr.)
25 Ryan Williams (5-11, 204, So.)

Right cornerback
2 Aairon Savage (5-11, 190, Jr.) or 6 Walter McFadden (6-0, 180, Jr.)

SPECIAL TEAMS

Place kicker

18 Wes Byrum (6-1, 220, So.)
37 Morgan Hull (6-2, 187, So.)

Punter
21 Ryan Shoemaker (6-0, 192, So.)
7 Clinton Durst (6-2, 184, RFr.)
23 Patrick Tatum (6-2, 213, So.)

Deep snapper
60 Robert Shiver (6-3, 220, Sr.)
61 Josh Harris (6-1, 222, RFr.)
63 Rick Cherry (6-2, 233, So.)

Holder
82 Clayton Crofoot (6-3, 175, Jr.)
86 John Cubelic (6-0, 201, So.)

Punt returner
3 Robert Dunn (6-0, 178, Sr.)
23 Chris Slaughter (6-3, 179, So.)

Kickoff returns
9 Tristan Davis (5-10, 217, Sr.) and 1 Brad Lester (5-11, 198, Sr.)
6 Walter McFadden (6-0, 180, Jr.) and 16 James Swinton (6-0, 178, Sr.) or 44 Ben Tate (5-11, 215, Jr.)

Prowell, Robertson hoops MVPs

This from Auburn sports information:

Quan Prowell & Quantez Robertson named co-MVPs at Auburn basketball awards banquet

AUBURN - Senior Quan Prowell and junior Quantez Robertson were named co-Most Valuable Players at the 19th annual Auburn Basketball Awards Banquet Wednesday at the Hotel at Auburn University, and the pair combined for eight awards.

Prowell was selected the Outstanding Offensive Player, Outstanding Rebounder and received the Iron Tiger Award. He averaged a team-high 15.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 54 percent from the field, 41 percent from 3-point range and 72 percent from the foul line.

The Columbus, Ga., native ranked 16th in the SEC in both points and rebounds and ranked seventh in the league in field goal percentage and 17th with 32.52 minutes played per game.

He scored a career-high 31 points on 7-of-10 three-point shooting at Mississippi State Feb. 27 to go along with eight rebounds while playing all 40 minutes.

Robertson garnered the Playmaker Award for the third straight year as well as the Outstanding Defensive Player and the Iron Man Award for the second consecutive time for both.

The Cincinnati, Ohio, native averaged 7.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.1 steals while shooting 41 percent from the field, 35 percent from 3-point range and 75 percent from the foul line. He led the SEC with 37.5 minutes played, ranked second in the league in steals, second with a 2.30 assist/turnover ratio and eighth in assists.

Robertson, who started all 90 games of his collegiate career, scored a season-high 16 points to go along with five rebounds and four steals vs. Mississippi State and played 37 or more minutes in 23 games this year. He played all 40 minutes in 10 games.

For the second consecutive year, junior Frank Tolbert received the Lambert/Eagles Award. It is given in memory of Auburn*s 15th head basketball coach, Paul Lambert, who died in a hotel fire June 6, 1978, in Columbus, Ga., and Tommy Joe Eagles, who died unexpectedly of a heart attack July 30, 1994, two months after becoming the head coach at New Orleans.

Tolbert averaged 13.4 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 43 percent from the field, 31 percent from 3-point range and 76 percent from the foul line. The River Falls, Ala., native had 66 floor burns on the season, equalling the number for the rest of the entire Auburn team combined.

Finishing 17th on Auburn*s all-time scoring chart with 1,242 career points, Tolbert scored a career-high 32 points, including 26 in the second half, at No. 18 Vanderbilt and had eight rebounds. He scored a then-career-high 29 points, making 9 of 11 field goals vs. No. 15 Ole Miss.

Junior Drew Smith and sophomore Ryan Brooks both received the Academic Achievement Awards, while junior Rasheem Barrett received a plaque for being named SEC Player of the Week for Nov. 19-26, 2007, as he scored 25 points on 10-of-13 made field goals at Charleston Southern. He also totaled four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.

Barrett and Tolbert were both presented painted basketballs for joining Auburn*s 1,000-point club. Tolbert eclipsed the mark with 16 points in Auburn's 74-67 win at LSU on Jan. 16, while Barrett became the 30th member of the club with 10 points in the Tigers' 88-76 win vs. Alabama on Feb. 24.

Auburn finished with a 14-16 record overall (4-12 SEC) but was 8-2 when it lost junior starting power forward Korvotney Barber with a broken left hand in the sixth minute of the Towson game on Dec. 29. He was leading the nation, shooting 72.0 percent from the field, at the time ofhis injury.

Auburn's players -- including Barber, Prowell, Josh Dollard, Lucas Hargrove, Boubacar Sylla and Archie Miaway -- missed acombined 4,733 minutes on the season.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

A hack's take on quarterbacks

AUBURN -- All of a sudden, I'm not so sure that Chris Todd will ultimately emerge as Auburn's starting quarterback next fall.

One, his arm is not 100 percent. If the long-term effects of a shoulder injury he suffered in junior college carry into preseason practice, I'm certain Todd won't start.

Two, Kodi Burns ended spring practice with two strong scrimmage performances. Over Saturday's A-Day game and Wednesday's final spring scrimmage, Burns completed 26 of 36 passes for 355 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

The reps he received during those two scrimmages roughly translate to one full game.

Burns also showed better mastery of the subtleties over the last two scrimmages.

He's shown he can run. Now, he's showing he can pass and run the offense. And there's no questioning Burns' personal presence and leadership potential.

If all of those qualities bloom at the right time, Burns can be as special as his high school accolades suggest.

Just a sense here, but I don't agree so much with comparisons I hear that liken Burns to former Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell. Burns is a better runner and has more personal presence, which makes him more like the Dameyune Craig I remember.

We shall see.

Stats from Auburn's Wednesday football scrimmage

RUSHING (A-Y-TD): RB Tristan Davis 2-75-1, RB Anthony Jemison 10-59-0, QB Kodi Burns 7-39-0, RB Ben Tate 6-22-1, RB Brad Lester 8-19-1, FB Mike Gibson 4-15-0, FB John Douglas 1-3-0, QB DeRon Furr 6-2-0, QB Chris Todd 3-(-9)-0, QB Neil Caudle 2-(-17)-0.

PASSING (C-A-Y-I-TD): QB Kodi Burns 12-15-213-0-2, QB Chris Todd 11-18-144-0-0, QB Neil Caudle 8-13-117-1-0, QB DeRon Furr 2-3-59-0-1.

RECEIVING (C-Y-TD): WR Chris Slaughter 6-87-0, WR James Swinton 4-35-1, WR Terrell Zachery 3-91-1, WR Rod Smith 3-91-0, WR John Cubelic 3-31-0, WR Quindarius Carr 2-44-1, TE Bailey Woods 2-32-0, TE Tommy Trott 2-28-0, WR Montez Billings 2-8-0, WR Charles Olatunji 1-42-1, WR Vincent Cook 1-17-0, WR Zack Shaw 1-6-0, FB Mike Gibson 1-6-0, RB Brad Lester 1-3-0.

TACKLES: MLB Tray Blackmon 9, S Mike Slade 6, LB Josh Bynes 5, LB Merrill Johnson 5, LB Chris Evans 5, S Mike McNeil 5, DE Antoine Carter 4 (2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery), LB Courtney Harden 4, S Zac Etheridge 4 (1 interception), CB Walter McFadden 4, DE Michael Goggans 4, DT Mike Blanc 3, Craig Stevens 3, DT Sen'Derrick Marks 3, LB Jacob Shirey 3, S Aairon Savage 3, CB Ryan Williams 3, S Wade Christopher 3, S Jonathan Vickers 2, DT Zach Clayton 2, CB Jerraud Powers 2, DE Ryan Burse 2, L Kyle Coulahan 1.

SCORING DRIVES

6 plays, 56 yards: James Swinton 12-yard pass from Kodi Burns
2 plays, 76 yards: Tristan Davis 69-yard run (Chris Todd at QB)
10 plays, 79 yards: Quindarius Carr 35-yard pass from Kodi Burns
3 plays, 70 yards: Ben Tate 8-yard run (Chris Todd at QB)
8 plays, 34 yards: Wes Byrum 53-yard field goal (Chris Todd at QB)
10 plays, 70 yards: Brad Lester 2-yard run (Kodi Burns at QB)
5 plays, 65 yards: Terrell Zachery 52-yard pass from Neil Caudle
4 plays, 71 yards: Charles Olatunji 42-yard pass from DeRun Furr
7 plays, 55 yards: Wes Byrum 32-yard field goal (Neil Caudle at QB)