Grading every Auburn position group at the bye
Auburn has made it to the bye week and will have a chance to recover from a brutal start to the season.
The Tigers are 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the SEC, with their lone SEC win being gifted to them by Missouri. Not only has Auburn struggled on the field but several key players have been lost due to injuries, further eroding Auburn’s depth.
With the bye week here, now is a good time to stop and access how each position group has performed this season and assign them a grade halfway through the season.
As expected most of these grades are not pretty and the performance of one group influences another.
Quarterback: C-
(Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Robby Ashford has flashed his potential but it has also come with a turnover problem. Part of this is because of the dreadful offensive line but he has to do a better job protecting the ball, his scrambling ability has been Auburn’s best play in the passing game. T.J. Finley struggled to start the year and does not have the mobility to handle the constant pressure teams can generate against Auburn.
Running back: B-
Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics
Tank Bigbsy and Jarquez Hunter deserve better. The two were finally able to show what they are capable of doing last week against Ole Miss and took over, they combined for 260 yards and two touchdowns. Auburn is wasting an extremely talented backfield.
Wide Receiver: D
Zach Bland/AU Athletics
Outside of Ja’Varrius Johnson, this group has struggled to make plays and get open for the quarterbacks. The receivers have combined to catch just two touchdowns all season and there has been little development from the newcomers and younger players.
Tight End: B-
Todd Van Emst / AU Athletics
John Samuel Shenker has been one of Auburn’s most consistent players on offense even though he has committed far too many penalties. The rest of the tight ends have combined for five catches and have primarily been used as blockers, to mixed results.
Offensive Line: F
It all starts up front and Auburn is not getting the job done. The quarterbacks are instantly under pressure and the running backs are frequently hit behind the line of scrimmage. They had their best game against Ole Miss and will be looking to build on that performance.
Defensive Line: B
Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics
Eku Leota was having a phenomenal season before he suffered an injury but Derick Hall, Colby Wooden, and Morris Joseph Jr. have had great seasons so far. The depth is lacking but they have a very talented core group. They have struggled against the run the past two weeks and will need to be better out of the bye but a chance to get rested could prove key there.
Linebacker: C-
(AP Photo/Stew Milne)
Cam Riley had a tremendous start to the season but has regressed as he battles an injury. Owen Pappoe and Wesley Stiner have struggled throughout the season. And this group is also partially to blame for Auburn’s inability to stop the run.
Secondary: B-
Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK
After a rough start to the season this group has rounded into form. D.J. James has been one of Auburn’s top newcomers and Donovan Kaufman has become a great player. Keionte Scott has the only interception of the group.
Special teams: C
John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Oscar Chapman has a case as Auburn’s best performing player this season but the rest of the special teams have not been as crisp. Anders Carlson has struggled from kicks over 40 yards this season and Auburn’s 13.36 yards per kickoff return ranks 125th in the country.
Coaching: F
Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Auburn has consistently been outcoached and still struggles to make any sort of adjustment during games. This falls on Bryan Harsin and the coordinators that he hand-picked.
