Ranking items on the to-do list for Auburn football's coaching staff ahead of fall camp
AUBURN — Things are about to get busy for Auburn football.
It's already been an active offseason for the new coaching staff, as Hugh Freeze led a charge that turned over about half of AU's roster in the eight months he's been on the Plains. The Tigers have been hot on the recruiting trail lately, too, adding six commitments in the last 28 days, highlighted by a couple of five-star prospects in linebacker Demarcus Riddick and wide receiver Perry Thompson.
But fall camp starts this week, and the coaches will soon be forced to juggle recruiting with preparing for the season. It's nothing Freeze hasn't done before — his five seasons at Ole Miss prepared him well — but it's to be seen how he fares getting things done at Auburn.
Here are five of the bigger items Freeze and company need to accomplish at fall camp before the Tigers get the season going against UMass on Sept. 2.
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5. Pick some team captains
Auburn has had three captains in four out of the last six seasons, with exceptions coming in 2021 (Owen Pappoe and Chandler Wooten) and 2019 (Derrick Brown, Marlon Davidson, Jeremiah Dinson and Daniel Thomas). Last year, the Tigers tabbed tight end John Samuel Shenker, edge defender Derick Hall and linebacker Owen Pappoe.
With so many new faces, the door may be open for someone such as transfer jack linebacker Elijah McAllister to come in and be a captain in Year 1. He was one at Vanderbilt in 2022, and was one of three players to accompany Freeze to SEC Media Days last month.
4. Establish pass-rush roles
It can be argued that Auburn's pass-rush unit is the biggest question mark heading into the season. The Tigers went out and added a few pieces that could prove to be pests for opposing QBs — transfers McAllister, Jalen McLeod (Appalachian State) and Stephen Sings V (Liberty), along with true freshman Keldric Faulk — but the rotation is up in the air.
Who starts? Who's on the field in obvious passing situations? Who's best at setting the edge?
3. Land on a starting offensive line
Three of the starting spots on Auburn's offensive line look set in stone between transfers Dillon Wade (Tulsa) at left tackle, Gunner Britton (Western Kentucky) at right tackle and Avery Jones (East Carolina) at center, but the guard positions remain unsettled.
The staff should look to get a starting five sorted out quickly so members of that unit can spend as much time as possible practicing next to one another.
2. Install the schemes, particularly on offense
A new coach and two new coordinators means sweeping changes for the program, obviously. Being more of an offensive-minded coach, Freeze has been working with OC Philip Montgomery to install the scheme on that side of the ball.
Freeze has made it known he hired Montgomery to call plays, but he reserves the right to have input and perhaps jump in where he sees fit. How that works exactly needs to be established, or at least the foundation of it.
1. Have a plan at QB
Playing more than one quarterback against the Minutemen in Week 1 doesn't have to be a bad thing. If Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne lights it up at practice and pulls away, he can start, but incumbent starter Robby Ashford does things in live action that he simply can't show at practice due to the contact limitations.
The bottom line is to have a plan. If the staff wants to get a look both QBs, go into the week knowing that.
Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football: Biggest things coaches must do during fall camp
