AUBURN — The spring period for Auburn football is almost over.
The Tigers had their 11th practice Thursday and are scheduled to have three more practices next week in preparation for A-Day on April 6. Usually there are no big achievements that can be collected during the spring – the start of the 2024 season is still a few months away, but some players can be separated from the pack a little.
Coach Hugh Freeze will say there is no depth chart and there is a good chance it won't be official, but players can start laying the foundations for success in the fall.
Many players have performed well, but with A-Day game just around the corner, here are five players who had the biggest spring for Auburn.
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QB Peyton Thorne
Fifth-year quarterback Peyton Thorne did not have a chance to participate in spring practice before his first season with the Tigers. He spent three seasons at Michigan State before transferring to Auburn in May. Thorne, who started all but one game in 2023, played in 78.7% of the offensive snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Thorne didn't stand out as some kind of world hitter, but he was a starter at a position that included redshirt sophomore Holden Geliner, redshirt freshman Hank Brown, and true freshman Walker White. It seems to be maintained. Freese said in early spring that Thorne is a leader in the clubhouse. There's no reason to think that has changed.
“Our decision-making hasn't been where I'd like it to be yet, but they're hungry to learn,” Freese said of his quarterbacks on March 19. “Peyton was pretty good. The other three, it's new for a lot of them.”
DB Champion Anthony
Anthony, a former JUCO cornerback champion, played 81 defensive snaps last season. That number is sure to go up in the Tigers' second year.
Auburn lost nearly its entire starting secondary this offseason, with cornerbacks DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett, plus safeties Jaylin Simpson and Zion Puckett looking to play in the NFL. Key contributor Donovan Kaufman, who played 395 snaps, also left through the transfer portal. The only returning starter is Keionte Scott.
Anthony, whom Freese cited as a player who stepped up as a leader earlier in the spring, has the versatility to play every position in the defensive backfield. “He takes pride in being able to play all five positions,” Anthony said Tuesday. “When I came here, I didn't really have a position to play. … I just wanted to be on the field. That's totally true. I started at corner and Move to nickel, and now you’re safe.”
WR Cam Coleman
If the Tigers are to take a step forward offensively, the five-star freshman will need to arrive early and prove he can be a difference-maker.
Until now, this has been the case.
Coleman has consistently been a part of the first-team offense in practice, and all records show him performing in line with expectations for a highly rated rookie. “Cam Coleman just makes us look different,” Freese said on Feb. 29. I can't tell you how excited I am for him. …When we see him running around outside, we feel like we've grown as well. He is blessed with natural talent. We expect him to play as a freshman.”
“Cam Coleman is obviously a big name in this area and will continue to be that way,” Thorne said. “He's been great so far. It's tough being an early enrollee as a true freshman. No matter how good you are, the early years are going to be tough. … He's been trying hard, so I think I don't believe he's going to be an outstanding player for us. ”
OT Tyler Johnson
Redshirt freshman Tyler Johnson may not be a starter in 2024 — that role will be filled by left tackle Percy Lewis and right tackle Izavion “Too Tall” Miller. Probably — but he's definitely positioned himself as a swing tackle in league play. Tigers.
Johnson recently received first-team snaps at both LT and RT. “The goal was to build some depth there,” offensive line coach Jake Thornton said on March 20, when asked if he wanted to roll out three available OTs on Saturday. “…When you have a guy like Tyler Johnson there, he's really come alive in the last five months. When guys can come in that room and really push the competition, everybody needs to move up. Because there is.
“I always joke with him because his feet are bigger than mine,” Lewis, a transfer from Mississippi State who is listed at 6-foot-7 and 355 pounds, said of Johnson. . “…He's a really good left tackle. He's got really great feet and really great hands.”
S Jaelyn Thompson
After starting for Texas in the College Football Playoff in 2023, transfer safety Jaelin Thompson committed to Auburn for his final year of eligibility in January.
Thompson brings a ton of experience to the Tigers, which they needed in the secondary after so many key pieces left.
“He's played in a lot of big games,” safeties coach Charles Kelly said of Thompson on March 13. “He's proven he can play in big situations. … To play in a venue like that, to play in a game like that. “That means having that experience makes you better. … The more experience you have, the more it helps you as a player. … He had a great attitude. That's why we brought him here, we felt he could help.”
Richard Silva is the Auburn Athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or at X (formerly Twitter name @rich_silva18).
