AUBURN — The dust has settled on phase one of the offseason.
Auburn football endured some serious change since the end of the regular season, from the roster — the Tigers added nine players from the portal and saw 14 transfer out — to the staff as coach Hugh Freeze had to replace half of his on-field assistants, including both coordinators.
The portal will open again in April, but Auburn’s roster is seemingly locked in place for the next couple of months. With spring practice approaching — the Tigers will begin Feb. 27, with A-Day capping the spring period April 6 — here’s a list, in ascending order, of the top five position groups Freeze can lean on in 2024:
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5. Cornerback
Losing DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett to the NFL will be tough to handle, but the Tigers appear capable of surviving the loss of that consistent duo on the outside. Sophomore Kayin Lee and senior Keionte Scott will likely be the two starting boundary CBs, and they’ve each got experience.
Lee played 87.2% of his 336 defensive snaps on the outside during his true freshman season in 2023, per Pro Football Focus, and Scott has nearly 1,100 defensive reps in his two-year Auburn career. The majority of Scott’s tenure on the Plains has him playing in the nickel, but he said in December the plan is for him to head back out on the boundary.
That leaves slot corner empty, and former junior-college standout Champ Anthony seems most likely to assume that role. Behind that trio, guys such as Alabama transfer Antonio Kite and redshirt sophomore JD Rhym figure to provide depth.
Auburn defensive back Kayin Lee (3) during a practice at the Woltosz Football Performance Center on Aug. 7, 2023.
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-ol-top-5-position-102659988.html
Author : The Montgomery Advertiser
Publish date : 2024-02-12 10:26:59
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