Yeah, it's just one practice, but it sounds like they're excited about what they have up front. As I've said before, I'm cautiously optimistic that this year's line will be an upgrade from the past few years. But, I'm still taking a wait and see approach, because the reality is, the "upgrades" are coming from Western Kentucky, Tulsa, East Carolina and JUCO.
Any Wayz, copy/pasta from AU Undercover.
Auburn OL newcomers hit the ground running
ByJASON CALDWELL 5 hours ago
AUBURN, Alabama—Losing six offensive linemen off last year’s team, Auburn coach Hugh Freeze and new OL coach Jake Thornton would have had a rebuild on their hands no matter what the roster looked like when they arrived on the Plains. Finding an offensive line group that had just seven scholarship players returning on the roster and only two commitments in the 2023 signing class, they went to work.
Bringing in transfers Gunner Britton, Avery Jones and Dillon Wade, junior college signee Izavion Miller, and high school signee Connor Lew to go along with Bradyn Joiner and Clay Wedin, Auburn retooled the offensive line in a hurry.
On Monday they got their first look at the newcomers along the offensive front. While the pads aren’t on yet with 14 practice days still to come this spring, Thornton said you could see the impact already from the three veterans added from the portal.
“I think all three of them have found their role in equal parts,” Thornton said. “None of the three are extremely vocal, but their presence out there is certainly felt. Yesterday, you could tell that Gunner has played a ton of football at multiple positions. The way he practices, the way he carries himself, he kind of has that demeanor out there that I think a lot of people naturally, they flock to him in practice situations because he's got so much experience.
“D-Wade's got a big personality. Those guys, as far as off the field, I know they spend a lot of time with him. Him out there on the field, he's a competitor. He wants to finish, he looks to finish. So he brings that element to it.
“And then Avery, being the guy in the middle, also playing a ton of football. He brings an element of leadership, vocal leadership, making the calls getting everybody on the right direction. That was fun yesterday to watch in the one practice, right? So, we can't make good or bad judgments really based off one practice, but to watch him operate and get everybody on the same page next to Tate (Johnson), and next to (Kam)Stutts, those guys just kind of get them all in the right direction, that was certainly fun to watch.”
While the transfer additions were guys that Thornton had to learn about quickly during the recruiting process, when Auburn landed Miller it came because of a long relationship that started with the big tackle committed to him when he was coaching at Ole Miss. Watching Miller for the last year or so, Thornton said it was good to finally get him in uniform and on the field.
"That was exciting for me yesterday, to watch him,” Thornton said. “Because I've watched him over the last year in recruiting. He's still climbing, he's still getting better. But to watch him get out there and play tackle in an SEC practice is something I've been projecting for 11 months now in the recruiting process. To watch him out there, I think that was good for me because it validated everything that I thought about him and everything I think about him.
“He is, in my opinion of those guys up front, his body has changed the most from day one to right now. And that's a credit to our strength staff and our nutrition staff. Getting him in the right situation, getting him a meal plan, getting him in the weight room and he's really made a ton of progress. I'm excited to see how far he's going to come over the next 14 practices."
There’s an old saying ‘like drinking from a fire hose.’ That’s what it’s like for a true freshman offensive lineman when he arrives on a college campus and practices for the first time. For Joiner, Lew and Wedin, the first practice came with the trio as early high school graduates.
Despite the early start, Thornton said he saw three guys that showed up ready to go on the first day and that was a good sign.
“I thought all three of them did a nice job,” he said. “I was joking yesterday, they're all supposed to be getting ready for prom, and they're out here and they're in an SEC football practice. And they're blocking guys that are four and five years older than them. It was fun to watch those three guys compete.
“That's the one thing, the great trait that all three of those guys have, all of them have their individual strengths and weaknesses, but all three of those guys are competitors and all three of them, I believe, genuinely love football and love Auburn. It was fun to watch those guys yesterday go out and compete and play different roles. The questions they ask are very mature football questions. So, I'm really excited about those three guys and what our future has with those three guys on our team."
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