Outside of quarterback, no position has been more mailgned over the last couple of years than has the receiving corp. The criticism may or may not have always been justified but some of the analysis from the intraweb experts bordered on comical at times. However, I feel secure that even though I'm old, fat, white and slow and have never played wide receiver outside of our pick up games in David Dunbar's back yard...I am more than capable of rendering an in-depth, and far superior evaluation of this group than most. So, sit back and take in the only true armchair analysis of the Auburn wide receivers.
The days of Auburn having one of the better pass catching groups in the nation, seems a faint memory as we prepare for the 2009 campaign. Gone are the highlite reel bombs from Campbell to Aromashamalamado and the strikes to a crossing Obewonkenobedo, or the 240 lb. Anthony Mix dragging defenders for 10-15 yards after every catch. How quickly things have seemed to take a turn for the worst. Despite a yearly influx of new talent, those new names fade into obscurity and the past couple of years alone have found most wondering if Auburn even has any legitimate Division 1 athletes at the position. The reasons for the decline in production vary with each fan you talk to, but in this armchair experts opinion, it has more to do with the overall direction of the program than the actual talent level, which I firmly believe is far better than most think.
With the oft injured Tim Hawthorne still sidelined and Montez Billings, the most productive receiver returning from last year, being suspended four games, this group will without a doubt be one of the youngest in the league. But then, everyone on this team is learning a brand new system and all the receivers are under the watchful and highly critical eye of new Corch, Trooper Taylor. Outside of veterans Terrell Zachary and Quindarius Carr, the majority of this unit will consist of true and redshirt freshmen. Not what you want to hear for any team playing in the best league in the land. However, by all accounts, the new kids coming in appear to be ready to step in and contribute right away and in all fairness, with the clusterfrutz that was Auburn football in 08', a very promising group of freshmen had little or no chance to show what they could do.
Taylor has been clear about his plans to use a 6 man rotation but with the suspension of Billings, there may be a few more in the mix. Based on recent interviews with Corch Taylor, the guys that would seem to be solidly entrenched in that rotation are:
Terrell Zachary 6'1" 203
DeAngelo Benton 6'2" 192
Darvin Adams 6'3" 185
Emory Blake 6'1" 192
Who will round out the 6 man rotation, or whether Taylor will even stick with that philosophy, may be a bit up in the air. Converted QB, Kodi Burns 6'2" 208 will be used in several situations, including the ever popular "Wildcat" formations, but whether he is an every down receiver remains to be seen. Quindarius Carr 6'1" 183 is a 7th year sophomore and appears ready to step up and contribute to the offense. Derek Winter is now in his second year and may be counted on as well. The wildcards here are several newcomers and one redshirt who was deprived his opportunity to perform on the very first kick off of 08'. Jean Claude Van Damm Phillipe Pepe Le Pierre Louis III was counted on in 08' to be the electrifying, do it all athlete who blew a knee out returning the opening kickoff. His rehab appears to be complete and he's working his way back into the rotation. 5'9" 176 Anthony Gulley from 1A Brantley, has been the player filling that same role during the 09' Fall camp while his clone, 5'9" Travante Stallworth has been making noise in this area as well.
Another true wide receiver that bears mentioning, is walk-on Jay Wisner. The 6'2" 194 Junior has impressed coaches with his abilities as a "possession" type pass catcher and don't be surprised to hear his name called numerous times this fall. A breakdown of the wide receivers would not be complete without bringing the tight ends into the discussion. Gus ball will oftentimes use the tight end as a WR, creating mismatches when running against much smaller defensive backs. Senior Tommy Trott, at 6'5" 243 should be one of the better TE's in the league and incoming man-child, Phillip Frankensteiner at 6'4" 262 has already solidified his spot on the depth chart. Veteran Gabe McKenzie, who has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, is still in the loop, however, not much has been heard from the 6'5" 252 Senior.
As I stated earlier, I firmly believe the biggest distinction in this unit from those of the past couple of years, is direction. There is no Franklin experiment. There is no question concerning the coaching abilities and demanding style of the man in charge of this group. There is however, a comletely new regime and a man impementing an offensive philosophy that has been one of the best in Division 1 football the past couple of years. Unfortunately, the complete unknown is how starting quarterback, Chris Todd will perform. (An armchair analysis for another day) My "Expert" opinion is that if Todd can be the efficient, mistake free QB this system requires, Auburn's receivers will quickly be recognized as one of the better units in the SEC. He doesn't have to be Tebow, McCoy or Bradford. He just needs to run the offense the way Gus Malzahn directs him to and Auburn fans will be flocking to J&M for Benton, Zachary and Adams jerseys.
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