El Practicio #6

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Practice report, 4/3
Hey everyone. Practice has ended. Here's what we learned:

    * DT Mike Blanc said his father, who lives in Haiti, wasn't able to communicate with his family here in the states for a good while after the earthquake there on Jan. 12. Mike said it was chaos down there. His father is fine now, though, living with an aunt and aiming to make a jump to Bahamas. Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, is basically toast. The Blancs have family in Bahamas, so that may become their new place.

    * Mike Blanc was born in south Florida and his mother lives there now.

    * We received differing reports on S Mike McNeil's health today. Coach Gene Chizik said, of course, that McNeil is basically 100 percent. Assistant coach Tommy Thigpen said McNeil often performs well during the first half of practices, but begins limping during the second half. It's apparent to me that McNeil remains a work in progress physically.

    * McNeil suffered a compound fracture of his left leg almost exactly one year ago. Coaches are hopeful he will re-emerge as a starter in time for the 2010 season.

    * Thigpen seemed higher on fellow S Aairon Savage, whom he praised for showing a "burst" of acceleration that hadn't been there before. Savage is attempting a comeback after losing two seasons to torn knee ligaments.

    * Emory Blake said it's important for him to finish the spring as the No. 3 receiver -- or in an even bigger role. ``You want the coaches to be thinking about you."

    * Auburn will scrimmage on Saturday. Chizik is bringing in officials to create authenticity.

    * WR Darvin Adams didn't have much to say. He's looking to build on what was a strong 2009, though he wasn't named to the All-SEC team. Adams said the snub doesn't bother him anymore.

http://jaygtate.blogspot.com/

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Auburn quarterbacks will share spotlight in Saturday's scrimmage

Auburn coach Gene Chizik says Saturday's scrimmage may not turn into cut down day for his four quarterbacks, but you can guess it will go a long way into deciding the pecking order the rest of the spring and into the fall.

Chizik said after Friday's practice he doesn't have a deadline to cut the quarterback race down to size, but offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn has said he can't keep giving four quarterbacks equal time in practice.

Chizik stopped short of saying when the QB depth chart would be filled out.

"We could be at that point,'' Chizik said. "It strictly depends how the scrimmage unfolds."

Saturday's workout in Jordan-Hare Stadium will be "much more a scrimmage, 11-on-11, moving the ball,'' Chizik said. "Mainly, it will be a scrimmage from beginning to end."

Auburn has dabbled in contract drills, but this will be the first real scrimmage.

"Slowly but surely we're getting better,'' Chizik said. "But we, by no means, have arrived."

Other notes from Friday's practice:
**Defensive back Mike McNeil is still not fully recovered from the broken leg that cost him last season.

"He's still a work in progress,'' Chizik said. "Is he 100 percent right now? If he's not, he's close. He's in every drill."

The scrimmage, as all practices, are closed.

Secondary coach Tommy Thigpen said McNeil is "still struggling a little bit with his leg. He's come a long way. I know at the end of the of the summer he'll be 100 percent."

**Defensive back Aairon Savage -- who is back for his sixth year of eligibility after hurting his Achilles -- said he's looking forward to some contact drill.

"We're being real smart about it,'' Savage said.

**Thigpen said walk-on safety Ikeem Means may play in his way into the playing rotation, and that Saturday's scrimmage may go a long way in deciding that.

**Chizik said junior college transfer Roszell Gayden and Brandon Mosley have impressed at right tackle.

"There's great competition at that spot,'' Chizik said. "They're both going to help us this year."

Chizik indicated that the one who doesn't start at right tackle could play a role at another position, or at least be one of the first replacements elsewhere.

**Wide receiver Darvin Adams reported DeAngelo Benton had a good Friday.

"He made good plays today."

Adams said quarterback Cam Newton has put in extra work to learn the offense, but said all four QBs have done well.

**Defensive lineman Mike Blanc, whose father and members of his extended family live in Haiti and whose mother moved from there,  had several tough days after the devastating earthquake hit the island in January.

"We went like three of four days without hearing a word from anybody,'' Blanc said.

He long ago made contact with his father. Blanc said his father is leaving Haiti for the Dominican Republic with designs on moving to the Bahamas.

**Here's news about Auburn signee Shon Coleman, who is receiving chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer. This is what his mother, De Keishia Tunstall, has written:

"Yesterday was yet another good day for Shon. He had the day off from his numerous appointments. Health-wise, he's still doing great. No pain, no nausea. ... The doctor's detected an "abnormal" gene called MLL during Shon's genetic paneling, so their having to adjust the way they treat his leukemia a bit. ...The doctors said his hair should begin to fall out around week 3. She encouraged Shon to get a low haircut soon so he won't be too shocked. But, he declined. He says he's not going to lose his hair. We'll just have too see. He may be right, as he's not the typical patient. Please continue to pray for him."

http://blog.al.com/goldmine/2010/04/auburn_quarterbacks_will_share.html