More spring football

*FB Mike McLaughlin will miss the rest of the spring and probably the fall after tearing a knee ligament in the team's first spring scrimmage. This has been a hot topic among some AU friends of mine. That makes me laugh. Fullbacks truly are interchangeable in this offense. Auburn has a few other guys -- Andrew Turman and Steve Gowland, in particular -- who can be that tough guy Jake Slaughter was. I feel bad for McLaughin, he seems like a good kid, but this injury isn't a stumbling block for this team's 2006 fortunes.

*I didn't think CB Jonathan Wilhite improved much last season, but he has been progressing well this spring. He struggles to defend wideouts who run good routes (Courtney Taylor) but has the speed and experience to make up ground quickly. He made a really nice interception on a deep ball Tuesday that he wouldn't have made last season. Wilhite is going to be really good this year, provided he stays injury-free again.

*I don't watch the QBs a lot, but it seems like Brandon Cox has more zip on his throws.

*S Tristan Davis looks like a natural on defense. He's quite fast, and he seems pretty instictive consdering he was a tailback last year. Davis plays with a lot of enthusiasm. That will endear him to new DC Will Muschamp. I'd be surprised if Davis doesn't start the season opener against WSU. He's also a big-time trash talker. I like that.

*I still don't know what to make of DL Pat Sims. He quit the team last fall, then made his way back in early January. He's playing harder than ever before, that's obvious, but can he maintain that level? His teammates are saying the right things. His position coach, Don Dunn, is more cautious with his words. We'll just have to see how this one plays out.