Practice One (8/2)

Hey everyone. It was a hot one out there today. Practice ran from 9:15ish to just after noon. That's a long workout by anyone's standards ... and among the longest I've seen at Auburn.

Almost everyone was clad in shorts and helmets. WR Mario Fannin was the only guy in shoulder pads. The brace that protects his surgically repaired left shoulder is attached to his shoulder pads, so he has to wear them.

********************
Here were the elements that stood out to me:

• WR Chris Slaughter isn't getting much thicker. He still looks like a Pixie Stick. He's listed at 6-foot-3 and 179 pounds.
  
  
• OC Tony Franklin doesn't mingle with the offense during drills. He stands on the sideline and rarely engages with players in real time. He generally waits until after the drill to dispense guidance. That is a major break with the way Al Borges handled things.
  
  
• Watching him call plays is interesting. He makes a call and three assistants (sometimes two assistants and an idle offensive lineman) will turn the call into a sequence of signals that communicates the call to the players on the field. You saw this in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. What you haven't seen is how Franklin keeps calling the play ... even as the three amigos flash the signals. He probably repeats each call five times. I'm assuming that's to avoid any chance of miscommunication.
  
  
• Franklin to QB Kodi Burns: "Be faster, Kodi. Be faster, Kodi."
  
  
• Neiko Lipscomb Thorpe changed his name this summer. He explained Saturday that he took his mom's maiden name all along because, well, that's what she used on the birth certificate. His father's last name is Thorpe. His mother's last name is Thorpe. They've been married. Neiko decided this summer to bring his last name in line with the rest of his family. ``Once the paperwork came through — I switched my social security number over, got a new birth certificate — then I started telling people here," he said.
  
  
• OG Chaz Ramsey was not at practice. Coach Tommy Tuberville said Ramsey will be "off and on with what he's going to do." Ramsey, a presumed starter, underwent back surgery during the offseason and clearly isn't ready for full-time contact just yet.
  
  
• Several players spent some or all of their day on an exercise bike: S T'Sharvan Bell (broken foot), WR Justin Albert (knee), DE Antonio Coleman (hamstring), DT Tez Doolittle (hamstring) and S DeRon Furr, who was injured during a early-practice fracas. He seemed fine after practice.
  
  
• Assistant coach Eddie Gran to a mass of players on the sideline: "Everybody echoes the formation. Open your mouth and help your teammates."
  
  
• Franklin makes players remove helmets during breaks.
  
  
• Tuberville said freshman DE Andre Wadley, who was hospitalized last month, is undergoing rehabilitation off the field. That's why Wadley didn't report and didn't attend Saturday's practice. ``He probably won't do anything in two-a-days. He'll start school, and we'll bring him along slow," Tuberville said.
  

I eased over to Fan Day for a few minutes. The crowd was as big as ever. The line for Tuberville was routed through the lower-level tunnels this year, which alleviated a lot of the clutter that kept me off the floor in past years.

That's why it seems more desolate when looking at the picture below. There are hundreds of people waiting in line out of sight. You can see them snaking out of the door at top left. DeRon Furr signs an autograph below.

Photo credit: (top photo) Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Freshmen "report"

Hey everyone. I'll update this as the day progresses.

SCHOLARSHIP NEWCOMERS REPORTING FRIDAY
89 Darvin Adams, WR
14 Harry Adams, DB
28 Da'Shaun Barnes, LB
22 T'Sharvan Bell, S (wearing a protective boot on left foot)
20 Drew Cole, CB/S
95 Dax Dellenbach, OL (deep snapper)
15 DeRon Furr, QB
92 Cameron Henderson, DL
25 D'Antoine Hood, CB
36 Marcus Jemison, S
9 Neiko Thorpe, CB/S (changed name since signing day; formerly "Lipscomb")
97 Derrick Lykes, DT (already has been moved from end to tackle)
82 Phillip Pierre-Louis, WR (last named pronounced "lew-E")
39 Spencer Pybus, LB
47 Jomarcus Savage, DE
32 Eric Smith, TB
89 Vance Smith, TE
33 Christian Thompson, S
14 Barrett Trotter, QB
87 Derek Winter, WR

INVITED WALK-ONS REPORTING FRIDAY
40 Justin Albert, WR/TB (Prattville)
62 Charles Bates, OL (Gadsden)
65 Kevin Carroll, OL (Lassiter, Ga.)
67 Clay Clark, OL (Auburn)
51 Watson Downs, LB (Dothan)
87 Bryan Harris, TE (Florissant, Mo.)
70 Cameron Hunt, OL/DL (Auburn)
72 Andrew Parmer, OL (Dalton, Ga.)
16 Brent Poole, QB (Troy)

DID NOT REPORT
54 Andre Wadley, DE

That's 20 scholarship guys and 9 walk-ons for a total of 29. Wadley would make 30.

Here are the Things You Need To Know:

• Wadley hasn't yet gained medical clearance. He's still planning to resume his career this fall. He just wasn't here today and I found that significant.
  
  
• Neiko Lipscomb is no more. He is going by Neiko Thorpe.
  
  
• Lykes has been moved to defensive tackle. He looks big.
  
  
• Bell is in a boot. He broke his left foot during a voluntary workout. He's expected to gain full clearance in three weeks or so.
  
  
• Albert is a name you Montgomery-area people may remember. He was a stud at Prattville last year before blowing out his right knee during a playoff game. Albert said he's "90 percent" right now. He's aiming to play receiver.
  

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Recruiting budgets

Check this out: The Big 12's Biggest Recruiting Spender


Source: Chronicle of Higher Education/ESPN.com

Practice times

Hey everyone. Until further notice, Auburn practices are open to the public. Practice begin Saturday morning.

Things go down on the intramural fields.

Check out this helpful map to the left. Beard-Eaves Coliseum is in the upper right-hand corner. The Athletic Complex is just S of that. That should get you oriented.

Here is the schedule:
Sat., Aug. 2 9:30 a.m. (shorts)
Sat., Aug. 2 FAN DAY from 2-3 p.m. at Beard-Eaves

Sun., Aug. 3 3:45 p.m. (shorts)

Mon., Aug. 4 3:30 p.m. (shorts)

Tue., Aug. 5 3:45 p.m. (shorts and shoulder pads)

Wed., Aug. 6 5:45 p.m. (full pads)

Thu., Aug. 7 8:15 a.m. & 5:45 p.m.

Fri., Aug. 8 9:30 a.m.

Sat., Aug. 9 9:15 a.m.

Sun., Aug. 10 5:45 p.m.

EDIT: Adjusted times.

A Reporting Day present

Hey everyone. In case you haven't seen this, ESPN.com's Chris Low authors an outstanding SEC-flavored blog that he updates several times per day. It's loaded with goodness.

The Petrino story from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is funny. He's so personable now. I know this because he's nice during a made-to-order golf round with area writers.

Your Daily Fix, 7/31

Hey everyone. This is my last day of summer. Beginning Friday, I'll be working on Auburn football exclusively for at least 16 consecutive weeks. It's fun covering a successful and high-profile program, but it can get a tad monotonous.

We're not there yet. And it's not your problem anyway. So on we go.

That's a wrap on Josh Dollard's career at Auburn. He was kicked off the team today ... more than a year since his last game in a Tigers uniform. He missed the 07-08 season for a "medical condition."

There is no word on his health.

Coach Jeff Lebo, however, insinuated that Dollard has other problems. The dismissal officially is for deviating from "Auburn University Athletic Department policy." Maybe he tried to interview a football coach without prior approval.

``Auburn has supplied Josh with all the resources for him to be successful," Lebo said. ``Josh understood his requirements and responsibilities to be an Auburn student-athlete, and he has fallen short in fulfilling what was clearly communicated to him."

Dollard averaged 12.5 points and seven rebounds per game as a sophomore during the 2006-07 season.

``Due to certain circumstances, I am unable to continue my career here at Auburn," Dollard said in the school's official release. ``I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in my career at Auburn, and I would like to wish my teammates, coaching staff and Auburn family much success in the future."

MY TAKE: Lebo already has a 2008-09 excuse, if necessary.

The players report tomorrow. It's probably the most poorly named event all season. Almost every kid has been on campus for months (or never left after the spring semester) so there's no significance to the day at all.

Still, it's a chance for us to talk with players. That's always good. You can expect a full report tomorrow around 7 p.m.

I still can't believe Alabama's Leigh Tiffin was named to the All-SEC team while Wes Byrum was excluded. I know it's not exactly a career-ending snub or anything. Byrum still has a scholarship and all. I keep asking people: Leigh Tiffin?

OK. I think this would be a good time to peruse the post-spring depth chart (released in April) and start thinking about what will change.

Some stuff we know already:

• DeRon Furr now is at safety.
  
• Bo Harris is gone.
  
• Chaz Ramsey is the best right guard. He may or may not play.

RED is where I think change could occur.

OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK
Kodi Burns (6-1, 205, So.) --OR--
Chris Todd (6-4, 212, Jr.)
Neil Caudle (6-3, 200, So.)
DeRon Furr (6-3, 218, Fr.)

TAILBACK
Brad Lester (5-11, 198, Sr.)
Ben Tate (5-11, 215, Jr.)
Tristan Davis (5-10, 217, Sr.)

LEFT TACKLE
Lee Ziemba (6-8, 288, So.)
Jared Cooper (6-4, 297, RFr.)
Andrew McCain (6-6, 300, Jr.)

LEFT GUARD
Tyronne Green (6-2, 307, Sr.)
Kyle Coulahan (6-4, 309, RFr.)

CENTER
Jason Bosley (6-4, 281, Sr.)
Ryan Pugh (6-4, 284, So.)
Big Snacks Berry (6-3, 313, So.)

RIGHT GUARD
Byron Isom (6-3, 291, So.)
Bart Eddins (6-4, 292, So.)
Chaz Ramsey (6-4, 290, So.)

RIGHT TACKLE
Ryan Pugh (6-4, 284, So.)
Big Snacks Berry (6-3, 313, So.)

TIGHT END
Tommy Trott (6-5, 251, Jr.)
Gabe McKenzie (6-4, 253, Jr.)
Brent Slusher (6-3, 231, So.)

RECEIVER (OUTSIDE)
James Swinton (6-0, 178, Sr.)
Chris Slaughter (6-3, 179, So.) --OR--
Charles Olatunji (6-2, 197, Sr.)

RECEIVER (INSIDE)
Tim Hawthorne (6-3, 209, So.)
Mario Fannin (5-11, 217, So.)

RECEIVER (INSIDE)
Robert Dunn (6-0, 178, Sr.)
Terrell Zachery (6-1, 208, So.)

RECEIVER (OUTSIDE)
Rod Smith (6-0, 196, Sr.)
Montez Billings (6-2, 188, Jr.)
Quindarius Carr (6-1, 175, RFr.)

DEFENSE
WEAK-SIDE DEFENSIVE END
Antonio Coleman (6-2, 250, Jr.)
Antoine "Hot" Carter (6-4, 253, So.)

NOSE
Jake Ricks (6-4, 302, Jr.)
Zach Clayton (6-3, 286, So.)
Luke Farmer (5-11, 239, RFr.)

TACKLE
Sen’Derrick Marks (6-1, 288, Jr.)
Mike Blanc (6-4, 287, So.)
Darrell Roseman (6-4, 270, So.)

STRONG-SIDE DEFENSIVE END
Michael Goggans (6-3, 254, So.)
A.J. Greene (6-5, 269, RFr.)
Raven Gray (6-5, 253, Jr.)

WEAK-SIDE LINEBACKER
Chris Evans (6-0, 221, Sr.) --OR--
Merrill Johnson (6-0, 204, Sr.)
Courtney Harden (6-0, 237, Sr.)

MIDDLE LINEBACKER
Tray Blackmon (6-0, 220, Jr.)
Josh Bynes (6-2, 234, So.)
Adam Herring (6-1, 224, RFr.)

STRONG-SIDE LINEBACKER
Craig Stevens (6-2, 218, So.)
Courtney Harden (6-0, 237, Sr.)
Bo Harris (6-2, 244, So.)

STRONG SAFETY
Zac Etheridge (5-11, 206, So.)
Mike Slade (6-2, 189, RFr.)

FREE SAFETY
Mike McNeil (6-2, 201, So.)
Jonathan Vickers (6-2, 216, Sr.)

LEFT CORNERBACK
Jerraud Powers (5-9, 188, Jr.)
Ryan Williams (5-11, 204, So.)

RIGHT CORNERBACK
Aairon Savage (5-11, 190, Jr.) --OR--
Walter McFadden (6-0, 180, Jr.)

SPECIAL TEAMS
PLACEKICKER
Wes Byrum (6-1, 220, So.)
Morgan Hull (6-2, 187, So.)

PUNTER
Ryan Shoemaker (6-0, 192, So.)
Clinton Durst (6-2, 184, RFr.)
Patrick Tatum (6-2, 213, So.)

DEEP SNAPPER
Robert Shiver (6-3, 220, Sr.)
Josh Harris (6-1, 222, RFr.)
Rick Cherry (6-2, 233, So.)

HOLDER
Clayton Crofoot (6-3, 175, Jr.)
John Cubelic (6-0, 201, So.)

PUNT RETURN
Robert Dunn (6-0, 178, Sr.)
Chris Slaughter (6-3, 179, So.)

KICK RETURN
Tristan Davis (5-10, 217, Sr.) &
Brad Lester (5-11, 198, Sr.)

Walter McFadden (6-0, 180, Jr.) &
James Swinton (6-0, 178, Sr.) --OR--
Ben Tate (5-11, 215, Jr.)

********OFF TOPIC STUFF********
After much trial-and-error, I have built what I consider The Best iPod Workout Mix Ever. Sharing is caring, so now I dispense to the HOTTIES.

By the way, my first-generation iPod nano (pictured at left) is all I'll ever need. Still going strong. She feels like a real friend of mine. We've been so many places together ... the streets of Rancho Bernardo, Calif., to Portland, Maine. She's basically a perfect woman: Holds quite a charge after extended use, looks outstanding in red and rarely deviates from the plan.

WARNINGS: I am a child of the 80s. I love cheese. I also love Guitar Hero/Rock Band...

"No Complaints," Beck
"Why Pt. 2," Collective Soul
"Australia," The Shins
"The Science of Selling Yourself Short," Less Than Jake
"Dead On Arrival," Fall Out Boy
"No One Else," Weezer
"Closer," Lacuna Coil
"Stricken," Disturbed
"Inside The Fire," Disturbed
"Jordan," Buckethead
"Halfway Till Bliss," Atlas Plug
"Lay Down," Priestess
"Sex Type Thing," Stone Temple Pilots
"3s and 7s," Queens of The Stone Age
"Keep Away," Godsmack (Woodstock '99 version)
"Supernatural Superserious," REM
"Undercover of The Night," Rolling Stones
"I Can't Decide," Scissor Sisters
"Snow (Hey Oh)," Red Hot Chili Peppers

That's just a shade over one hour. It gets me through.

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Your Daily Fix, 7/29

Hey everyone. Just wanted to let you know what I've been up to today. I'm at Auburn working on a story about your two favorite quarterbacks.

I'll just get straight to the points:

• Kodi Burns has added about 10 pounds. I'd say most of it is muscle. His upper arms and shoulders look much thicker than I remember. He said he's bulking up to handle the punishment this fall.
  
  
• Burns said his top priority now is footwork. You all remember how Burns took a big step forward during the final week of spring? That's around the time Burns said Tony Franklin's ideas (edicts) about footwork began to take hold.
  
  
• Chris Todd said his shoulder is "feeling really good," but stopped short of saying it was ideal. He said a summer of therapy and rest has given him some needed peace of mind. ``The real question is how it reacts out there throwing all day everyday."
  
  
• Franklin had this to say about Burns: "It's simple with him. If he uses his feet, he's good. If he doesn't use his feet, he's not. Most guys with strong arms -- and Kodi certainly has a strong arm -- grow up with that and don't pay attention to their footwork. They don't have to."
  
  
• Franklin said former UK quarterback Jared Lorenzen was like that. Another pair of former UK guys, Tim Couch and Dusty Bonner, came into college with more appreciation for footwork. The tradeoff? "Their arms were pretty average."
  

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Your Daily Fix, 7/28

Hey everyone. Forty-three comments is a good start. We had ourselves a nice little would-be argument during the past few days with our new friend Cappie, who was nice enough to hang around and justify his (at least somewhat off-target) comments made at CapstoneReport.com

Thanks for everyone who provided opinions. We kept it pretty clean and, you know, I think we learned something. We learned that sometimes understanding how a person draws a conclusion is more significant than the conclusion itself.

This sounds like a South Park episode now.

Today's picture, provided capably by Auburn's ace photographer Todd Van Emst, gives the world a rare gander at the full East Alabama Auburn Beat Writers Association of America roster.

Click on the picture for a much larger representation.

I am in the blue/black tie. The only guy you can't see is Goldberg. He's hiding to my right. All you can see are his trousers. Typical. So if you ever wondered what some of the guys/gals look like, there's your chance to see em in their element.

Sorry about the delay there around 3 o'clock. I'm back on track.

There was a mound of stuff to go through during the Friday exposition -- literally an hour of Auburn-themed interviews to wade through -- and some significant stuff didn't make the cut. Now it will.

Here are some minor comments from Tuberville that I find interesting:

• THE COMMENT: "After about 10 or 12 days, we will pick a starter (at quarterback). We will have a true starter."
  
  MY REACTION: If Chris Todd is as healthy as advertised, I just don't see this being a reality. They're both going to play. Kodi Burns may get the title and all, but Todd's role will be bigger than Burns' was during the regular season. That's assuming Todd's shoulder is OK.
  
  **********
  
• THE COMMENT: "Your quarterback now is also considered a running back."
  
  MY REACTION: Advantage Burns.
  
  **********
  
• THE COMMENT: "If we wanted to consistently say, OK, we're going to stay with winning eight or nine games, sometimes 10, I think we could have stayed with the two-back offense. I think that this (new) offense gives you a lot of variables to improve on."
  
  MY REACTION: Good marketing idea. I am of the opinion that Tony Franklin's offensive is going to work. He has the players. He has a good idea. He's wise. Still, I don't see this being like the New England Patriots all of the sudden. Auburn's grind-it-out offense sure worked fine in 2004. Agreed?
  
  **********
  
• THE COMMENT: "This is a little bit simpler in terms of giving our (offensive linemen) a chance to be more physical."
  
  MY REACTION: We'll get three or four different answers to this question if we ask around. I just don't see how this offense makes the linemen more physical. They're in a two-point stance a lot, which is a fundamentally less aggressive position, and there will be more pass pro (or pseudo pass pro) going on. I just don't see it.
  
  **********
  
• THE COMMENT: "Bobby (Petrino) and I have talked many times since then. This is a business. I understand that. We get caught up in certain scenarios. That's just part of it."
  
  MY REACTION: Not a lie. They have talked because you have to talk with people at the Destin Meetings. Still, these guys are not homies in any sense. Tuberville is a guy who doesn't forget stuff like this. He doesn't talk smack. He's not going to needle Petrino publicly. I can assure you the Arkansas game, which was big to Tuberville anyway, will be even bigger now. If he's in an advantageous position and has a chance to stick in a few extra touchdowns ... you better believe that's going to happen.
  

Something else I want to mention here. The final comment above about Petrino got me thinking about Franklin. You know, he may be a great match for Tuberville. Here's why: Tuberville is a pretty cunning guy. He's pretty cut-throat on the field.

Noel Mazzone? Not that way.

Al Borges? Not that way.

Bob Petrino? That side of him emerged more after the move to Louisville. He was still a college newb in 2002.

So now Tuberville finally has an offensive coordinator that has a real edge to him. Franklin takes this stuff personally. He has the kind of intensity you typically see from defensive coordinators. It'll be interesting to see how that plays.

He is the opposite of the touchy-feely guys who have run Auburn's attack for eight of the past 10 years. (I'm not even going to attempt to make sense of 2003.)

That's just something to plant in the back of your mind.

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.