Player spotlight: Neil Caudle
NEIL CAUDLEAge: 21 (born 5/19/88)
Class this season: Junior
Hometown: Birmingham
Playing career:
•2008, sophomore: Saw limited action behind Chris Todd and Kodi Burns. Offensive coordinator Tony Franklin disparaged Caudle during two-a-days for being prone to interceptions.
•2007, redshirt freshman: Saw limited action playing behind Brandon Cox and Kodi Burns.
•2006, true freshman: Redshirted while ostensibly rehabilitating knee injury suffered in high school.
The basics: Caudle played at Spain Park High, where he was phenomenal as a junior. He missed most of his senior season with a torn knee ligament. He still had a fairly high profile among some big college programs after his senior season concluded.
He never found a role during the Tommy Tuberville regime. It was reasonable to assume he'd get a shot in 2008, but Tony Franklin terminally soured on Caudle. The offensive coordinator deemed Caudle "unreliable" and that was the end of the story.
Caudle found new life under Gene Chizik and, more important, new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. The Tigers' new regime has a more developed appreciation for Caudle's passing ability and overall decision-making.
The skills: Caudle has what I'd consider an average SEC arm. He can make commanding throws inside of 25 yards without much issue. His deep balls lack the zip you'd see from Kodi Burns. Still, Caudle is more accurate. His throwing motion is refined. It's repeatable. His footwork is refined.
Caudle is not immobile. He lacks Burns' speed, but Caudle has little problem extricating himself from standard pocket pressure. I watched carefully when Caudle was asked to throw on the run. I wasn't impressed. His throws tended to float in those scenarios.
We're talking about a small sample size, though.
He is not a hyper player on the field.
The man behind the mask: Caudle is a fairly quiet kid who carefully measures the things he says. A lot of kids in his situation -- left for dead by a coaching staff -- would have sought a transfer to escape feelings of failure. Caudle didn't. He remained confident that continued improvement would give him a reasonable shot at playing time, which now looks like a shrewd decision.
Auburn wrapped spring practice without a clear No. 1 atop the depth chart at quarterback, which has to be considered a victory for Caudle. Armed with confidence, accuracy and an unusual drive to revive his career, Caudle is expected to be a major player in the quarterback race during two-a-days.
It's my opinion that Caudle's interception problems of 2008 were a function of compromised confidence. Franklin's approach to coaching football, which includes surprisingly blunt assessments, clearly didn't work well for Caudle. He lost his swerve. He has regained most of it.
The crystal ball for 2009: Caudle begins the season as Auburn's No. 1 quarterback.
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.
posted by Jay G. Tate at
10:09 AM
100 Comments:
Go Substance
subStanford Simmons
If he can throw,,,I still think Todd is going to sneak up on everyone.
I know it is a big IF....
Jay, no need to "caudle" us...tell us what you really think.
agree with DL, IF
Posted on previous thread:
The Fullwood discussion made me want to do this. History of AU in Heisman voting:
1957 Jimmy "Red" Phillips 6th
1960 Ed Dyas 4th
1963 Jimmy Sidle 7th
1964 Tucker Frederickson 6th
1970 Pat Sullivan 6th
1971 Pat Sullivan 1st
1985 Bo Jackson 1st
1986 Brent Fullwood 6th
2000 Rudi Johnson 10th
I think some of our other backs would have been in there, had they not been splitting playing time. (or in the case of James Brooks/Joe Cribbs/James Bostic, had AU been on TV).
Btw, it's disgusting how many times Bammers have been in the top 10, but at least they've never won one!
I'm not on any QBs bandwagon. I'm just pulling for a QB to be a real winner this fall. I don't care if it's Starfish, My Eyes Burns, Gimpy, Crutches, or any of the 3 babes.
I'll take my JB over Jet's BF.
Since I lost brownie points with you, THT, I think I'll ask Mrs. Jet to whip up a batch of Ghiardelli brownies tonight to console myself.
put 'em in a bowl with ice cream and you'll be just fine.
Cadbury's chocolates are overrated.
I thought Aundrey Bruce figured in the Heisman voting. I could be wrong and it is unusual for a defensive guy to do so, but I thought he was there. He was actually a bit overhyped in my estimation.
Dear Leader must have a posting time schedule from Jay G. He's always first. I'm last and I will keep it that way.
Actually, I'm last. Good remarks Jay G. I pity the day you write a dud, people here will be outraged.
I thought I announced Todd as the starter last month. Ya'll must have missed it.
My guess is Caudle will be the backup, but I have no doubt that Jay has seen a lot more of him than I have.
We still need a cool nickname for Caudle.
Neil "the real deal" Caudle
Neil "the ax murderer" Caudle
Neil "and bob" Caudle
Neil "for real" Caudle
Neil "what am I doing here" Caudle
Neil "no knees" Caudle
Hate it when hot lady walks into your office to sell you something. Much harder to be an ass to than the scumbag guy that comes.
Steve- By being missed, you mean ignored?
Just Kidding!
Or am I?
The QB race is fascinating. If we decided to be a run oriented team and try to win games with defense, I can see Kodi being the guy. I hope this isn't the case.
GO NEIL!!!
I'm not even going to pay attention to the QB race it bores me considering they all are equally bad
I must admit the in terms of a great comeback story, it would be great to see Caudle get his shot. I don't recall him playing at all except against Tennessee Tech I believe. The kid has been patient.
How bout Neil "The Guy Who Will Wants to Start at QB" Caudle. Too long?
jhag, I sort of agree. I don't believe Todd would be bad with a healthy arm. I just see him as a middle of the road type QB.
I think Kodi has had his opportunities to prove himself and hasn't.
I think Caudle is the wildcard. He certainly had enough hype out of highschool.
What I would like to see is us manage the QB position better. There should always be a number 2 that is being groomed to take over and will get playing time.
If I were the coach I would tell my starter to expect the number 2 to get in the game around 10-20% of the time and to play a lot during blowouts.
I would also give the starter an option. If he couldn't deal with the backup coming in occasionally, we wouldn't do that. He could set the bench and I would start the backup.
I would also definitely put Kodi in during obvious run situations.
Steve, the only problem with subbing Kodi in during run situations is the defense keys in on that and I'm not so sure he has the ability to still make it happen like a Tebow.
I'm all for a good QB conversation, but i'm actually getting tired of, me, the QB pot stirrer.
Oh, by the way, Rollison '09 is going to have report all it's campaign contributions because it is growing rapidly.
Eddie, thank you for keeping all the sunshine pumpers and hypers employed during these uncertain times. You're a great American.
Sean, that is true, but the defense has a lot more problems when he only comes in occasionally. When he is in all the time, the defense adjusts, just like MSU did against Kodi two years ago. I knew we were dead when he played most of the game.
That being said, Kodi still needs to be able to pass it occasionally. Playing a QB that has been told not to throw the ball is idiotic and it seems like that is what we did a lot with him in 2007.
Eddie, I really do hope to see Rollison of Moseley get some playing time this year. One of them is likely our QB in a year or two.
There is also another very good reason that Neil Caudle should be the starter. It would make Franklin look dumber, which would be a remarkable feat in itself.
I think the QB horse has been beaten to death enough to kill a cat and its nine. Let's try working over the WRs. Who do you think comes on strong this year who has been previously hyped? My guess is Zachary.
Franklin is the Costanza of offensive coordinators. If Caudle gets the nod, it will only confirm my statements. If it makes sense, I'll do the opposite, hence two QBs. Hey, I like to run a full playbook to keep the defense guessing, hell, I'll just cut it down. Caudle could have been my best option, but Todd's arm is shot so I'll play him.
Hawthorne is my guess.
I have high hopes for Hawthorne and Zachary. Both were high profile recruits that were sucked into the Knox receiving black hole.
If we are relying on Hawthorne, Tate, and Burns for this offense, this offense is going to be offensive this year.
Settle in for 17 points a game and a lot of close games.
Awesome substance by MONICA with that call.
Go Monica, the legal beagle.
WR to emerge?
Easy.
James Swinton.
I thought Swinton "graduated"
Scott Choculator, thanks for the Heisman history up there. cool grits.
and in case yall didn't know it, even though it's 58 days till AU football, it's more like 30 till youth league football kicks off. it's crazy busy up here.
crap, i missed Monnie on the radio?
ScottieB,
Can I get a shirt that says the following:
Over Macho Grande? (front)
I'll never be over Macho Grande (back)
Cost?
Nah, Sheriff, you're wrong. Dead wrong.
Swinton was granted a rare 14th year of eligibility to reprise his role as a "player to watch."
Excuse me Stewardess, I speak Jive.
Scottie B ...
If producing in bulk would help, I might be down for one of those with my man "MG."
Eagerly awaiting my HABOTN cap.
Since Luv and I are each in healthcare related fields, I'll speak for her and say we might be interested in a shirt like this:
Front: A hospital? What is it?
Back: It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now.
Keep Hate Alive.
macho-macho man i can whip you up a simple one for about $10. nothing special, but i'm sure it's all about the 'wow' factor anyhows.
Jet, i've got a sample done on the cap art but haven't had a chance to get my camera set up to do 'work' type stuff here at the office. it's coming soon. we need to get it rolling before my embroidery guy gets too backed up. the 'campfire' on the front of the cap looks fantastic!
My take on Caudle... It's hard to say b/c I haven't seen him in any game action since he arrived, and practices are now closed to the public. He has that "hope if the unknown" factor going for him though. We have seen Todd and Burns enough to not have much faith in what they can do on the field. Trotter is hurt and the others are true freshmen. That being said, Caudle may have become this year's postseason fan favorite.
Last year, Franklin seemed to be pulling for Todd all the way.Tubs was a Kodi guy. Caudle had no chance from day 1.
This year seems different though with him getting reps. I agree that no starter being named in the Spring is to his advantage. He will have to be noticeable better than Burns and Todd though to jump them for the starting job since they both have started games in the past and he hasn't. I, for one, am pulling for him. Though I'm not sure why. LOL!
ScottieB,
Thanks. I'll be in touch.
Doug is right. Bowl ties ins are a big part of what's wrong with the BCS.
I've been reading a lot of scuttle about Tyrik Rollison leaving Auburn.
Is this just Bammer smoke screen or is there something to it?
Why am I feeling like I did last year with the DeRon Furr incident?
Buford, where have you read something about Tyrik leaving? He is on campus and I have seen zero comments about that and I frequent most of the major Auburn boards.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Yep, I'm with Steve, that's the first I've heard of any such rumor.
It was from enemy territory, Steve, but the guy who posted it referenced Jay G. posting something about it and removing it. The poster is not one to stir the pot but he may be doing it to get through boredom. Not sure.
P.S. If you have some major news such as possibly a player leaving, please include a link. If not, this becomes much like the al.com forum with weird rumors flying about.
I wouldn't worry about it Buford. I have seen enough Bambi rumors to know that they are about as reliable as they are bright.
This comment has been removed by the author.
I have deleted that link. I have confirmed it to just be pot stirring in the dead of the off-season.
In other news, what's the word on Hawthorne's injury?
I've been informed that he sustained a broken foot or something.
Buford - I hit the link prior to deletion. I have 2 comments as follows:
1 - I believe it's wishful thinking on a humper's part and trying to stave off some boredom until his sister comes home from a babysitting gig so they can then do what they do.
2 - you really shouldn't go trolling sites like that, they're loaded with assorted viruses and malware.
Keep Hate Alive.
Just heard that myself, Buford.
TR - Tyrik Rollison or Trent Richardson.
Trent is rumored to be leaving bama...perhaps someone got confused.
Peeps: I took a tour of the new basketball facility, which is approximately 60% completed.
I'm working on that video now. I expect it to be ready around 3 p.m. CDT.
I haven't posted anything about Rollison, nor have I deleted anything about Rollison.
Caudle taxonomy:
Genu Polyreconstructum
Thanks for clarifying, Jay G.
I figured it was just bored people, but was worth asking.
Looking forward to seeing new arena.
The arena is going to be really nice when it's completed.
Not big. Just nice.
Hawthorne broke his foot and is out 4-8 weeks.
Smaller is better in my opinion. Better to have space for fewer, louder fans than to have to hang banners to cover up emptiness.
Do you have a link for that AU1292? I've been hearing the same.
The link is on Rivals now but I don't want to post the article since its a pay site but apparently he broke a bone on the side of his foot. He is going to B'ham tomorrow for a further diagnosis.
If that is true about Hawthorne, it isn't so bad. He would still be ready when we reach the meat of our schedule. Fortunately we are fairly deep at receiver. Something like this is something we can't afford with the offensive linemen or linebackers.
Eddie, looks like your guess was wrong!
Sean, if he would be back in 4-8 weeks he would have a good shot at being ready for the start of the season.
Steve, foot injuries can be funny things. Being ready to start practicing and being game ready are two different things.
Interesting story...
I currently have a project renovating a building in Macon called Liz Reed's. It's a very old, downtown, 2 story bar-type place. I found out today that it was owned by the Elizabeth Reed of Allman Bros song fame.
I also found out that they got the name of the song from her grave-stone at Rose Hill Cemetery, which the band used to frequent to hang out and write music.
Pretty cool says I.
Article
I think we can get by Louisiana Tech and MSU while he gets back into playing condition. The only concern I would have is if it became a Tristan Davis type thing.
I think Todd gets the nod, and Burns will take turns. Caudle will do the clean up.
I think Tristan Davis earned/created a whole new injury category in which to be classified.
Thanks Buford and Eddie.
Yea, Davis should have gotten another 4 or 5 years of eligibility where he could have ended up competing in a decent number of games. He was constantly having issues.
Monica, I was unable to hear your substance. Summary?
Heeeyyyy... there was an imposter michael earlier. MJT says get yer own name!!!!!!!!! sdlkgj aesrkgj asdglkjasdg
Summary: Yes, the guv't CAN change the BCS processes and what is important right now is the people on the subcommittee and the states they represent.
cool.
Ran into some minor editing issues with the video, but we're back on track.
Revised ETA: 3:40 p.m. CDT.
We can have only one Michael.
Sorry...AUDevil from ITAT here. Using my only GMail account to post on here.
So what is the secret to getting postage rights on ITAT? I've applied a couple of times and been shut down.
Holy irony, Batman!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/07/09/mcnair-psa.ap/index.html?eref=si_topstories
Scary.
Video is UP.
You are all wrong about the QB. Malzan, in a fit of genius, installs the wishbone in the sumnmer. Mario Fannin returns to his roots as plays QB. Rollinson moves to Tailback and ends the year 3rd in Heisman voting. Au wins SEC Championship while maintaining an unbelievable 40 mins offensive possession time.
I'm officially rooting for Neil to be the starter. I'm not a big Franklin fan, but Franklin's right in this case...for whatever reason, Caudle threw way too many interceptions during the Spring last year. But he seems to have fixed the problem.
His arm is good enough. He threw with so much more confidence than Kodi during the Spring this year and that is inexcusable on Kodi's part...he's had so many opportunities.
The best pass during the Spring Game was a TD from Neil where he looked off the safety and threw to a covered WR in the endzone. I haven't seen an AU QB throw a pass like that since...wow...Jason Campbell.
It has appeared to me that Kodi's arm strength is a bit of a myth. And Caudle threw on the run a lot better than Burns did in the spring.
Here's to hoping Todd's arm, which is now almost restored to what he needs, stays healthy in '09. He's the best we have until one of these young bucks is ready.
QB's - One only knows a few plays, the other panics at times - unless something gives, neither will finish the season as starter. Coaches still looking for the complete package - It may very well end up CT or TR.
I only feel confident in one thing. A true freshman will not come in and take the job. Rollison will need to spend a LOT of time with Coach Yox. With a healthy Todd, Burns and Caudle, I don't see how any incoming qb escapes a red shirt. Thoughts?
I wonder if Chris Todd will be a factor. Fannin says he has a lot of zip on the ball now.
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