Cam Coleman and Jamonta Waller Continue To Make Noise At Auburn's Spring Practice

Auburn's youth movement is growing

Auburn's spring practice was open to the media for much of the practice today. It was a great opportunity to witness how much improvement the Tigers are making.

Taking a look at Auburn's passing game brought some good and bad moments. Keep in mind, this was a team that ranked #124 for passing last season, per CFB Stats. Part of the good stemmed from freshman wide receiver Cam Coleman being a difficult player to defend. He scored a couple of touchdowns during a combination of drills and 11-on-11 action. Coleman has continued to show off the skills that made him the #7 prospect by Rivals. There were some drops from the wide receiver corps, but it's an improving group overall.

Here's a look at some other young Tigers that made noise, as well as some overall observations from practice.

Edge defender Jamonta Waller was more than a pass rusher. He's playing some inside linebacker as well. While Waller is only just beginning to learn the linebacker position for the Auburn football team, it's another way to place the twitchy freshman on the field. More speed! Hugh Freeze mentioned Waller during today's press conference and there are many positive things a young man with his all-around traits can do now, and even more in the future.

Quarterback Payton Thorne had some good passes today, especially down the field. There were still too many drops and it's a beat up wide receiver corps. It was hard to truly rank any signal-caller today. Freeze did mention at the press conference that Thorne would likely be the #1 quarterback entering fall. Sophomore Hank Brown is probably the best bet to rival him for the starting quarterback position. Brown has been steady and showed a sense of when to let it rip or when to throw to his checkdown option.

Sophomore defensive lineman Darron Reed, Jr. was consistently making noise in the middle of the defense and at the strong-side defensive end position. He's now over 290 pounds and looks like an SEC defensive tackle. With Auburn being thin up front, Reed's development and size have been more than welcomed.

There's another freshman wide receiver that's playing well, too. That's slot playmaker Bryce Cain. It's one thing to watch his high school highlight tape to denote his athleticism. It's quite another to see it live. Cain can hit high gear quickly and he's shifty enough to elude defensive backs and create separation.

Sophomore cornerback Kayin Lee had multiple pass breakups today. He's displayed his best plays when in tight coverage. He's added more muscle since last season and looks like he's ready for major minutes this next season.

Center Connor Lew is only a sophomore next season but he's shown to be consistent like a senior should be. He's been a steadying force inside the middle of the Auburn offensive line all spring long. That was no different today whether a running play or pass play.

Freshman cornerback Jalyn Crawford looked the part, made plays on the football, and let some of his wide receiver teammates know about it today. Crawford is already working with the first unit in practice and possesses the length and speed to contribute this fall.

Freshman defensive lineman Amaris Williams was mixing it up with the goal line defensive unit. He's still learning technique but his athleticism and grit were on full display. He's going to be a tremendous defensive lineman at strong-side defensive end and possibly defensive tackle at some point during his Auburn career.

Sophomore Keldric Faulk has already been working with the first unit and not enough people have continued to discuss his performance. He's more steady against the run than last season, and he's physically capable of using power moves to rush the passer. There's still plenty of learning to do but Faulk has a chance to be a three-year starter for the Tigers.