Midweek Mailbag: Who is Auburn's most improved player?

I've been looking for ways to involve more of our readers here at Auburn Daily since we launched this site with Fan Nation and Sports Illustrated back in February. The thought behind launching a football-heavy site in late February was to give us time to grow and get our feet set before the start of the season.

Well, the season is almost here.

The Auburn Tigers report to camp on August 4th and the first practice will be the following day on August 5th.

I thought this would be a great time to launch a weekly Midweek Mailbag segment for the site.

Thanks to all who submitted questions on Twitter or in our Discord. Here we go!

Which players on the roster currently have developed the most over their time at Auburn? - CND01

There are a lot of good options. Many players that have developed over their career at Auburn chose to come back for another season.

Derick Hall is a great example. John Samuel Shenker is another who not only finally got the opportunity to be effective in the passing game but he has also improved as a blocker.

There are plenty of answers but I'm going with Colby Wooden. As a freshman in 2019, he played just 39 total snaps. Last year, he graded out as one of the best interior pass rushers in all of college football.

He played 591 snaps and rushed the passer 352 times last season and earned an 80.6 pass rush grade. His ability has taken a step forward every season while on the Plains.

His emergence and decision to return for another year at Auburn will also allow other front seven defenders like Hall and Eku Leota to find success this season.

Will there be significantly more flips in general this year, perhaps given the fact players are committing sooner, NIL, etc? - Wunderbier

Is saying "It's too early to tell" a cop-out answer?

Auburn has some positive momentum on the recruiting trail and should pick up a handful of commitments this week. This comes at a time when multiple Auburn collectives are working on raising money and awareness leading up to Big Cat Weekend.

I certainly think there's a chance that NIL will allow some schools to sweep in and flip recruits in the final days of their recruitment but I think the type of player Bryan Harsin is targeting to join his program may be a little harder to flip with just NIL deals.

Is Camden Brown really a freshman? Can anyone prove it? - zacH

Freshman wide receiver Camden Brown looks like a superhero. As an 18-year-old kid, he certainly has been putting in work in the weight room.

He shared this picture on his Instagram page this week.

Sadly, I don't think he will find key reps and targets in 2022 but by the time he's done at Auburn, he could leave as a very accomplished wide receiver.

What are realistic expectations for the OL this season? - D Turnipseed

Well, Auburn is returning a lot of the big men from a season ago.

Center Nick Brahms feels like he's been at Auburn forever. Guard Keiondre Jones is playing to be a potential early NFL Draft pick. Guard Brandon Council brings consistency.

The question is about the tackles. It seems like Kilian Zierer took the starting left tackle spot in the spring. At right tackle, Austin Troxell is probably the favorite to get the nod.

The unit did well in pass coverage a year ago but lacked the ability to consistently generate a push at the line of scrimmage. I think with how these linemen's bodies have changed in the second year of the Harsin regime, they should be able to help open up some running lanes for Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter this season.

I think this group takes a step forward from last year. Not a huge one, but a step nonetheless.

What player coming from the transfer portal will have the biggest impact this football season? - BarringtonK

I really want to say former LSU wide receiver Koy Moore or former Iowa State safety Craig McDonald but I have to go with the man I think will be starting under center.

There's been a ton of speculation about what Zach Calzada can bring to the offense after a decent first season as a starter at Texas A&M. If he wins the job, Auburn's season has the chance to sink or swim based on however he performs.

At 6’4, 340, how many calzones could @keiondrejones put down? Better yet, chicken parm? - Marc Tillis

Fun fact: While trying to find the world record for most chicken parms eaten in one sitting, I found that the world record for the largest serving of chicken parm ever was just over 830 pounds.

Jones could knock down some chicken parms. I'm thinking if I REALLY had to, I could slam back two of those bad boys. I bet he could roll with three of four hearty chicken parms...or calzones.

This will be a weekly segment on Auburn Daily moving forward. If you want to get involved with the weekly feature, reach out via Twitter or join the Discord and fire away with some questions.

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