'On The Hoof': Evaluating Auburn's 2024 Players Based On Spring Practice #1

Where does Auburn's roster stand against the rest of the SEC?

There's nothing quite like one's own eyes to evaluate something fully.

The Auburn Tigers opened spring practice yesterday and I had some questions about where the Tigers would be in terms of height and weight. The first 2024 practice on the Plains answered some of those questions, as well as helped to begin to answer some others.

Watching the quarterbacks, it's probably not as much about height for today's style of college football but how it is used. Throwing angles, making passes on the run, and escaping pressure are generally considered more valuable than being 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds.

That being the case, Walker White is a big freshman. He looks the part of a big-time signal-caller. The way the football fires out of his hand is fun to witness as well.

Although not quite as thick as White, redshirt freshman Hank Brown is a player with good height and a balanced frame. More importantly, he throws strikes. I believe he has been overlooked to date, by myself included.

Overall, Auburn's quarterback room is far more balanced than I originally believed. It's going to be in good shape moving forward. The next position needs work along the recruiting trail.

Ideally, Auburn's wide receiver size will continue to improve beyond adding elite freshman Cam Coleman to the roster. Perry Thompson will not arrive until the summer, to be clear, and he's another impressive physical specimen like Coleman.

There are several receivers in the 6-foot range but honestly not enough of the pass catchers who are at least similar to Coleman in stature. The Central-Phenix City recruit stood out like a sore thumb among the majority of Auburn's receivers.

The Tigers still need another year of talented wide receiver recruits to be added for this position to reach the mid-level of the SEC, let alone top-of-the-board, in terms of size.

The offensive line is improving going by a recent transfer. Adding Mississippi State offensive tackle transfer Percy Lewis is fantastic for Auburn. He's a massive man and provides the length one wants to see as an SEC pass protector. Further, Pro Football Focus shows Lewis with allowing 7 pressures and 2 sacks from the 2023 season. That's big-time.

I need to see more of Auburn's offensive line before providing more information, but just adding Lewis is going to make a big difference. There simply are not many left tackles like him; especially at 6-foot-6 and 345 pounds.