Is Tate Johnson undersized to play center in the SEC?
There are rumblings of Nick Brahms being banged up, and since these rumblings have spread, Tate Johnson has been taking the reps with the ones at practice.
Many people in the Auburn community are wondering if Johnson's 6-foot-4, 285-pound frame is too small to play center.
Center is the one position on the offensive line that people of all different sizes can play.
For example, Coastal Carolina has been a school to have a lot of success on the gridiron recently, and for multiple years their starting center was Sam Thompson, who was listed at five-foot-nine 290-pounds in 2020.
Another person to look at is five-time Pro-Bowl center Jason Kelce who stands six-foot-three and weighs 295-pounds.
Brahms, for example, weighs 300-pounds, only giving him a 15-pound advantage over Johnson.
Looking at these players should give Auburn fans hope that Johnson can handle his own if he is called on to be the Tigers starting center.
One thing Johnson possesses that can't be taught is how to have a killer instinct on the field. He plays hard-nosed football. If Johnson was asked about his weight and whether or not it would affect him, he would see it as a nonissue.
Now it would be great if Johnson could put on a few pounds to get into the three hundreds, but even if he has to play at his current weight, he will succeed.
Part of playing center is being the leader of the offensive line group and calling out which blocks to make. The word from fall camp is that Johnson has done well in this role.
If the center job ends up being Johnson's, he will be ready to go and help provide a much-needed push to break the Auburn running backs free.
Engage with Auburn Daily on Socials!
Follow Auburn Daily on Twitter
