Auburn Tigers Football Offseason Preview

Auburn athletics is a madhouse. Gus Malzahn was replaced by new coach Bryan Harsin over a year ago, but in Year 1 of his tenure, Harsin failed to meet on-field expectations and got into trouble behind the scenes with bad behavior which led to a number of internal controversies. He was almost pushed out but barely held on to his job. He enters his second season knowing he has to impress the fan base, or else he is gone. It’s never dull at Auburn.

Key Personnel Lost

Quarterback Bo Nix is gone, having transferred to Oregon to play for former Auburn assistant coach Kenny Dillingham, who is now Oregon’s offensive coordinator. With Nix out of the picture, Auburn’s quarterback room will be fascinating to watch. Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada will come in to challenge T.J. Finley, who backed up Nix last year and is himself a transfer from another SEC West program, LSU. Calzada-Finley will be one of the most high-profile quarterback duels in August camp.

Auburn loses cornerback Roger McCreary, a top-35 NFL draft pick who was an anchor in the secondary against Alabama. Auburn allowed just 10 points to the Crimson Tide in regulation last year, a tremendous defensive performance. The Tigers have to get reinforcements to maintain the same standard their secondary established in its best moments last year.

Important Incoming Freshmen

Micah Riley-Ducker is a tight end who provides an added piece in the passing game. Auburn has not had a reliable passing game for several years, and it didn’t have one last year. The Tigers need help on the edges, but they frankly need help anywhere and everywhere they can get it. Especially since Auburn will have a new opening day starting quarterback compared to 2021, it is important that new pass-catchers get on the same page with the quarterbacks and build a rapport which will last and in fact grow through the regular season.

Safety Caleb Wooden is another freshman Auburn coaches hope will step up and immediately produce. Alabama continues to churn out elite NFL-caliber receivers every year. Auburn has to be able to keep up with Alabama in the secondary. It actually did a brilliant job of that in the 2021 game against the Crimson Tide, but it’s an annual battle to stand tall in that positional matchup. Wooden will be looked to as a source of stability on the back line of defense, especially with Roger McCreary gone.

Key Position Battles

Quarterback takes center stage. Zach Calzada beat Alabama last year, which gains a lot of street cred among Auburn fans. He grew in the position but transferred out because he was nevertheless the backup for Haynes King, the starting quarterback who got injured last season and – now healthy – is in position to start for A&M in 2022. Finley was not able to beat out Bo Nix. He threw a game-winning touchdown pass last season and made some occasional contributions, but relentless game-to-game consistency has been elusive for him. Auburn has to select the right horse here and ride him all the way through the season.

Biggest Offseason Goal(s) Auburn has to improve its recruiting and transfer portal acquisitions. This is where Bryan Harsin has really fallen short, and it’s where he has to make up the most ground. People who follow Auburn football closely know that if recruiting doesn’t improve considerably, Harsin – who barely avoided getting kicked out in this crazy offseason – won’t survive into 2023. He will be looking for a job