Which positions will Auburn football target in the spring portal? Listen to Hugh Freeze
AUBURN — Just as fast as it came, it went.
The second spring practice of the coach Hugh Freeze era at Auburn football is in the books, as the five-week stretch was capped with A-Day on Saturday. The offense narrowly outdueled the defense, 28-27, after starting the game slow and settling for five consecutive field goals before finally breaking through with a touchdown.
There were highs − five-star freshman Cam Coleman lived up to the hype − and lows − the run game left much to be desired − but that's the nature of spring games. It's impossible to leave feeling 100% satisfied with the result, given the fact that it's an intrasquad scrimmage.
Here are a few of the biggest Tigers-related questions as the team heads into the true lull of the offseason; things won't begin picking up again until August, when fall camp starts ahead of the season opener against Alabama A&M:
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How many bodies does Auburn football add up front?
The worst kept secret throughout spring practice was the coaching staff has a desire to add more pieces to the defensive line through the transfer portal, which officially opens again April 15. Both Freeze and defensive coordinator DJ Durkin reiterated that at times Saturday, but the current batch of defensive linemen did well in bottling up the offense's run game.
Auburn's running backs combined for 40 rushing yards on 23 attempts. That's just over 1.7 yards a pop.
"I felt like they won the line of scrimmage," Freeze said of the DL. "That's very positive. I like the guys and the effort they're giving over there, I do. I just don't think you can ever have enough of them. We've got a couple spots left on our roster. If you're going to fill it, let's fill it with D-line and receivers. I think that's where we need to add some more depth.
"It did seem that they played well today. We need those young kids like DJ Reed and Bobby (Jamison-Travis) to come on. I thought DJ made a couple plays in the backfield. TJ Lindsey showed up."
What are realistic expectations for Cam Coleman?
Apparently the hype was warranted.
The highest-rated offensive recruit to ever sign with the Tigers, Coleman shined in his first opportunity in a game-like environment at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Coleman, a 6-foot-3 receiver who's only 17 years old, finished with four catches for 92 yards and a touchdown to send the already-existing hype around him into overdrive.
At the end of the day, though, he's still just a freshman. He should help the offense, but expectations should take his inexperience into consideration. The most productive freshman WR in the country last season was NC State's Kevin Concepcion, who tallied 838 receiving yards.
The No. 1 receiver in the Class of 2023, Zachariah Branch of USC, had 320 receiving yards as a freshman.
Is there a real competition at kicker?
Freshman kicker Towns McGough is a competitor, but he's also realistic. His 7-for-7 performance at A-Day, which included a game-winning boot from 58 yards away, was impressive and it put fans on notice. But the starting job belongs to Alex McPherson, who didn't participate due to an injury.
McPherson didn't miss a kick last season.
"I really came here to learn from him and redshirt," McGough said when asked if he's gunning to be the starter. "With him nursing his hamstring right now, I had to step up and do my part. I’m super glad that coach Freeze and coach (Tanner) Burns trust me to do that role right now. We’ll see how it goes. Whether I redshirt or not, he’s a fantastic kicker to learn from.
"I think he went perfect last year. Best kicker in the country. Definitely a good one to learn from."
Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football questions to answer after Hugh Freeze's A-Day
