Bryan Harsin has come to the Southeaster Conference from the Mountain West and Boise State where he compiled a 69-19 record, 78%, a 45-8 conference record, 85%, 3 Mountain West Championships, 6 titles or ties for first in the conference, and a 3-2 bowl record, including a 2014 Fiesta Bowl victory over Arizona, albeit with Chris Peterson’s players. But he kept the momentum going at Boise State. He also served as head coach for a year at Arkansas State in 2013 before getting the BSU job and went 7-5 there and tied for the Sun Belt Conference title. In his 8 years as a head coach he is 76-24, 76%.

So Harsin has good credentials coming to Auburn and brings a hard-nosed style of play back to the Plains. He also is a former quarterback, and knows how to coach quarterbacks up, so that should serve Bo Nix very well. You could seeimprovement in Nix in the spring game. More on that coming up.

Gus Malzahn’s 8 year tenure was a mixed bag. Some pretty good results mixed in with some average results. Overall, his resume just wasn’t enough for Auburn people to see him being the guy for the future. He did defeat Nick Saban coached Alabama teams 3 times, in 2013, 2017 and 2019.

In 2013, Malzahn’s first year and the year Auburn made it all the way to the BCS National Championship game where it lost to Florida State 34-31, there were 2 of the wildest games you’d ever want to witness at Jordan-Hare, and that’s a big statement for that stadium. Auburn defeated Georgia on a 4th and 18, “Prayer at Jordan Hare” a 73 yard touchdown pass from Nick Marshall that ricocheted off a receiver and a safety and was caught by Ricado Louis who raced into the end zone for the miraculous Auburn 43-38 victory. Jordan-Hare was rockin. As amazing, if not moreso, was the Alabama game in which the Crimson Tide, facing a fourth and one, decided to try a 56 yard field goal with an inexperienced kicker instead of trying to throw a Hail Mary pass into the end zone. Rod Bramblett, the late great voice of the Auburn Tigers has a classic call of that play. Bramblett and his wife were tragically killed in a car accident in 2019 as they were rear ended by a young guy. Here’s the great one’s call.

Chris Davis is gonna drop back into the endzone in single safety,,,, Well, I guess if this thing comes up short he can field it and run it out. All right, here we go, 56 yarder. It’s got, no, does not have the leg. And Chris Davis takes it in the back of the endzone. He’ll run it out to the 10,15,20, 25,30,35,40,45,50,45 there goes Davis! Davis is gonna run it all the way back!! Auburn’s gonna win the football game!! Auburn’s gonna win the football game!! He ran the missed field goal back!! He ran it back 109 yards! They’re not gonna keep’em off the field tonight! Holy Cow!

The Kick Six will go down in Auburn lore as maybe the greatest play in Iron Bowl History, maybe the greatest play in Auburn football history along with “Punt Bama Punt.” dramatics in 1972. Bramblett was a classic.

Malzahn also defeated Bama at Jordan-Hare in 2017, 26-14, and 2019, 48-45. There was some spectacularly dramatic football in 2019 with both teams making electric play after electric play. Malzahn finished his 8 year tenure at Auburn with a 68-35 overall mark and 39-27 in the SEC. But he lost key bowl games and just could never keep the momentum going. So the Tiger brass decided to replace him on December 22, 2020. Harsin was hired in January of this year and with a recruiting class that was ranked in the 50’s, pieced together the 19th ranked recruiting class in the country according to 247 Sports. So good job there.

Harsin hired 2 veteran coaches to commandeer his offense and defense respectively. Harsin hired Mike Bobo, a head coach at Colorado State and a veteran SEC offensive coordinator at Georgia and South Carolina, to take over the offense. Bobo brings toughness and good offensive creativity and an ability to coach up Bo Nix. Nix looks like he’s responded to Bobo’s coaching by the looks of the spring game. Harsin hired Derek Mason, the 7 year Vanderbilt head coach and a veteran defensive coordinator from Stanford, to be his defensive coordinator. Mason had a little success, not a lot, at Vandy, it’s hard there, but did some good things. I spoke with him every year before the season started and was impressed with his motivating ability, his excitement about his teams, his dedication to Vanderbilt and his energy. He was an underrated recruiter there as well. He brought in some good players, who could do well under new coach Clark Lea. Mason is a good hire for Harsin. Two of his former players, 4 star safety Donovan Kaufman and 3 star running back Keyon Henry-Brooks, have transferred from Vanderbilt. Kaufman posted 15 tackles in 2 games and ran a kick back 92 yards against LSU last season in his freshman year. He got COVID and then got hurt, so he never saw the field again. He’s a talent. He’s deciding between Auburn and Texas and will announce his decision this Wednesday. His 92 yarder wasn’t a house call, but it was a heckuva run for a true freshman. 247 Sports has Crystal Balled him 100 percent to Auburn. The Mason factor helps there. Henry-Brooks is looking at Auburn among other SEC schools including Missouri, Tennessee and Georgia. It’s not determined when he will decide, but he’s a player. He rushed for 500 yards in 6 games last season and was a weapon out of the backfield in the receiving game. He’d be a very good addition as well. Both might have to sit out this season per SEC rules about transfers within the conference sitting out the year before they play, but it’s possible, that if they commit, they could play this year if Greg Sankey is feeling generous.

Bo Nix will call the signals once again for the Tigers as a junior. He has completed 59% of his passes in his career with 28 TDs and 13 ints. His career has been a mixed bag, but he’s a major talent if he is taught how to stay in the pocket and not go running backwards or sideways when there is pressure. He looked a lot better at that in the spring game Mike Bobo looks like he’s breaking through. In the spring game, Bo was 12-of-20 for 112 yards and a TD to 6’4”, 214 pound sophomore Elijah Canion, who looked very good in the game. Bo also had some very good runs. He is quite a runner when he finds an opening. He’s an elite athlete. Bo was solid, and Bobo is making a lot of progress with him. Backups look to be Bowling Green transfer Grant Loy, who could be pretty serviceable, and true freshman and early enrollee and 4 star Dematrius Davis, a 5’10”, 202 pounder from Houston. Davis could be a very good quarterback in the future for the Tigers, and Harsin already has a 4 star dual QB committed in 2022 in Holden Gernier, a 6’3”, 210 pounder out of Savannah, GA. So Harsin is building depth in the quarterback room. Bo’s the guy though, and he’ll need to be very good for the Tigers to have success in 2021.

Tank Bigsby and Shaun Shivers look like an excellent one-two punch at running back, but there’s not a lot of depth behind them. In the spring game, Bigsby looked like the stud he was last year when he led all NCAA freshmen with over 1,200 all purpose yards. Shivers looked outstanding in the spring game as well and is ready to take the next step to being an elite second option at running back, Devan Barrett, a 6’0”, 195 pound senior is the third option and he looks pretty solid. Incoming 86, 3 star freshman Jarquez Hunter from Philadelphia, MS is another who can play a role.

Wide receiver lost some greatness when Anthony Schwartz was taken in the third round by the Cleveland Browns, Seth Williams was taken in the 6th round by the Denver Broncos, and Eli Stove signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as a free agent. Linebacker K.J. Britt was also taken in the 5th round by defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay. Safety Jamien Sherwood was taken in the fifth round by the New York Jets.

So, as far as wide receiver, Auburn is kind of starting from scratch. Canion shows a lot of potential, and sophomore Kobe Hudson shows flashes though needs to be more consistent. Shedrick Jackson, a senior, is another. Ze’Vian Capers, a sophomore, and incoming 89, 3 star freshman Hal Presley, from Arlington, Texas, 6’3”, 190, is another who can help. It’ll be a growing process at receiver for the Tigers.

At tight end, it’s John Samuel Shenker, 6’4”, 249 and a senior who could be a key player. Stud sophomore 6’5”, 240 Tyler Fromm is another. Fromm is the younger brother of former Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm. He shows a lot of ability. Jake is now a backup quarterback for the Buffalo Bills. Another tight end who the staff is high on is 6’5”, 255 sophomore Luke Deal. So good size at tight end. 87, 3 star and 6’5”, 220 pound early enrollee Landen King is another who is in the mix.

The O line has great size for sure. Depth could be an issue, but it could also be developed. The leader is senior center Nick Brahms, 6’4”, 302. Brahms is excellent. He is flanked by left guard 6’4”, 335 senior Tashawn Manning and right guard 6’4”, 345 sophomore Keiondre Jones. Redshirt senior and stud left tackle Austin Troxell, 6’7”, 305, will cover Nix’s blindside. And 6’6”, 334 senior Brodarious Hamm will handle the right tackle spot. And there looks to be some decent depth there. Maybe not a ton, need to recruit some more up front. There were 2 OLs taken in the 2021 class, 6’7”, 315 pound 87, 3 star tackle Colby Smith and 6’7”, 270 87, 3 star offensive guard Garner Langio.

The defense looks solid. Superb athlete J.J. Pegues, 6’3”, 308, has moved from offense to the defensive tackle spot and has impressed. He could be a big boost. Senior Tyrone Truesdell is 6’2”, 335, and can be a disrupter also in the middle of the line. 6’5”, 278 Colby Wooden and 6’2”, 253 T.J. Moultry will work well on the edges for the Tigers. 96, 4 star 6’5”, 292 defensive tackle Lee Hunter from Eight Mile, Alabama is an early enrollee and is expected to make an impact in 2021. 96, 4 star defensive end Dylan Brooks was a late pickup by the Tigers. Future looks bright for those two. Brooks is 6’5”, 250 and from Roanoke, AL. Marquis Robinson is a 90, 4 star 6’3”, 300 pound defensive tackle out of Milton, Florida. Ian Matthews is an 87, 6’5”, 290 DT from Columbus, GA. Andrew Leota is a 6’3”, 220 pound 87 3 star transfer defensive end from Northwestern. So there is good material up front if it can be developed. Linebacker looks strong with junior Owen Pappoe, 6’1”, 226, and 6’0”, 219 senior Zakoby McClain returning. Both are very good players. Pappoe recorded 93 tackles last season with 6 TFLs for -30 yards and 4 sacks for -26 yards. McClain led the team in tackles with 113, with 5 1/2 TFLs for -33 yards and 3 sacks for -30. And 6’3”, 232 pound Chandler Wooten is back, returning from opting out due to COVID and he hasn’t missed a beat according to his teammates. Another talent. Sophomores Wesley Steiner, 6’0”, 229 and Cam Riley, 6’5”, 219 are 2 others who could provide depth on the inside. Derek Mason said in the spring that he loves his linebacker room.

The secondary has 3 studs back in corners Roger McCreary and Jaylin Simpson and the great safety and one of the best names in college football, Smoke Monday, at free safety. McCreary picked off 3 passes for 63 yards, Monday posted 2 ints for 131 yards including a pick six. Simpson is an experienced player. Devin Guice is the starter at strong safety. Former 4 star corner, 6’2”, 192 West Virginia transfer Dreshun Miller is another piece in the secondary. Junior corner Nehemiah Pritchett provides depth along with sophomore corner Eric Reed Jr. Junior college transfer corner Kamai Hadden who was an 86 3 star out of high school and is 6’2”, 185 is another along with incoming 84, 3 star freshman corner Armani Diamond. 87, 3 star safety Juwon Gaston comes in from Carver Montgomery.

So, there are plenty of talented players, but like most of this team, depth will need to be created. The coaching staff looks solid. Several Boise State former assistants are in the mix and Mason and former Auburn standout defensive back Zac Ethridge, who is the cornerbacks coach, will be super leaders for the secondary.

Kicking game is in phenomenal shape with Anders Carlson back for his redshirt senior year. The best 2 kickers in the country in 2021 will reside in Tuscaloosa and Auburn with Will Reichard for the Crimson Tide and Carlson at Auburn. Oscar Chapman boomed some pretty solid punts in the spring game. He’s a sophomore from Australia. Aidan Marshall is a redshirt senior punter. Shivers and Bigsby are at the top of the depth chart on kickoff return, and punt returner could be one of the secondary guys, Monday or Simpson or even wide receiver Canion. Any one of those 3 can be explosive.

Schedule

Saturday, Sept. 4th vs Akron

Saturday, Sept. 11th vs. Alabama Stafe

Saturday, Sept. 18th @Penn State, tough but doable.

Saturday, Sept. 25th vs. Georgia State, pretty good team. Need to be ready for that.

Saturday, Oct.2nd, @LSU, challenge.

Saturday, Oct. 9th, vs. Georgia. Major challenge

Saturday, Oct. 16th, @Arkansas, Sam Pittman has the Hogs believing.

Saturday, Oct. 23rd, Off.

Saturday, Oct. 30th, vs. Ole Miss. Will be an important game against Lane.

Saturday, Nov. 6th @A&M, Another tremendous challenge.

Saturday, Nov. 13th, vs. Mississippi State, good to have them at Jordan-Hare along with Ole Miss.

Saturday, Nov. 20th, @South Carolina. Shane Beamer inherits a formerly dysfunctional outfit, but the Gamecocks did defeat the Tigers last season in Columbia.

Saturday, Nov. 27th, vs the Crimson Tide. Beyond tough, but at Jordan Hare gives the Tigers a shot.

Saturday, Dec. 4th SEC Championship Game, Mercedes-Benz Stadium,

All game times to be determined in June.

Outlook

What kind of Tigers team should we expect? A lot harder nosed in my opinion. I expect a lot better Bo Nix. Tank and Shivers should be a good one-two punch. Depth is of course the issue, but there is some good talent on the roster and good talent in this freshman class. It looks like it could be a solid year for the Plainsmen. 7 to 8 victories would be a good start for Harsin and then it’s all about recruiting. 8-4 would be an excellent season in year 1. 9-4 with a bowl victory. That would give Harsin, Mason, Bobo and the coaches a lot of momentum for securing a very good 2022 recruiting class and beyond that in 2023, etc… Liked what I saw out of Bo in the spring game and really like this defense. O line looks like it could be solid with more development. Very intrigued to see Auburn Football in 2021.

Wednesday

Preview/Prediction 103rd PGA Championship

@ Kiawah Island, S.C. The Ocean Course

Rory won it at Kiawah in 2012 at -13, 8 shots clear of

second place finisher David Lynn of England. Can’t

say I remember Lynn.