AUBURN — The spring period is nearly over for Auburn football.
The Tigers held their 11th practice Thursday, and they’ll have three more over the next week ahead of A-Day on April 6. There typically aren’t any grand takeaways to glean during the spring — the beginning of the 2024 season remains months away — but some players can separate themselves from the pack a bit.
Coach Hugh Freeze will say there isn’t a depth chart, and there very well may not be a formal one, but players can begin to set the foundation for fall success.
A number of players have done well, but here are five of the biggest spring risers for Auburn with the A-Day game quickly approaching:
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QB Payton Thorne
Fifth-year quarterback Payton Thorne didn’t get a chance to go through spring practice ahead of his first season with the Tigers; he transferred to Auburn in May after spending three seasons at Michigan State. Thorne, who started all but one game in 2023, played 78.7% of the offense’s snaps last season, per Pro Football Focus.
Thorne hasn’t stood out as some sort of world-beater, but he’s seemingly maintained his role as the starter at a position that included redshirt sophomore Holden Geriner, redshirt freshman Hank Brown and true freshman Walker White. Freeze said early in spring that Thorne was the leader in the clubhouse. There’s no reason to think that’s changed.
“Our decision-making has not been exactly what I want it to be just yet, but, boy, they’re hungry to learn,” Freeze said of his QBs on March 19. “Payton has been pretty good. The other three, it’s new to a lot of them.”
DB Champ Anthony
Former JUCO cornerback Champ Anthony played 81 defensive snaps last season. That number is sure to rise in Year 2 with the Tigers.
Auburn nearly lost its entire starting secondary this offseason, with cornerbacks DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett along with safeties Jaylin Simpson and Zion Puckett looking to play in the NFL. Donovan Kaufman, a key contributor who played 395 snaps, also left via the transfer portal. The only returning starter is Keionte Scott.
Anthony, who Freeze mentioned early in spring as someone who’s stepped up as a leader, has the versatility to play each spot in the defensive backfield: “I pride myself on playing all five positions,” Anthony said Tuesday. “When I came in here, I really didn’t have a position that I was going to play. … I just wanted to be on the field. That’s held true fully. I started off at corner, moved more to nickel and safety now.”
WR Cam Coleman
If the Tigers are going to take a step on the offensive side of the ball, it’s going to require five-star freshman coming in early and proving to be a difference maker.
So far, that’s been the case.
Coleman has consistently been repping with the first team offense in practice, and all accounts have him performing in line with the expectations of a highly-rated recruit: “Cam Coleman just makes us look different,” Freeze said Feb. 29. “Can’t tell you how excited I am about him. … When you watch him run around out there, we’ve improved ourselves. He’s naturally gifted. I expect him to play as a freshman.”
“Cam Coleman is obviously a huge name around here and he’s going to be in the future as well,” Thorne said. “He’s been great so far. As a true freshman early enrollee it’s tough. It doesn’t matter how good you are, it’s going to be tough early. … He works his butt off, so I have no doubt that he’s going to be an outstanding player for us.”
OT Tyler Johnson
Redshirt freshman Tyler Johnson may not end up being a starter in 2024 — those roles will likely be held by Percy Lewis at left tackle and Izavion “Too Tall” Miller at right tackle — but he’s certainly putting himself in position to be the swing tackle for the Tigers.
Johnson recently received snaps with the first team at both LT and RT: “The goal was to build some depth there,” offensive line coach Jake Thornton said March 20 when asked if he wants three playable OTs to roll out on Saturdays. “… When there’s guys in there like Tyler Johnson, who has really come alive in the last five months. When guys can come in that room and really push the competition, everybody elevates because they have to.
“I always joke on him because his feet bigger than mine,” Lewis, a Mississippi State transfer who is listed at 6-foot-7, 355 pounds, said of Johnson. “… He’s a real good left tackle. He’s got real good feet and real good hands.”
S Jerrin Thompson
After starting for Texas in 2023 on the way to the College Football Playoff, transfer safety Jerrin Thompson committed to Auburn in January for his final year of eligibility.
Thompson brings tons of experience to the Tigers, something they needed in the secondary after the departure of so many key pieces.
“He’s played in a lot of big games,” safeties coach Charles Kelly said of Thompson on March 13. “He’s proven that he can make plays in big-time situations. … Having played in those venues and playing in those games like that, having that experience makes you better. … The more experience you have, that helps you as a player. … He’s had a great attitude. That’s why we brought him here, we felt like he could help.”
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: 5 players who have risen stock in spring practice
