AUBURN, Ala. – The defense is loaded. The quarterback might be the best in the SEC. The wide receivers are all back from a year ago. And the running back room is full of talented options ready to step up and be that next 1,000-yard rusher.
But what about the offensive line?
"Not a lot of people actually believe in our offensive line right now, so we just have to prove them wrong," junior offensive tackle Prince Tega Wanogho said. "I've seen real improvement in the line, so we'll just have to wait and see."
Wanogho is right. There are questions about the Auburn offensive line. This was a group that lost four seniors from a year ago, including Braden Smith, a second-round pick and the winner of the SEC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy. But even with four seniors gone, there's still experience returning with the likes of Wanogho, Mike Horton and Marquel Harrell.
The trio started 20 games between them last year, and though none of the three are seniors, they have taken it upon themselves to lead their unit.
"Playing last year, I know what to expect," Wanogho said. "Mike played last year. Marquel played last year. I feel like we have those guys stepping up right now, too. All we have to do is we have to bring the younger ones along and make sure we're all on the same page, and that's what we're doing in fall camp. I feel like we're going to get there."
"I'm very confident," added Horton. "Especially with Coach [J.B.] Grimes. He puts it on us every day that we just work and get better each day, just take it one day at a time, so that's all it is. We're really starting to mesh right now. We look really good."
Wanogho is entrenched at left tackle while Horton and Harrell will likely fill the two guard spots, though Horton has taken some reps at center during fall camp. That leaves the center position where – assuming Horton stays at guard – Kaleb Kim has emerged, while Nick Brahms works his way back from a spring injury. And right tackle where transfer Jack Driscoll and redshirt freshman Austin Troxell are locked in a battle.
Driscoll arrived as a graduate transfer from UMass in the summer, and per Horton, he's been working with the ones recently. But both players have proven more than capable of starting at right tackle for the Tigers this season.
"It's very close," offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey said last week. "Both are awesome kids. Very smart, intelligent guys. Both of them are tough, physical guys. They're kind of both technicians. They're very similar in my opinion. Now Jack is an older guys that's played some, obviously not at Auburn. Trox redshirted and now he's ready to go. I think those are two good players that are going to be here for a while."
The other player to keep an eye on up front is sophomore Calvin Ashley, who is making the move from tackle to guard during fall camp. The former five-star recruit has impressed coaches with his combination of size, athleticism and versatility.
At the end of the day, it's about finding the best five guys between now and Sept. 1 when Auburn opens the season against Washington.
"When you talk about the three guys that have played for us — Tega, Marquel and Mike — obviously some combination of those guys would make a lot of sense," Lindsey said. "With that being said, there are talented guys that we have on our team – Calvin Ashley, Jack Driscoll and Troxell – and all those guys are going to have some kind of role.
"Going into a game like we're going to play, we want to make sure that we feel really comfortable with the best lineup we can from an experience standpoint."
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greg_ostendorf
