Hank Brown vs. Holden Geriner among notable Auburn position battles to watch at fall camp

AUBURN — Congratulations, Auburn football fans. You’ve essentially made it.

The offseason is all but over, and the Tigers will open preseason practices Thursday in preparation for their season opener against Alabama A&M in 33 days. Vibes are high around the program − landing five new commitments at Big Cat Weekend on Saturday will do that − but attention will soon shift from the success on the recruiting trail to the results on the field.

Much of Auburn’s depth chart already seems established, especially at the top. There aren’t many fall camp position battles for starting roles to monitor, but that doesn’t mean guys won’t be competing for meaningful reps elsewhere.

Between the backup for Payton Thorne at quarterback and a struggle for snaps along the defensive line, there’s plenty of intrigue to keep track of over the next month.

Here are five of the biggest contests to keep an eye on:

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Payton Thorne’s understudy

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze is running it back with Thorne as his starter, but that doesn’t mean the QB has carte blanche. Thorne doesn’t have a never-ending leash, and Freeze mentioned at SEC Media Days how he needs to see what he’s got behind Thorne on the depth chart “in case he does not perform well.”

One of Auburn’s four scholarship QBs is Walker White, a true freshman still acclimating. That leaves redshirt sophomore Holden Geriner and redshirt freshman Hank Brown in contention to be Thorne’s primary backup. Geriner has the experience advantage as an older player, but Brown impressed − completed seven of nine passes for 132 yards − in limited action against Maryland last season.

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Redshirt…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/hank-brown-vs-holden-geriner-133236914.html

Author : The Montgomery Advertiser

Publish date : 2024-07-29 13:32:36

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