Auburn Fan Day
Auburn offensive lineman Mike Horton (64) and offensive lineman Marquel Harrell (77) sign autographs for fans Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, during Fan Day at the Auburn Arena in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)
(JULIE BENNETT)
Auburn redshirted five offensive linemen last season and the youngsters are now getting legitimate chances to show their stuff in spring practices.
Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee spoke highly of Tyler Carr, Marquel Harrell, Mike Horton, Kaleb Kim and Bailey Sharp Thursday night.
"What they're getting, with the exception of Mike Horton, is their first meaning full reps with the ones or twos," Lashlee said. "They're going up against good people. They'll line up against Mon (Adams) one time or Dontavius (Russell) or Carl (Lawson). Last year they were as a scout team, but not running our stuff or at that level. It's been a good evaluation and it will be good the rest of the way, but we feel good about those guys."
The Tigers must replace NFL-bound Shon Coleman and Avery Young this season and are looking for the players to anchor the offense. Although Horton never saw the field, he was listed as Young's backup at right tackle on the two-deep depth chart and has more experience in practices than the other four.
"He's got a chance to be one of our best five or six guys, there's no question," Lashlee said. "It's a long ways to go still, but he's done a nice job. He's really talented and picking up things well."
Horton (6-4, 312) was a bit under-the-radar as a three-star prospect at Lakeside High in Atlanta. He had been committed to Florida for more than six months before flipping to Auburn last on National Signing Day.
"Horton has really come on for us," Lashlee said. "He's a guy that I think will help us and needs to help. Even though he didn't play last year, he traveled, he was kind of in the two-deep. I think that helps sometimes even if he didn't play and he's really done some nice things so far."
Check out what Lashlee had to say about the other four linemen below.
"Tyler is doing better. You can tell that year helped him. Tyler's a guy that always had great size and we still feel like he's got a chance to be a pretty good player for us. He's better now than he was. He's got a little ways to go still, but he's a guy that comes physically tough and mentally tough to try to get better every day. "
"It's good for him -- the first time to really be getting this many reps against good people with the ones and twos and all that mix and he's getting steadily better each day."
"He's put on weight. We signed him thinking he could be a real tough, smart kind of guy at that center position and so far he's making strides in the right direction for a guy who has redshirted.
"He's still got a chance to compete."