Auburn football is now less than 10 days away from kicking off the 2020 season against Kentucky. With that in mind, we will look at who will be making the biggest impact for the Tigers this fall. Here are the top five weapons offensive coordinator Chad Morris gets to work with for his unit.
5. Tank Bigsby, Freshman, RB
Bigsby checked in as the 40th overall player and fourth rated running back, according to the 247Sports Composite recruiting rankings for the 2020 class. He is listed at 6 feet, 204 pounds on the official Auburn roster. Bigsby could be a huge weapon for the Auburn offense once he becomes comfortable. He has tremendous power for his size. His biggest strength is how shifty he is and his elite change of direction. Toward the end of the season, do not be surprised if he starts a game or two.
4. Shaun Shivers, Junior, RB
Shivers is someone who has been talked about plenty during preseason camp. Barring some unforeseen circumstance, Shivers will likely run out with the first team offense against the Wildcats. He may be one of the smaller backs in the SEC, but he does not shy away from contact and can deliver quite the punch. This thought was confirmed when he ran over first round draft pick Xavier McKinney in the Iron Bowl last season. That proved to be the game-winning touchdown. Look for Morris to try and get him the ball in space a little more than previous seasons.
3. Anthony Schwartz, Junior, WR
Speed is the first thing that comes to mind when talking about Schwartz. He might just be the fastest player in college football. The junior had 41 receptions in 2019, and Morris might try to use him more in down-the-field situations. He took the top off the defense a few times against Arkansas last season. Schwartz is always a threat in the running game, too. Basically, any way they can get the ball in his hands is productive because he can take it the distance in the blink of an eye.
2. Bo Nix, Sophomore, QB
Bo Nix is coming off a somewhat productive freshman season. He threw for 2,542 yards and 16 touchdowns, compared to just six interceptions. Head coach Gus Malzahn largely wanted Nix to be a game manager last year. Malzahn knew what kind of defense he had and wanted Nix to keep Auburn within striking distance in contested games. He threw some crucial interceptions in 2019. The three-interception game against Florida comes to mind. Mississippi State was his best game where he threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns, so we know he has potential to improve. The only game against a ranked opponent where he threw for north of 200 yards was the Georgia game, but he attempted 50 passes. Efficiency is the area he needs to work on. Nix seems like the kind of player who has that fire and drive to get better. Based on that, I would be very surprised if he did not improve this year.
1. Seth Williams, Junior, WR
Seth Williams is arguably the most talented player on the Auburn roster, which lists him at 6-foot-33, 211 pounds. That is about 10-15 pounds lighter than what he played at last season, so anticipate him to stretch the field more. He led the team in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in 2019. By all accounts, he was and still is Nix’s favorite target. It is harder to gauge statistical production considering there will be less games played, but do not be surprised if he hauls in 60–70 balls even with just 10 games played. Expect him to declare for the draft after this season.
Others considered: C Nick Brahms, RB DJ Williams, WR Eli Stove, RB Mark Anthony-Richards, RB/APB Harold Joiner, T/G Brodarious Hamm
Photo courtesy of Auburn Athletics
