BREAKING UA NEWS

I figure everyone might be interested in this breaking news from the Crimson Tide...prayers requested:

Bama's Starting Defensive End Shot In Armed Robbery

Commitment Weekend Wrap Up

• I meant to have this Saturday night but was lacking most of the Georgia players stats. Thanks to Auburn Undercover for filling those in.
• Kenneth Carter and Greenville defeated Jawara White and Troy, 28-7. Carter recorded five tackles and two sacks. Jawara White recorded seven tackles and caught one pass on offense for 31 yards.
• Shon Coleman and Olive Branch High School defeated Milington Central 41-13.
• Jessel Curry and Buford had a bye this week.
• Justin Delaine did not play but the Linden Patriots defeated Cottage Hill Christian, 46-13.
• Antonio Goodwin played both ways in a 52-20 loss.
• D.J. Howard rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns in a 26-7 Lincoln win.
• Jake Holland recorded 16 tackles, 2 for a loss, a sack and pass breakup.
• I have heard Shaun Kitchens ran all over Westlake in a 15-8 win. He did complete an end around pass for 70 yards and got six tackles on defense.
• Jonathan Mincy had seven tackles and an interception.
• Demetruce McNeal had 12 tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles.
• Jeremy Richardson caught three balls for 50 yards and made two interceptions on defense.
• Chad Slade recorded four pancake blocks on O and one sack on D.
• Cody Parkey had the weekend off.

Hood Cut

Rod Hood was cut by the Cleveland Browns today. He just signed with the Browns on May 31. He played on the Super Bowl Cardinals last season.

Two Notes

• Josh Harris has won the deep snapping job for field goals and extra points. Clayton Crofoot will hold.
• Interesting note that Inside The Auburn Tigers has made me aware of: 8 of 13 seniors have already earned their degrees (Montez Billings, Antonio Coleman, Walt McFadden, Chris Todd, Gabe McKenzie, Aairon Savage, Ben Tate and Tommy Trott).

Play Pick 'Em!

Hey all, I am putting together a College Football Pick'Em group on Yahoo.com! I hope we can get a good amount of people to Sign Up! Go here and click Join a Group. Join the group AUBURN BY BEAVER (group number 18223) and the password is "beaver".

Know A Signee: Reggie Taylor

• Four star, ranked the 34th best cornerback by Rivals. Two star, ranked the number 110 best safety by Scout. Rated a 78/100 and the number 28 cornerback by ESPN.com.
• Fort Valley, Georgia (Peach County High School)
• Born: January 7, 1990
• Committed: 6/24/2008
• 5'10", 170 lbs, 4.4 sec 40 yard dash
• 2008 stats: had 45 tackles (23 solo), one tackle for loss, one sack and three interceptions as a senior. 2007 stats: had 36 tackles, three interceptions and five pass breakups.
• Named to the Mobile Press Register's Super Southeast 120. Named to PrepStar's All Southeast Region Team. Named the 19th best player from the state of Georgia by Rivals.
• Had offers from Auburn, Ball State, Iowa State and Memphis. (Many stayed away due to grades).
• Only took one official visit and it was to Auburn.
• Did not qualify academically and will attend Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Eltoro Freeman also attended MGCCC.

Your Announcers For This Week's Game

Play-By-Play

Eric Collins - does Dodgers play by play for Vin Scully when the Dodgers play east of the Rockies...was an announcer for NBC at the Olympics...has worked college football, college basketball, LLWS, USA women's softball and and NFL Europe games...also previously filled in on Chicago White Sox games.

Analyst

Brock Huard - Played for the Washington Huskies, was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award...holds most major career passing records at Washington...played six years in the NFL for the Seahawks and Colts...has previously done color analysis for Pac-10 games....has recently done color commentary for NFL games for NFL Network and ESPN...currently co-hosts the Brock and Salk Show on ESPN 710 in Seattle.

Sideline Reporter

Beth Mowins - became only the second woman to ever announce nationally televised football games for ESPN in 2005...has been a reporter and announcer for ESPN and CBS...mostly works women's college sports...she was captain of Lafayette College's women's basketball team...she is inducted in the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame.

CB Has Auburn At Top

Anterio Sloan, the number 21 cornerback and number 3 player in the state of Arkansas, now has Auburn at the top of his list. The four star corner was previously committed to Nebraska. The other schools he is still looking at are Kentucky and Mississippi State. He has offers from Texas A&M, Hawaii and Memphis also but is waiting and hoping for an Auburn offer.

He has never been to the Plains and only knows about Auburn through a book that was sent to him. As a junior, he recorded 50 tackles, 2 sacks, one fumble recovery and five interceptions. Sloan is ranked a three star and the 24th best corner by Scout and a 78/100 by ESPN.com. Auburn already has commitments from defensive backs D.J. Howard, Jonathan Mincy and Demetruce McNeal.

Know A Signee: John Sullen

• Number 71
• Three star, ranked the 35th best offensive guard by Rivals. Two star, ranked the 103rd best offensive tackle by Scout. Rated a 76/100 and the 55th best offensive tackle by ESPN.com.
• Auburn, Alabama (Auburn High School)
• Born: December 31, 1990
• Committed: 1/18/2009
• 6'5", 350 lbs
• 2008 stats: obviously there are not many statistics for him. Graded out at 86% with 55 pancake blocks.
• Named to the 2008 All State Team by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior. Earned honorable mention all state as a junior from ASWA. Named All State for all classes by the Birmingham News. Named to PrepStar's All Southeast Region Team. Rated the 34th best player in the state of Alabama by SuperPrep.
• Had offers from Auburn, Duke, Memphis, Southern Miss, Tulane and UAB.
• Took official visits to Auburn and Southern Miss.
• Waited for an offer from Auburn. Committed to Southern Miss in January, visited Auburn one week later, picked up an offer and committed to Auburn. Originally was supposed to visit Ole Miss that weekend instead of Auburn.
• Would have signed with Southern Miss had he not picked Auburn.
• Has worked with the first team some due to injuries. He has lost approximately 25 pounds since showing up on campus.

Quick Notes

• Tonight's practice was full pads.
• Gene Chizik says a depth chart will be released sometime this week.
• ESPNU's announcers Saturday will be Eric Collins (play by play), Brock Huard (analyst) and Beth Mowins (sideline reporter).
• Kodi Burns says he will likely be the Wildcat quarterback this season.
• Mario Fannin says he is the top punt returner right now. McCalebb, Zachary and H. Adams are also sharing reps.
• Daren Bates may start Saturday.

Can't Wait For Saturday?

See the 2009 Auburn Tigers in action on a replay of the A-Day game in about 20 minutes on CSS! I believe they include interviews in the action but I have not seen Auburn's so I cannot say for sure.

A Look At Louisiana Tech

• Head coach Derek Dooley is 13-12 in two years at Louisiana Tech. His name was thrown around very loosely as a candidate for Auburn's head coaching job.
• Last season went 8-5 and finished second in the WAC.
• Returning 9 of 11 starters on offense including all five offensive linemen.
• Returning 6 of 11 starters on defense including three of their front four.
• Offense was ranked 75th overall in 2008. Ranked 72nd in scoring, 27th in rushing and 102nd in passing.
• Defense was ranked 73rd overall. 52nd in scoring, 13th in rushing and 113 in passing.
• Dooley looks to improve their passing game this season. He is returning starting quarterback Ross Jenkins and wide receiver Phillip Livas, who had 2,015 all purpose yards last season. The Bulldogs were 6-2 last season when Jenkins was under center.
• If Jenkins were to exit the game, Auburn fans would likely see a familiar face: Steve Ensminger. Ensminger transferred to Tech from Auburn last season, sitting out last year.
• The star of the offense is senior running back Daniel Porter who is 1,122 yards from becoming Tech's all time leading rusher. Rushed for 1,100 yards last season and was named first team all-WAC.
• The defensive standout is DT D'Anthony "Boo" Smith. He had five sacks and 65 tackles last season while helping hold rushers to 104 yards a game.
• Tech's defense through the air has gotten even weaker this season after losing both starting cornerbacks. They averaged allowing 272.7 passing yards per game last season. They return both starting safeties, Deon Young and star free safety Antonio Baker.
• Linebackers only return one starter, Brian White, who missed much of last season while plagued by injuries.
• On special teams, Tech has Phillip Livas back returning kicks and punts. He averaged 15 yards per punt return and 25 yards per kickoff return last season.
• The kicking game is a major question. Tech lost their punter and kicker from last season. Two redshirt freshmen will take over kicking duties, John Hinton and punter Cade Glasgow.

Know A Signee: Travante Stallworth

• Number 85
• Three star, ranked the 35th best prospect from Louisiana by Rivals. Three star, ranked the 123rd best wide receiver by Scout. Rated 80/100 and the 18th best athlete by ESPN.com.
• Leesville, Louisiana (Leesville High School)
• Born: March 5, 1991
• Committed: 6/15/2008
• 5'10", 180 lbs and runs a 4.4 sec 40 yard dash
• 2008 stats: As a quarterback, was 92-150 for 1,339 yards and 14 touchdowns. Rushed for 546 yards and 15 touchdowns on 130 carries. 2007 stats: 113 for 200 for 1,340 yards and 10 touchdowns. Rushed for 940 yards and 17 touchdowns.
• Named First Team All State by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Also first team all district as a senior. Named to PrepStar's All Southeast Region Team.
• Had offers from Auburn, Michigan, Tulsa, South Carolina, Mississippi State, TCU and Louisiana Tech.
• Took official visits to Auburn, Michigan and South Carolina.
• Committed to the previous staff. Says he loves the new staff. Says Gus Malzahn was a big reason he stuck with Auburn. Malzahn had recruited him at Tulsa. Says if he did not sign with Auburn he would have ended up at Michigan.
• Looks perfect in this offense and will be seriously considered in the "Wildcat" formation at quarterback.

Predictions

Alright, we are one week out. Let's see some score predictions for the Louisiana Tech game and I will wrap it up with my own...

BREAKING NEWS

Neil Caudle has been named the number two quarterback. No word yet on whether or not Tyrik Rollison will redshirt.

ESPN Has A Big Goal For Next Week

Next week on ESPNU, they expect to interview all 120 FBS head coaches in two days (Monday and Tuesday from 2PM-8PM). They have confirmed that 110 coaches will be interviewed for the ESPNU Coaches Spotlight Special. Chizik will be interviewed Tuesday with the time TBA.

Chris Low

Chris Low was "kicking it" with Chris Todd. Full interview here.

Never Too Early

To look at 2011 recruiting. Here are six written offers that will be sent out September 1st, the first day written offers are allowed for 2011:

• Jeff Driskel - Big quarterback from the state of Florida. Big Auburn fan all his life. It is early and he wants to look around but Auburn seems to have a big lead. Driskel could be an early MLB draft pick...says he would enjoy playing baseball and football in college.
• LaMichael Fanning - Defensive end that could be the top player in the state of Alabama. Just moved to Auburn High School. Early UGA lean but with Auburn in his backyard, look for the Tigers to make a push.
• Enrique Florence - Another Auburn fan. Could also be the top player in the state of Alabama. Also has offers from Alabama and UAB. Safety could play linebacker with a little more weight on his body.
• Kiehl Frazier - Pronounced "Kyle". Top Arkansas quarterback put up great numbers as a sophomore. Very fond of Gus Malzahn and his offense. MVP of the State Championship game. Could be an Auburn and Arkansas battle.
• Denzel Perryman - Linebacker out of Florida could a top player in the entire south. Already has offers from any school you can think of in the South. I do not see Auburn landing him and he will likely stay in state at Miami.
• Gabriel Wright - Columbus, GA defensive end very high on Auburn and UGA. Has previously named Auburn as his leader but Georgia as his first love. Goes to Carver and Carver and Georgia currently have a strained relationship. Wright could very well end up as a Tiger.

Darvin Adams Update

Darvin Adams is a little banged up but will be back and start for the Louisiana Tech game.

8 Days, 2 Hours

That is all for now...

Still In It For Mack

Auburn appears to still be in it for big time offensive lineman Eric Mack. The South Carolina commitment says he is planning an official visit to Auburn for the West Virginia game. I have heard rumblings that West Virginia weekend could feature many big time prospects. It is the only other visit Mack currently has planned.

Billings To Miss First Four

Montez Billings will miss the first four games of the 2009 season due to an academic issue that has been ongoing since spring. Billings graduated in the spring but the NCAA has made the ruling. The first for games of the season at home vs Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, West Virginia and Ball State.

More Injuries

• Darvin Adams and Andre Harris suffered unknown injuries in today's practice. Eltoro Freeman is still limited.

Know A Signee: Tyrik Rollison

• Number 17
• Four star, ranked the 2nd best dual threat quarterback in the nation by Rivals. Ranked the most accurate quarterback in the nation by Rivals. Ranked the 9th best prospect from Texas by Rivals. Four star, ranked the number 11 overall quarterback in the nation by Scout. Rated a 79/100 by ESPN.com and ranked the 19th QB.
• Sulphur Springs, Texas (Sulphur Springs High School)
• Born: September 4, 1991
• Committed: 1/27/2009
• 6'2", 195 lbs, runs a 4.55 sec 40 yard dash
• 2008 stats: Completed 315-428 passes for 4,728 yards and 51 touchdowns. Also rushed for 1,094 yards. Had 398 yards and four touchdowns through the air in the class 4A state championship win. He also rushed for 127 yards and three touchdowns in that game. 2007 stats: 296-423 for 3,691 yards and 37 touchdowns while rushing for 554 yards.
• Named a Parade All-American. Named the fourth best quarterback in the nation and All-American by SuperPrep. Named to the 2008 EA Sports All-American Team. Named to the Orlando Sentinel's All Southern Football team. Named to the Army All-American Game.
• Had offers from Auburn, Arizona, Baylor, Kansas State, Oregon, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State.
• Took official visits to Auburn and Oklahoma State.
• Says Curtis Luper played a huge role in signing him. Oklahoma State was his number one school while Luper was there. It came down to Auburn and Kansas State for his signature.
• Looks to compete for the second string quarterback job and could see the field this season if he does not redshirt. Fits in perfectly with this offense and could very well be the quarterback of the future for the Tigers.

Recruiting Update

• Nigel Terrell has chosen Florida State over Ole Miss. He was close to committed to Auburn a couple of months back but it is not clear if he currently holds a committable offer from the Tigers.
• Dimitri Orr has committed to Arkansas over Auburn and Vanderbilt. He had not picked up an offer from the Tigers yet...
• Joel Bonomolo has been given a three star ranking on Scout.
• Auburn Undercover is reporting that Nick Jones actually does not have a solid offer from Auburn.

Auburn Makes The Cut

Top offensive lineman James Stone has cut his list of choices to six and Auburn is included. His other schools include LSU, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Notre Dame and Tennessee.

Practice Notes

Will be coming out slowly...

• Tyrik Rollison was back practicing today. He missed yesterday due to flu-like symptoms.

Recruiting Updates

• Nigel Terrell is set to make his decision on Thursday. He is expected to pick between Ole Miss and Florida State. I see the Seminoles in his future.
• Jeffrey Whitaker plans to make an unofficial visit to Auburn on September 19th for the West Virginia game. He plans to make an official following that. A decision is not expected until after the season.
• An offensive lineman to keep your eyes on is Tristan Hardin. He believes Auburn is close to offering.
• Shon Coleman says he will still take official visits to other schools. His offer list continues to grow.
• Chase Hughes nearly committed to Ole Miss over the weekend but decided to think about it and wait it out.

Radio Stations For Games This Season

Abbeville, AL WESZ-FM (98.7)
Alexander City, AL WKGA-FM (97.5)
Andalusia, AL WAAO-FM (103.7)
Anniston, AL WCKA-AM (810)
Auburn/Opelika, AL WKKR-FM (97.7)
Birmingham, AL WJOX-FM (94.5)
Blackshear, GA WFNS-AM (1350)
Brunswick, GA WSFN-AM (790)
Centre, AL WEIS-AM (990)
Colquitt, GA WCOQ-FM (90.5)
Columbus, GA WVRK-FM (102.9)
Cullman, AL WKUL-FM (92.1)
Decatur, AL WHOS-AM (800)
Demopolis, AL WZNJ-FM (106.5), WXAL-AM (1400)
Dothan, AL WJRL-FM (103.9)
Evergreen, AL WPPG-FM (101.1)
Fairhope, AL WABF-AM (1220)
Foley, AL WHEP-AM (1310)
Fort Payne, AL WZOB-AM (1250)
Fort Walton Beach, FL WZFN-AM (1400)
Gadsden, AL WGAD-AM (930)
Greenville, AL WQZX-FM (94.3)
Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL WCSN-FM (105.7)
Guntersville, AL WTWX-FM (95.9)
Hackleburg, AL WFMH-FM (95.5)
Haleyville, AL WJBB-FM (92.7)
Hattiesburg, MS WHSY-AM (950)
Huntsville, AL WTAK-FM (106.1/106.5), WBHP-AM (1230)
Jasper, AL WJBE-FM (88.5)
McComb, MS WHNY-AM (1250)
Mobile, AL WMXC-FM (99.9), WNTM-AM (710)
Montgomery, AL WLWI-FM (92.3), WMSP-AM (740)
Moulton, AL WALW-FM (98.3)
Oneonta, AL WCRL-AM (1570)
Panama City, FL WLTG-AM (1430)
Pensacola, FL / Flomaton, AL WPFL-FM (105.1)
Roanoke, AL / LaGrange, GA WELR-FM (102.3)
Rome, GA WLAQ-AM (1410)
Scottsboro, AL WZCT-AM (1330)
Selma, AL WDXX-FM (100.1), WHBB-AM (1490)
Sheffield, AL / Shoals Area WBTG-FM (106.3)
Spartanburg, SC WASC-AM (1530)
Tallapoosa, GA WKNG-AM (1060)
Thomasville, AL WJDB-FM (95.5), WJDB-AM (630)
Troy, AL WTBF-AM (970)
Tuscaloosa, AL WDGM-FM (99.1)
Vernon, AL WJEC-FM (106.5), WVSA-AM (1380)

Know A Signee: Taikwon Paige

• Four star junior college cornerback on Rivals. Ranked the 25th best JUCO player in the nation by Rivals. Three star cornerback on Scout.
• Aiken, South Carolina (Aiken High School) and Milledgeville, Georgia (Georgia Military College).
• Born: July 2, 1988
• Committed: 2/3/2009
• 5'10", 175 lbs, 4.4 sec 40 yard dash
• 2008 stats: racked up approximately 20 tackles as a sophomore at GMC. 2007 stats: had over 40 tackles and six interceptions as a freshman.
• Played in the 2006 Shrine Bowl. Was named all region and all state as a junior and senior in high school. He was also one of twenty five seniors named to the 2006 Palmetto Champions All-Stars by the South Carolina Football Coaches Association.
• Had offers from Auburn. Oklahoma State, East Carolina, Louisiana Tech, Minnestoa, Ball State, Kansas State, UAB, Western Michigan and Rutgers.
• Took official visits to Auburn, Minnesota and Louisiana Tech.
• Originally signed with UNC out of high school. Was a track star in high school. Was named his team's most valuable runner as a junior. Placed seventh in the 100 meters and sixth in the 200 meters in the 2006 State qualifiers before suffering an injury before state.
• Did not qualify and will remain at junior college. He ended up one class short and may show up to Auburn in January.

NSFW: By Request

Let's help Kristin be named the SI Sexiest Cheerleader of the Week! Click here and scroll down!

Billings

Chizik says the Montez Billings situation is "out of (his) hands" hinting that it is up to the University. He expects that decision within days.

Lattimore's Game To Be On CSS Saturday

Marcus Lattimore (#21)'s Byrnes (SC) High School will take on Central Gwinnett High School on CSS on Saturday at 4 PM CT. This follows a replay of the 2005 Auburn-UGA game in which the Tigers were victorious, 31-30 in Athens. Other big names playing for Byrnes include Chas Dodd (#19), Brandon Willis (#88), Nick Jones (#5), Roland Johnson (#56), Jazz King (#24), Zach Miller (#1), Torian Richardson (#11) and Corey Miller (#80).

More Notes

• Tyrik Rollison has a touch of the flu. NThe H1N1 has hit Auburn pretty hard but there is nothing that makes me think it is swine flu, just pointing it out...
• News on Montez Billings' status will come this week according to Gene Chizik.
• A depth chart should also come out this week.
• Aairon Savage was at practice watching from the sidelines.

Tristan Davis Signs With Detroit

Tristan Davis has signed as an undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions.

Notes

• Eltoro Freeman was back in full pads and no longer has a cast on his wrist but it was taped.
• Adam Herring was back today after not practicing since spring.
• Tyrik Rollison was not at practice today,
• In 11 on 11's, Harry Adams had an interception off of Neil Caudle (the ball went through the receiver's hands).
• Jonathan Evans (I have heard conflicting reports regarding him), T'Sharvan Bell and Byron Isom were all back in full pads today.
• Spencer Pybus was not wearing full pads.
• Daren Bates, Wade Christopher and John Sullen all worked with the first team.
• Coleman, Ricks, Blanc and Fairley were the front four on defense.

Odom Leaves The Team

Senior offensive lineman Rudy Odom has left the football team. He has had some injuries throughout practice and has previously left the team only to return.

Curfew Added

A source on the team has told me that Gene Chizik has instituted an 11 PM curfew for all players following Eric Smith's arrest.

Mosley Won't Take Official To Bama?

AuburnUndercover is reporting that C.J. Mosley is not planning an official visit to Alabama but rather to Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, UGA and Stanford. He does plan to visit Auburn for the Iron Bowl. Not sure how much to look into this as I still feel Alabama leads for him.

First Look At Behind The Scenes Of Scrimmage 1

Now available at AuburnTigers.com and then click "First Football Scrimmage" under the video screen if it does not begin immediately.

More On Smith

oanow.com is reporting more details: Smith was punched first by Jenkins causing a bloody nose. When Eric Smith saw Jenkins outside, he decided to punch him in the back of the head as the police were at the hotel.

More Details Regarding Smith

Police say they saw Eric Smith strike student Decari Jenkins, rendering him unconscious according to Charles Goldberg. Jenkins reportedly has a cut and swelling around one eye. He is filing a third degree assault complaint against Smith.

Recruiting Update

• C.J. Mosley is planning an official visit to Auburn for the Iron Bowl. Other official visits he is planning are at Alabama, LSU, Stanford and either UGA or Tennessee. He has not yet decided when he will announce. It likely will not be until after his senior season. Mosley is still considered by most as an Alabama lean. He is quoted as saying, "Right now I feel pretty good about Alabama."
• Mike Thornton says he speaks to either Coach Thigpen or Coach Rocker once or twice a week. He says he is still trying to get together his list of top schools but Auburn will definitely make the cut. The schools he seems to like the most, apart from Auburn, are UGA, Georgia Tech, Penn State and Michigan.
• Dakota Mosley and Michael Dyer visited Ole Miss this weekend. It was Mosley's third visit to Oxford. Mosley and Dyer said the visit went very well and they look forward to Little Rock Christian's opening game on September 1. Dyer says Auburn is still at the top but Ole Miss is not far behind. Mosley is still lacking an Ole Miss offer.
• LaDarius Owens had six tackles for loss including four sacks and returned a fumble for a touchdown in a 27-0 win in his first jamboree. Perhaps the most impressive part is that he only played the first quarter. He then visited the Alabama scrimmage yesterday. He only has one official visit planned for sure and that is to Florida State on September 7th. Owens is still considered a strong Auburn lean.

CFL Wrap Up

• Damon Duval was the only former Auburn football player with a game this weekend. Duval was 1 for 1 on field goals from 18 yards and was 4 for 4 on extra points. He also had three punt singles. He punted 8 times for an average of 35 yards and a long of 61.

Another Scrimmage

Gene Chizik says another scrimmage for this weekend is likely.

Practice Notes

• DeAngelo Benton is now working with first team at receiver alongside Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachary.
• Emory Blake was called the most improved receiver.
• Terrell Zachary should be healthy by Tuesday. He has had some tendonitis in his Achilles.
• Kodi Burns has been splitting time at receiver and quarterback.
• More to come...

Billings Update

Trooper Taylor says that Montez Billings is still in limbo as to if he will play against LA Tech. It will come down to Chizik's decision.

Smith Update

Eric Smith is facing third degree assault charges and will surrender to authorities on Monday. A complaint was filed by a 22 year old male Auburn student and a warrant is out for Smith. It is a class A misdemeanor and will face no more than a $6,000 fine and one year in prison. His day in court is November 5, two days before the homecoming game against Furman.

Scrimmage

Eh...not a ton out of the scrimmage.

• The scrimmage was mostly situational stuff (2 minute drill, etc..)
• Another big focus was on communication.
• Chris Todd took the majority of the snaps.
• Anthony Gulley made a spectatular one handed catch and 35 yard touchdown catch.
• Onterio McCalebb made a long run (I mean do I even have to say that anymore? That should be expected).
• Phillip Lolley and Curtis Luper were in the booth.
• Practice tomorrow at 4:20.

Notes From Chizik

• He says he will not discuss details regarding Eric Smith.
• It is a "family" matter between Chizik, Smith and the team.
• Chizik says if we see him in an Auburn uniform again we'll know he paid the price to be an Auburn man.
• ADDITIONAL: Chizik would NOT confirm that Smith is still with the team.

One Early Note

Eric Smith was not at practice today as expected. Chizik will address the situation after practice.

More On The Smith Arrest

• Posted a $300 bond and was released.
• Another student was arrested for public intox, the police left, 20 minutes later the cops were called back to the Lexington Hotel.
• A fight was involved.
• The charge can be resolved without a trial.
• Smith is 19 and was reportedly sober.
• Police report here.

Regarding Ads

I have requested that religious advertisements be removed but today I still see Scientology ads running. I am going to try and contact them about this. I will not block ads on all requests but these have bugged me recently also so that is why I am removing them. Patience is requested while I try and work on this! Thanks!

Notes From Chris Low

• ESPN.com SEC blogger Chris Low has spent the last couple of days on the Plains.
• He says he feels Gene Chizik is not as guarded as he had heard and had a very comfortable sit down interview with him.
• He says he will have a piece on Chris Todd coming out next week sometime. He was very impressed by Todd and seems to like Todd's story and journey.
• He also says he sees Tyrik Rollison playing some this season. An unnamed Auburn coach said Rollison is everything they could ask for in this offense.
• He also gave a shoutout to Niffer's.
• That's all for now, when the Todd article comes out I will post a link.

RB Arrested

Eric Smith has been arrested for disorderly conduct. Smith was arrested at 1:42 am at an Auburn hotel. No details were immediately released but the Press-Register is reporting Smith was sober and did not resist arrest. More to come as more details are released...

Third Scrimmage Coming

Auburn will host its third and likely final scrimmage of the preseason on Saturday.

Easiest Way To Comment

I myself am having trouble finding an EASY way to register in order to comment that does not include making a blog. I know a lot of people are having the same problems. Anyone want to clear this up so we can get more readers commenting? Thanks guys!

A Few Notes

• Tyrik Rollison continues to get a ton more snaps than Neil Caudle.
• Malzahn says he is not ready to name the backup and the race is ongoing.
• Terrell Zachary will be back soon.
• Ted Roof is confident we will have most linebackers back for the first game.
• More to come hopefully.

Blackmon

Tray Blackmon's MRI has come back negative for ligament damage in his ankle. He likely just has a sprained ankle by Calgary has a bye week this week so he may not miss a game.

Ziemba Quote

Interesting quote from Lee Ziemba regarding last season, from ESPN.com:

• "When things started to go wrong, we stopped working...I guess it started from the coaches on down, kind of a lack of interest. You could tell there was tension within the ranks, and the players started choosing sides. Once that starts happening, the team breaks apart and people stop caring. People stop working hard...I think we needed a change."

McClover Cut

Former Auburn defensive end Stanley McClover has been cut by the Houston Texans.

Know A Signee: Clint Moseley

• Number 11? Previously 15? This is up in the air...
• Three star, ranked the number 19 dual threat quarterback in the nation by Rivals. Two star, ranked the 79th quarterback by Scout. Given a 73/100 on ESPN.com and ranked the number 111 quarterback.
• Leroy, Alabama (Leroy High School)
• Born: December 26, 1990
• Committed: 1/18/2009
• 6'4", 200 lbs. 4.71 sec 40 yard dash
• 2008 stats: 209-313 passing for 3,758 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also rushed for 670 yards and 15 touchdowns. Also was kicker, making one field goal, 23-29 on extra points and 18 punts for an average of 33.9 yards. Led team to a 15-0 record and a third straight 2A state championship and was named MVP of the game. 2007 stats: 2700 yards passing, 537 rushing yards rushing and 22 touchdowns passing and 10 rushing. Lead team to their second state championship win. 2006 stats: 100-168 passing for 1500 yards and 20 touchdowns. Led team to their first state championship win.
• Named Mr. Football for the state of Alabama, 2A Back of the Year and 2A All State team by ASWA. Named to Orlando Sentinel All Southern football team. Rated the 31st best player in the state of Alabama by Rivals. Ranked 23rd on the Birmingham News' Super Senior list.
• Had offers from Auburn, Arkansas State, Marshall, South Alabama and UAB.
• Took official visits to Auburn and Arkansas State.
• On campus and likely to redshirt this season. Grew up an Alabama fan. Says he never in a million years expected to sign with Auburn. Says if he did not sign with Auburn, he would have gone to South Alabama to play baseball.

Recruiting Update

• Auburn offered cornerback Jay Hughes and wide receiver Robert Johnson of Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
• Anthony Wilson did not show up to the scrimmage as I reported. He suffered an injury in practice and could not make it.

More Notes

I never really finished up notes last night.

• Daren Bates is staying at safety and was just working with linebackers for a bit.
• LB injuries forced Auburn to use walk-on Ashton Richardson at first team lwill inebacker yesterday.
• Mike McNeil is on track and rehabbing well. He is expected to return early in the season.
• John Sullen showed up to Auburn way overweight but Yoz has whooped him and he has lost 25 pounds since arriving.
• Curtis Luper says Dontae Aycock may redshirt.
• Mike Berry has worked some at left tackle but is still expected to start at guard.

Radio Change In Mobile

WNTM, aka Newsradio 710, in Mobile will be the new broadcaster of Auburn football games. All night games will be simulcast on 99.9 FM.

Early Practice Notes

• Practice was shoulder pads, helmets, shorts...
• A lot has been asked about Jay Wisner and Philip Pierre-Louis both wearing number 82. Today, Pierre-Louis was wearing 6.
• Freshman John Sullen was working with first team at right guard. Byron Isom was not wearing pads.
• Daren Bates was working with linebackers.
• Terrell Zachary has some sort of injury but no need for concern right now.
• Eltoro Freeman is now wearing a plaster cast on his right wrist.
• Clint Moseley was wearing number 11 tonight.
• Not sure if Spencer Pybus was out there...
• Ben Tate was not in pads today.
• Kodi Burns was taking a few snaps with quarterbacks tonight.

Practice Note

While practices have been "closed" to the public since spring, people including myself have stood outside the fences and looked in. The staff has decided to crack down on this and are making people leave and security guards have been posted around the fences. Just FYI.

Walk Ons

Since classes have started, walk ons can try out. One guy to watch is Tyler Mickens from Jonesboro, GA. He received attention from a few big name schools like Clemson but was not expected to make grades. He is a defensive back and a track standout. Mickens had a 39 1/2 inch vertical, a 4.59 40 yard dash and 4.19 NFL shuttle before his senior year. He also played running back and kicker. His father, Terry Mickens, played six years in the NFL.

Know A Signee: Onterio McCalebb

• Number 23
• Four star, ranked the 13th best runningback for 2008 out of high school and four star out of Hargrave by Rivals. Four star, ranked 28th best RB out of HS and a four star out of Hargrave by Scout. Rated a 79/100 and the 40th best RB out of HS by ESPN.com. Rated number 1 prep school RB by Rivals.
• Fort Meade, Florida (Fort Meade High School) and Chatham, Virginia (Hargrave Military Academy)
• Born: August 10, 1989
• Committed: 1/14/2008 out of HS, 9/25/2008 out of Hargrave
• 6'0", 175 lbs., 4.49 sec 40 yard dash
• 2008 stats: rushed for 755 yards and four TDs in eight games at Hargrave. Also scored on a 95 yard kickoff return, 96 yard punt return and 68 yard screen pass. 2007 stats: rushed for 1,995 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior. Also caught 11 passes for 300 yards and returned two kicks for touchdowns. 2006 stats: rushed for 1,500 yards and 25 touchdowns. Also had 500 yards receiving and six touchdowns.
• Named to All Southeast Region Team by PrepStar. Named to Orlando Sun Sentinel Top 100. Ranked 34th on the SuperPrep Florida 111. Named to Florida Super 75 by the Jacksonville Times Union.
• Had offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Michigan, Rutgers, South Florida, West Virginia, Ole Miss and North Carolina.
• Took official visits to Auburn, Clemson, Michigan, Rutgers and West Virginia.
• Did not qualify out of high school and attended Hargrave Military Academy. McCalebb has five years to play four at Auburn. Signed early and participated in spring ball. Had a 70 yard touchdown run in the A-Day game.

Owens Strikes Down Rumors

A quote floated around following Vic Beasley's commitment to Clemson that caused some uneasy feelings in the Auburn fanbase regarding LaDarius Owens. Beasley said he did not want to have his commitment turned down by Alabama like they did to Owens. This caused questions from Auburn fans who feel Owens is a strong Auburn lean.

Today, LaDarius Owens told Auburn Undercover that Beasley got bad information and that Owens never attempted to commit to the Tide. He says he does not know what Beasley is talking about and that his last visit was to Auburn on August 2.

I personally still feel Owens is a strong Auburn lean and that he will wear orange and blue. Owens' uncle James was Auburn's first black scholarship football player.

Practice Notes

• Practice was in full pads.
• Dee Ford is back at defensive line.
• Philip Pierre-Louis cannot participate in full contact until later this week due to NCAA rules.
• Chizik said the Tigers could have a third scrimmage this Saturday.
• Daren Bates did indeed work with the first team opposite of Zac Etheridge.
• Aubrey Phillips is rehabbing but Chizik is confident Phillips will play.
• Tyrik Rollison will continue to get a ton of reps with the second team.
• Eltoro Freeman missed practice due to a hamstring injury.
• Spencer Pybus is out with a concussion.

Delaine Video Coming

Justin Delaine's junior year video will be posted to Rivals soon. I can not post it here. If anything shows up on YouTube or elsewhere, let me know and I will post it.

A Note From Delaine's Coach

Linden High School head football coach Andros Williams says he expects Justin Delaine to be a full qualifier:

"If he does what he needs to do, he'll make it...there's no reason why he shouldn't."

Two Quick Notes

• Philip Pierre-Louis is now back with the team and will return to practice tonight.
• It appears as if freshman Daren Bates will be working with the first team at safety.

NFL Weekend Wrap Up

• WAS 0 - BAL 23 -- Jason Campbell was 3 for 6 for 38 yards.
• NE 27 - PHI 25 -- Jonathan Wilhite was second on the Patriots in tackles with four.
• STL 23 - NYJ -- Tim Carter had one carry for 7 yards for STL.
• MIN 13 - IND 3 -- Jerraud Powers returned one punt for 14 yards and two tackles.
• CIN 7 - NO 17 -- Pat Sims had two tackles.
• DEN 16 - SF 17 -- Takeo Spikes had two tackles for the 49ers.
• ATL 26 - DET 27 -- Eric Brock led the Falcons with four tackles.
• CHI 20 - BUF 27 -- Devin Aromashodu only made the box score with a tackle. Spencer Johnson made one tackle.
• CLE 0 - GB 17 -- Rod Hood made two tackles for the Browns.
• TB 20 - TEN 27 -- Sen'Derrick Marks had one tackle for the Titans. Rob Bironas was 2-2 on field goals with a long of 40. He was also 3-3 on extra points.
• SEA 20 - SD 27 -- Kevin Hobbs led the Seahawks in tackles with 6 tackles. Will Herring was second in tackles with five. Ben Obomanu led the Seahawks with 2 catches for 31 yards. Courtney Taylor also had two catches for 18 yards for the 'Hawks.
• JAC 9 - MIA 12 -- Quentin Groves made one tackle for the Jaguars. Ronnie Brown had four rushes for 10 yards for the Dolphins.

A Few More Notes On Delaine

• He now has a Rivals page. His profile is here.
• He says he was in and still is in shock about the offer.
• He has only played one year of football. Great upside.
• Says one reason he is transferring schools is because Linden has great tutors that can help pull his GPA up.
• Said he was also getting a lot of attention from Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, UCLA and Ole Miss.
• I feel he is a very solid verbal even if he picks up other big name offers.

Quotes From Delaine

• "I have been waiting on (an Auburn offer) for the longest time"
• Says he fell in love with Auburn when he attended the 2007 HC game
• "What made me really want to go to Auburn was how real the coaches were to me"
• He says he has some work to do in the classroom.
• "I have to get it done in the classroom and on the field"

Delaine Commits!

Auburn picked up its fifteenth commitment today from in-state defensive end Justin Delaine (he is not in the Rivals or Scout databases yet). He picked up an offer today and committed immediately. Delaine has not been rated by any databases yet due to his coach not sending out his film. Today was the first time I had even heard of him. Delaine is supposed to be a stud who is an unknown in the state of Alabama.

He is 6'5", 225 lbs and runs a 4.5 second 40 yard dash. He is a track guy and projects as a speedy defensive end. He runs the 200 meter dash and 200 meter hurdles. Transferred from Sumter Count HS to Linden HS for this year. I am hearing Alabama insiders are even saying he is a real sleeper. Other offers include Troy, South Alabama, Mississippi State and Southern Miss but I expect more to come rolling in. All four teams that have seen him live offered him almost immediately.

"He's an active player who doesn't ever quit...he's got a good motor". --Stacey Watters, head coach.

Delaine had around 60 tackles and 12 sacks last season. He is possibly a sign and place commitment according to Rivals. He is still very raw but uses his hands well.

This information I am pulling from something he filled out himself as a sophomore. As a sophomore, he had interest in Auburn, FSU, UNC, Texas A&M and Michigan State. Plays baseball, football, basketball and runs track.

He was recruited by Phillip Lolley. More still to come....

Auburn To Launch "Documentary Style" Football Show

Auburn ISP and Authentic Films is producing a show titled "Auburn Football: Every Day..." It will document the team from the first practice throughout the entire 2009 season, debuting on September 4th. The show will be broadcast on CSS and streamed on AuburnTigers.com.

The show will air either Friday nights or Saturday mornings. Leading up to Sept 4, fans can go to AuburnTigers.com to view webisodes which will be posted periodically.

Auburn To Offer Darkhorse DE?

I am hearing Auburn is likely to offer defensive end Justin Delaine today. He is 6'5", 210 lbs. out of Linden High School in Linden, AL, previously of Sumter County High School in York, AL. Delaine is a track standout and a darkhorse whom Auburn's coaches have been very interested. He projects as an edge rushing defensive end who already has an offer from Mississippi State but does not yet have a Rivals page. His ESPN page is here and his track page is here.

Practice Schedule

• Aug 18 - 7 PM - Practice
• Aug 19 - 7 PM - Practice
• Aug 20 - TBA - Practice
• Aug 21 - TBA - Practice
• Aug 22 - TBA - Practice
• Aug 23 - TBA - Practice
• Aug 24 - OFF
• Aug 25 - TBA - Practice
• Aug 26 - TBA - Practice
• Aug 27 - TBA - Practice
• Aug 28 - TBA - Practice
• Aug 29 - OFF

Know A Signee: Philip Lutzenkirchen

• Number 43
• Four star, ranked the number 3rd tight end on Rivals. Rivals rated him in the Rivals250 and as the best hands for a tight end in the 2009 class. Four star, ranked the number 8 tight end in the nation by Scout. Rated 79/100 by ESPN.com and the number 6 tight end.
• Marietta, Georgia (Lassiter High School)
• Born: June 1, 1991
• Committed: 11/14/2008
• 6'4", 245 lbs, 4.7 sec 40 yard dash
• 2008 stats: caught 72 passes for 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns. 2007 stats: 46 catches for 496 yards and seven touchdowns. Also had 47 tackles, one interception and blocked one punt.
• Named 5A All State by the AJC and GSWA as a senior. Named to the AJC Super Southern 100. Ranked 74th in the Mobile Press-Register's Super Southeast 100. Rated 11th on the Rivals Georgia Postseason Top 75. Named a PrepStar All-American.
• Had offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Miami, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Stanford.
• Took official visits to Auburn and Florida State.
• Lutzenkirchen looks to have a chance at getting some major playing time this season. He also appears to be a star in the making. Says he loved watching Gus Malzahn's offense at Tulsa.
• Says if he did not sign with Auburn he likely would have ended up at Florida or Tennessee.
• Has been spotted doing some long snapping in practice. He is second string at the number five position behind Gabe McKenzie.

CFL Weekend Wrap Up

• Prechae Rodriguez caught 3 balls for 33 yards in today's 23-33 Hamilton loss.
• Tray Blackmon made three tackles in Calgary's 35-38 loss to Edmonton. Blackmon was injured in the fourth quarter on a questionable block. He got an MRI on his ankle and is still awaiting the results.
• Damon Duval was 3-3 on field goals and 4 for 4 on extra points in Montreal's 39-12 win. Duval also punted nine times with a long of 60 yards.
• NFL Preseason weekend wrap up coming...EDIT tomorrow after the Monday night games

Small A. Phillips Update

Aubrey Phillips is still undergoing medical testing and has not been cleared to practice yet. He was at Fan Day today signing autographs. He is expected to be cleared but it is unknown how long it will be.

Know A Signee: Izauea Lanier

• Three star, ranked the 54th best athlete in the nation by Rivals. Two star, the 150th best receiver by Scout. Ranked a 77/100, the 73rd best athlete on ESPN.com.
• Gordo, Alabama (Gordo High School)
• Born: Feb. 9, 1990
• Committed 1/14/2009 (Chizik's first commitment)
• 6'1", 185 lbs. 4.5 sec 40 yard dash
• 2008 stats: rushed for 871 yards and had 870 yards receiving. Recorded 68 tackles and seven interceptions on defense. Returned a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown. 2007 stats: caught 25 passes for 687 yards and 8 touchdowns. Had 38 tackles and 5 interceptions on defense. Returned a punt and touchdown as a junior also.
• Named honorable mention 3A all state by the ASWA as a senior. Was the ScoutSouth.com Star of Alabama for a game in which he had 166 yards rushing, 89 total return yards, 10 tackles and one interception.
• Had offers from Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Troy.
• Took official visits to Auburn and Mississippi State.
• Did not qualify and has enrolled at East (Mississippi) Community College.

Schoening Passes

I have previously posted about former Auburn pitcher Brent Schoening's battle with leukemia. Schoening lost that battle yesterday at the age of 31.

Recruiting Updates

• Chase Hughes has named a new leader: Ole Miss. He says after a visit they slightly lead.
• The guys at Rivals seem to think Auburn has a shot at getting one of Kyle Prater's official visits even though he has cut Auburn from his top choices. Trooper Taylor is quietly working hard on Prater.
• LaDarius Owens says he will take a long look at each school before he pulls the trigger and that could be in late fall.
• Owens also says he has started to get a lot of attention from UCLA, Oklahoma and Miami but does not have an offer yet.
• Marcus Lattimore says he plans to take his official visits to Auburn, South Carolina, North Carolina, Penn State and Oregon.
• Some new offensive linemen Auburn is likely to begin looking at are Kyle Brown and Jake Smith.

A Few More Scrimmage Notes

• Mario Fannin returned a punt for a 70 yard touchdown.
• Anthony Gulley returned one punt for about 20 yards.
• Tyrik Rollison's touchdown to Stallworth was approximately 65 yards with the ball traveling about 62 yards in the air.
• Daren Bates received a ton of praise and has been getting a lot of help from Mike McNeil.
• Dontae Aycock was impressive.

Fan Day Tomorrow

2-4 PM at Jordan Hare Stadium. Chance to meet Gene Chizik and players for autographs and pictures. Cheerleaders, Tiger Paws, women's basketball, soccer and volleyball teams will also be available for autographs.

Early Scrimmage Notes

• Kodi Burns reportedly scored a touchdown in the Wildcat. I have heard a 70 yard TD run but that is not confirmed.
• Chris Todd threw a touchdown pass for over 20 yards to Montez Billings.
• Emory Blake was a starting receiver.
• There were no offensive turnovers.
• Jonathan Evans was first team weakside linebacker due to Eltoro Freeman's injury.
• Tyrik Rollison took the most snaps at quarterback.
• Rollison was the second string quarterback and reportedly threw a touchdown pass to Travante Stallworth.

Three Walk-Ons Receive Scholarships

Punter Clinton Durst, receiver John Cubelic and holder Clayton Crofoot all earned scholarships.

Auburn Misses On Only TE Target

While Auburn really does not need to take a tight end for 2010, Auburn had its eyes on Travis Dickson. Today, Dickson committed to LSU. His brother plays for LSU and his father played at Mississippi State.

Lowder's Bank Failure The Largest Of 2009

Top Auburn booster Bobby Lowder's Colonial Bank has become the largest to fail this year and has been seized by regulators. It is the 6th largest to fail in the United States' history. $22 Billion in deposits were subsequently sold by the FDIC to BB&T.

Two Visitors

Auburn will have two visitors for today's scrimmage. Commitment Jawara White and defensive end target Anthony Wilson will both be on the Plains today.

Tate On Watch List

Ben Tate has been named to the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award. The award is given to the best player in the nation. No Auburn player has ever won the award. There were 55 players on the Pre-Season Watch List.

A Few More Notes

• Today was Auburn's last two-a-day.
• Malzahn says Clint Moseley will continue to get a lot of reps even though he is likely to redshirt. Malzahn is impressed with Moseley.
• Kodi Burns will continue to work some with quarterbacks, likely preparing him for possible Wildcat situations.
• The second practice today was just shells and was cut short. The team will eat dinner together and have a team building exercise tonight.
• Scrimmage tomorrow, fan day Sunday....

Paige Does Not Clear

Taikwon Paige has been denyed clearing by the NCAA. The JUCO corner came up one class short. He says he will take this class again this fall and hopefully sign in January. Paige originally signed with UNC out of high school and signed with Auburn this past year.

Early Practice Notes

• Eltoro Freeman returned to practice in an orange non-contact jersey and with a wrap on his hand.
• Bo Jackson was back at practice and Kendall Simmons was also there.
• Harris Gaston was back from and injury and Dee Ford did indeed move to linebacker.
• Antoine Carter was dressed in full pads.

Beasley Update

Vic Beasley chose Clemson over Alabama.

Burns On The Switch

• Said the coaches made the right decision and he supports Chris Todd.
• "We're not going to be a divided team"
• Said he is disappointed he did not win the quarterback job but says he has not thought about transferring.
• "I was the guy last year, but things change...I'm not going to let circumstances dictate the content of my character".

More

• Kodi Burns will play slot receiver.
• They have not decided whether Caudle or Rollison will be second string.
• Chizik says Eltoro Freeman's injury is not serious and he will be back.
• Burns did address the entire team about his move to receiver. No word of exactly what was said but Chizik praised him for his unselfish move.
• Dee Ford could make a move to linebacker.
• Bo Jackson was at practice today.

Todd The Starter!

Chris Todd has been named starter! More to come...

MORE BREAKING NEWS

With Burns moving to receiver, a starter is expected to be named today following practice! Stay tuned for more!

Chris Todd is my pick...you?

Practice Notes... BREAKING NEWS...Burns A WR

• Kodi Burns worked as a wide receiver all practice.
• Caudle, Todd, Moseley and Rollison had bright spots but were inconsistent overall.
• I did not see Burns drop any passes.
• Eltoro Freeman missed yesterday and today's practices. He is reportedly wearing a cast on his hand. More to come on that.
• I see Kodi Burns transferring....more to come on that also...

More Notes

• Eric Smith has earned a ton of praise from Gene Chizik. I did not have this blog until January but I have said Smith will do big things for a while.
• Chizik says they are getting very close to deciding a starting quarterback.
• Nick Fairley has been getting reps at first team.
• Michael Goggans says he has been taking some reps at DT.
• A scrimmage is planned for Saturday at Jordan Hare.
• Tyrik Rollison made a note that his name is pronounced TIE-rick, not tie-REEK.

A Few Notes From Practice

• Neil Caudle says he feels good about his chances at being named the starter.
• They worked some Wildcat formation today with Kodi at quarterback.
• Trooper Taylor says newcomers Emory Blake, Anthony Gulley, Travante Stallworth and DeAngelo Benton all are on track to play this fall.

Coleman Update

Terrance Coleman hopes to do what Nick Fairley did at Copiah-Lincoln and redshirt. That would give him three years to play at Auburn.

Know A Signee: LaVoyd James

• Three star, ranked the 78th best wide receiver on Rivals. Three star ranked the 128th receiver on Scout. Rated 79/100 and the 35th best receiver by ESPN.com.
• Mobile, Alabama (Williamson High School)
• Committed 6/16/2008
• 5'10", 175 lbs. 4.4 sec 40 yard dash
• 2008 stats: Only played in two games as a senior due to an ankle injury. Caught 9 passes for 102 yards. 2007 stats: caught 52 passes for 740 yards and 13 touchdowns.
• Named to PrepStar's All Southeast Region Team
• Had offers from Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and South Alabama.
• Took only one official visit and it was to Auburn (1/9/2009).
• Did not qualify and has enrolled in Navarro College in Corsicana, TX.

Scrimmage Wrap Up

• Offense won 41-32
• No real word on the quarterback battle.
• Tyrik Rollison and Clint Moseley took the most reps at quarterback with Burns, Caudle and Todd only participating in two series.
• Emory Blake caught a 40 yard touchdown pass from Moseley.
• Onterio McCalebb had a 30 yard touchdown run.
• Others scoring include Philip Lutzenkirchen, Eric Smith and Anthony Gulley. Lutz's was a 15 yard pass and Gulley's was on a reverse.
• Demond Washington and Harry Adams picked off passes.
• The biggest hits came from Antonio Coleman, Demond Washington and Daren Bates.
• D'Antoine Hood did not play due to an ankle injury.
• Coleman says the number one defense played better against the number one offense and the number two offense played better than the number two defense.
• Ted Roof said there were some good things and some bad things. He apparently seemed very angry afterwards.
• Gene Chizik says it was a little sloppy and there were many turnovers.
• Chizik says there will be two more scrimmages before the season opener.
• More likely to come.

Jacobs Signs With Red Sox

Brandon Jacobs has agreed to terms with the Boston Red Sox. The Auburn football signee and tenth round draft pick agreed to a $750,000 signing bonus pending a physical. His bonus is the largest after the 8th round at the moment. Full story here.

Visiting Today

Chase Nelson is visiting Auburn today to watch the scrimmage. He is a 6'7", 310 lb tackle from Minnesota.

Narrowing Down Coming Today

Gus Malzahn says that all positions will be narrowed down today after the scrimmage, not just quarterbacks. Neil Caudle says as far as he is concerned, today's scrimmage is a game. The scrimmage begins today at 5:30 CT.

Coleman On Watch List

Antonio Coleman has been named to the Hendricks Award watch list. The Ted Hendricks Award is given to nation's top defensive end. Coleman needs one more sack to move into Auburn's top 10 all time leaders. Previous winners of the award, which has been given since 2002, include Terrell Suggs, David Pollack and Elvis Dumervil.

Morning Practice Notes

I know this is slacking today but it has been a busy day for me. This is basically just the big points from today:

• The Tigers wore full pads Monday morning.
• Trooper Taylor praised Neiko Thorpe today on defense.
• D'Antoine Hood has moved from safety to cornerback.
• Tim Hawthorne seems to be tutoring DeAngelo Benton.
• Tyrik Rollison seemed to be off to a slow start with the offense but now appears to be learning it quickly.
• Trooper Taylor named the top 3 wide receivers as Terrell Zachary, Darvin Adams and Montez Billings, in no order.

Tonight's NFL

Just a quick note regarding tonight's NFL preseason game. Sen'Derrick Marks had two tackles including one sack for the Titans. Spencer Johnson had one tackle for the Bills. Rob Bironas did not attempt a field goal and was 3/3 on extra points.

On NFL Rosters

Here are former Auburn players on NFL rosters:

• Anderson, Willie - Baltimore Ravens - #79*
• Aromashodu, Devin - Chicago Bears - #19
• Bironas, Rob - Tennessee Titans - #2
• Brock, Eric - Atlanta Falcons - #42
• Brown, Ronnie - Miami Dolphins - #23
• Campbell, Jason - Washington Redskins - #17
• Carter, Tim - St. Louis Rams - #15
• Dansby, Karlos - Arizona Cardinals - #58
• Duckworth, Tim - New Orleans Saints - #72
• Dunlap, King - Philadelphia Eagles - #65
• Evans, Heath - New Orleans Saints - #44
• Green, Tyronne - San Diego Chargers - #69
• Groves, Quentin - Jacksonville Jaguars - #54
• Grubbs, Ben - Baltimore Ravens - #66
• Herring, Will - Seattle Seahawks - #54
• Hobbs, Kevin - Seattle Seahawks - #32
• Hood, Rod - Cleveland Browns - #40
• Johnson, Spencer - Buffalo Bills - #91
• Lee, Pat - Green Bay Packers - #22
• Marks, Sen'Derrick - Tennessee Titans - #94
• McClover, Stanley - Houston Texans - #75
• McNeill, Marcus - San Diego Chargers - #73
• Obomanu, Benjamin - Seattle Seahawks - #87
• Palmer, Jonathan - Carolina Panthers - #77
• Powers, Jerraud - Indianapolis Colts - #49
• Ratliff, Jay - Dallas Cowboys - #90
• Richardson, Tony - New York Jets - #49
• Rogers, Carlos - Washington Redskins - #22
• Shiver, Robert - Atlanta Falcons - #48
• Sims, Pat - Cincinnati Bengals - #90
• Smith, Rodgeriqus - San Diego Chargers - #3
• Spikes, Takeo - San Francisco 49ers - #51
• Taylor, Courtney - Seattle Seahawks - #86
• Torbor, Reggie - Miami Dolphins - #53
• Williams, Carnell - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - #24
• Wilhite, Jonathan - New England Patriots - #24

* On reserved-retired list

Any I am missing?

More From Practice

• Vance Smith has moved from right tackle to left tackle.
• Chizik says Mike McNeil has made great progress but is not sure of a return timeframe. He is day to day.
• The team will practice in full pads in one of tomorrow's practices and scrimmage in Jordan Hare on Tuesday.
• Zach Clayton is working at defensive tackle and defensive end.
• Aubrey Phillips did make it to practice today but did not participate.
• Montez Billings says he is not sure if he will be back for the LA Tech game. He says the academic issue that held him out of spring is ongoing even though he got his degree this summer.

Game Tonight

The following former Auburn players are on rosters for tonight's game:

Titans:

• Rob Bironas - first team kicker #2
• Sen'Derrick Marks - third team DT #94

Bills:

• Spencer Johnson - second team DT #91

CFL Wrap Up

• Damon Duval was 0 for 1 on field goals and 3 for 3 on extra points in a 25-0 Montreal win over Toronto. His field goal miss was only 25 yards.
• Prechae Rodriguez caught 5 passes for 39 yards in Hamilton's 28-21 victory over Edmonton.
• Tray Blackmon made five tackles in Calgary's 31-23 win over Winnipeg.

Early Sunday Practice Notes

• DeAngelo Benton was dressed out and practicing. He did not have a brace on.
• Aubrey Phillips was not at practice again.
• Practice was in shells again today and practice again was not split.
• Phillip Lutzenkirchen was doing some snapping in special teams.
• T'Sharvan Bell, Adam Herring and Rudy Odom were all on bikes today.
• Wes Byrum was 7-7 on field goals. He was the only kicker kicking.

Beasley Eliminates Auburn

Vic Beasley, son of former Auburn player Victor Beasley, has elected not to follow in his father's footsteps to the Plains. Beasley has a final two of Clemson and Alabama. Beasley was going to announce tomorrow but now does not have a final decision. Beasley does not know when a decision will come out but knows it will be this week.

More Notes From Practice

• Tyrik Rollison has reportedly had very impresses practices in the last two days. Many believe he is still legitimately in the running for back-up quarterback, if not starter. I think Rollison will redshirt, personally.
• A quote from Chizik on Chris Todd: "You can tell he has experience at the position, and there's no substitute for that...Being out in the spring, his experience certainly helps him learn it at probably a more rapid rate."
• Walt McFadden says the secondary is growing small beards together.
• Chizik says the team may practice in full pads tomorrow.

Early Practice Notes

• All five quarterbacks are practicing on the same field together (Caudle, Burns, Todd, Rollison and Moseley).
• Practice is completely shut off to media today.
• Aubrey Phillips missed practice due to a non-football related issue. He is "undergoing tests". He also missed yesterday. Phillips is "out indefinitely".
• The practice was not split up at all. Chizik says this could differ from practice to practice.
• Practice was better than yesterday's practice according to Chizik.
• DeAngelo Benton missed practice with a hand injury but is fine.
• Clint Moseley believes he will redshirt this season.

Johnson De-Commits From LSU

In a turn that could affect Lache Seastrunk, Storm Johnson has de-committed from LSU. When Johnson committed many thought that would severely hurt LSU's chances of signing Seastrunk. Now it comes out that LSU was trying to keep everything as quiet as possible regarding Johnson. When Johnson committed he was asked not to make it public now it appears he does not have a committable offer from LSU. Even though Seastrunk has previously said that competition does not affect him, this could help LSU.

Coleman Opted For JUCO

Apparently, reports that Terrance Coleman was ruled ineligible came too quickly. According to Coleman's mother, Terrance chose to go to junior college rather than wait for the Clearinghouse. Coleman will attend Copiah-Lincoln in Wesson, Miss. Not too sure what to think about this one.

Practice Wrap Up

• Receivers receiving the most praise thus far are Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachary.
• Malzahn also said Emory Blake and DeAngelo Benton are the other two standouts so far in practice. Chizik called Benton a "work in progress".
• Gus Malzahn plans to rotate Kodi, Neil and Chris Todd in the first group.
• Malzahn said to not look too far into the rotation as he wants to see what the three quarterbacks can do with the first group.
• So far, the leading contenders for the Wildcat QB position are Travante Stallworth, Dontae Aycock, Emory Blake and Mario Fannin.
• Any narrowing down on Wildcat quarterback will not come until after the first scrimmage.
• Chizik said the first practice with pads was not physical enough.

Two Removed From Roster

Matthew Sample and Jeremy Flowers have been removed from the roster.

You Have Spoken

The anonymous posting option is no longer available. I am not doing this to keep people away but more to keep people accountable for what they post. I hope this will not keep people from posting as much as they used to but rather encourage more posting. War Damn Eagle!

Todd Works With First Group

Chris Todd has moved from the second group into the first group during practice. Practice has been split up with the first group being the more likely to play but nothing is close to set in stone yet. The other quarterback in the first group is Kodi Burns.

• Ralph Spry, Jr., Woody Parramore and Daren Bates have been added to the roster.
• Nosa Eguae continues to work with and impress in the first group.

Like I said, full wrap up late tonight.

Preseason Coaches' Poll Out

Auburn picked up 12 points which puts them at about 39th. The SEC has five in the top 25: Florida (1), Alabama (5), LSU (9), Ole Miss (10) and Georgia (13). The only other SEC school to pick up more votes than Auburn is South Carolina who had 18 points. Full rankings here.

EDITED FOR SPELLING BY SPECIAL REQUEST

Rumors Are False

Rumors surrounding a possible commitment of Corey Lemonier are false. First, rumors came out saying he was headed to be a Gator and then that he had committed to Illinois. Both of these appear to be false. He said he has no idea how those rumors got started. Lemonier appears most interested in Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Miami and Tennessee.

Top 2011 DE Relocates To Auburn

2011 strongside defenive end LaMichael Fanning is relocating to Auburn High School. He used to play for Callaway High in Hogansville, GA. Fanning currently has offers from Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and South Carolina.

Thursday Wrap-Up

• Auburn does not appear interested in transfer DE Sidell Corley.
• Practice has been split into two groups. The first group seems to have the more experienced and more likely to play players. Demond Washington and Nosa Eguae have impressed and moved to the first group. Other newcomers in the first group include Emory Blake, Philip Lutzenkirchen and DeAngelo Benton.
• Travante Stallworth and Anthony Gulley were taking reps at receiver.
• Aubrey Phillips has been taking reps at left tackle.
• Lutzenkirchen has moved to the number 5 position after playing the number 3. He is now behind Tommy Trott. Gabe McKenzie is playing the number 3 behind Mario Fannin.
• DeAngelo Benton got reps with the first and second group today.
• Mike McNeil was dressed out but not participating in drills. He did not appear to have a limp.

Poll Question

If you want to discuss the poll question, please comment here.

Confirmed: Bates Is In

Daren Bates has been cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse. He is the 21st of 28 signees to enroll. The only one awaiting official clearance is Taikwon Paige who does not appear likely to clear.

Regarding The Savage Thread

Come on guys. This is not AL.com. If you are going to comment, please have it involve football. When comments get out of hand, I will begin deleting them but I am yet to delete one and really hope I never have to.

Take religion and politics elsewhere because this blog is about discussing Auburn football dammit.

Thanks for reading, as always, and War Eagle!

More

• Khairi Fortt's father misspoke to Rivals and said Auburn had made Fortt's top six. His father was mistaken and says UGA was the final school, not Auburn. His father says he does not want to play that far from his home in Connecticut. Since UGA is so much closer...?
• I see Fortt ending up at Penn State either way.
• Auburn seems to have lost interest in JUCO offensive linemen since Aubrey Phillips' transfer. This means John Cullen likely is not on Auburn's radar anymore.
• Lou Holtz told a South Bend, Indiana TV station that he does not plan to run for Congress. It was rumored Holtz would run for Congress in the state of Florida as a Republican. Holtz famously remarked in 2007 that he had a better chance of being elected Senator of Florida than Auburn beating Florida. The Tigers beat the Gators in the Swamp, 20-17.

Three Recruiting Notes

• Tyrone Cornileus wanted a committable offer from Auburn but never received one and that is the reason he recently named Georgia Tech and Miami as his leaders.
• Khairi Fortt was named the defensive MVP at the Top Gun camp in Orlando last week.
• Junior quarterback Teddy Bridgewater received an offer from Auburn recently. That brings us to three 2011 quarterbacks to be offered along with Kiehl Frazier and Jeff Driskel.

More

• Coach Malzahn says there will not be a two quarterback system this season. There will be one quarterback except in the Wildcat formation.
• Tyrik Rollison and Chris Todd impressed today.
• Gabe McKenzie was working with tight ends.
• Coach Malzahn says all of the quarterbacks have made improvements since spring.
• Malzahn seems to want to make a decision soon. Right now, Todd could be leading believe it or not.

Corley Considering Auburn

Sidell Corley is transferring from LSU and is looking at Auburn and Alabama. Corley plans to apply for a waiver to play this season. Corley is a 6'4", 273 lb defensive lineman. Corley was a four star defensive end out of high school in 2007 and redshirted the 2007 season for the Tigers. He is out of McGill Toolen High School in Mobile, AL. He was rated the fourth best defensive end in the nation out of high school. He saw action in two games last season and made two tackles.

Albert Gone

Justin Albert is no longer with the team according to Gene Chizik. The walk-on running back was one of the more impressive backs this spring. I currently am not aware of a reason.

Coleman and Jackson To JUCO

Terrance Coleman and Josh Jackson did not qualify and will go to junior college.

ALSO: Philip Pierre-Louis will be back with the team when school begins the 17th.

UPDATE: Coleman will go to Copiah-Lincoln in Mississippi and Jackson to Coffeyville in Kansas.

Bates Cleared

According to his Facebook, Daren Bates has been approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Update

• Commitment Chad Slade took an official visit to Auburn today.
• All recruits are encouraged to visit a practice and all games will be open for recruits.
• The ESPN 150 has been released and Antonio Goodwin and Shaun Kitchens are on there. Goodwin comes in at 23rd and Kitchens at 99. Michael Dyer is rated the top running back.
• Today was the first practice.
• Auburn released an updated roster and Philip Pierre-Louis was missing from it. No word yet as to why.
• Trotter and Hawthorne watched from the sidelines.
• Montez Billings, Chris Todd and Cam Henderson were not seen early on in practice. Still awaiting word on them. Probably lifting weights. UPDATE: All three are now practicing.
• Mike McNeil was dressed out but not participating.
• Robert Cooper is listed as a tight end.
• Practice was delayed due to rain.
• More to come....

Savage Update

Many players hinted that Aairon Savage may try to return to football. He will miss this entire season with an Achilles injury after missing all of 2008 with an ACL injury. Walt McFadden said that Savage is just leaving it in God's hands as to if he will return.

Washington Cleared

Demond Washington has been cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse, as expected. Washington will report today. Also, Daren Bates appears to be on track to be cleared.

Gator Bowl

The Gator Bowl is "very interested" in adding the SEC to their lineup. The bowl currently has ties to the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Notre Dame. It would likely only happen if the Capital One Bowl cuts ties with the SEC. The Gator Bowl is played in Jacksonville.

AFL To Fold?

It appears the Arena Football League may be completely folding after over 20 years. The league cancelled the 2009 season because of a lack of funds and but now appears headed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. Yes, I can somehow turn this into Auburn news in a slow week.

The following are currently listed on AFL rosters:

• Troy Reddick - Dallas Desperados
• Ben Nowland - Georgia Force
• Monreko Crittenden - Los Angeles Avengers

Reddick has previously signed as an undrafted free agent for the Giants. Nowland started 35 games for Auburn and finished in the top 10 for the Rimington Award, the nation's best center. He played one season for the Denver Broncos. Crittenden was a three year starting all-SEC guard but went undrafted in the NFL Draft.

Seastrunk Talks Recruiting

We have not heard from top running back Lache Seastrunk in a while. Rivals gives us this free video interview. Talks Auburn, Texas, LSU and Tennessee.

Williams To Tech

Anthony Williams made it official and committed to Georgia Tech. This has been expected for quite some time.

Top SEC Champs Since Expansion

ESPN.com's Chris Low picked the five best SEC champion teams since the expansion in 1992.

• 1992 Alabama
• 1996 Florida
• 1998 Tennessee
• 2004 Auburn
• 2008 Florida

Low picked the 2004 13-0 Tigers although they never had a chance to play for the title. There were three National Champion teams he picked Auburn over: LSU (2003), Florida (2006) and LSU (2007).

Full article here.

Former Auburn Star Passes Away

Offensive tackle Cleve Wester from the 1957 championship team has passed away. After his playing days, Wester continued to work with the university and is a big reason Pat Dye was hired. Wester has a scholarship in his name through the Southwest Georgia Auburn Club.

Detailed Schedule

According to B. Matthews with Rivals, the practice schedule looks like this:

Aug 4 - 4:30 - Veteran Interviews

Aug 5 - 5:20 - Practice

Aug 6 - 5:20 - Practice

Aug 7 - 5:20 - Practice

Aug 8 - 5:20 - Practice

Aug 9 - 5:20 - Practice

Aug 10 - 10:15 - Practice 1 - 5:20 - Practice 2

Aug 11 - 5:20 - Scrimmage

Aug 12 - 10:15 - Practice 1 - 5:20 - Practice 2

Aug 13 - 5:20 - Practice

Aug 14 - 10:15 - Practice 1 - 5:20 - Practice 2

Aug 15 - 4:20 - Practice

Aug 16 and 17 - No practice

Chizik To Speak In Mobile

Head coach Gene Chizik will speak at the CellularSouth 1st and 10 Club Monday night at Heron Lakes Country Club.

Reed

Trovon Reed reportedly brought around ten family members with him to visit Auburn this weekend. He has Auburn in his top four along with LSU, Oklahoma and Oregon.

CFL Wrap Up

• Tray Blackmon made two tackles in a 23-24 Calgary loss to Saskatchewan.
• Prechae Rodriguez led the Hamilton Tiger Cats in receiving with five catches for 49 yards including a touchdown. Hamilton won 31-10 over British Columbia.
• Damon Duval was 4/4 on field goals (37, 33, 21 and 31 yds) and 1/1 on extra points. He also punted five times with a long of 53 yards in a 19-33 Montreal loss.

Upcoming Dates

• Tuesday: Players report
• Wednesday: First practice
• Next Sunday: First practice with pads
• August 10: First two-a-day

Lattimore Cuts It To Five

While we have not heard much from Marcus Lattimore in a while and he seems to have lost interest, Auburn still made the cut for his top five while surprisingly, Florida State did not. His top five are Auburn, North Carolina, Penn State, South Carolina and Oregon. He will visit Penn State (Oct 10) and UNC (Oct 31) during the season and will visit the other three after.

Owens Visits

LaDarius Owens is visiting Auburn today with his mother through tomorrow.