Auburn Insider Notebook: Five freshmen set for early action, 1st team offense taking shape

Five true freshmen expected to play

Auburn isn't planning to wait long to get several members of its freshman class onto the field.

We're told Wilson Zierer, Parker Pritchett, DeShawn Spencer, Brian Williams Jr. and Adam Balogoun-Ali are five true freshmen expected to play in the season opener.

Zierer and Pritchett have continued to work their way into the offensive line rotation behind a veteran group. Spencer and Williams have emerged among Auburn's young options at receiver, while Balogoun-Ali has positioned himself to contribute at linebacker.

How large those roles become remains to be seen, but the expectation that all five will play immediately is a good indication of where they stand entering the season.

— Ryan Bartow

First offensive line coming into focus

Auburn's first offensive line appears to be taking shape.

Based on the latest work, the group looks like this:

LT — Jo Simmons
LG — Jacob Strand / Deryc Plazz
C — Cole Best
RG — Cole Skinner
RT — Stanton Ramil

Left guard remains the spot without a clear-cut answer, with Strand and Plazz both continuing to work there.

The rest of the group has become increasingly consistent as Auburn moves closer to the opener, with Simmons at left tackle, Best at center, Skinner at right guard and Ramil at right tackle.

— Jay Douglas

Receiver group taking shape, too

There's also increasing clarity at wide receiver.

The group currently appearing to lead the way has Keshaun Singleton at one outside receiver spot, Christian Neptune in the slot and Chas Nimrod at the other outside position.

Auburn will use more than three receivers, but that trio appears to be at the front of the rotation as the Tigers prepare for the opener.

— Jay Douglas

Williams misses Tuesday practice

One of the freshmen expected to play early is also someone to monitor.

Brian Williams Jr. did not practice Tuesday.

At this point, we don't know the severity of the issue or whether it will affect his availability for the opener.

That's worth watching because Williams had done enough during preseason camp to put himself among the true freshmen Auburn expected to get onto the field immediately.

— Ryan Bartow / Jay Douglas

Echols back in pads

There was a positive development with Jonathan Echols on Tuesday.

Echols was back in pads, another step forward for Auburn's tight end room as the Tigers move toward the opener.

His return gives Auburn another option at a position where the Tigers have spent preseason camp sorting through their rotation.

— Jay Douglas

Sigler out of the orange jersey

There was also encouraging news along the defensive front.

Cody Sigler was out of the orange jersey Tuesday.

Sigler has been cross-training along Auburn's defensive line and has generated positive feedback during preseason camp. Getting him out of the orange jersey is another step toward having him fully available as Auburn establishes its defensive line rotation.

— Jay Douglas

Van Dyke has a loaded recruiting stop at McEachern-Marietta

DeMarcus Van Dyke will be Auburn's only assistant coach on the road next Friday as the fall evaluation period gets underway, and there will be plenty for Auburn's cornerbacks coach to see.

We're told Van Dyke plans to attend McEachern's game against Marietta, with Auburn commitments Nasir Stokes and Nash Johnson III among the primary reasons for the trip.

But this won't simply be a stop to check on two Auburn commits.

The game features a collection of younger prospects already on Auburn's radar.

One of the biggest names is Casey Barner, a five-star defensive back in the 2028 class.

There's also Marley Underwood, a 2028 defensive lineman who recently received an offer from Georgia. Underwood is originally from Folsom, California.

Another name to know is Ty Nolan, a 2029 running back. As we've reported on the site, Auburn is already in a strong position with Nolan at this early stage of his recruitment.

The Pollock twins, Cole and Quinn, a pair of 2028 defensive backs, are also among the prospects Auburn will have an opportunity to evaluate.

Marietta has another player Auburn wants to see in Merrick Ham, a 2028 defensive end on the Tigers' target board.

That makes this a particularly efficient first-week evaluation stop for Van Dyke: two Auburn commitments plus several underclassmen the Tigers are already tracking in the same game.

The timing is significant with the NCAA fall evaluation period beginning Sept. 1. Coaches can use the period to evaluate prospects in person at their schools or games, while off-campus face-to-face recruiting contact remains prohibited during an evaluation period.

Van Dyke being Auburn's lone coach on the road next Friday makes his destination even more notable.

— Ryan Bartow

Auburn awaiting more information on Johnson-Cook

Auburn should get a better idea next week about the timetable for commitment Myson Johnson-Cook.

Johnson-Cook is expected to meet with doctors as he continues recovering from a collarbone injury.

We're told there are still multiple possibilities for his return. One would put him back in roughly four to five weeks, while another could keep him sidelined until later in the season.

The medical evaluation next week should provide Auburn and Johnson-Cook with a better idea of which timetable they're dealing with.

For now, there isn't a firm return date.

— Ryan Bartow