In the SEC, skill, toughness and athletic ability reigns king. So if an athlete stands out as a true freshman, it usually bodes well for their future in the league.
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Take DeShawn Spencer for example. While the young buck from Saraland High School is not making national headlines, what he has been doing is slowly opening eyes to the traits he has.
The freshman wide receiver has made a catch in five out of the eight games that the Auburn Tigers have played in this season, and multiple catches in four of those. At this point in the year, Spencer has totaled 14 receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 10.9 yards a catch.
For Spencer though, despite all the long plays he has made in the early going, things have never been about his numbers. It is instead about the broader picture.
“Ever since high school I have never been a guy to talk about my personal stats or what I do during a game,” Spencer said. “It was a cool feeling being able to do whatever I could to put my team in a situation to be successful, whether that’s a field goal or a touchdown. Just trying to put points on the board. From that aspect it was good just being able to help out my team.”
While in high school, Spencer was part of a Saraland team that made it to the Class 6A state championship game all four seasons. To him, he knows what it takes to win a football game.
However, what the college game in the SEC gives him is at a much higher level than a lot of was he faced in high school.
Since the beginning of his time on the Plains, there has been a lot of progression that the freshman has made, but he has always tried to focus on the minute details that will make the big-name skills better.
“I feel like I have developed a lot, just getting bigger and my details of route-running,” Spencer said. “Compared to when I first got here, I was struggling at the top of my routes and getting out of breaks. That’s still things I struggle on right now, but it’s just about the process and trying to do those little things and get better and better. Just the detail of my process.”
Spencer’s weekly improvement has been aided by the leader he has at quarterback in Byrum Brown, who has played a lot of college football and spent a lot of time playing in Alex Golesh and Joel Gordon’s offense.
He says having Brown by his side and supporting him has helped him grow in a big way, especially because of the mindset that he carries.
“Phenomenal leader,” Spencer said. “Anytime we’re struggling to get a drive going or even if we didn’t win, he’s telling us not to get complacent and keep going. B is a tremendous leader. Personally he’s one of the best quarterbacks I have been around. I love him. He’s a phenomenal guy and a great teammate. He’s the same person off the field as well as on the field. He’s great.”
This final month of the regular season is now all about finishing strong, something he believes he can do with Gordon as the offensive coordinator.
Gordon believes in Spencer’s ability to make big plays, and he knows that Gordon tries to play into those strengths so that the offense can move the ball down the field.
“Every day and every week Gordo cooks up the best plays,” Spencer said. “He’s a great OC. He likes putting the into explosive guys’ hands. Each week he’s always got something cooked up for someone to make a big play and put us in position to show what we can do.”
The Tigers return home to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday at 11:45 a.m. CST in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
