Tuberville focuses on quarterbacks

By Collin Mickle

Published: February 24, 2008

Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville said he spent most of Sunday’s practice watching his quarterbacks.

He wasn’t alone.

AU opened spring practice Sunday, and most eyes were on the Tigers’ four-man quarterback competition. Junior Chris Todd, sophomores Kodi Burns and Neil Caudle and true freshman DeRon Furr are all competing for the top spot previously held by three-year starter Brandon Cox.

All four — along with the rest of their teammates — will spend the spring getting a crash course in new coordinator Tony Franklin’s spread offense.

Tuberville likes the results so far.

“I’m pretty impressed with all of our quarterbacks, how they’re picking all of this stuff up,” he said. “We’ve got a lot to do, but I like what we’re doing.”

Franklin estimated each quarterback threw “a couple hundred” passes Sunday. Burns and Todd threw even more: The two veterans got in some extra work after practice, playing catch with walk-on wideout John Cubelic.

Burns called it quits after a few minutes, but Todd stayed, lofting passes to Cubelic long after the rest of their teammates had hit the showers.

“I was just trying to work out some kinks,” he said. “It was the first day and things weren’t as smooth as I wanted them to be.”

The competition has only begun. Franklin hopes to identify his top two quarterbacks early in spring practice, but that point may come after the first scrimmage, scheduled for Saturday.

For now, the depth chart is wide open. Franklin jokingly enforced that fact after being asked — for at least the 100th time — if he knew who his starter would be.

“Do you?” he asked a group of reporters. “I’ve probably got as much clue as you do.”

Injury report
Auburn returns all five starting offensive linemen from last season. But only four participated in Sunday’s practice.

Left guard Tyronne Green missed Sunday’s session with what Tuberville called “a sore thigh.” It’s unclear when Green will return.

Sophomore Byron Isom worked with the first team in Green’s place.

Defensive ends Raven Gray and Darrell Roseman also missed practice. Gray, a junior-college signee, underwent knee surgery last fall. He won’t participate in contact drills this spring, but is expected to be ready by the start of practice in August.

Roseman, a sophomore, is sidelined indefinitely with shin splints.

Tailback Ben Tate missed practice. Tuberville said the junior flew to California to accept a football award he received as a high school senior in 2006.

“He got the award (in 2006), but he didn’t go,” Tuberville said. “They asked him to come and be a part of it this year.”

When Tate returns, he is expected to miss a few practices due to a high-ankle sprain he suffered during the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

AU picks up first ’09 commitment
Less than a month after National Signing Day wrapped up Auburn’s 2008 recruiting class, the Tigers are already hard at work on their ’09 haul.

The 2009 recruiting effort saw its first results Saturday, when Williamson defensive lineman Terrence Coleman announced his plans to sign with AU next February. Coleman is Auburn’s first ’09 commitment.

Coleman had 116 tackles and nine sacks as a junior at Williamson, earning honorable-mention All-State honors in Class 5A. He also received a scholarship offer from Alabama and recruiting interest from LSU, Mississippi State and Nebraska.

The 6-foot-1, 245-pound Coleman is the nephew of Auburn defensive end Antonio Coleman, who also starred at Williamson.

“I’ve watched him play at Auburn and it just feels good to know I’ll be there with him,” Terrence Coleman told Auburnsports.com.

Coleman was among a group of 52 high school juniors attending Sunday’s practice. Sunday marked Auburn’s first Junior Day, an opportunity to bring juniors to campus to watch spring football practice.

AU plans to hold at least two more Junior Days during spring practice.

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