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Auburn football: Constructing an all-time Auburn offense

By Cole McCauley

Bo Jackson (1985), Cam Newton (2010) and Pat Sullivan (1971) the three Heisman Trophy winners from Auburn football pose during a portrait session on December 12, 2010 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: Photographer approval needed for all Commercial License requests. (Photo by Kelly Kline/Getty Images for the Heisman)
Bo Jackson (1985), Cam Newton (2010) and Pat Sullivan (1971) the three Heisman Trophy winners from Auburn football pose during a portrait session on December 12, 2010 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: Photographer approval needed for all Commercial License requests. (Photo by Kelly Kline/Getty Images for the Heisman) /
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UNIVERSITY OF AUBURN WIDE RECEIVER FRANK SANDERS
UNIVERSITY OF AUBURN WIDE RECEIVER FRANK SANDERS /

Starters: Terry Beasley, Frank Sanders

Backups: Darvin Adams and Ryan Davis

Auburn really doesn’t have the greatest track record with star wide receivers as they only have two 1,000-yard seasons in program history. However, at the top of that list is Terry Beasley who put up 1,051 yards and 11 TDs in 1970.

The top option for Pat Sullivan, Beasley is the best receiver in Auburn history and ranks first in program history in career receiving yards and receiving touchdowns by a wide margin.

Alongside Beasley is Frank Sanders. And although Sanders may not have a 1,000-yard receiving season to his name, make no mistake, the 6-foot-2 wideout was a legitimate star for the Tigers in the early 90s.

Choosing the backups at receiver was tough. As usual, there were a lot of great options. I went with Darvin Adams, as, even though he had the benefit of Cam Newton throwing him the ball, Adams put together perhaps the best two-season run for an AUburn receiver not named Terry Beasley.

Ryan Davis may be the most controversial addition to this list as he didn’t have quite the same success as the guys above. However, Davis ended his Auburn career in 2018 as the school’s all-time leader in receptions (178) — a record he holds a 25-reception lead in.

Yes, Davis did benefit from a simplified offense with a lot of screen passes and short routes but when you hold that kind of record, how can you not be on the list.

Honorable mentions: Jimmy Phillips, Tyrone Goodson, Courtney Taylor, Sammie Coates

Philip Lutzenkirchen #43 of the Auburn Tigers (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Philip Lutzenkirchen #43 of the Auburn Tigers (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Starter: Philip Lutzenkirchen

Backup: Robert Johnson

Philip Lutzenkirchen is the best tight end in Auburn history. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who disagrees with that. No. 43 was an essential part of the Tigers’ championship run in 2010 and is perhaps most famous for his fourth-quarter go-ahead TD in that year’s Iron Bowl.

Even without that, Lutzenkirchen’s 14 career receiving TDs is the most all-time in school history for a TE and is eighth among all players. An injury in his senior year and later on, his tragic death, prematurely ended what could’ve been a promising NFL career and took away one of the most beloved players in school history.

As a backup, I went with Robert Johnson. The 6-foot-6, 278-pound tight end was a big target for the Tigers in the early 2000s and he ended his three-year Auburn career with 59 receptions for 758 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Johnson went on to play four years in the NFL with four different teams.

Honorable mentions: C.J. Uzomah, Walter Reeves

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