Auburn football: 3 reasons to be over the moon for opening kickoff

Reason #3 to be over the moon for Auburn football opening kickoff: Breakout performances galore

So, in review, Akron…is going to get got this coming Saturday night. The Zips boast a roster of largely unheralded recruits outside of 4-star defenders Curtis Fann Jr. (DL) and Jaylen Kelly-Powell (S), but the biggest problem is the lack of commitment to Kato Nelson at the starting QB position.

The Tigers defense has been getting rave reviews this offseason, and with the influx of new talent, there could be the potential for several breakouts on that side of the ball that could take advantage of the Zips offense being in disarray.

Newcomers Jay Fair (UAB) and Marcus Harris (Kansas) have been impressing observers on the DL, while FCS transfer Bydarrius Knighten and former Vanderbilt Donovan Kaufman have played their way into relevant roles in a stout AU secondary.

On the other side of the ball, a WR room filled with underclassmen could be due for a big game against an Akron defense that ceded just under 460 yards per game in 2020. Any one of Ja’Varrius Johnson (sophomore), Ze’Vian Capers (sophomore), Tar’Varish Dawson (freshman), Kobe Hudson (sophomore), and Malcom Johnson Jr. (sophomore) could be set to be the star of Saturday night’s opener.

We know Tank Bigsby will dominate on the ground. It’s anticipated that Owen Pappoe, Zakoby McClain, and Chandler Wooten will have Akron receivers and rushers waking up in the middle of the night in the weeks to come. It’s overwhelmingly likely that Smoke Monday and Roger McCreary will be leading a stifling secondary to a masterful Week One showing.

It will be the star performances that we won’t see coming that will have Auburn football fans over the moon late Saturday night into the next week after they make a notable opening kickoff statement.