Auburn football: Surprise underclassman OL could get playing time in 2022

Some fresh blood could do the Auburn football OL wonders, especially if incoming offensive tackle Eston Harris Jr. is already earning snaps in spring camp.

AL.com’s Nubyjas Wilborn’s ‘Obversations from Auburn’s 2nd 2022 spring practice’ noted that Harris could be the rare underclassman that earns snaps out of the gates in his freshman year this upcoming fall.

The Auburn High School alum is battling alongside a group heavily featured a season ago, which bodes well for his chances to make good on that promise.

Per AL.com:

"Other than quarterback, there’s probably not a more challenging place to get playing time than being on the offensive line in the Southeastern Conference. Auburn High alum and early enrollee Easton Harris Jr might be a rare exception. Harris took some reps with the Jailil Irvin at center and Alec Jackson, Kilian Zierer, and Austin Troxell when the Tigers OL and DL went against each other during the 10th session. Irvin, Jackson, Zierer, and Troxell all saw regular playing time last season and expect to progress this year."

Auburn football is welcoming new blood across the board

While the backbone of the Tigers will be on the OL, DL, and in the backfield with Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter, the number of impact players that could be making their debuts on September 3rd against Mercer is a long list.

80% of the QB options are newcomers, the WR room has three freshman (Omari Kelly, Camden Brown, Jay Fair) and a sophomore (Tar’Varish Dawson) expected to play key supporting roles, and Jeffrey M’ba, or ‘Thanos’ as he (awesomely) goes by, is aiming to be the biggest JUCO addition in recent memory.

While last season figures to stick with some on the team, it won’t with any of these newbies, and that’s what makes this incoming debuting class so vital to the health of the Bryan Harsin era moving forward.