What Auburn football OC Eric Kiesau wants to build offense around in 2022

Although the Auburn football QB battle is the position group grabbing the most headlines this spring, in reality, it’s not what the focus of the offense actually may be in 2022.

Instead, the Tigers could be an ode to military service academy football during the upcoming campaign.

Eric Kiesau wants Auburn football to pound the ball into the ground to set up the passing game in spurts, playing to the strengths of his offensive personnel.

Per AL.com’s Nubyjas Wilborn:

"“Our approach moving forward is to set the foundation with the run game. I think we got some really talented backs, and we’ll start from there,” Kiesau told reporters Then we’ll kind of grow, see where it goes from there, but that’s going to be the foundation where we start.”"

The Auburn football RB room will be tested in 2022 in a big way

Everyone knows the Tigers’ yearly gauntlet is hell. The teams at the top of every recruiting cycle find themselves opposite Auburn at least once a season, and several of the top opponents will be playing host this season.

That includes defending National Champion Georgia, who despite losing several key contributors (Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean) to the NFL Draft, should still be nearly unstoppable. Alabama figures to take steps back offensively, but is still as scary defensively as ever with Will Anderson and Henry To’o To’o returning.

Projected defensive juggernaut Texas A&M is a trendy SEC West pick once more after disappointing some in 2021, and should Jimbo Fisher actually have a team worthy of the hype this time around, AU could well have three top 10 teams to contend with this upcoming season.

Nothing out of the ordinary, but nothing to undermine as Bryan Harsin faces a critical second year as Auburn football HC that could determine whether there’s a third one.