After a chaotic beginning to the offseason for Auburn football, A-Day has come and Tiger fans had their chance to get a glimpse of head coach Bryan Harsin’s year two squad and the newly-cemented coaching staff.
While one of the most intriguing storylines of the offseason is the four-way battle for the coveted QB1 position in the fall, another aspect many are focusing on is the state of the Tigers’ offensive line.
Although Auburn football is returning a big chunk of last season’s offensive linemen, four returning members of the OL have missed significant time during spring training recovering from injuries in Nick Brahms, Brandon Council, Keiondre Jones, and Austin Troxell.
While the less experienced linemen like Killian Zierer, Jalil Irwin, and Kam Stutts are certainly benefitting from the extra reps in the absence of the starters, will the current ranks be enough to go up against the defenses in the SEC come fall?
According to AL.com, it’s very likely that Harsin and his staff turn to the NCAA transfer portal in order to beef up the O-Line before the start of the season:
"Does Auburn have enough on the offensive line to win games by running the ball? Time will tell. Don’t be shocked if the Tigers use some of their six remaining scholarships to find offensive linemen in the portal."
With only one offensive lineman signed in the recruiting class of 2022, offensive tackle Eston Harris Jr., it should come as no surprise that Harsin and Will Friend would be looking for reinforcements from the portal.
The O-Line will play a major role in the offense in 2022 as the Tigers look to place more emphasis on the run game and key returner Tank Bigsby. With no real improvement to the position group so far this season, Auburn football could definitely use a powerhouse lineman from the transfer portal.