Auburn football: Freshman receiver turning heads at fall camp

Auburn football training camp began with a bang for freshman wide receiver Camden Brown from the Class of 2022, who drew praise from both his teammates and Tigers defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge on Friday.

‘I see you, 1-7, play big’ was Etheridge’s encouragement for Brown after outworking JUCO transfer cornerback Keionte Scott, the nation’s top-rated junior college corner last season, for a sideline grab.

AL.com’s Tom Green said ‘Brown certainly looks the part of an SEC receiver, and it’s easy to see why he has received some early recognition from his veteran teammates,’ in his praise of the six-foot-three freshman.’

Even projected WR1 Shedrick Jackson had high praise for Brown’s strength in the weight room and his generally sturdy stature:

"“Big dude — strong, too. He did, like, he did 225. I can’t remember how many reps. He did a lot, so that’s a strong dude.”"

Auburn football OC Eric Kiesau is aiming to create mismatches for tight end-turned-wideout Landen King

Auburn football is hoping to get plenty from its freshman pass-catchers, but it’s a sophomore that could have the biggest impact in the WR room — and he wasn’t someone that was on the receiver depth chart in 2021.

First-year Tigers offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau, promoted from the WR coach role after filling in for Cornelius Williams following his dismissal from Bryan Harsin’s staff in 2021, admitted he is going to hunt for Landen King, a six-foot-five former tight end from Beaumont, Texas:

"“I think now that he’s crossed that bridge, like, ‘You know what? I’m doing this receiver thing,’ we’re going to be able to use him a lot in a variety of ways. We can create mismatches because he is so tall, so athletic, he can run and he’s got good hands. We have got to be able to move him around and play different spots so we can create those mismatches.”"

Between Brown and King, Auburn football may be better prepared to compete in 2022 than most national pundits are willing to admit.