Auburn football: Will the Tigers’ passing game improve in 2022?

It’s the very end of August, and we have finally survived the last weekend in 2022 before Auburn football hits the field for the start of head coach Bryan Harsin’s second year on the Plains. Over the weekend, it was officially announced that TJ Finley has won the quarterback competition and will lead the Tigers’ offense this fall.

Now that Finley has proven himself as the best in the quarterback room, he’ll have to prove himself on the national stage in the season opener against Mercer. A lot is hinging on the success of Auburn football this season, and it all starts with the quarterback. One concern for the Tigers, as of late? The passing game.

It was a pretty glaring problem for Auburn last season, but Harsin has taken real steps to imrove things from both ends–working hard with the quarterbacks but also bringing on Ike Hilliard and new talent to the WR room after several departures last season.

While Finley must throw accurate passes in order to be successful, he also needs talent receivers on the other end to help him out and make plays when it matters. According to Auburn Live’s predicted depth chart, the starting receivers are expected to be Shedrick Jackson, Ja’Varrius Johnson, and Malcolm Johnson Jr.

The group has received a lot of praise throughout fall camp, especially freshman Camden Brown, who is projected to be a big playmaker for the Tigers after rising in the ranks from the rookie practice to the veteran practice. The receivers must step up for the passing game to improve.

So can it be done this season? Will Auburn football find more success in the pass game? We think yes. After spending a full offseason in Harsin’s system, TJ Finley should be improved from last season, and Ike Hilliard’s influence on his position group is expected to show up in their presence on the field this fall.