Auburn wide receiver Christian Neptune is one of five USF wide receivers to follow the Tigers' new head coach Alex Golesh to the Plains. He has been one of the most talked-about receivers throughout the offseason, but he hasn't been able to show off his full potential yet while still recovering from a shoulder injury that required surgery in the spring.
Though spring practice and summer workouts are tough to miss with an injury, especially for a player who is new to the program, Neptune has maintained a positive attitude and used the experience to grow as a football player and as a leader on the team.
"It allowed me to not only grow physically but allowed me to grow mentally in the game," Neptune said, per Auburn 247. "It also allowed me to grow as a teammate. You know, you got young guys like DeShawn [Spencer] who had crazy production this past spring. Being able to be in his ear to help him and guide him has been nothing but a blessing. So, it's all how you look at it, and I see it as a positive."
There has been much discussion about whether or not the Auburn football wide receiver corps, made up mostly of USF transfers, will be able to hang in the SEC, but wide receivers coach Kodi Burns expects his group will be able to go out and do their thing this fall. According to Neptune, going up against the Tigers' defense has been good preparation as he gets back in the groove.
"I'm continuing to just dissect the defense. Being full speed, making full-speed decisions," Neptune said, per AL.com. "Slowly getting my reps and reps back in with the defense. We're playing the best defense in the nation right now. Just understanding how to do that and do anything that KB wants me to do. If I have to play the inside, the outside, if I have to be a scout guy, whatever it is — just doing it to the best of my ability."
For now, Neptune is anxiously waiting for the time when he can remove his orange no-contact jersey and get back to playing full speed with his teammates. He reports that the trainers expect the jersey to come off soon, and that Neptune will be healthy and ready to go for the start of the season in September.
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