The Auburn football offensive line struggled big time in last weekend's matchup against the Florida Gators. The OL allowed seven sacks and struggled to help the Tigers establish the run game.
First-year head coach Alex Golesh told the media in his Monday press conference that the staff is continuing to work through some kinks when it comes to starters on the offensive line, and that was apparent as they changed things around with the lineup against Florida.
True freshman Wilson Zierer, younger brother of former Auburn offensive lineman, got his first start in the Tigers' SEC opener, and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon was impressed with what he saw.
“Man, young pup out there on primetime," Gordon said. "He was just inconsistent. Long story short, he was inconsistent, which you would expect to some degree. There were some times where you can see he’s gonna be a really good player. Like man, the sky’s the limit for him. He’s gonna be a stud. There are some times where, just makes a mistake and all of a sudden it’s a critical error.”
Zierer has continued to earn the respect of his teammates, who emphasize that he is a young guy with a strong work ethic and great potential.
"Man, one thing about Wilson is I can trust him," said center Cole Best. "I know he's going to go out there, I know he's going to give it everything he's got. He's going to play super hard, he' sgoing to play his butt off. He really, really, really prides himself on his IQ and knowing what he's doing.
"For Wilson, I mean he shows up every day ready to work, pouring everything he's got into it. That's really all you can ask. He's going to be a really, really important player for us, for this unit, for this university for years to come."
Despite Zierer's inconsistencies in the Florida game, Best said he was proud that the freshman is handling it the right way.
"I'm proud of him. He's got a long way to go, but man, the way he's put his head down and worked. The biggest thing I'm proud of is how when it hasn't gone his way he hasn't gotten emotional, he hasn't gotten down in his feelings, it's like 'what do I need to do to fix it?' For him it's a next play mentality."
The Auburn Tigers return to action this Saturday when they host Vanderbilt at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
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