Willie Martinez to replace Phillip Lolley?

There are strong rumours around right now that Willie Martinez will take over the defensive-back role formerly run by Phillip Lolley. Lolley’s return to an admin position left the door open for another hire, and it looks like that spot will be filled by Martinez.

Martinez has a lot of experience in this area, and has been looking for a job since he resigned from the Oklahoma staff last month. Bob Stoops said that Martinez “has some attractive options and is going to pursue them”, in regards to his resignation.

He has a lot of experience working with VanGorder. They both worked together at Central Florida and Central Michigan before their stint at Georgia.

He had several good years as a defensive-back coach at Georgia:

2001 – 96th in pass defense (nationally) – 252 yards per game.

2002 – 31st in pass defense (nationally) – 189 yards per game.

2003 – 6th in pass defense (nationally) – 175 yards per game.

2004 – 16th in pass defense (nationally) – 182 yards per game.

I’ll give any updates when possible.

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UPDATE: Auburn has officially hired Martinez. The deal is done, phew!

Video: Watch Willie Martinez in action

Here’s a video I put together showcasing Willie Martinez at an Oklahoma fall practice. You can clearly see that he has an intense style, and definitely seems eager to get the best out of every player.

Hopefully the hire will be officially announced soon. War Eagle.

Sorry girls, VanGorder says size DOES matter

Earlier today, Auburn’s new defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder gave a few quotes about his defensive philosophy and what he wants out of his unit.

VanGorder believes size does play an important role with his linebackers, he said “bigger is better” but that he doesn’t consider himself a “profile coach”. On one hand I agree with the statement, having larger linebackers is handy when going up against big offensive lineman and runningbacks, and will probably prevent us giving up an extra yard or two when it matters. With size comes strength, you all saw what Miss. State QB Chris Relf did to us in September – he dominated the Auburn defence over and over again because his main weapon was his brute strength. 

Postseason playoff – Is it worth the switch?

The 2004 Auburn team was one of the best college football teams I’ve ever seen. It had a defense that was statistically the best in the country (11.2 pts/g), and an offense that could score on just about anyone. That team went 12-0 in the SEC and had an abundance of talent that was unmatched by any other team in the SEC.

Even though that team didn’t get the chance, many still look back today and use that team as a clear example as to why the BCS needs to be abolished. You get those odd years in college football where it’s unclear who the best two teams are, 2004 saw this happen, as well as 2007 and 2011. Alabama got the nod in 2011 because they played LSU close the first time. Perception-wise they were seen as the opponent that were the biggest threat to the Tigers. No complaints from me though, they hit LSU hard and came away as champions, crystal ball in hand.

A sneak peek at Auburn’s new weight room

Auburn was recently given a new weight room by Sorinex Exercise Equipment Company. It’s a state-of-the-art weight room which only took two days to put together! Below are some photos of what it currently looks like.

Quick analysis of the 2012 recruiting class – Defense

After going through Auburn’s offensive recruits, it’s time to analyse each area of the defensive group and give my thoughts on where I see each player contributing in their careers.

Tyler Nero

Defensive Line – It’s a small haul of defensive lineman, but doesn’t lack quality as this area is headlined by Gimel President and Tyler Nero. President is a 6’3 240 defensive end who holds a lot of potential, his early playing prospects might be limited as Auburn is currently very deep at this position.

Nero is a another underrated pickup right out Escambia. He has a motor that just never stops running and plays with a real toughness that could potentially propel him into a starting role further in his career. He may get snaps in 2012 but I don’t expect him to get many.

Cassanova McKinzy

Linebacker – Auburn made two big signings at this position, the first one being the highly coveted Cassanova McKinzy. He is a large 6’2 230 linebacker that could project at either inside or outside linebacker at the next level. He has tremendous tackling skills and is fast for a kid his size, I’m excited to see him out there in 2012.

Javiere Mitchell was the second signing. From what he lacks in size he makes up for in heart, Mitchell will continue to progress as long as his weight gains go smoothly. Right now, I see that being the major barrier between him getting on the field in 2012, and redshirting. He may need to get to 215 before he gets playing time, and right now he is around 200 pounds. Although in fairness, Auburn’s need for linebackers is high right now.

TJ Davis

Defensive backs – Auburn signed three corners in the 2012 class, the big one being Josh Holsey, a 5’9 corner out of Creekside, GA. Holsey’s athleticism is off the charts, he always seems to know where the ball is going and those type of instincts are unteachable. Holsey will definitely see the field a lot in 2012 and could push for a starting role immediately.

The other two pickups were Jonathan Jones and TJ Davis, both are underrated corners and could be solid additions for Auburn in the near future. In my view, Davis is the gem of this class. His offer list was insane and his high school film just screams “stud”. Both Jones and Davis are incredibly fast and speed is always helpful in the secondary. Expect both to play limited snaps in 2012.

Overall it was a small defensive class, but filled with a lot of quality and skill that will be eager to see the field in 2012. Though we may have missed on a few, the entire class looks to be a success and fingers crossed that they all make it to campus in June.

Video: Auburn’s DLine Cameo On TV Show “Hart Of Dixie”

Auburn’s defensive line is so darn popular nowadays that it made a brief appearance on “Hart Of Dixie”, a show featured on the CW Network. Jake just loves to talk about it during…well just watch and find out.

Video: You Had Me At War Eagle

Here’s a really cool video I recently found about fans, staff, players and alumni reciting their favorite Auburn memories, I’m sure a lot of you will remember some of them.

So what is your favourite Auburn memory?

 

Quick analysis of the 2012 recruiting class – Offense

It’s time to give you a few of my thoughts on the 2012 recruiting class, as well as layout some of the key aspects of it and see who may have the bigger overall impact on the program.

Quarterback – The Kentucky native Zeke Pike headlines this position group, the 6’5 220 lb playmaker has the confidence that every coach looks for in a quarterback, as well as a real toughness that is tough to find in eighteen year olds. Pike will come into 2012 with a clear shot to earn the starting job. Though doubtful, he may see some snaps this year depending on how he does in spring and fall practices.

Jonathan Wallace also joined the class as a latecomer on signing day. Wallace is a 6’2 205 lb QB that has enough speed to become a dual threat at the next level. The question is whether he will stay at quarterback, if Loeffler likes what he sees early on, the chances of that happening are pretty high.

Runningback/Fullback – Jovon Robinson knew what his responsibility was when TJ Yeldon de-committed, he comes into Auburn with a chip on his shoulder, eager to prove himself at every chance possible. Robinson is a tall runningback who has a non-stop motor, and a pretty nifty cutback move that will send the fans into a frenzy. Expect Robinson to make an immediate impact next season.

Jay Prosch is an All-American fullback that transferred in from Illinois, the Mobile native will get the chance to be the bulldozer on a heavy run offense and provide solid protection for his runningback and quarterback. Prosch is a large kid, and will knock you off your feet at every given chance. Expect Prosch to become an immediate starter at fullback.

Signing Day ends and the program lives to fight another day

Signing Day is pretty much over, and we nailed down our 19 signees to 4-year scholarships. It’s always nice to bring in another group of players ready to shed blood, sweat and tears for the program, you always wonder in the back of your mind which players are going to breakout and become the playmakers, no matter how many stars they have next to their names.

It’s safe to say that Twitter and several message boards were on the ledge today, I’m not going to recap the entire day but you could pretty much sum it up as an “up and down” day, which is of course the real premise of college recruiting. You miss some and you lose some, it happens to every program. We have a few players left to go after but we can’t afford to dwell on the players we didn’t get, just focus on the ones that are ready to play. The ones that want to play for Auburn University.

I’m really excited about this class because I think it has masses of potential. One player in particular that we picked up today was Jonathan Wallace; a 6’2 205 QB that is a fairly impressive looking signee. His comments about “taking up the opportunity to play for Auburn” is literally music to my ears, I’ll take on anyone who wants to play for this school, no matter how highly touted you may be.

It was also nice to get a few other surprises today, including Florida OL Avery Young. He was looking as though he was Georgia-bound but in the end, I guess he just wanted to play in orange and blue. I don’t blame him.

Overall, today was a decent day, we didn’t get everyone we hoped to, but that’s life. Recruiting is only half the battle, and having coaches that know how to coach ‘em up and turn them into real football players is the big part of creating a good football program. We have two top coordinators, as well as a top notch line of assistant coaches, let’s work towards the 2012 season and see what it may end up bringing us.

I will do some in-depth recruiting class evaluations pretty soon, analysing the players and what they might bring to the table.

‘Till then. War Eagle!