Auburn opens 2021 with experience, consistency
In need of experience at wide receiver this season following the departures of its top-three receivers from a year ago, Auburn made the logical choice to open the 2021 season — go with the most experienced options available.
When Auburn released its depth chart Monday for its season opener against Akron, the three starting receiver spots went to the three players with the most college service time at the position: senior Shedrick Jackson, grad transfer Demetris Robertson and redshirt sophomore Ja’Varrius Johnson — who, despite only having played in one game at this level, is entering his third college season at the position. (Caylin Newton, the only other senior receiver on the roster, is in just his second season at the position after starting his career at quarterback while at Howard).
“I think they bring a level of maturity to the practice field of just: hey, that rep didn’t go well, line up do it again and don’t just go out there and go through the motions, let’s get a good rep,” Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said. “We’ve got to execute it so we can get our quarterback or whoever they’re working with a really good look so that we feel better about that particular play.”
It’s no coincidence that trio emerged atop the Tigers’ two-deep heading into the season. Harsin and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo preached throughout the preseason the need for consistency at the wide receiver positions, especially after the group collectively “weren’t where (they) needed to be” after Auburn’s ADay spring game. Auburn’s wide-open, pro-style system asks a lot of its receivers, which put a lot on the players’ plates in the spring as they tried to adjust to a new offense and resulted in a considerable learning curve for many of the team’s returning receivers.
The wide receiver corps showed progress at the onset of fall camp, with Bobo noting the group was “lightyears” ahead of where it was at the end of spring practices. As the group collectively made strides in the preseason, it was Jackson and Johnson who proved to be the most reliable among Auburn’s returning receivers, while Robertson quickly acclimated himself to his new team after joining the Tigers shortly after the start of fall camp.
Jackson’s leap came after he spent the spring limited due to an injury while also missing some practice time with class scheduling conflicts. The senior, who has appeared in 28 games over the last three seasons, impressed Harsin and the rest of Auburn’s offensive staff with his diligence through the offseason and over the last four weeks of practices. During his Auburn career, he has yet to be featured in the passing game, with just 10 career receptions for 130 yards, but he has been a steady presence at the position whose role the last three seasons was largely due to his attention to detail and understanding of the nuances of the position beyond just making catches.
After seeing how he has handled everything in practice and away from the field this offseason, though, Harsin is confident Jackson — who earned the starting role at the X-receiver/split end spot — can finally become a top option in the passing game.
“It was just a matter of time before we got him out there; he was going to emerge as one of our better guys and more consistent players,” Harsin said. “We’ve seen that. Fully expect him to go out there this week and practice that way and then perform that way because he’s been very consistent from that standpoint. And then when he gets his opportunities in the game to go make plays, he’ll do that because he’ll have himself, one, in the right position. Two, he’ll know what he’s doing. And then, three, from what I’ve seen, that’s just how he operates.”
Johnson’s first two years at Auburn were beset by injuries — namely, a pelvis injury as a true freshman that carried over into last season — but his stock has steadily risen since the end of last season. He was one of Auburn’s breakout candidates in spring practice, when he emerged as a favorite target of Bo Nix, and he has carried that momentum through fall practices.
Now, the 5-foot-10, 159-pound former four-star prospect out of Hewitt-Trussville could be the latest in a long line of standout sub-6-foot slot receivers to play under Harsin.
“When we talk about consistency, I think that’s been the most consistent player in the wide receiver room — has been Ja’Varrius,” Harsin said. “You know, he comes out every day, works hard. He knows what to do. I’ve seen him make some really good catches in practice… but I like the consistency. I like his attitude. I like, you know, when he makes a mistake, it matters. And he’s working on it to correct it, and he usually does. He doesn’t usually make the same mistake twice, so he’s making new mistakes.”
That has been something that Harsin has emphasized throughout the preseason, using it as a sign of progress in his assessment of players and the team as a whole.
Speaking of progress, few players have made as much of it as Robertson has in a short time this preseason. The former five-star prospect who spent the last three seasons at Georgia was a late arrival to Auburn, missing the first couple days of fall camp while wrapping up everything from an academic standpoint at his former school so he could join the Tigers as a grad transfer. Since then, the 6-foot, 185-pounder has worked to quickly absorb Auburn’s playbook and build a rapport with Nix in practices.
Having appeared in 42 games between his time at Georgia and at Cal, where he spent his first two seasons, Robertson is by far the most experienced receiver on Auburn’s roster this season. He has 99 career catches for 1,280 yards and 12 total touchdowns on his resume, and given his speed and short-area quickness, he has the makings of being a serious playmaker in the Tigers’ passing game this season.