Coffee and Magnolia: 29 April 2015

HOME ON THE PLAINS

It's Star Wars Night for Auburn baseball! I'm very tempted to wear my Jedi bathrobe I got for Christmas a few years back, because I'm a huge nerd like that. This would be over regular clothing, of course. Just because it's a bathrobe doesn't mean I would wear it like one!

TENNIS

The ladies earned their 3rd straight bid to the NCAA Tournament and will be traveling across the country to take on Pepperdine in Round 1! Unfortunately, the men's team did not make the tournament and have completed their season.

BASEBALL

I mentioned it above, but it's Star Wars Night at Plainsman Park, tonight. And this is also your reminder of the work Tuco put in to discuss Auburn's magic number for the post season!

FOOTBALL

Jeremy Johnson is taking advice from someone who knows about greatness to heart in his drive to excellence. While comparisons between Johnson and Newton are definitely unfair at the moment, I do think Auburn's offense under Johnson is going to resemble the 2010 team more so than any of Malzahn's other Auburn squads.

Johnson is featured in an SI.com piece about what quarterbacks could become stars in 2015. It's entirely possible that JJ could only start on the Plains for a single season. I hope he has the type of year that gets people talking about that, but I also hope he decides to stick around!

We know Carl Lawson has the tools to be one of the best pass rushers in the SEC, but Will Muschamp knows Auburn needs other big threats, as well. They will definitely be looking for contributors from the freshmen (ahem, Byron Cowart), but those freshmen will have to earn their playing time.

Auburn is looking around its team to find the linebacker positions. The inside positions will resemble last season's roles that Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy played, hopefully making their transition into the new defense easier. For the outside position, the "Buck" hybrid will be a combination defensive-end and outside linebacker. The nature of offenses in college football now means that defenses are adjusting outside of the traditional positions into players who are more versatile.

Speaking of looking around the team for defensive positions, AL.com projects the defensive depth chart going into the fall. Right now I would say I'm certain about four players: Carl Lawson, Tray Matthews, Rudy Ford, and Montravious Adams. Beyond that? I think it's up for grabs. Jonathan (Jay) Jones would be a lock if he weren't injured, right now. Josh Holsey probably is, too, but I'm going with absolutely certain.

Not that many Auburn fans give a flying flip about what he thinks, but Danny Sheridan has Auburn pegged as one of his national title contenders.

ESPN's Greg Ostendorf has jumped on the train of writing articles about Duke Williams' return for his senior season. Expect to see a lot more of these articles in the coming months, and for good reason. Duke could very well put himself into position to be the #1 receiver taken in next year's NFL Draft if he stays healthy.

Speaking of the NFL Draft, we're on to Gabe Wright in our profiles of Auburn players in the NFL Draft!

I saw some individuals on Twitter lashing out at Auburn and Jay Jacobs after he said that his coach would not be taking Jim Harbough up on his offer of being a speaker at his camp this summer. That was a bit unfair, as it appears that the SEC head office that they would not be allowed to do so. AL.com explains Jay Jacobs' and Gus Malzahn's thoughts on it a bit more.