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ROD BRAMBLETT'S BOOK
I was going to put this under "football," but it's got baseball and basketball in it, too, so it gets its own little section. Next month (August 15th, I believe), Rod Bramblett's book Touchdown Auburn! Carrying On The Tradition of the Auburn Tigers will be released. The publishers sent me an advanced copy and I reviewed it so y'all can tell if you want to buy it or not!
BASKETBALL
The website "Today's U" asks "Auburn Basketball is going to be a thing, isn't it?" To which I reply "yes, it is." Bruce Pearl can coach. He's recruiting at an extremely high level. Things are going to get much better with Auburn basketball.
FOOTBALL
ESPN says Auburn must "rediscover its speed on offense," to which every Auburn fan says "Thanks, Captain Obvious." The lack of playing with Gus Malzahn speed is one of the things that caused the offense to sputter so much last season. Of course, that lack of speed is partially due to the need to substitute so much along with the lack of big plays.
A local product from Opelika High School is ready to step up and make a difference in Auburn's secondary. Stephen Roberts may not win one of the starting defensive back jobs this fall, but I guarantee he'll see the field quite a bit in the rotation.
AL.com says that when it comes to the running back depth chart, Jovon Robinson is alone at the top going into the season. I agree that based on last year's performance he should be there, but has he gotten over whatever issues led to him not seeing the field very often early in 2016? We'll see. I certainly hope so, because he's definitely a dynamic back that Auburn needs to be productive.
Meanwhile, they also acknowledge that Kerryon Johnson could become one of the SEC's "most versatile" players. I feel like that article was already written once this offseason by AL.com. Maybe it was by Marcello at SECcountry, though. If Robinson and Johnson are playing at a high level, then Gus Malzahn could have another Jones/McFadden combo on his hands.
In the other skill positions, just who, aside from Marcus Davis, will start at Wide Receiver for Auburn? That's a very big and intriguing question. I suspect one of the true freshmen will start. My pick would be Kyle Davis just because he was here in the Spring. It would not shock me if two of them start, though.
The AL.com early scouting report is on to Arkansas. The Tigers will welcome the Hogs to Jordan-Hare Stadium this fall and hope to avenge last season's overtime loss.