Auburn searching for playmakers in the spring

By Robert Rousseau  |   Tuesday, March 24, 2009  |  Comments( 1 )

Auburn Tigers
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Spring practice will begin Tuesday for the Auburn Tigers and new head coach Gene Chizik. Perhaps the main item on the agenda is to begin the process of finding a starting quarterback. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn would love to know who the guy will be by the end of spring, but he also knows that “you've got to have somebody that earns it, that separates himself from the rest of them. So we'll just have to see."

Perhaps the second-most important thing for the Tigers -- again, we find ourselves on the offensive side of the ball -- is to discover some playmakers. To be frank, the team has been awfully short on them the past couple of seasons. They really haven’t had the kind of wide receiver who can make plays on his own, even if Rod Smith was somewhat solid.

Here are four returning players who the team hopes step into a playmaking role in 2009.

Montez Billings: This senior has pulled in 54 catches combined over the past two seasons. But is he simply a possession receiver, or can he be a go-to guy?

Tim Hawthorne: He has size (6-foot-3), athleticism and strength. But he hasn't lived up to his four-star hype from 2006 yet.

Phillip Pierre-Louis: He was highly regarded by former offensive coordinator Tony Franklin before he tore his ACL on the opening kickoff of last season. Pierre-Louis is fast, athletic and surprisingly strong for his size. He is, however, rather diminutive at 5-8, 155 pounds. That said, don’t be surprised Pierre-Louis is the guy who emerges from the pack with something a little extra in his tank.

Terrel Zachery: Another former four-star 2006 recruit, the 6-0 Zachary has yet to contribute significantly to the club. Still, Auburn holds out hope for him.
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About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or...
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