Although 2018 was a slight disappointment, the 2019 spring game flashed bright spots for the future of Auburn football.
It’s been a disappointing handful of seasons for Auburn. No, the Tigers aren’t a doormat in the SEC, but they haven’t quite been contending for conference titles (outside of 2017) since Gus Malzahn’s first year when he led them to the national title game.
In 2017, the Tigers won 10 games and tied for first place in the SEC West but finished the season with a Peach Bowl loss. That means Malzahn has had at least four losses in each season since his first in 2013, making 2019 even more critical for him.
Will he be on the hot seat this season? Most likely, but he has a number of players stepping up to the plate to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Which Tigers are trending up after a strong spring?
This one was a toss-up between Jamien Sherwood and Malcolm Askew. The two had strong springs but the biggest mover and breakout star has been Askew after he went from buried on the depth chart as a cornerback to making a move to safety and pushing for that two-deep.
The former four-star redshirt sophomore defensive back has made some moves and put himself in a position to contend for a starting job in the secondary this fall.
Askew had one of the strongest springs of any Auburn player and he probably gained the most out of anyone on that side of the ball. In fact, he could be the biggest mover on the depth chart come fall and that move to safety seems to have paid major dividends for the talented defensive back from McCalla, Ala.
With Smoke Monday out this spring, Askew has taken advantage of extended playing time.