Auburn tight ends 'Swiss Army knife' of new offense according to Ben Aigamaua
AUBURN – There isn’t a position with more veterans than the Auburn tight end group. For guys like Luke Deal, Tyler Fromm and Brandon Frazier who have been at Auburn for four years, the offenses have rarely been the same from year to year.
The tight end group, with the addition of FIU transfer Rivaldo Fairweather and the possible emergence of redshirt freshman Micah Riley-Ducker, is clicking with the new offensive scheme from Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery.
“I’m really excited about our group, we have a really talented room,” Aigamaua said. “Adding Rivaldo to that room, the expectations have kind of risen. From the passing game to the run game, we’re very involved with everything we do offensively. So far with the four practices, we’re operating at a high level. We still have to clean up some technical stuff, techniques and things of that nature, but I’m really excited about the room I have right now.”
‘Smart players’ at tight end
In order to learn new terminologies, a new play book and to weather changes to the previous schemes, one has to be able to adapt.
According to Aigamaua, this group of veterans is able to do that while leading the new and younger guys as well. The group also gives him an idea of what kind of personality to recruit into his position as well.
“They’re very smart players. That’s what we have to do here whenever we recruit tight ends for our offense, they have to be very headsy players,” Aigamaua said. “They have to understand concepts and how we do things, but they’ve picked it up very well. We had to get back to the swing of things after the break, but as practice went on, they’re picking everything up very well between the 11 and 12 personnel stuff that we do. When we start adding the bigger packages, I think we will be fine.”
‘Swiss Army knife’ of the offense
According to Aigamaua, the tight ends will do a little bit of everything within the offense.
Based on what has been put on tape from previous Montgomery and Freeze offenses, that could include lining up in many different places, including in the backfield as an H-back.
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“We’re the Swiss army knife. When you are able to watch practice you will see us out there flexed out, running go routes, digs, overs, flats, you name it we’re out there doing it,” Aigamaua said.
No one will move around pre-snap as much as tight ends. No other position group will have a more diverse set of responsibilities. This group must be able to block SEC defensive ends, remember all different motions, know what everyone else is doing, and catch passes when needed.
There’s a lot that goes into it, but with a group who have been there and done that, Aigamaua has confidence that they can pull it off and make the offense better.
“For me as a coach we have to find the right time to rep all of that stuff, to get all of that stuff in individuals,” Aigamaua said. “Then we will be out there in inside run where we have to go dig some defensive ends out. That comes with reps for us. We play so fast, for our position they don’t always tell us where to go, we just have to know where to play and where to move to. We have to be headsy players and operate at a fast level and make sure the tools we put in their toolbox, that they pull out the right ones so we can be successful on that play.”
