David Pollack identifies Auburn's biggest question mark ahead of the 2025 season
There are plenty of questions surrounding the Auburn Tigers ahead of the 2025 season, and one former Georgia linebacker has identified the biggest one.
David Pollack, a former Georgia linebacker and ESPN analyst, recently discussed Auburn during an episode of his podcast, "See Ball, Get Ball", where he shed light on his biggest concern for the Tigers ahead of the 2025 season. Pollack did not label a position group, or even a member of the coaching staff, as a giant question mark, but instead a player. Auburn will have a new quarterback in Jackson Arnold this season, who signed with Oklahoma as a five-star quarterback and Gatorade Player of the Year from Texas. He had an up-and-down stint in Norman and will get a fresh start on the Plains.
Pollack shares that Arnold is Auburn's biggest preseason question "by far" and that the Tigers' success hinges on Arnold's ability to run the football.
'Last year was tough. But I do think the one thing that I know about [Arnold] is that he's an elite runner. And I do know Hugh Freeze with an elite runner at quarterback is a dangerous freaking animal. Because then he gets to the RPO games, the quick game. He changes tempo as good as anybody in the country with their green light and red light. They'll come up to the line of scrimmage and go 'fast, fast, fast' but then they'll wait for the last second on the play clock.'
Pollack feels that Auburn's offense will be solid with an experienced offensive line and a "1-2 punch" at wide receiver with Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton. It all hinges on Arnold's ability to give Auburn more dimensions, which should be easy to achieve. He rushed for 560 yards in two seasons at Oklahoma, including 444 last season for the Sooners.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
40 minutes ago
- USA Today
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers reveals what excites him most about first season in Pittsburgh
Aaron Rodgers — the Steel City's newest quarterback — is embracing what it means to be a Steeler. Speaking with NBC Sports at the American Century Championship, Rodgers was asked to share what excites him the most about his first season in Pittsburgh — and this was his response: "Well, I just like the newness of it all," Rodgers said. "I mean, I'm excited about being at such a great franchise — with a Hall of Fame head coach. And I've enjoyed getting to know Arthur Smith, our coordinator. The [Steelers] quarterback coach, actually, was in my quarterback room a million years ago. I've known Tom Arth since we were young kids without any gray. "So, it's fun. It's a good quarterback room. It's a good leadership in the locker room, great fan base, and I'm just excited to get back out there and finish it the right way." Earlier at the ACC, Rodgers made headlines for the right, wrong, and hilarious reasons — as he had a tense encounter with an "autograph hound", and a heartwarming photo op with a young child at the three-day golf tournament. Rodgers has strongly hinted at retirement after the 2025 season — and with arguably a stacked Steelers roster, hanging it up with a deep-playoff run isn't as far-fetched for the Steel City as many believe. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
USA Today
43 minutes ago
- USA Today
MLB Draft Tracker 2025: Sooner State shines on first day of the draft
The first day of the Major League Baseball Draft was a good one for Sooners. Sunday proved it was a special year to be a baseball player from the Sooner State. The first day of the Major League Baseball Draft concluded Sunday night with several Oklahomans selected, including No. 1 overall pick Eli Willits from Fort Cobb-Broxton High School. Willits is the younger brother of Sooners infielder Jaxon Willits and son of ex-MLB outfielder and ex-Sooners outfielder Reggie Willits. Willits was the first of a number of players with ties to Oklahoma who were selected by MLB clubs. Most of those taken on Sunday will ultimately sign with their professional teams. However, any could choose to continue or, in the case of high-schoolers selected, start their collegiate careers. Odds are long that the Witherspoon brothers will return to Norman. Kyson Witherspoon went in the top 15, and his elder brother Malachi was taken in the second round. Their catcher, Easton Carmichael, joined them as one of the OU baseball players taken on the first day. Here's a look at all the players with Oklahoma ties who have been taken in the Draft. Note: the list will update periodically as the draft continues on Monday. Eli Willits, shortstop - Fort Cobb-Broxton High School Round 1, Pick 1 - Washington Nationals Willits is the third youngest player ever taken No. 1 overall behind only Ken Griffy Jr. in 1987 and Tim Foli in 1968. Nationals general manager Mike DeBartolo said Willits ranked as both the best hitter and the best fielder in the draft by Washington's scouts. The son of former MLB outfielder Reggie Willits, Eli signed with the Sooners earlier this year, but almost certainly won't make it to Norman after his selection. *Ethan Holliday, shortstop - Stillwater High School Round 1, Pick 4 - Colorado Rockies Some prognosticators had Holliday, the son of former MLB outfielder Matt Holliday, as the possible No. 1 overall selection. Instead, Holliday fell to Colorado, where Matt Holliday broke out during his time in the bigs, at pick No. 4. Holliday projects as having more power than Willits but not as consistent a bat. Though not an Oklahoma commit, Holliday's selection is a sign that America's Pasttime is alive and well in the State of Oklahoma. Kyson Witherspoon, pitcher - University of Oklahoma Round 1, Pick 15 - Boston Red Sox Kyson Witherspoon was the first collegiate right-handed pitcher taken in the draft and ultimately landed about where projections had him, in the middle of the first round. Kyson Witherspoon was stellar for the Sooners in 2025, racking up 124 strikeouts against just 23 walks over 95 innings. With his selection, Kyson Witherspoon became the first picher taken by the Red Sox in the first round since Tanner Houck in 2017. Malachi Witherspoon, pitcher - University of Oklahoma Round 2, Pick 62 - Detroit Tigers Malachi Witherspoon's selection in the second round came as a surprise to most projections. rated him the 121st prospect in the draft and FanGrafs tabbed him at No. 98. The Tigers took him a whole round, or two, above expectation. Like Kyson Witherspoon, Malachi throws hard, but will need to work on command after walking 32 batters in 74 1/3 innings last year with the Sooners. Easton Carmichael, catcher - University of Oklahoma Round 3, Pick 82 - Pittsburgh Pirates Carmichael landed around expectations after being rated as the 93rd-ranked prospect in the draft by A three-year starter at catcher, Carmichael will leave OU ranked in the top 10 in several hitting categories. The native Texan was the fourth collegiate catcher taken on the day.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
ESPN's Brooke Pryor shares potential holdup in Steelers-T.J. Watt contract negotiations
With no end in sight, the Steelers-T.J. Watt contract negotiations have received a major development — as ESPN's Brooke Pryor shared where the financial disagreement lies. Appearing on 93.7 The Fan last week, Pryor admitted that while a deal likely gets done between Watt and the Steelers, she argued the guaranteed money is currently the holdup: "T.J. Watt wants more guaranteed money than the Steelers are currently trying to offer him," Pryor stated. "This is a negotiation that will get done when it gets done." Pryor then followed up with a timeline prediction, hinting at the negotiations carrying into training camp — just like Watt's contract situation in 2021. Insider Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette previously echoed Pryor's comments — arguing Pittsburgh would need to surpass Myles Garrett's $123 million in guaranteed money to get Watt to put pen to paper. Whether or not Watt holds out at training camp for his guaranteed money remains to be seen — while other reports have claimed he could become the highest-paid defender, or even highest-paid non-quarterback, when all is said and done. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
