AUBURN NOTEBOOK: Tigers downplay SEC West predictions

HOOVER — All things considered, Sen’Derrick Marks thought his trip to Southeastern Conference Media Days went pretty well.

The Auburn defensive tackle, one of two players representing AU at Media Days, even managed to enjoy himself amidst the hours of often repetitive questions.

“I like to talk,” Marks said. “I like this trip, man. I’ve never been to nothing like this.”

And there was plenty to talk about. Marks, a junior, was named to the media’s first-team preseason All-SEC squad, along
with AU punter Ryan Shoemaker.

The media also tabbed Auburn as the team to beat in the SEC’s Western Division, by a lopsided margin. AU received 48 of 70 first-place votes from participating media members, more than double LSU’s total of 21. Ole Miss, which went 0-8 in conference play last season, got the remaining first-place nod.

It was music to Marks’ ears.

“We want to get to Atlanta,” he said. “And once we get to Atlanta, we want to go farther.”

Head coach Tommy Tuberville’s reaction was more restrained.

“It’s got nothing to do with reality,” he said. “It’s just what people think about you in terms of possibilities. We have a lot of room for improvement.”

All told, nine Auburn players earned preseason All-SEC mentions, the highest total in the league. In addition to Marks and Shoemaker, seven Tigers earned second-team honors: offensive linemen Tyronne Green and Lee Ziemba, tailback Ben Tate, defensive end Antonio Coleman, linebacker Tray Blackmon, cornerback Jerraud Powers and place-kicker Wes Byrum.

LB Harris to transfer
Tuberville said Friday that linebacker Bo Harris is no longer a member of Auburn’s football team. The sophomore, who dropped to No. 3 on the depth chart at strongside linebacker after spring practice, will likely transfer to a junior college.

“We’ll miss him, because he was a good football player, but it just hasn’t worked out,” Tuberville said.

Harris originally signed with Auburn in 2006, but academic issues forced him to spend a year at prep school. As a true freshman last season, Harris played in 11 games, including a start against Alabama, and finished with 18 tackles.

But a shoulder injury kept him out of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, and he missed spring practice after undergoing offseason surgery.

DE Wadley recovering
Freshman defensive end Andre Wadley has been on the receiving end of a battery of medical tests since collapsing at a team workout two weeks ago.

Wadley, from Hernando, Miss., spent a week at East Alabama Medical Center, where he was treated for dehydration and other symptoms. According to Tuberville, doctors still aren’t sure exactly what caused Wadley’s illness.

“He’d had no problems,” he said. “They didn’t know whether he got the flu while he was working out, had a bug or a virus.

“They’ve done all kinds of tests on him. To this point, there’s been no answer to what happened. His body just kind of reacted to the heat.”

Marks said he and several other teammates visited Wadley during his hospital stay. Despite considerable weight loss and weakness from his week in a hospital bed, Marks said Wadley was in good spirits.

“He’s doing real good,” Marks said. “He said he felt better.”

CB Williams in academic ‘doghouse’
Academic issues could cost cornerback Ryan Williams his sophomore season, Tuberville said Friday. Williams, who played in six games last season, spent most of June back home in Mobile before returning to Auburn a few weeks ago.

According to Tuberville, Williams needs a strong showing in the second semester of summer school, which ends Aug. 7, to be eligible to play this fall.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” Tuberville said. “He’s worked hard this summer. … He’s got himself in a little bit of a bind, so he’s got to work hard to get out of the doghouse.”

Central’s Hood makes an impression
When asked Friday to identify a true freshman who might make an impact this season, Tuberville didn’t hesitate.

The coach tabbed cornerback D’Antoine Hood, from Central, as one of two rookies who could make a difference right away. Corner Harry Adams was the other player who caught the coach’s notice.

“They’ve worked hard,” Tuberville said. “A lot of the receivers, I’ve talked to them after (voluntary) workouts, and they say both those guys are really looking good.”

Auburn has a need in the defensive backfield. The Tigers lost senior cornerbacks Patrick Lee, Jonathan Wilhite and Zach Gilbert and have just three experienced corners on the roster.

“We’re going to have to play a couple of those guys,” Tuberville said. “We just don’t have the numbers after losing some guys to graduation.”

RB Hunt in admissions limbo
Twenty-three members of AU’s 29-man 2008 signing class are already in Auburn and enrolled in classes. Five more are already enrolled at prep schools or junior colleges.

That leaves tailback Reggie Hunt, who is stuck in the middle.

Hunt graduated from Daphne in June and earned a qualifying score on the ACT. But he can’t enroll at Auburn until the NCAA Clearinghouse signs off on his transcripts.

That hasn’t happened yet.

Last season, wide receiver Chris Slaughter had to wait until mid-August for an OK from the Clearinghouse. Lineman Nick Fairley wasn’t so lucky: The Clearinghouse flagged his transcripts, forcing him to spend two seasons in junior college.

“As of this morning I haven’t heard,” Tuberville said. “We’re all waiting.”

Injury report
Offensive guard Chaz Ramsey’s recovery from offseason back surgery has been slow. The sophomore started nine games last season, but missed almost all of spring practice and “is not 100 percent,” according to Tuberville.

Ramsey’s status for this season is still undetermined; Tuberville acknowledged there was a chance Ramsey could sit out this season as a medical redshirt.

“We’re not going to put him in danger,” Tuberville said. “It’s going to be his decision.”

But a medical redshirt is only a possibility.

“Don’t write that I said he’s going to redshirt, because he could be a starter in the first game,” Tuberville said. “We’ve just got to see how he’s going to react to the first part of the year.”

Defensive tackle Tez Doolittle, an Opelika grad, is back for his sixth season of eligibility. Tuberville said Doolittle, who ruptured his Achilles’ tendon last August, is “about 95 percent,” but should be ready for the start of practice.

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