AU FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Tigers land three on coaches' All-SEC team

The coaches’ votes are in, and it seems Auburn wasn’t high on any of their radars.

Thursday, the SEC announced its 2009 Preseason Coaches’ Football Team, and just three Auburn Tigers made the list, with none of them getting a first-team nod.

Senior defensive end Antonio Coleman and junior left tackle Lee Ziemba were voted to the second team, while senior running back Ben Tate was selected to the third team.

Coleman ended the 2008 season as a first-team All-SEC selection by both the coaches and the media.

Coleman led the Tigers last season in both sacks (6.0) and tackles for loss (10.5), while collecting 46 total tackles in the 11 games he played. He also forced a fumble.

Coleman has 15.5 sacks for his career and sits just one sack outside Auburn’s all-time career sack list.

Ziemba has started every game since his true freshman season — a streak of 25. He will anchor Auburn’s thin offensive line this season, and will look to provide some much-needed leadership at the left tackle slot.

He finished his sophomore year with 47 cockroach blocks, 19 pancake blocks and 72 rodeo blocks, according to an Auburn press release.

Ziemba was named a first-team Freshman All-American in 2007 by The Sporting News, Rivals.com, Scout.com and collegefootballnews.com.

Tate enters his final year on the Plains ranked 14th in school history with 1,959 rushing yards. And, for the first time in his career, he will begin the year as Auburn’s No. 1 running back.

He has 14 career rushing touchdowns and four career 100-yard rushing games, including a career high of 156 vs. Tulane in 2006.

JUCO DE Bonomolo commits to Tigers
Make it nine.

Auburn’s commitment list for the class of 2010 got a little bit bigger late Wednesday night, as Fullerton (Calif.) Community College defensive end Joel Bonomolo announced that he will sign with the Tigers in February, reported all three recruiting sites that cover Auburn — AuburnSports.com, Inside The Auburn Tigers and AuburnUndercover.com.

He chose Auburn over offers from Iowa State, Washington, Arizona, Utah and others.

Bonomolo is expected to be one of the top junior college defensive ends in the country, according to AuburnSports.com. He stands 6-foot-3, 245 pounds and is originally from New Orleans.

According to the Web sites, Bonomolo visited Auburn last weekend and liked what he saw.

“I knew pretty much right away,” Bonomolo told AuburnSports.com. “I knew it from when I arrived. Auburn was everything I thought it would be and more.”

Bonomolo had 41 tackles as a freshman at Fullerton CC in 10 games. He also had 10 sacks and 17 tackles for loss.

Bonomolo attended Rummel High School in New Orleans.

Fan Day festivities set for Aug. 16
Auburn’s annual Fan Day is set for Sunday, Aug. 16, from 2-4 p.m. at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The event, presented by Golden Flake Snack Foods, is free of charge.

Head coach Gene Chizik, the entire football team, the Auburn cheerleaders, Tiger Paws, Aubie and the soccer and volleyball teams will sign autographs. Posters and schedule cards will be provided.

Fans can enter the stadium from the west side. Those wishing to get Chizik’s autograph are asked to enter at Gate 11.

Gates will open at 1:45 p.m. Concession stands and restrooms will be open.

mszvetitz@oanow.com | 737-2513