The second day of practice is over for the Tigers, and the only question really answered so far is why the players' shorts are so tight (they're last season's game pants cut in half, according to Onterio McCalebb).
Auburn defensive line coach Mike Pelton reiterated that sentiment as he sat down in front of reporters Thursday shaking his head.
"Too early, too early, we're just in shorts," Pelton said. "All of them look like All-Americans."
The second day of practice was the Tigers' last without pads as the team dons shells - helmets and shoulder pads - for the next two days.
While the shells are still easier to play in than full pads, Gene Chizik is excited to see the team and evaluate them in more game-ready gear.
"You can do a little bit more when you put the protective gear on," Chizik said. "(These are) two very important days of evaluation for us."
With numerous position battles and personnel changes, Chizik has been experimenting with some of the players' positions.
Freshman offensive tackle Jordan Diamond was playing guard today as was freshman Alex Kozan.
Chizik also threw out the possibility of sophomore running back Corey Grant playing special teams, however, this is not unusual for teams to do with talented back-ups.
"We'll try to get them locked into a spot once we're sure that's where they belong," Chizik said.
Chizik is even switching the times when the team practices indoors and outdoors as he tries to fine tune the Tigers and get them ready for Clemson.
While the learning curve has been a prominent issue at practice so far, running backs coach Curtis Luper, for one, is impressed with the carry over from the spring, despite an offense that has "a lot more verbage."
According to Luper, plays in offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler's system can have as many as 15 words or numbers, as opposed to his predecessor Gus Malzahn's no-huddle offense where "less is more" and signals were reduced to gestures or single terms.
As for the running backs themselves, Luper had praise for everybody, but the most surprising compliment came for Mike Blakely.
Blakely has long been touted as one of the most talented players on the roster, but his inconsistency has kept coaches concerned.
So far, Blakely has made the right impression as he looks to earn playing time and step on the field for the first time in two years.
"There are times when Mike appears to have the most talent of the bunch," Luper said. "He might be the most natural of the running backs that we have."
Chizik also praised Blakely for his mentality coming into practices this summer.
"He's come in with a better frame of mind and better sense of urgency than he did in the spring," Chizik said.
On the other side of the ball, defensive line coach Mike Pelton said his players can't be content with the media labeling them as the best part of the team.
"A lot of them believe that," Pelton said.
Pelton tries to combat that sense of complacency in practice by shouting that the line was ranked no. 11 in the SEC last year and around no. 86 in the nation, according to Pelton.
"We hear (those numbers) all the time," said junior defensive lineman Kenneth Carter. "It's just a lot of motivation."
For these Luper and Pelton, however, the nature and physicality of the positions they coach means the real progress will come over the next few weeks.
"The real players step up when the pads go on," Pelton said.
Carter is coming off a shoulder injury, but says he is 100 percent right now and has been for almost the past month.
Senior offensive lineman John Sullen rode the bike today, and Chizik said he's "a little nicked up" but would be alright.
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