Auburn’s 2021 football roster from head-to-toe will look different. New players and new coaches will fill the sidelines for the Tigers and the wide receiver group is no exception.
All three of Auburn’s top three receivers from last year — Seth Williams, Anthony Schwartz and Eli Stove — have all taken their talents to the NFL Draft and former wide receiver coach Kodi Burns has been replaced by Cornelius Williams.
So what does Williams think of his position group?
“From a talent level, we have the guys,” Williams said. “The biggest thing for us is going to be putting in the work, time and effort to be extremely detailed and to work to be the best we can possibly be.”
Williams, a new face to Auburn, is not a new face to the state. The Troy University graduate has spent the last six years at his alma mater coaching wide receivers and has also been the passing game coordinator for the past two years. This past season under Williams, Troy was 21st in the nation in passing yards per game.
Williams has worked at four other in-state schools in his 10-year coaching career, including South Alabama, North Alabama, Jacksonville State and UAB. Williams also attended Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama.
As for the receivers, Williams highlighted a few practice standouts in his first press conference of the spring.
Ja’Varrius Johnson yet again was on the receiving end of praise, this time not from head coach Bryan Harsin or offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, but from Williams.
“A guy that has stood out to me is Ja’Varrius Johnson,” Williams said. “He has been one of the more consistent guys. Once he continues to work on his game and touch on the details of continuing to get better, that can definitely help us.”
Johnson has only appeared in one game in two seasons on the Plains, but his impact will be felt this coming season. At a listed 5-foot-10, 159 pounds, Johnson will most likely be used in a similar role to Stove by catching passes out of the slot.
Williams praised Johnson for his explosive speed and ability to take the top off plays. The sophomore from Trussville, Alabama, has been seen at open practices running with the first-team offense in both slot and outside receiver positions.
Williams compared Johnson’s ability to make plays over the middle to a player he coached at UAB in J.J. Nelson.
Nelson, a former 2015 fifth-round pick in the NFL draft, has 85 catches over the last five seasons. Nelson at his pro-day was listed at 5-foot-10, 156 pounds, and ran a 4.28 forty-yard dash, just .04 seconds slower than the fastest 40-yard ever.
Johnson, a former top-15 prospect in the state of Alabama according to 247Sports, will most likely be paired with receivers Kobe Hudson and Elijah Canion to round out the starting positions.
Hudson and Canion, who too have both been seen running practice with the first-team offense, garnered recognition from Williams as well.
“Canion has really worked hard,” Williams said. “He has busted his butt when he is out there. He is a guy that is always asking me questions. To me, when a guy does that, that means he cares. Those are the guys we want to have at this program.”
Canion potentially fills the role similar to Williams on the outside. Canion, a sophomore, is listed at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds, and had his best game of the year in the last one, the Citrus Bowl against Northwestern.
Schwartz did not participate in the bowl game and in replace of him, Canion caught three passes for 80 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown.
Kobe Hudson, the third sophomore of the group, was a former No. 1 rated receiver in Georgia according to 247Sports and could be a big factor in the passing game next season.
With a similar freak-athlete skillset, close to Schwartz, Hudson earned his top receiver ranking after playing receiver for only two years. As a true freshman last year, Hudson had seven receptions for 70 yards, with three of those catches coming in the Citrus Bowl.
“The thing with Kobe Hudson is, he is a natural-born leader,” Williams said. “He shows some flashes that he can be really, really special.”
Williams and his core have a lot to overcome. A completely new coaching staff, to pair with an inexperienced core of receivers, is not too often a recipe for success. But Williams is not worried because he knows he is prepared for the challenge.
"The competition at this level is the highest in the country,” Williams said. “When I got this opportunity, I was so excited, but I was nervous. Everything in my life prepared me for this.”
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