5 questions for Bryan Harsin, Auburn football at SEC Media Days 2022

AUBURN — Bryan Harsin and Auburn football are the encore at SEC Media Days this year, joining Tennessee and Texas A&M as the last teams to speak in Atlanta on Thursday.

The Tigers' lineup includes Harsin, running back Tank Bigsby, tight end John Samuel Shenker and edge Derick Hall.

Here are five questions going into media days. (Hint: A lot of offense questions.)

1. Any update on the quarterback competition?

As preseason practices loom, so does one of Harsin's most important decisions yet. Who will be the Tigers' 2022 starting quarterback? Last time we heard from Harsin in late May, he said Texas A&M Zach Calzada would be "full go" for summer workouts after spending most of spring in a noncontact jersey (shoulder).

Calzada is the presumed favorite, but T.J. Finley has the benefit of being Auburn's only returner – with three games of starting experience – and Oregon transfer Robby Ashford has the advantage of a standout spring game.

It's unlikely that Harsin will reveal anything, or that he even knows anything yet, considering the importance of these upcoming practices. But how has Calzada looked in summer workouts? Is it still regarded as a true three-horse race?

2. Are Auburn's starting offensive line jobs safe?

With an attack built around Bigsby, improvement on Auburn's offensive line is especially important this season. The position group has eight seniors and five returning starters. A number of them were dealing with minor injuries during spring practices, and this wasn't a particularly consistent unit last year. Are any starting roles up for grabs?

3. How will Bryan Harsin's new hire affect Auburn's recruiting blueprint?

Harsin hired 18-year Dallas Cowboys scout Drew Fabianich last week as Auburn football's first general manager. Fabianich will oversee transfer portal and high school scouting. It's a notable move as Auburn grapples with its low recruiting numbers early in the Harsin era. So far, four commits in the 2023 class are the fewest in the SEC.

How does Harsin envision the new role shaking up Auburn's recruiting strategy?

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4. Who's catching passes?

Shedrick Jackson was the surprise leading receiver last year with 40 catches and 527 yards. The senior is back, but Auburn's other two starters are gone. Who steps up? It's a cluster of young – and in many cases, small – receivers.

Ja'Varrius Johnson, Malcolm Johnson Jr., Tar'Varish Dawson, Ze'Vian Capers and occasionally converted tight end Landen King are all in the mix. Two inexperienced transfers have joined the fray, too.

5. How is the team responding to negative predictions?

In the sport's most loaded division, Auburn has been most commonly designated as the SEC West's likely loser. Part of that is related to the university investigation of Harsin in February, which has been rehashed to death at this point.

Still, if losses start to pile up this fall, hot (seat) takes will amplify.

How is Harsin teaching his team to handle it? Is he a bulletin-board-material kind of guy, or is his style tuning out the noise?

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: 5 questions for Bryan Harsin, Auburn football at SEC Media Days 2022