It's the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Saving Seekers, we hear you. Seeking energy savings, always keep your energy prices under the price cap. With Next Pledge, your energy prices are guaranteed to always stay below the price cap. Satisfy those savings cravings. Check out our full range of tailored energy solutions at eonnext.com forward slash save. Eonnext, we make energy savings work. Next Pledge is a 12-month fixed-time trucker tariff with variable rates lower than off-chance price cap for standard variable tariffs. Direct debit required. Tees and seas apply. The first Alex Ghoulish scrimmage for the Auburn Tigers is tonight and I hope we hear so much about Byron Brown. You are Locked On Auburn, your daily podcast on the Auburn Tigers, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Yes, I'm Zach Blakkerby. Thanks for tuning in. Quick bonus edition of the show here as we're just hours away from the first scrimmage of the Alex Ghoulish era, obviously first scrimmage of spring for the Auburn Tigers. There's really three things that I want to hear. I want to hear a lot of good things, but these are the three things that I'm most interested in and we'll start with the headliner. The headliner of really of spring of all these guys from South Florida following Alex Ghoulish. But the main guy, of course, is Byron Brown. We've heard mixed reports about, okay, you know, offense struggling early in spring and, look, the offense should struggle early in spring. I get it. A lot of that has to do with quarterback play. I mean, what Hugh Freeze's first year, Peyton Thorn wasn't here yet. Second year, I was like, okay, like Peyton had some moments, but the defense dominated. Last year, I mean, Jackson Arnold, like just wasn't there. Just didn't work out. How great would it be? How nice would it be to say, yo, Byron Brown is that. Guy, we've heard about it from his players or his teammates, other players on the team in regards to, yo, Byron's a guy you want to play for. Byron's a guy that you want to compete with. How awesome would it be? Assuming we even hear leaks and whispers of the folks, it's a close scrimmage. There are some people that are invited. They did a good job kind of keeping a lot of the former players that were there this past Saturday, kind of everything happening there on the hush-hush. But how incredible would it be if the big takeaway from all these folks that are coming into this scrimmage, the big donors, and they say, yo, we finally have a quarterback again. Making throws, making guys miss. Now they're not going to tackle Byron. It'll be live with the exception of hitting quarterbacks. I assume I can't imagine they're letting guys tackle Byron Brown or any of the quarterbacks. But gosh, wouldn't that be so refreshing? If you see, you know, they've been very big on sharing clips and videos throughout spring on social. How nice would it be if it just showed Byron lighten it up? Byron with the accuracy. Byron with, you know, just making the right decisions. To me, I think it's the best case scenario for Byron is if it's about Byron. But look, let's don't stop at Byron. The Auburn football program will continue after this season with Byron Brown. We've heard good things at times about Tia. I've actually heard more about Reese Brush, the true freshman. Is Reese Brush the guy after Byron? I don't think so. But how nice would it be? It's like, yo, we've got a battle between Lachlan, Hewlett, and Tristan Tia at QB2. Both of these guys look really, really good as far as the future of the Auburn football program. I would just love if Auburn had an offense again. Like just an offense that can make place. Is that too much to ask for because it's been too long? Now, success and failures of the first scrimmage, it's not make or break or anything. But just as a fan base, it's a little tired. A fan base that's a little frustrated across the board with a lot of things happening in the major sports here at Auburn. Wouldn't that be nice? For the big takeaway for folks watching the closed practice on Thursday and the leaks and the rumors and the reports coming out, Byron Brown was incredible. I'm getting chills. I'm getting chills. That'd be super, super fun. But obviously that's tied to something, right? Which receiver could pop off? I'm predicting there's a guy that makes a catch or two that's like, OK, yeah, that's through. That was the receiver of the day. We kind of saw that in South Florida, different receivers shining in different moments. Some of that had to do with injury and availability and all that. But whether it's Jeremiah Koger, Chas Nimrod or Kishan Singleton or Bryce Cain, let's let somebody have a day. Let somebody have a day where it's like, yo, Brown to any of the receivers, name a receiver you want. They were unguardable Thursday night at the scrimmage under the lights for the first time at Jordan Hare Stadium. That'd be great. And I don't care who it is. I don't care if it's Koger. Look, I don't care if it's, you know, an out of this world performance by Christian Neptune, making all these cosmic catches all over the place. I just want to hear of a receiver kind of breaking out. I do expect the defense to perform well because that's just the nature of this. I think Mike G was on the show last week where we talked about, you know, just the natural progression of a team. The defense should be better than the offense right now. Especially in Auburn situation with DJ Durkin coming back in the court. This defense already knowing that we talked to Eric Winters earlier in the week. He's like, yeah, everything's slowing down because I already know the system. Now I can focus on the details. That's important. I expect the defense to win this, but I think the defense can win this. And still people walk away saying, yes, Byron Brown is the best quarterback we've had in several years and also saying, yes, some of these receivers are going to be ready. Some of these receivers are going to be a problem for opposing defenses. I think both of those things can happen at once. I'm excited to see if that's really what kind of leaks out tonight after the scrimmage. That would be super, super fun to see defensively. I do have a question and it's not even about the production because I think the production will be limited due to, you know, just the very nature of what the scrimmage is, but let's tackle that question in just a moment right here. Unlocked on Auburn. Today's show brought to you by our friends at TurboTax. It's tax time up for a lot of us. The whole way of doing taxes is a lot. 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I've been critical of the edge position. I will remain critical of the edge position until something happens. Wonder if Chris Murray participates. We probably won't learn that until we talk to Alex Gholish tomorrow afternoon. Think we got like an hour long press conference with Gholish tomorrow afternoon. Daryl and I will put something up from the athletic complex on that. But like, is Chris Murray has he earned that right to play yet? My guess is no. My guess is he won't scrimmage tonight. And if he does, you know, he might be with a second or third group that's in, which is fine. But curious to see how he does. But also I think the best case scenario is if folks walk away and reports of this are Jared Smith was incredible. The Auburn edge who on this show and other places kind of said, yo, Jared Smith, you are important. You taking that step is important. And we're seeing it more that strong side, the end of that true box standup rusher, which is fine, which is fine. But wouldn't it be great if, yo, the running game couldn't get outside because of Jared Smith? Wouldn't that be a great, great note to hear? Also, you know, I mean, Dashaun Womack, who's kind of been dubbed as a leader in this room. I think he's the only guy we've really talked to after practice. I'm thinking Chris Murray, but it wasn't through that. It was more just like, Hey, what's going on? Like JJ Faulk is in that room. We haven't heard from him, which a younger guy that makes sense. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, kind of seems like he's the leader in that room. And he, you know, I asked him, like, you know, what about Jared Smith? Like you have to, for people to talk about Jared Smith so far post practice, you have to ask specifically about him, which may not be important. That may not matter, but I do think it's worth noting. And so can Womack take that step forward? And then, you know, we've heard great things about JJ Faulk. He looks the part. Goodness gracious. He looks great. As far as, you know, the indie drill that we've seen, that was like my initial takeaway when Kyle and I recorded a show right after the viewing window earlier this week is how great JJ Faulk, number 18, how great he looks. And then also, you know, Je'Quest Wilkes, who's in that room as well. It's kind of the three of those guys. Womack, Wilkes, Faulk, kind of all rotating with those true edge guys, as far as like working on how to handle being blocked in certain types of situations. So, curious to see if we hear anything about what that edge rotation looks like. Probably won't get that note. Man, it's kind of a more detailed note that you got to like really look for and see, but we'll see what we'll see what trickles out. If anything, if anything trickles out tonight, but going into the scrimmage, those are my three biggest things that I hope occur. My biggest question is still edge. I also have questions about the offensive line still. I don't think that'll really go away until the season starts. I think the answer is there for the offensive line. I feel better about the offensive line than I did a few weeks ago. But I think there's still questions about pretty much everybody in that room just because there's so much newness, so many transfers, but would be great to get a report that they are doing well against a defensive front that is starting to win some people over. I'm just concerned about the pass rush. So we'll see. We'll see if anything comes out tonight. Darrell and I are waiting till as late as possible this evening to record. So we have everything that you guys will need tomorrow morning. And then of course, Darrell and I will record after Alex Gholish's press conference tomorrow afternoon. That should drop around four o'clock or so. No, I think he talks at four o'clock. So whatever that's done, we'll go outside. We'll record a show and we'll post it from the complex. So there you go. There you go. 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