Coach Kodi Burns: The Real A-Day MVP

The performance of Auburn’s receivers under Gus Malzahn has been mixed, at best. There’s no question that this group has been affected by difficulties at quarterback the past two years: without quality passing, the inability to catch is almost irrelevant, although Sean White’s performance in the 2015 Arkansas game demonstrates that the quarterbacks haven’t been the only issue.

Quality receiver depth has also been an issue. Although both Trooper Taylor and Dameyune Craig were excellent recruiters, neither were able to develop players.

Enter Kodi Burns, perhaps better known as Auburn’s quarterback turned receiver than as either recruiter or coach. In the seven years since he caught the first touchdown of Auburn’s 2010 National Championship victory, Burns has had a meteoric rise in the coaching ranks. He followed Malzahn to Arkansas State in 2012, came back to Auburn in 2013, then coached at Stanford, Middle Tennessee State, and Arizona State before coming back to Auburn in 2016. 

When he was hired to replace Coach Craig, there were those who thought this was just an example of Coach Malzahn staying in his comfort level. The performance of the receivers in 2016 was not encouraging. Despite the potential receiver talent on the Plains, would bringing a potential all star such as Jarrett Stidham be spoiled by a lack of well-developed weapons for him to throw to?

Auburn’s spring game was the Jarrett Stidham Show, no doubt about it. At Baylor in limited action, he threw for over 1,200 yards and 12 TD’s. Saturday, he threw for 267 yards—in one half. A drop, a fumble by running back Kam Martin, and a missed connection with Jason Smith hurt those stats as he should have had over 300 yards and two TD’s.

But, Stidham couldn’t have done it without his receivers. The nation’s best receiver group in the 2016 recruiting class struggled last season, but Saturday, Nate Craig-Myers, Darius Slayton, Will Hastings and oft-dismissed Marquis McClain shined. Stidham wasn’t live at quarterback, but his young receivers were, and they looked like the kind of NFL-quality weapons Stidham was used to throwing to at Baylor.

Last season, the receivers often appeared to be confused and hesitant at the point of attack. Yet these players were were dynamic, even dominating. Credit for that is almost assuredly due to their coach, Kodi Burns.

The player who, perhaps, speaks the loudest to coach Burns’ abilities is Will Hastings. He had seven catches for 75 yards, was the first player Stidham threw to in the game, and he was the player Stidham targeted when things got tough. The speedy slot man looked nearly untouchable, although he fumbled to end a promising drive, and seemed to be the perfect complement to the other receivers. Who would have though a converted kicker would be the go-to guy! But, who would know how to turn walk-ons into heroes better than Kodi Burns? 

Auburn has an experienced line and a loaded backfield. If the receivers can be competent, almost any good quarterback can succeed. Can Kodi Burns succeed where others failed and get those pass catchers ready? The answer Saturday was emphatically “yes,” which made Kodi Burns the real MVP on Saturday.

The post Coach Kodi Burns: The Real A-Day MVP appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.

from Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog http://bit.ly/2nFf6zS
via IFTTT