Auburn is "a little closer" to deciding its starting offensive line.
Gus Malzahn said the Tigers aren't prepared to make a call just yet immediately following their second scrimmage of fall camp, but Kaleb Kim was at center with Mike Horton at right guard and Jack Driscoll and Austin Troxell split time at right tackle on Wednesday.
"It's more one of those things where you say, 'How many guys do you have that can help this first game?'" Malzahn said. "Depth wise, you've got to start with that. I think we're getting real close to saying who can play the very first game.
"If this guy goes down, who's the next guy? I think we're close to that. As far as the starters, there'll be some discussion. (Offensive coordinator) Chip (Lindsey) and (offensive line coach) J.B. (Grimes) will communicate. This scrimmage was very important. I think it'll give us some good information."
Since the first scrimmage, Horton has been almost exclusively at guard and Kim has been at center.
"He's getting a lot of reps to show what he can do," Malzahn said of Kim. 'You can tell he's improved."
Redshirt-freshman center Nick Brahms did not take part in Wednesday's scrimmage, but Calvin Ashley did.
Though Driscoll, a grad transfer from UMass, had been working with the first-team offense earlier this week with Troxell behind him, Malzahn said the battle "kind of evened" out.
"Both of them have been with the (first-team) for multiple days and all that," Malzahn said. "After this scrimmage we have more information, but right now they've both got equal opportunities to work with the ones."
H-back Chandler Cox felt the offensive line did well in the first scrimmage and is confident about how the unit will do.
"They're doing a very good job," Cox said. 'We had some film breakdown from the first scrimmage and the defense was twisting and stuff; our offense was picking it up. That early in fall camp for the O-line to do that, that was very good, very positive to see."
James Crepea is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @JamesCrepea.
from Auburn Sports Impact http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2018/08/auburn_a_little_closer_to_dete.html
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