Lester making good impressions on new offensive coordinator

ATLANTA — It didn’t take long for Brad Lester to make an impression on new Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin.

It hardly took any time at all, in fact — less time than it took Franklin to learn Lester’s name.
All the coach needed to see was Lester’s No. 1 practice jersey — and his considerable skills.

“I can call them by number at times,” Franklin said. “Like, No. 1, he really stands out and flashes out.”

Standing out hasn’t been a problem for Lester, whose combination of quickness and power running seems to be perfect for Franklin’s spread offense.

Players say the spread, which will often feature four and five wide receivers, will prevent defenses from loading up against the run.

That’s music to the ears of Lester, who faced eight- and nine-man fronts on a regular basis this season. He still managed 473 yards on 111 carries, but few of those yards came easily.

He believes the spread can solve all of that.

“It’s great,” Lester said of the new scheme. “It gives me a lot of opportunities where I can get one-on-one with people.

“It’s going to be hard for people to put eight people in the box. That’s all I’ve been seeing since I’ve been here.”

Coaches and players are mostly staying quiet on exactly how much of Franklin’s offense has already been installed.

The bulk of the playbook will have to wait until spring football.

But AU will run at least some spread plays in the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Clemson on Monday.

Lester has been frantically studying his playbook since Franklin’s arrival. He likes what he sees — and so does Franklin.

“I feel like I’m learning very fast,” Lester said. “He came in with a lot of new plays, and I sat down with the coaches and my coach and tried to catch on to it real fast.

“We’re just going real hard at practice, and I seem to fit in real well.”

The new offense has Lester looking forward to next year, his senior season. That hasn’t always been the case.

He considered leaving school for the NFL Draft, but an academics-related suspension cost him the first five games of the season. He quickly regained the starting job when he returned, but he’s still splitting carries with sophomore Ben Tate.

Lester believes a full season in Franklin’s offense will give his professional prospects a big boost.

“With this new offense, I think it’s the best thing for me because it’s going to open up a lot more opportunities,” he said.

“I want to come back and get my degree. And I want to play under Coach Franklin and his new offense.”

By this time next year, Lester is sure, Franklin — and football fans across the Southeast — won’t have any problem remembering his name.

Play-calling still unclear: Auburn’s offensive assistant coaches are sticking to their normal gameday routine.  Franklin, like the departed Al Borges, prefers to coach from the sideline.

That leaves wide receivers coach Greg Knox and tight ends coach Steve Ensminger as the offensive coaches in the press box.

At various times during bowl practices, Tuberville and Franklin have suggested that every offensive assistant would have “input” into play-calling. AU’s coaches are staying quiet on who will actually make the calls.

“We’ll all have a hand in it,” Franklin said Saturday. “There will be lots of opinions. Somebody will make a final decision somewhere along the way.”

Davis ready to make impact: Tristan Davis is healthy. At last.

The junior running back has been plagued by injuries this season: A preseason foot injury cost him the first four games, and he promptly broke a toe against Florida, his first game back.

The second injury sidelined Davis until the Iron Bowl, but his return against Alabama wasn’t dramatic: He played some special teams and lined up deep on kickoffs, but never touched the ball.

Davis, an Atlanta native, is hoping he’ll have a bigger role Monday. He’s practicing with the first- and second-team offense this week and thinks he’ll play tailback and return kickoffs.

“I have some stuff left to prove between there and now,” he said.

Tuberville isn’t sure how much time Davis will see at tailback. But the coach is looking forward to seeing the speedster on special teams.

“We’ve got a lot of depth in that area,” Tuberville said. “We missed him in kickoff returns, and he’ll definitely (play) in that area.”

Davis is just happy to be back on the field. He hadn’t suffered a serious injury since breaking a shoulder in middle school.

And the foot injuries were even more frustrating.

He spent most of his time in the training room, while his teammates practiced and played.

“Rehab was the worst part of it,” Davis said. “Just not being to be out there with the team.”