This Saturday we will finally see the fruits of Auburn football’s labor from spring practice.

Things are going to look very different in the Bryan Harsin era, especially on the offense. Harsin, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and tight ends coach Brad Bedell have moved to a pro style offense with an emphasis placed on tight ends. This A-Day presents Auburn football with a very unique opportunity to showcase new talent not only at tight end but at wide receiver as well. The departures of Eli Stove, Seth Williams and Anthony Schwartz give young eager players their chance at starting.

Here’s three players who have made headlines throughout spring practice and deserve to be on your radar come Saturday:

Ja'Varrius Johnson

Harsin and Bobo had very high praise for the sophomore wide receiver in March. Harsin described Johnson as one of the more consistent players throughout spring practice and praised him for his ability to, “come off the ball and be an explosive player.” Bobo also praised Johnson for his consistency and described, “his ability to get off the ball with speed and urgency has put pressure on the defense.”

Johnson arrived to Auburn with a pelvis injury in 2019 which continued to affect him last season. He says he’s finally healthy and that the biggest obstacle he’s had to overcome this spring is moving from flanker to slot. He’s known wide receivers coach Cornelius Williams since his freshman year of high school and discussed with media on Monday that Auburn’s wide receiver room is “mindblown” at how open the playbook is for the Tigers now. The wide receiver corps has been working on running a variety of different routes at different depths this spring. Johnson said that creating space and running better routes is something he’s been working very hard on.

For Johnson, it sounds like he’s done a phenomenal job at making adjustments. As a high school senior at Hewitt Trussville he recorded 87 receptions for 1,683 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Brandon Frazier

Luke Deal said that sophomore tight end Brandon Frazier is “thriving” and is quicker after improving his hands and feet. Deal said he was quiet last year but is catching on to things extremely well. At 6’7′ 270 pounds Frazier is tied for tallest player on the roster. His size and ability make him a matchup nightmare for defenders. Frazier missed the first six games in 2020 after sustaining an injury late in preseason practice. Last season he returned to record two receptions for 13 yards. As a high school senior at McKinney North he recorded 40 receptions for 879 yards and 7 scores. Now healthy, Frazier is assured to be one of many tight ends to contribute on the field for the Tigers.

Auburn tight end Brandon Frazier (87) reaches for a pass against Mississippi State during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, in Starkville, Miss. Auburn won 24-10. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Luke Deal

Sophomore tight end Luke Deal explained to media on Monday that there has been quite a learning curve for Auburn’s tight ends when it comes to adapting to the new pro style offense, but Deal said he’s eager to play fullback. His biggest focus this spring has been on getting faster and he received first team reps in Auburn’s open practice last month. Tight end coach Brad Bedell said Deal has been “superb” this spring. In 2020 Deal recorded two receptions for 11 yards. As a high school senior at Emerald High he recorded 742 passing yards for eight touchdowns and 332 rush yards for seven scores as well as 9 receptions.