AUBURN, Ala. — Suspended Auburn quarterback Tyrik Rollison won’t be allowed to practice this December and will not make the trip to the Outback Bowl, Auburn coach Gene Chizik said Saturday.
Rollison, a true freshman seen as one of the top contenders for the Tigers’ 2010 starting quarterback job, was suspended Dec. 3 for an unspecified violation of team rules. He remains a member of the team, Chizik said.
Asked whether the punishment was his decision, Chizik said, “Every decision is my part.”
Rollison redshirted this season but was in uniform for every game.
The 6-foot, 194-pound freshman from Sulphur Springs, Texas, was considered one of the jewels of the Tigers’ 2009 recruiting class, added after Chizik and his staff came on board at Auburn.
Three quarterbacks took reps during a portion of practice open to the media Saturday: starter Chris Todd, backup Neil Caudle and Barrett Trotter, a sophomore who missed the season with a torn knee ligament. Trotter worked at full speed.
Freshman Clint Moseley was also at practice but finished his portion of drills before the media arrived.
AU gets 23rd commitment
Woodlawn High athlete Chris Davis out of Birmingham became Auburn’s 23rd commitment for 2010 Saturday.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Davis ran for 870 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. He had five interceptions on defense.
He also had offers from South Carolina, Kentucky, Southern Miss and UAB.
Davis is Auburn’s 10th commit for 2010 from Alabama.
Wildcat trial
Several players took snaps out of the Wildcat formation Saturday, including a newcomer to the role: true freshman Onterio McCalebb.
Kodi Burns and Ben Tate also took snaps as a Wildcat quarterback, although both have done it in games this year. Burns has been Auburn’s primary Wildcat option all season. Tate took several direct snaps against Alabama in the season finale.
McCalebb, who battled an ankle injury for most of the season, is usually the Tigers’ speed sweep option out of the Wildcat. He and Tate alternated that role during reps Saturday.
No contact
Running back Mario Fannin wore an orange non-contact jersey Saturday as a precaution after he suffered a stinger in the Iron Bowl.
Fannin, a junior, took a hard hit from Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain just before halftime. The hit stood him straight up before he gathered himself and secured the ball.
“I didn’t get knocked out,” Fannin said. “It just kind of made me stop, and I wanted to make sure I still had the ball until they blew the whistle.”
Fannin doesn’t know how long he would be held out of contact.
“They’re just trying to keep it under wraps right now,” he said.
Senior send-off
Auburn’s coaches planned to hold a banquet for their seniors Saturday night. The awards passed out were voted on by the players, which Chizik called, “the ultimate compliment.”
“This is kind of the first go-round with this, and it’s something I strongly believe in with the recognition of the seniors and all they’ve put into Auburn,” Chizik said. “It’s recognition of guys who have really done some neat things, whether it’s guys that academically have really stayed on top of their work with certain GPAs or have graduated early or will graduate next week. It’s recognition of guys who really deserve it.”
E-Mail
Print
