Gene Chizik calls the first few months for his freshmen players a “whirlwind.”

Over the last few weeks, it’s become clear that speedy Travante Stallworth has weathered the storm and is on his way to a larger role in the Auburn offense not just this season, but in the years ahead.

“Travante is the kind of guy that really has come along and he gets the big picture,” Chizik said. “He understands where he can fit on our special teams. He understands his role offensively better than he did when he got here.”

Stallworth’s role has increased at the expense of fellow freshman Onterio McCalebb, whose role as household speedster/motion man in the Tigers’ offense was slowly whittled down in the past few weeks and completely gone last week against Ole Miss because of a nagging ankle injury.

Chizik said Wednesday that McCalebb is considered “day-by-day” for Saturday’s game against Furman, though he speculated Sunday that an extra week of rest is a possibility.

Stallworth carried the ball twice on speed sweeps in Saturday’s second half against the Rebels, gaining 22 yards and picking up first downs both times. The second run basically clinched the game for Auburn, setting the Tigers up for three more short runs and a victory kneel-down.

He’d ran the ball just once in his Auburn career before, nearly a month prior against Tennessee, to go along with the two catches he made against Ball State.

“I was kind of surprised that (offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn) wanted me to try to do that,” Stallworth said. “It just shows that he has great confidence in me handling the ball and all the players were excited.”

Stallworth came to Auburn raw, playing a mobile quarterback for Leesville High School in Louisiana. That learning curve in making the transition to wide receiver has required him to repeatedly stay late after practice, running routes and catching balls from the JUGS machine.

It’s paid off.

“He is assuming the roles that he needs to assume to help us win,” Chizik said. “He understands that. I think he has grown up. He is maturing, even though he is a young kid, as a football player.”

Praise for Sullen
Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes said Auburn native John Sullen is still a work in progress when it comes to being an SEC-caliber offensive lineman, but his efforts on special teams have caught his eye.

Sullen serves as one of the three players in the halo that protects punter Clinton Durst from rushing defenders and is a guard on Auburn’s PAT and field goal teams.

“That’s a very underappreciated role, but he and Jorell Bostrom have done a tremendous job in our field goal protection,” Grimes said. “If you haven’t ever done it, you can’t have an appreciation for what it’s like to play guard on the field goal team.”

Sullen dropped 30 pounds by the season opener, but he’s still one of the biggest players on the team.

“In most situations, they’re going to put their two or three most physical guys they have on defense and just try to run you smooth over,” Grimes said. “You’ve got to have a guy that’s big enough, stout enough and tough enough to hang in there and not get knocked back. At times, you’ve got to take one for the team.”

Talking about it
Chizik said he plans to discuss a way of honoring safety Zac Etheridge, who tore ligaments in his neck and cracked his C5 vertebra against Ole Miss — ending his season and potentially his career — with the team’s seniors.

Some players suggested Tuesday that they hope to wear a patch of some kind.

“I’m going to talk to the seniors and see what we can do within the regulations and the rules of the NCAA,” Chizik said. “Certainly, it would be something that would be the right thing to do.”

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