Will Auburn 'FINALLY' Have A Big-Play Passing Attack?

How many big passing plays will the Tigers have this season?

Nov 4, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze walks the sideline / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Is it finally time for Auburn's passing game to start taking off?

Here are a few ways to examine the statistics and possibilities via CFB Stats. Note that Auburn's receiver corps is vastly different than last season. It's not just four incoming freshmen led by Cam Coleman either.

The Transfer Portal will bring two new pass catchers including former Penn State player KeAndre Lambert-Smith. He's coming off a 2023 season with 53 receptions, 673 yards, 12.7 yards, and 4 touchdowns.

For Auburn's 2024 passing game, here are two questions to think about.

1) Will Auburn consistently hit big plays or will it just be against mediocre to inferior opponents?

One of the reasons Auburn came away from 2023 with only 31 passing plays of 20 or more yards would be the lack of production in big games. The Alabama game, in particular, was atrocious. At halftime, Auburn's scoreboard showed the Tigers with a total of 20 passing yards.

You read that correctly. With the added wide receiver talent and having two veteran tight ends in Rivaldo Fairweather and Luke Deal, there's reason to believe better defenses on Auburn's 2024 schedule will still not be able to completely take away Auburn's deep shots.

2) How about passing plays that travel at least 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage?

Those chunk-yardage plays help to keep drives going, place points on the board, and change momentum. What do you think about the following Auburn poll regarding this subject?

How much better will Auburn's passing game be this season? After just 31 passes of 20 or more yards in 2023, how many will Auburn create in 2024?👇#WarEagle

— Auburn Daily (@TheAuburnDaily) May 19, 2024

Payton Thorne connecting on seam passes, post routes, and more will be easier. Not all of them are going to be touchdowns, but Auburn fans should expect a higher volume of passing plays where the football travels at least 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage before it's caught.

The prime reason why stems from the number of options the Tigers possess. Auburn will rotate a much more talented group of pass catchers in and out of the lineup. That's going to keep the pressure on opposing defenses.