AUBURN, Ala. — In practice, Auburn wide receiver Trovon Reed has all the moves. The 2010 Thibodaux High graduate jukes. He jives. He makes people miss.
Auburn wide receiver Trovon Reed, a former Thibodaux High standout, fields a punt as assistant coach Trooper Taylor looks on during an Aug. 4 practice in Auburn, Ala.
"I'd like to say I have a drill for that, but I don't," wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor said. "He was born with that. Just being honest with you, in space, he can make things happen."
Auburn fans hope they can see it for themselves this fall.
It's one of the longest-awaited debuts in recent memory for Auburn. Sure, the electric 6-foot, 183-pound Reed got on the field last year, but only for two snaps before a bothersome knee injury kept him on the sideline during the Tigers' national championship run.
Now, nearly a year after he first hurt his left knee, Reed is prepared to be the offensive play-maker the Tigers expected when the plucked him out of Thibodaux, as the top-ranked recruit from Louisiana in 2010.
"On kickoff return, on punt return, reverses — we're going to find ways to get Trovon Reed the football, as long as he can understand the mental side of it," Taylor said.
Reed has done a good job of flying under the radar this August. Despite repeated interview requests, he's yet to speak to reporters. In fact, dating back to last fall, he's done only one interview, showing up during a quick post-scrimmage scrum in the spring, probably not totaling more than two minutes.
Maybe it's a superstition. Reed, who was recently named to scout.com's preseason all-redshirt freshman team, was the talk of training camp last year, a freshman who coaches felt could contribute right away in a number of roles.
But Reed, who had an MCL tear in high school, bruised his knee cap during August practice, an injury that never fully healed. He called it "a minor setback for a major comeback" at the time.
He gave it a go against Clemson in the third week, getting two carries as a Wildcat quarterback. The first went for 6 yards, the second for 2.
It'd be the last time he was on the field, however. The injury was too painful and restricting. He couldn't cut like he wanted to. Lacking that elusiveness, Auburn's coaches thought it best to shut him down and seek a medical redshirt.
Reed didn't re-emerge until after the national title hoopla, when coaches again witnessed a healthy Reed making what offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn called "wow plays" in the spring.
By all accounts, he's carried it over to August, a prime candidate to be the Tigers' starting slot receiver, punt returner and Wildcat quarterback.
Of course, he has to stay healthy. Taylor has a saying for those kind of players, calling them a limo with no gas.
But Taylor has seen a different mentality out of the receiver.
"Trovon's grown up a bunch," Taylor said. "For him, just that one year of experience, even though he didn't get to play much, but being in that game, he understands what it takes."
There remain hurdles. Because of his relatively small size, Reed is going to be challenged as a blocker, usually going up against linebackers with 30 pounds on him. It's a role slot receiver Kodi Burns filled well last year, keeping him on the field despite having so few receptions.
Taylor doesn't doubt Reed's ability to get the job done, however.
"Trovon is such a competitor, he's going to go out and give it his best," he said. "I'm excited about that."
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