Takeaways: Luke Deal on unique Auburn fans, UMass improvement, Payton Thorne, Omari Kelly, and the run game

AUBURN — Auburn football senior tight end Luke Deal caught up with the media Monday to kick off game week coverage. Deal gave the thought process of the team heading into the first game. He can feel the excitement and appreciates the Auburn fan base.

“It’s really exciting, I know we have all heard the buzz around campus and fan base. Everybody is excited for this year. That every day grind of fall camp is finally over. Now we have turned into a new grind. Game planning is something that I am used to, some young guys are getting used to. I’m excited, I really am. We have a deep room and a fun room. I am excited for this week to be game week and trying to play against somebody else other than our own guys.”

Deal was asked about his thoughts on Payton Thorne being named the starting quarterback. Bottom line: Deal sees that Thorne is the best in the quarterback room at moving on past mistakes and righting wrongs on the field. He is collected all the time.

“I think if you’re going to be a quarterback in this league, you have to be confident. I think his confidence has definitely helped him out. His leadership ability, just being able to have a good play, have a bad play, then flush the bad play and have another good play to follow I think has been a huge part of his success and why he’s kind of in that role now. We are ready to follow him and you always need a quarterback who has a little bit of swagger in him. We have a room that has plenty of that. It has been exciting to watch.”

Deal feels as though the team is closer than they were in the spring. The progression of the relationships and getting to know the new faces is right on time. Because of that, the team is all on the same page and not looking past a game. They’re taking it week by week.

“Mine has really just been to live in the moment. Not to look ahead. I feel like in the past I have found myself looking ahead to this game or the season. How can we do this better in the future.. Really it has been preached to us and we have kind of bought into each and every as its own day. It is a day to get better and progress.“

“I feel like that has helped us on the field and off the field. I mentioned the relationship aspect of things and that is another big key to it. Taking each and every day and living in that moment. Having the positive outlook is what I’m taking away.”

Deal loves the potential of the Auburn running game. He is a big part of it, of course. Actually, when the offense was taken over by Cadillac Williams and Will Friend a year ago, Deal was the key piece of the running game. He was often the lead blocker. He will have a similar role, but thinks the running back room is as good as advertised.

“I think our running game is really good. I think you guys have seen it even in the past, there are some familiar names in that running back room who have done some really great things here at Auburn so far. Jarquez is an incredible back, Damari, Sean, even Jeremiah a young guy coming up. Battie. All of those guys are such talented players. I would lean on the side that we have a really good run game and we have seen production in the past. I’m excited to see how that works out against another team. Hopefully, our defense stops the run too against UMass.”

Where many fan bases may look past a game like UMass and forward to an SEC matchup, Deal feels Auburn’s fan base is unique and does not do that. The fan base is locked in and ready for UMass before anything else. That has had a real effect on the team.

“Just the excitement around campus, the excitement around this University, the fan base. There’s so much love being sent our way right now. So many people who are anticipating this first game. I feel like a lot of times with a culture and history that Auburn has, you kind of look forward to some of the later games or some of the prime-time games, this and that.”

“This University and this football team are really looking forward to one week at a time, the first time we can go out there and step on the field in front of 87-thousand something fans that are excited for this new era. I think there is definitely more buzz around and it has us excited for week one.”

What has Deal seen from this UMass team?

“They are a team that plays with really good effort. They do a lot of different things trying to create chaos as well in the run game and pass game. They’re going to play a few different coverages and they’re going to be who they are and stay true to their identity. And their guys are going to play hard. That is what I have seen especially out of those front 7 guys who play really hard. They bring a bunch of different looks at you, but we will be ready.”

Firstly, the team has gotten good at blocking out the outside noise. The outside noise right now, though, is as positive as Deal has experienced in his time at Auburn. So, the team is listening to it and appreciating it. Deal also appreciates some of the bad times he has been a part of at Auburn.

I think the Auburn family has helped us out with that. In the past, there has been some of that leak in from the outside, like ok, we’re looking forward to LSU, Georgia, Bama, and all of that. The Auburn family is excited for week one, they’re excited for UMass. All the season ticket holders, the records that are being broken. Obviously we don’t listen to too much outside noise, but you hear some of it. It’s helped to have the support of the Auburn family by looking at week one and week one alone.“

“Honestly just respecting every team. I watch UMass and I can tell you they are a team that has progressed from last year to this year. So, just respect every team and usually don’t listen to the outside noise. Right now, the outside noise is saying we are excited for UMass, so we will listen to that.“

“I think in this era of college football, there is so much change already. For us as players of this great University, you have seen such a historic University go through a lot of change. I think it is a matter of how we take it and perceive it. A lot of people see it as a negative thing..“

“We can talk about all of the negative things that have happened in the past couple of years. For me, I have gotten to play for some great coaches, I have played for the best coaches in college football. I’ve played for the best fans in college football and I have another year to do that. We are a team who has grown closer through the chaos and quieted all of that chaos throughout the entire offseason. I think it has shaped our team and made us stronger. We are excited just to take it one game at a time.“

Deal was asked about Omari Kelly, who was listed as one of the top receivers on the first official depth chart. Yes, Deal thinks he is good, but he finds it more important what Kelly’s personality does for the receiver room and the offense.

“Omari is a playmaker. When he first stepped on campus I remember vividly seeing him make plays. His speed, watching him run down on kick off for the first time, I was like ‘man, this guy has some wheels, I would like some of those, I would like to be able to run as fast as him, I can’t.’ He’s a playmaker. But, more than that, he is a really good morale-booster around the locker room. He is always got energy.”

“The guys in that receiver room, there are a couple of them who bring that energy and he is one of those guys. When we need a play, every time we need something and we are flat or go through the motions, he is one of the guys who helps get us out of that. That speaks a lot to his character, his personality, and the energy he brings to the football team.“

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