Auburn Offensive Line Suffers Major Blow with Key Injury

The Auburn Tigers suffered a crushing loss as starting center Connor Lew will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Considering he’s a linchpin of the Tigers' offensive line, Lew's absence will create a void that will be difficult to fill. 

Lew suffered the injury during Saturday's game. In his postgame comments, head coach Hugh Freeze extolled the virtues of his center while looking forward. 

“We got banged up tonight, for sure. And obviously, when you lose a guy like Connor who battles for you against a really talented defense, it’s a challenge. I really don’t know how Kail performed. 

“Obviously, I think he’s going to be a really good football player. But, you know, you know, that was a huge loss to lose the leader of your O-line. He makes all protection calls and all the calls up there, run game, pass game. So that was a tough loss, for sure.”

Another discussion point for Lew will now be his draft stock. At this time, Lew is the top player at his position on the NFL Mock Draft Database. This injury could change that. Fortunately for Lew, he has another year of eligibility to come back and regain any potentially lost draft stock. 

The is the possibility that he utilizes the portal to get a fresh start. However, for the same reason he would stay in college, there is a chance he would stay on the Plains next season. 

As Freeze mentioned, true freshman Kail Ellis stepped in at the pivot. The true freshman from Cartersville, Ga., was ranked as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound blocker is tasked with taking the place of a standout center.

Ellis will not have any time to rest. This Saturday, Auburn lines up against Arkansas. His first test could be his largest. Arkansas redshirt sophomore Ian Geffrard, all 6-foot-4 and 387 pounds, will be looking to ruin Ellis' first collegiate start. 

On top of that, with Lew out for the season, the defensive coordinator could start to bolster their pass rush by sending a blitzer through either A gap. As a result, Ellis will need to identify the issue pre-snap and display the ability to call out line adjustments.

At 3-4 (0-4 in the SEC), Auburn needs to start stringing together wins to start the season. Facing an Arkansas team that already fired its head coach, the Tigers' offense, based on potential alone, could overwhelm the Hogs. We’ll have to see how Lew's absence affects the established chemistry of the group. 

Granted, no team surrendered more sacks in FBS (27), but Ellis could provide a spark. Moreover, Lew's injury could allow for more of a focus geared towards the rushing attack. Currently, the Tigers sit ninth in the SEC, averaging 162.1 yards. Meanwhile, Arkansas brings the 121st-ranked rush defense to the field. 

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