Auburn Gets Major Offensive Line Boost With Stanton Ramil Healthy

Stanton Ramil is healthy again.

Now, the Auburn Tigers finally get to see what their offensive line can become.

Ramil spent essentially the entire spring recovering from injury, leaving the Tigers without one of the players expected to become an important piece of their offensive line.

Auburn wasn't interested in rushing him back.

Even throughout fall camp, Tyler Hudanick, the team's offensive line coach, and Auburn's medical staff have carefully managed Ramil's workload to make sure he's ready when the Tigers actually need him. And it meant a lot to the veteran lineman. 

"I really appreciate that from the coaches, just like making sure that I'm there and I'm as healthy as possible," Ramil said.

Now? He feels "really, really good."

And Auburn has started taking some of the restrictions off.

Ramil received significant work during both of Auburn's scrimmages, giving him an opportunity to finally get extended reps after spending so much time watching.

"Every rep counts, especially when you know you're a bit limited at the start," Ramil said. "So, every rep you get, you can't really take for granted."

Ramil has primarily worked at right tackle after playing almost exclusively on the left side at Michigan State. It appears that Jo Simmons will play left tackle to begin the season. 

He doesn't really care where Auburn puts him.

"Whatever they need me to play is where I'll play," Ramil said.

And Auburn's offensive line around him is starting to come together, too.

Golesh has talked about how close the group has become throughout fall camp, while Ramil specifically pointed toward Cole Best and Cole Skinner as two important reasons Auburn's transfers have been able to learn the offense.

Both followed Golesh and Hudanick from USF.

Ramil called their presence "essential."

"They knew the system really, really well," Ramil said. "They're elite with their communication."

That matters even more considering what Auburn's offensive line has dealt with throughout camp.

DJ Durkin and the defense haven't exactly made things easy.

"A lot of pressures, you know, a lot of shifting, a lot of three down mixed into it," Ramil said. "Like you're not going against one picture."

Golesh has made the same point. Auburn's offensive line has spent weeks trying to block one of the deepest defensive fronts on the roster while simultaneously processing almost everything Durkin can throw at it.

This is a great problem to have because this offensive line probably won't see skill as good as Auburn's until midway through the season, when they take on the Georgia Bulldogs. 

Now Auburn gets to see if that work translates.

Jo Simmons has settled in at left tackle.

Best and Skinner have become leaders.

Jacob Strand has pushed himself into the competition inside. In fact, I believe that Strand has won the battle at left guard over transfer Deryc Plaz, one of the most interesting stories this fall camp. 

And Ramil is finally healthy enough to give Auburn the experienced right tackle it expected when he arrived.

There are still questions about Auburn's offensive line.

And possibly some concerns on how Golesh feels about the depth behind the starting five. However, the fact that Ramil is healthy enough to become part of the answer is a very big deal.