Mario Fannin knows a thing or two about being a running back, so it might be best to hear him out when discussing one of the most intriguing new players in Auburn's fall football camp. Fannin says freshman Ladarious Phillips, who looks like a lineman at 290 pounds but played fullback the first week of fall drills, may indeed be his running mate on occasion this season. Fannin, the starting tailback, smiles at the prospect.
"He's going to shock a lot of people because he's so big, but he's so athletic,'' Fannin said. "He's a guy who can get out of the backfield and catch it. He'll catch it one-handed. I've seen it.''
Running backs coach Curtis Luper says Phillips can stand flat-footed and do a back flip. He can also dunk.
Phillips rushed for 3,000 yards and 49 touchdowns and also played in the defensive line for three at Handley High School in Roanoke. He publicly showed up on the Auburn recruiting board on signing day.
"You just can't pass on a young man who's 45 minutes away, and he's that athletic,'' Luper said.
The question is what happens next. He could be a crowd-favorite fullback. Or a defensive lineman. Even offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's rich playbook doesn't have a chapter for a 290-pound fullback. But Malzahn, like Fannin, is intrigued.
"We're still learning about him and his skills,'' Malzahn said. "He's a load and he's got running back feet. He probably needs to lose a little bit of weight, but still, he's very athletic.
"You can tell that he wants to be good. It's important to him. He's one of those guys who has a chance.
"We'll see about how he responds once scrimmages start.''
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