Jeremiah Wright happy to be solidified on the offensive line: 'I want to be one of the greats'
AUBURN – Jeremiah Wright has spent his three year Auburn career bouncing around from offensive line to defensive line. Now, sporting a new number (77), Wright is permanently with the offensive line.
It was his choice, too.
Mainly playing the left guard spot, he’s thankful to be settled at a position, finally. He actually had the opportunity to move back to the defensive line, but felt as though he found a groove at guard. He’s ready to carry that over to a big junior season.
Wright still has some little things to clean up, he says, but he is comfortable with his position.
And, he has big goals.
“It’s pretty cool. I talked, prayed with my mom and grandma, went through everything,” Wright said. “They just said follow my heart and that’s what I wanted to do, to stay back on the offensive line. Now just get my footwork, technique down and everything. I want to be one of the greats to do it so that’s what I do.”
Thornton impressed with Wright
Wright maintains that while some of the wording and teaching points from new offensive line coach Jake Thornton are different, the scheme is similar. He is comfortable with the terminology and his assignment.
Thornton has not been shy about what he thinks of Wright so far.
“He said I could be one of the most dominant offensive linemen in this league right now,” Wright said. “I just try to take it day by day and make sure I’m doing everything I can with recovery and with my body, getting my weight down, making sure my technique and fundamentals are good, making the correct calls and just taking over.”
Wright was flagged a few times in 2022 for his tendency to keep blocking after the whistle. That is a personality trait that Thornton does not want to go away.
Wright is working to keep it within the confines of the rules, but that mean streak is not going anywhere, guaranteed.
“I don’t even know where it comes from,” Wright said. “My mom is real hard on me, mom and grandma, they’re real hard on me. So when I’m on the field it’s like a different person. You’re going to know I’m there. I’m going to get on the field first play, and I’m going to talk, I love to talk. I’m going to talk and back it up. It’s very different for me.”
