AUBURN, Ala. - Darvin Adams couldn't crack the rotation last season in an Auburn receiving corps that certainly could have used the help.

Then he was overshadowed in the offseason by much talked about freshmen Emory Blake and DeAngelo Benton, not to mention Montez Billings' academic issues or Tim Hawthorne's broken foot.

Adams is getting plenty of attention now.

Against West Virginia, the Harrison High School graduate became the first Auburn receiver with three touchdown catches in a game since Alexander Wright had four against Pacific 20 years earlier.

To recap: Three touchdowns in a game. Three catches all of last season.

Adams is better at catching balls than bragging about himself despite his emerging role.

"Anybody dreams about having a night like that," he said. "That wasn't all me. It takes a lot for our offensive line to go out there and protect Chris like that and just Chris having the faith in me to throw me the ball."

So far he has merited that faith. Adams leads the Tigers with 15 catches for 261 yards and four touchdowns. That yardage total would have placed him just 71 yards behind last year's leader Rod Smith.

His teammates and receivers coach Trooper Taylor noticed the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Adams during spring practice.

"We knew in the spring he was the real deal. He has a knack for getting open, and he's so long," tight end Tommy Trott said. "He gets the balls you don't think he's going to get to. He's real good, he runs good routes, and he's very sure-handed."

Benton and Blake, meanwhile, have yet to catch a pass. Last year's No. 2 receiver Billings left the team before his four-game suspension for an academic issue had run its course, and Hawthorne just returned from that foot injury against West Virginia.

Then there's Adams. He has had four, five and six catches in the Tigers' three games leading up to Saturday's visit from Ball State. Last season all three of his catches for 18 yards came against Tennessee-Martin.

Most of his action in 10 games came on special teams.

"Sometimes you have to sit back and wait your turn," Adams said. "Last year, I tried to help the team out on special teams as a freshman. I was just waiting for my turn to go out there."

Adams shrugs off his most impressive-looking touchdown catch from quarterback Chris Todd. He reached up a hand as the ball arrived in a no-look grab. He believes he then brought his other hand up to clutch it but it's kind of fuzzy now.

"Chris just put it there. I guess he had that trust in me and he knew I would make a play," Adams said. "By the time he threw it and by the time I looked, it was already in my face. We have a drill that we do with coach Troop, it's called 'Facemask.' The ball's right there in my facemask and I just stuck my hands up."

Todd said there are several reasons why Adams has so quickly become his favored target.

"He's a really good route runner," the quarterback said. "He's really quick, in and out of his cuts. He's extremely rangy as well. There's a lot of target area to throw the football and he can really go up and get some balls."