Auburn Football: The Five Biggest Stories of Fall Camp Week 1

Dec 7, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Auburn Tigers defensive back Jermaine Whitehead (9) runs off the field with teammates after catching an interception against the Missouri Tigers during the second quarter of the 2013 SEC Championship game at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

4. The Secondary is Coming Together

By far, the biggest concern for Auburn on defense heading into the 2013 season was the defensive backfield. Now, the unit may be one of the strongest on the field. Mincy, though he will not start against Arkansas, is one of the most experienced cornerbacks in the SEC and should be a better than average player at the field corner position.

Joshua Holsey, who suffered a torn ACL last year while playing safety, has recovered quickly and has impressed Ellis Johnson and the rest of the Auburn coaching staff this summer. It appears now that Holsey has a stranglehold on the boundary corner position, which is a great sign for the secondary as a whole. With Holsey able to concentrate on playing cornerback, the safety positions become clear.

More from Auburn Football

• Ex-star Auburn DL confronts ‘slant man’ in MNF post-game video
• Ex-Auburn star laments not getting to face fellow Heisman candidate
• Analyst expects third-year RB to take AU rushing lead from surprising transfer
• Hugh Freeze was the right hire to truly embrace Auburn
• Auburn football Jack LB: ‘We’ve got to earn our respect back’

Holsey’s biggest competition for the starting role is Trovon Reed, the former wide receiver. Reed has great skill for the position, but must re-adjust to defense. He has also missed practice time during camp with an injury. Jonathan Jones will provide depth and will see plenty of playing time.

Jermaine Whitehead will be back at field safety, and junior college transfer Derrick Moncrief slides into the starting spot at boundary safety. The pair should be one of the best in the SEC. Johnathan Ford and Brandon King will be solid backups.

The Star position is also settled with Robenson Therezie and Justin Garret firmly established as the starter and number two on the depth chart. Overall, the group has much more depth than it did entering last season.