Auburn Football: Defensive Depth Chart Projections – Buck
Oct 5, 2013; Auburn, AL, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Bo Wallace (14) is tackled by Auburn Tigers defensive end Carl Lawson (55) during the first half at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Carl Lawson
Muschamp didn’t mention many current Auburn Tigers in his first meeting with the media in early December, but one came to mind when he was asked about the state of the Tigers’ defense in 2014.
“When you lose a guy like Carl Lawson, a pass rusher like that, that is going to affect your coaching ability, I can tell you that right now,” Muschamp said, alluding to the ACL injury that sidelined the potential All-SEC performer for the entire season.
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Listed at 6-foot-2 and 261 pounds, Lawson is a near carbon copy of Fowler. He’s also extremely talented.
A five-star recruit from the state of Georgia in 2013, Lawson made an immediate impact as a true freshman with 20 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, seven quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles in a reserve role.
Unfortunately, Lawson suffered a knee injury in spring practice that ended his 2014 season before it began.
With Lawson on the shelf, the Tigers struggled all season to create a consistent pass rush, forcing only 21 sacks in 13 games. Failing to pressure opposing quarterbacks is a big reason the Tigers ranked ninth in the SEC in total defense (388.7 yards per game), and 13th in pass defense (239.2 yards per game).
With Lawson in the mix at Buck as a redshirt sophomore in 2015, there’s a lot of optimism those numbers will look much better next season.
Next: Casanova McKinzy