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Auburn Football: Defensive Depth Chart Projections – Safety

Nicholas Ian Allen
Nicholas Ian Allen

Fly War Eagle

Aug 30, 2014; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers defensive back Johnathan Ford (23) walks onto the field prior to the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

In the final installment of our initial 2015 Auburn football defensive depth chart projections, we take a look at the safety position. If you missed anything so far, they can be accessed here:

As far as safety goes, new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has a slightly different philosophy than former DC Ellis Johnson. Under Johnson, the Tigers flipped safeties based on the alignment of the football – moving one player to the field (or wide) side of the playing field and one to the boundary (short) side if the ball was on a hash mark instead of in the middle of the field.

Therefore, Jermaine Whitehead started the season at field safety, while Rudy Ford primarily played boundary safety.

With Muschamp now calling the defense, the Tigers will implement a free safety and a strong safety, though the two positions are more interchangeable in Muschamp’s defense than most units that make such a distinction.

While stopping the run is priority number one for Muschamp, and both safeties must be strong tacklers that can play close to the line of scrimmage, both must also be athletic enough to cover receivers one-on-one.

Perhaps more important to Muschamp than the physical abilities of his safeties however are the mental aspects of the position.

In a recent interview with Charles Goldberg of auburntigers.com, former Auburn football player and current NFL defensive back Jerraud Powers shared some of his experiences with Muschamp, who was the defensive coordinator for the Tigers in 2006-07 when Powers was on campus.

“He was my coordinator the two years he was there, and he just brought a toughness to us and a confidence to us. We thought when we got on the field that there was nobody better on the field better than us,” Powers said.

It’s that confidence that will play the biggest role in turning around a Tigers defense that was historically bad in 2014.

The Auburn football team has surrendered 31 points or more to seven consecutive FBS opponents for the first time in school history and the Tigers ranked 13th in the SEC in pass defense last season by allowing 230.1 passing yards per game.

It’ll take time for the Tigers to become a great defense, but Powers thinks Muschamp will make an immediate impact.

“I think the defense will be night and day from what it was. I know everybody thinks he’s going to come in and be the savior and we’re going to jump to the No. 1 defense immediately. It’s going to take time, but I do think he’ll make an immediate impact. People will see a difference,” Powers said.

So, who should we expect to see on the Auburn defensive depth chart at safety heading into spring practice? Let’s take a look

Next: Tray Matthews

Sep 28, 2013; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs safety Tray Matthews (28) breaks up a pass intended for LSU Tigers wide receiver Kadron Boone (86) in the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia won 44-41. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Tray Matthews

An early favorite to start and one of the new faces in the Auburn secondary in 2015 will be Tray Matthews, who joined the Tigers in the summer of 2014 after he was dismissed from Georgia.

Matthews started six games at free safety for the Bulldogs as a true freshman in 2013. He recorded 36 total tackles with an interception and a forced fumble in eight contests. Matthwes was named the most improved defensive player the following spring, but was released from his scholarship a few months later.

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Because he had to sit out the season due to transfer rules, Matthews contributed on the scout team instead of the playing field in 2014. More importantly, Matthews received a fresh start at Auburn and impressed his new teammates immediately.

“He told us he took an honest, hard look at us coming out,” defensive tackle Gabe Wright said in July 2014. “The hardest thing for me would be to sit out a year. He’s definitely working hard. He’s the first guy to workouts and practices. I think he’s going to fit in well.”

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds, Matthews was a consensus four-star prospect coming out of Newnan High School in Georgia. He’s got experience starting in the SEC, but also has a year under his belt getting to know Auburn and his teammates.

Now Matthews has an opportunity to become a part of the Tigers turnaround on defense in 2015.

Next: Rudy Ford

Johnathan “Rudy” Ford

The Auburn defense struggled mightily in 2014 – especially in the second half of the season. However, there were some very pleasant surprises. Johnathan Ford ranks among the best.

No one expected Ford to beat out junior college transfer Derrick Moncrief for the starting spot at boundary safety last season, much less go on to become the team’s leading tackler. However, Ford did exactly that.

A converted running back, Ford took advantage of an injury to Moncrief in fall camp and seized the top spot on the depth chart for the season opener against Arkansas. He never relinquished it and started all 13 games for the Tigers.

The 6-foot, 199-pound rising junior went on to amass 93 total tackles, including 62 unassisted stops, with 2.5 tackles for a loss, half a sack, a forced fumble and three interceptions.

One of the fastest players on the roster, Ford closes on receivers and ball carriers with great quickness. And he can provide big hits too.

“He’s fast. Everybody knows that,” cornerback Jonathan Jones said during the season. “He flies to the football. If you didn’t know, by some of his hits you’d think he’s always played defense.”

Because of his speed, Ford may actually be a candidate to transition to cornerback under new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. But, he’s now comfortable at safety and will likely get the first crack to retain his starting spot there in 2015.

Next: Joshua Holsey and Derrick Moncrief

Aug 30, 2014; Auburn, AL, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks receiver Cody Hollister (81) catches a pass as Auburn Tigers defensive back Jonathon Mincy (6) and Derrick Moncrief (24) make the tackle during the second half at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Joshua Holsey and Derrick Moncrief

Two players capable of starting at safety – or maybe even at another position on the 2015 Auburn defense – are Joshua Holsey and Derrick Moncrief.

Holsey, a rising senior with 18 career starts under his belt, played safety primarily last season. He filled in for senior Jermaine Whitehead during a mid-season suspension and earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his 11-tackle performance against Kansas State.

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Overall, the 5-foot-11, 192-pound Georgia native started seven of the 12 games his played last season and had 41 tackles. However, because of the lack of experience returning at cornerback, Holsey may be asked to return to corner.

Ideally, Holsey (or Ford) will make the switch back to corner and give the Tigers two senior starters at the position. Either way, expect the versatile defender to contribute a lot in the secondary next season.

RELATED: The Importance of Cover Corners in a Will Muschamp Defense

Moncrief also saw significant playing time at safety in 2014, and played some Star as well in Ellis Johnson’s 4-2-5 scheme. The 6-foot-2, 218-pound junior college transfer played in all 13 games and tallied 27 tackles – five of which came covering kicks on special teams.

Looking ahead to next season, with safety being one of the deepest positions on the roster and with Muschamp intent on putting the best 11 players on the field at the same time, there could be a position change in order for Moncrief as well. Purely speculating, the Plattville, Alabama native may be a candidate to move to outside linebacker.

Moncrief has the size for the position and would give the Tigers a big boost in team speed if he can handle the transition. But if he stays at safety, Moncrief will compete again for a starting spot and will certainly be in the rotation.

Next: Stephen Roberts and Markell Boston

Nov 30, 2013; Auburn, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron (10) is sacked by the Auburn Tigers defense during the second quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Stephen Roberts and Markell Boston

Two players that should see an increased role next season are 2014 recruits Stephen Roberts and Markell Boston. Both were in line to make big contributions last year, but were slowed by injuries in August.

“We were really pleased with Boston, then he got hurt,” former defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said during fall camp in 2014. “We were really pleased with Roberts, then he got hurt. That’s hard for a freshman, because when you are in the middle of installing things and they miss it, it can really be hard for them to catch up. I have confidence Roberts will get back in the swing of things, and he’ll be right back in it when he gets healthy.”

As a backup free safety, Roberts recorded three total tackles in 11 appearances as a true freshman and forced a fumble against Louisiana Tech. At 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, Roberts is a little on the small side for an ideal safety, but he’ll continue to develop physically.

Boston didn’t see the field a true freshman in 2014. A right leg injury forced him to redshirt instead. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Boston has the model frame for a safety, and he should fit well into defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson’s rotation.

He hasn’t had a chance to prove it yet, but the Tigers believe Boston has big play ability. As a senior at East Coweta High School in Georgia, Boston recorded 105 tackles and four interceptions – two of which were returned for touchdowns.

Next: Tim Irvin and Jordan Colbert

Jan 1, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Wisconsin Badgers offensive line and Auburn Tigers defensive line on the line of scrimmage during the first quarter in the 2015 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

True Freshmen Tim Irvin and Jordan Colbert

Despite the depth at the position, two true freshman safeties could make an impact in 2015.

Tim Irvin is an early enrollee from South Florida that will go through spring practice, giving him an early opportunity to impress the new coaching staff. And as AL.com’s Joel A. Erickson pointed out Monday, Irvin’s signing showed a shift in the recruiting philosophy in terms of the defensive backs targeted to join the Auburn football program under Muschamp and T-Rob.

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With Ellis Johnson leading the defense, the Tigers didn’t sign a secondary prospect shorter than 5-foot-11 in either of the previous two classes. Irvin is listed at a generous 5-foot-9, though he’s probably an inch or so shorter.

Still, despite his lack of ideal size, Irvin is a playmaker that can contribute immediately. He’ll compete for early playing time, as will the much bigger Jordan Colbert, listed at 6-foot-3, and 200 pounds.

Colbert comes in rated higher than Irvin in the 247Sports Composite – Colbert was ranked 168th overall and ninth among safeties while Irvin was listed 287th nationally and 18th among Athletes. – But Irvin has the inside track due to his early arrival.

The Griffin, Georgia native and Under Armour All-American hits like a linebacker but still has the speed needed to cover over the top. He’s got the potential to be a star, and should play often on special teams in 2015.

Next: 2015 Auburn Recruiting Class Player Profiles

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Nicholas Ian Allen

Nicholas Ian Allen