The Importance of Cover Corners in a Will Muschamp Defense

By now you know Will Muschamp is the new defensive coordinator for the Auburn football team. You probably know Muschamp is a high-energy coach, a top-notch recruiter, and one of the best defensive minds in college football.

You might know that Muschamp will implement a multiple 4-3 defense. That he blends several looks, including three, four and five-man fronts. You may even know that one of the key positions for Muschamp on defense is the hybrid “Buck” defensive end/linebacker position. The position Dante Fowler, Jr. played so well at Florida.

But do you know how important having quality man-to-man cover cornerbacks was to Fowler emerging as one of the nation’s most feared pass rushers? And how important cover cornerbacks will be to improving the pass rush of the Auburn defense in 2015?

Prior to the 2014 season, Muschamp discussed the importance of cover corners to his defense with Marcus Spears of the SEC Network.

And especially how it allows a coach to increase the pressure he puts on opposing offenses.

“When you’re able to play man coverage outside, that gives you a lot of freedom as a play-caller and to be able to create pressure,” Muschamp says. “I hear the fans always say ‘you need to pressure more.’ Well, if we can’t cover a bucket of water, we ain’t pressuring anybody.”

Florida fans got their wish in 2014, defensively at least. In Muschamp’s fourth season as the head coach of the Gators, his defense sacked opposing quarterbacks 30 times – 8.5 of them courtesy of Fowler. Alex McCalister, who also played Buck, added six sacks and defensive end Bryan Cox, Jr. had four.

For comparison’s sake, the Auburn defense compiled just 21 sacks in 2014. DaVonte Lambert and Kris Frost tied for the team lead with 3.5.

Sep 13, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp claps and reacts on the sidelines during first overtime against the Kentucky Wildcats at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 36-30. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

At Florida, Will Muschamp had the cover corners to get the job done on the outside – specifically All-American Vernon Hargreaves III. Because of Hargreaves and his teammates in the secondary, Muschamp was able to confidently turn his pass rushing specialist loose because he could trust his defenders to carry out their responsibilities on the outside.

“From my standpoint as a defensive coordinator through the years and now being a head coach,” Muschamp continued, “when you’ve got cover corners, you can do so much more with your front as far as pressure’s concerned.”

At Auburn, Muschamp will have some quality pass rushers – most notably Carl Lawson, who is returning from a torn ACL and five-star true freshman Byron Cowart. Both players are candidates to play the Buck for Muschamp in 2015. Plus, Lambert, Frost and a total of eight starters return from last season’s defense, including Jonathan Jones – a second team All-SEC cornerback last season.

Beyond Jones, however, cornerback is a major question mark. The Tigers lost 42-game starter Jonathon Mincy and top reserve Trovon Reed to graduation. Joshua Holsey is a candidate to start, but he played safety primarily in 2014. The rest of the unit is quite inexperienced.

Most fans are excited about Lawson’s return and Cowart’s arrival and the pressure Muschamp will dial up in 2015. But, as Muschamp put it – if the Tigers can’t cover, he won’t be able to utilize those talented pass rushers to create added pressure for opposing quarterbacks.

Next: 2015 Auburn Recruiting Class Player Profiles

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Auburn Football: The Importance of Cover Cornerbacks in a Will Muschamp Defense

By Nicholas Ian Allen | Feb 9, 2015

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