T.J. Neal: Auburn’s Biggest Defensive ‘Recruit’ Of 2016
By Dutch Dixon
When it comes to new players and their impact on Auburn’s success defensively in the 2016 football season alone, it won’t be any of the most recent high school or even junior college signees who will prove to be the biggest additions — not five-star tackle Derrick Brown or even instant-impact end Paul James.
It will be graduate transfer linebacker T.J. Neal.
And the reasons are multiple.
Due to graduation, Auburn will be without two linebackers who made a lot of tackles and another who would have made a lot more if he hadn’t been frequently hampered by injury: Cassanova McKinzy (263), Kris Frost (247), and Justin Garrett (92).
On top of that, the Tigers linebacker corps has often bore the brunt of fans’ blame for Auburn’s defensive shortcomings — or at least shared that burden equally with the tackles and ends up front.
We will never truly know whether it was the lack of a high-level attack by the defensive front that was to blame for the linebackers often being exploited on the ground, or if it was the ‘backers inability to fill the gaps in the run game that highlighted and even amplified the struggles of the line. But, most likely, it was both.
With the defensive line, after years of mediocrity as a unit, perhaps finally fully loaded and truly capable of turning the corner, it was even more unfortunate to lose all of McKinzy, Frost, and Garrett at once, when one half of the picture was finally, at long last, coming into focus.
Gone are the 138 games played logged by the trio.
Returning junior Tre’ Williams, a consensus five-star recruit out of the class of 2014 now with 25 games of experience to go along with 71 tackles — who is expected by many to have a breakout season — will be there.
But, outside of the returning former blue-chip prospect, while there is talent and potential to be found among players like junior Cameron Toney, sophomores Deshaun Davis, Darrell Williams, Montavious Atkinson, redshirt freshman Richard McBryde, and true freshman Tre’ Threat, there isn’t much in terms of proven commodities. The total games played among them are 33, the total tackles stand at 11, and many of their snaps came on special teams.
Enter Neal.
The Illinois transfer gives Auburn a huge jolt of experience and ability.
The two-year starter has played in 38 games and accumulated 245 tackles, almost exactly triple that of the entire returning Auburn linebacking unit — and that’s including Tre’ Williams.
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In Neal’s last two seasons, he averaged 103.5 tackles per.Last season, Neal made 17 stops against Northwestern and, for the third consecutive year, was named Academic All-Big Ten.
As stated, the defensive line is right on schedule to return to a form in 2016 that Auburn fans haven’t seen in quite some time. It would have been a shame if that impact wasn’t fully maximized by experienced play-makers behind them.
Neal, to go alongside Tre’ Williams, now gives the Tigers a pair of viable enforcers among the linebackers, which has to be a scary thought for opposing offensive lines.
If Neal and Williams get any help — any help at all — from their fellow linebackers, position coach Travis Williams may join defensive line coach Rodney Garner in playing a key role in conducting the long-awaited defensive renaissance on The Plains.