The press at SEC Media Days tallied a predicted finish for the whole of the 2016 Auburn Tigers at sixth-place in the conference’s western division, but that doesn’t mean the sportswriters were void of respect for some of the team’s parts.
Making the media’s pre-season All-SEC first team were junior defensive end Carl Lawson, senior offensive guard Alex Kozan, and junior placekicker Daniel Carlson.
The potential for Lawson in his junior — and likely final — season on The Plains is well known across the conference if not the country. Already named to both the Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch lists, his first-team honor was a no-doubter. Barring injury, this will prove to be a prudent pick.
Kozan, a former Freshman All-SEC and — for the second consecutive season — a member of the Outland Trophy watch list, is also a strong choice, while 2015 Lou Groza Award finalist Carlson may have been the easiest of them all.
Defensive tackle Montravius Adams was Auburn’s sole second-team selection.
The former five-star recruit is a member of both the Outland Trophy, with Kozan, and, like Lawson, Nagurski watch lists. With a healthy Lawson and the rest of what could and truly should be a dominant defensive line surrounding him, it would be a major disappointment if he doesn’t have a breakout senior season.
Third-team picks were senior tailback Jovon Robinson, senior defensive back Johnathan “Rudy” Ford, and junior offensive guard Braden Smith.
While it was Peyton Barber who led the team in rushing last year, many believed Robinson was Auburn’s best tailback. The coaches may have ultimately concurred. In the last six games, Robinson totaled 113 rushes to just 66 for Barber and averaged 5.5 yards per carry overall — extremely impressive considering Auburn’s inept passing attack.
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Ford, at defensive back, has led Auburn by notching 211 tackles over 2014 and 2015. That’s 28 more than linebacker Kris Frost’s second-best total of 183. Credit in part, no doubt, goes to Ford’s blazing speed. His impressive play has landed him on the Paul Hornung Award and, alongside Lawson, Bednarik watch lists.
Smith, a member of the 2015 post-season Associated Press All-SEC second team, has the potential to even outplay that accolade, much less the third-team honors he picked up at Media Days. He joins Kozan and Adams on the Outland watch list and, paired with Kozan, gives Auburn a more-than-formidable tandem of guards.
While I’m not ready to call Carlton Davis an outright snub — the wealth of talent at defensive back in the SEC is staggering — don’t be surprised if he finds himself somewhere on an All-SEC post-season team.
The 247Sports Freshman All-American was truly impressive in his first year on campus, showing flashes of some of the best man-to-man coverage potential the Tigers have seen since Carlos Rogers.
Davis grabbed three interceptions, the best of any true freshman in the conference and tied for the most among all SEC freshmen. The former Semper Fidelis All-American ended the season on a strong note with 11 tackles against Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl.
With Lawson, Adams, and the rest of the defensive line all-but-guaranteed to make his job a little easier than it was last season, look out for this one.