Without a doubt, the Auburn football team will be good in 2018, but the Tigers got a large dose of praise from an unlikely source Thursday at SEC Media Days.
Former Alabama quarterback and SEC Network analyst Greg McElroy was strong in his comments about how good the Tigers can be this season. He really loves the defensive front and the roster as a whole.
“I think it’s (front seven) is the best (in the SEC),” McElroy said Thursday on SEC Network after Gus Malzahn’s appearance. “You look at talent, experience, guys who can disrupt up front in the trenches on the defensive line, this group is as deep and as competitive as anything. … And if we’re just looking at roster alone, I think you can make a very clear argument that the Auburn Tigers have as good a roster as any team in the entire league, including Alabama, including Georgia.”
RELATED: Without a doubt, the ‘Sweetest’ U2 playlist for Gus Malzahn
Well how about that. He’s not wrong. The Auburn defensive front is good. If it’s best in the SEC, that makes it one of the best in the country. And QB Jarrett Stidham is back after throwing for 3,158 yards and 18 touchdown passes last season. Could he be Auburn’s next Heisman winner?
The defensive line includes tackles Derrick Brown and Dontavius Russell along with ends Marlon Davidson and Nick Coe. But there’s plenty more with T.D. Moultry, Big Kat Bryant, Andrew Williams, Tyrone Truesdale and Daquan Newkirk. That’s a lot of potential All-SEC talent and that’s just the front seven. We won’t get into the linebackers and secondary.
Because McElroy wasn’t finished.
"You look at the positions that matter, I think they have the best quarterback in the league and I think they have the best front seven in the league. That means they’re going to be competitive, but the schedule is tough."
RELATED: Best and worst SEC non-conference schedules for 2018 and beyond
You can argue that McElroy is saying things Auburn fans already know, but it’s good to hear it from one of the SEC Network analysts, especially one like McElroy who played at Alabama and hasn’t been afraid of taking a strong stance on the network. FlyWarEagle recently pointed out the 10 players on offense most important to building on an already solid attack.
Auburn opens the season Sept. 1 in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic in Atlanta against Washington in what is expected to be a matchup between top 10 teams. The Tigers also go on the road to play rivals Georgia and Alabama.