Coe gets his chance
When it came down to determining who would be the starter at Buck, it came down to one thing.
Consistency.
That’s what Malzahn said gave Nick Coe the edge over T.D. Moultry for the starting spot.
Listed at 6-5, 282, Coe is a dominating presence. He can run, he can hit and his teammates think he’s in line for a breakout season after totaling 29 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks as a freshman last season.
Middle linebacker Deshaun Davis had this to say Tuesday:
Davis on Nick Coe's growth at the Buck position: "He made up his mind that he wanted to be consistent."
— Nathan King (@NathanKing247) August 28, 2018
Davis says Coe has added "a lot of value" to the defensive line.
When asked how Coe compares to Jeff Holland, Davis says we'll have to see.
Also, "shoutout to my boy Jeff."
Auburn is in a very good place at Buck. Coe, followed by T.D. Moultry is a good thing. Both will play against Washington.
Freshman Richard Jibunor has a lot of the qualities coaches are looking for at the position, but needs more time to hone his football skills and to get bigger (he’s listed at 6-3, 215).
Keep in mind that Big Kat Bryant also was being considered at Buck. But Bryant is listed No. 2 at defensive end behind Marlon Davidson. That’s another case of coaches putting the best players in spots where they can make the biggest impact.