Auburn football: Bryan Harsin getting the MVP of the secondary back

Thank god for Auburn football getting Smoke Monday back for his senior season on the Plains. Bryan Harsin will have the MVP of the defense’s secondary in 2020 in his first season.

It’s good to know that the Auburn football defense will not lose a significant member of its secondary–if not their outright defensive MVP–in Smoke Monday, who announced on Wednesday that he would be returning on his Instagram:

"“First off, I would like to say I’m very grateful to be an Auburn Tiger. The atmosphere is so electric and fun to experience. I would like to thank Coach Malzahn for everything he’s done for, along with all of the other coaches that have had a hand in my development as a student, an athlete and the man I am today.“… I would also like to thank Coach Harsin for being real with me and understanding the hardship that this team has went through and providing us the space to finish out the season. I believe he will do great things at Auburn. Last but not least I would like to give a special thanks to my teammates for believing in me."

That couldn’t be better news for Bryan Harsin in his very first season on the Plains. As John Buehler from FanSided put it, the defense is better simply by nature of Monday being a part of it:

"Monday opting to come back illustrates the leadership he has on this defense. He will be a candidate to be First-Team All-SEC next season, as well as achieve All-American status if Auburn has one of those prototypical great out-of-nowhere years War Eagle Nation gets from time to time. By choosing to come back to school, Auburn got better on Wednesday by keeping Monday."

Monday was able to grab SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors after a brilliant week 13 performance against the Tennesee Volunteers that included a 100-yard interception that ultimately covered the spread and put the Vols to bed 31-17 in the third quarter.

That was just the third time in school history a defensive player went the length of the field to score a touchdown. Monday is a special talent for Auburn football…and he isn’t going anywhere.

Fly War Eagle wants all the Smoke in 2021! Welcome back, Mr. Monday.