Auburn football head coach Bryan Harsin announced Saturday that fan-favorite tight end J.J. Pegues will be making the move from the defense to the offense for the upcoming season. The coaching staff has been hinting at the position change for a while, but it has now become a reality for the Auburn sophomore.
After debuting as a tight end in his freshman season on the Plains, J.J. Pegues has officially moved to the defensive line, a position change that should benefit the Auburn football team as a whole.
According to AL.com, Pegues will mostly play defensive tackle with the option to move around on the line depending on alignment. Harsin says that Pegues can do it all, and the 300-pounder is certainly proving that to be true. Here are three reasons why moving J.J. Pegues to the Auburn defense works.
1. Crazy athleticism
In the words of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, Pegues is “the true definition of an athletic big man.” Despite his gigantic size, Pegues proved himself quick and nimble multiple times in the 2020 season, dodging tackles and leaping defenders. Tight ends coach Brad Bedell described Pegues’ talents as a unique combination:
"“He’s extremely strong,” tight ends coach Brad Bedell said earlier this week. “Very quick-twitch. We all know about his size, but you put all three of those together — he’s got explosiveness, he’s got size, he has speed, he has extraordinary quickness, he’s got great hands. Just those three things with him — it just doesn’t happen very often.”"
2. It’s all about the culture
If there’s one thing Coach Harsin has emphasized since arriving on the Plains it’s the fact that he plans to implement a much-needed culture change into the Auburn football program, and this is just one more stepping stone on the Tigers’ new path to greatness. It takes something special to be a successful defensive line, and according to Auburn Undercover Harsin believes Pegues is a leader and a great fit for the position:
"“I think this position fits him,” Harsin said of Pegues. “I think he’s a really great culture fit to be in that room. I think he’s a leader on this team. … You want guys like that on your team that are all about, ‘Whatever I need to do to make us better, I’m going to go out there and do it.’"
3. Coachability
Though Pegues stuck his toes in the defensive tackle position in high school, he’s just getting started in his new position at the college level. However, this hasn’t been a problem for the former 4-star prospect, who has been praised by Coach Harsin for his dedication to mastering his new role and his quick learning.
Harsin told AL.com that Coach Eason’s ability to develop and improve upon Pegues’ skills will be a perfect match for the hardworking athlete.
Though we’ll miss seeing the 300-pound big man hurdling defenders and forcing his way downfield with the ball, we’re even more excited to see him getting those third-down stops in Jordan-Hare.