Auburn football: Ranking all 3 Tony Fair destinations

UAB transfer Tony Fair has narrowed his next school choice to three, and Auburn football is among the hopeful programs looking to add a punisher on the DL.

At six-foot-three, 330 lbs, Fair would undoubtedly be a weapon in Derek Mason’s inaugural defense with the Tigers. Nick Eason, a decade-long NFL veteran, would have the ability to mold a physical specimen that once earned Conference-USA All-Second team honors in 2019.

The Blazers got 36 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, and two forced fumbles that season from Fair, who chose UAB over Indiana and Nebraska in his initial recruitment. Neither team landed in his final three teams in 2021.

Purdue, Ole Miss, and Auburn football comprise his top three instead.

How does Fly War Eagle see these 3 landing spots stacking up? Let’s take a look:

Landing spot #3: Ole Miss

Ole Miss’ defense was among college football’s worst in 2020. The Rebels were one of four defenses to give up at least 50 touchdowns and were one of two teams that let up an average of over 500 yards per game.

Fair could potentially steal the lion’s share of reps in Oxford, but he’d be joining a defense that is likely to get run over again. Any hopes of either landing in the NFL or once hopping to a bigger program given the NCAA’s new transfer rules would fade by being in a defense that essentially serves as a punching bag to the SEC West.

Landing spot #2: Purdue

While Purdue’s defense does in fact rank ahead of Auburn’s, it is based on a false premise. The Boilermakers played just six games–which would have originally been the bare minimum to qualify for the Big Ten Championship before the conference bent the rules for Ohio State–and were facing middling Nebraska and Minnesota offenses and an uninspiring Rutgers attack.

Fair can return home, but his impact could be muted if Purdue ends up in the bottom half o the conference again in 2021.

Landing spot #1: Auburn football

Fair has a very similar build to Tyrone Truesdell, and his similar stat line means there could be a legitimate camp battle to determine the starting NT in Mason’s defense. Staying in-state just a few hours southeast would make for an easy transition from Birmingham.

Not only that, but the allure of starting on the Plains for one of college football’s greatest historical pillars makes for the greatest opportunity of any that Fair has in front of him.

Let’s hope Shaun Shivers gets what he wants and sees Fair join the Tigers D-Line in year one of the Bryan Harsin era.