Auburn football: Zakoby McClain named Lott Impact quarterfinalist

Few members of the Auburn football team have been as integral to the Tigers’ success this season as senior linebacker Zakoby McClain. Even before the 2021 season began, McClain and his fellow linebacker Owen Pappoe received major hype, and for good reason.

With Pappoe missing the last two games due to injury, McClain has stepped up in a big way for Auburn football alongside team captain Chandler Wooten. McClain is the Tigers’ leading tackler with 53 total so far, including 28 solo tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.

Throughout his career on the Plains, McClain has recorded 225 total tackles, with 120 solo tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. After last week’s victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks, McClain was named the defensive player of the week for his 15 total tackles.

Now, the linebacker is up for a much larger award. This week, it was announced that Zakoby McClain is one of 20 quarterfinalists for the Lott Impact Trophy, which is given to the top defensive player in college football each year. Former Auburn defensive lineman and current Carolina Panthers DL Derrick Brown won the trophy in 2019.

This year’s list of quarterfinalists contains eight linebackers, six defensive backs, and six defensive linemen, according to their website, and the list will be narrowed down again to semifinalists at the end of November, and once more in December before the four finalists will be invited to the awards show.

Linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding had only positive things to say about the senior LB on Tiger Talk, per Auburn Undercover:

"“Zakoby is rare in the fact that he can find the ball about as well instinctively as I have ever seen. There were certainly things he had to work on and he has bought into that. He wants to be great. There is no doubt about that.“Zakoby McClain loves football,” Schmedding added. “He thinks about football and he talks about football like he really loves playing. That is infectious to the defense–there is no doubt about it.”"

Though the winner of the Lott Impact Trophy won’t be announced until December 12, Zakoby McClain will continue to make an impact for Auburn football all season.