An Auburn football position group on the defensive side of the ball could see a post-spring practice transfer portal addition due to a lack of proven playmakers — this at least according to AL.com’s Nubyjas Wilborn.
Wilborn was referring to the LB room — which saw the departures of Owen Pappoe and Eku Leota via NFL draft hopes — in his latest piece whose title asks the question ‘Who is the next great Auburn linebacker?’
The answer, according to Wilborn, isn’t someone who is currently in the room:
"“This is one of the more challenging units to evaluate at Auburn heading into spring camp. There are a lot of players with experience, but the production hasn’t been consistent.”“Auburn’s linebacker room needs work. Don’t be surprised to see the Tigers active in the second portal opening after spring football.”"
Auburn football defense has depth challenges but can make up for it schematically
Defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding was the strongest element of the 2022 Auburn football staff. While Bryan Harsin and Eric Kiesau’s offense bombed, Schmedding’s defense often hung tight in the first halves of games before the offense’s futility would catch up to them. It’s why Schmedding stuck around after Cadillac Williams became the interim head coach — coinciding with John Cohen firing most of Harsin’s staff — and why Washington State hired him as DC in January.
The 45-year-old’s defense was certainly aided by talents such as Pappoe, Leota, Colby Wooden, and Derick Hall, and new Tigers defensive coordinator Ron Roberts won’t have the same benefit of the doubt. While Austin Keys, Elijah McAllister, Demario Tolan, Mosiah Nasili-Kite, and Quientrail Jamison-Travis have all been added to the trenches, they are not the sorts of talents that will overwhelm opposing offensive lines.
Luckily, Roberts understands the assignment on the Plains — that being to scheme around the talent deficiency:
"“We can’t just sit in a front unless you have better players than everybody else. You can’t do that. Offensive coordinators will pick you apart. The skill level is too good. They’ll find a weakness. We’ll be multiple in what we do, but we will play with aggression. We will blitz. We will pressure. We will be an aggressive defense.”"
Should AU’s defense give the offense enough leeway to win games against the SEC West + Georgia gauntlet, Roberts will have done what he was hired by Hugh Freeze to do.