Mobile product sent strong praise from Auburn football DC and teammates

Robert Woodyard received strong praise from both members of the Auburn football coaching staff and several of his teammates due to his vast improvements under defensive coordinator Ron Roberts and linebackers coach Josh Aldridge.

“He looks like a whole new guy from a couple months ago during the season at practice,” fellow linebacker Cam Riley said (h/t AL.com). “If you see Robert now, he looks like a whole new person. He’s a physical guy; he’s always around the ball. He has a knack for the ball, like he wants to make every play He takes the time to actually learn the defense. He’s a new guy, man. I can’t believe it.”

Aldridge shared a similar sentiment about Woodyard’s go-getter mentality. “He’s got a tremendous attitude,” Josh Aldridge said back in February. “He’s always in the building, which is what everybody told me when I got here, that he was the guy that spent a lot of time in that facility. And so that so far has been really good. Pretty mature for a young kid.”

Auburn football defensive coordinator Ron Roberts on Robert Woodyard

Roberts spoke with confidence about what Woodyard could accomplish in the Auburn football defense during the 2023 season.

“He can strike,” Roberts said. “He can make tackles. He’s athletic. For him, it’s just being young, and you want to be able to see him be more vocal on the field with communication and getting everybody in the right spots, being able to help people out on the field. That’s some of the things we kind of expect from that position, so we kind of need him to take those growth steps forward.”

Auburn lost Owen Pappoe at the Mike linebacker spot, opening up the door for Woodyard to be a regular contributor in 2023 following a redshirt year in 2022. While he’ll be behind Ole Miss transfer Austin Keys and senior Wesley Steiner, who are first pairing at MLB this spring, it sounds as though Woodyard could be primed for an ascension up the depth chart.