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AUBURN, Alabama -- No position group on Auburn's roster has more experience than the defensive tackles.
At the same time, the tackles might also have the most unrealized potential. Freed to penetrate and pursue in Auburn's 4-3 scheme, the Tigers' tackles struggled to make many big plays.
This is the seventh installment in a series looking at Auburn's personnel as the Tigers prepare to open spring practice on March 27. For a look at how the shift to the 4-2-5 affects the defensive end's responsibilities, check out the series AL.com published earlier this month.
BY THE NUMBERS
• Angelo Blackson: 26 tackles, 7 tackles-for-loss, 1 sack, 2 fumbles forced, 1 fumble recovery, 2 blocked kicks, 3 hurries
• Gabe Wright: 19 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, 1 sack, 6 hurries
• Ken Carter: 17 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss, 3 hurries
• Jeff Whitaker: 12 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss, 0.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 hurries
THE DEPARTED
• Devaunte Sigler: 2 tackles
• Jamar Travis: 2 tackles, 0.5 tackle-for-loss
SPRING CAST
• Jeff Whitaker, Sr.
• Ken Carter, Sr.
• Angelo Blackson, Jr.
• Ben Bradley, Jr.
• Gabe Wright, Jr.
• Jabrian Niles, So.
• Tyler Nero, R-Fr.
ON THE WAY
• Montravius Adams, Fr.
BURNING QUESTION
-- Auburn's got plenty of bodies on the interior of the defensive line. After a disappointing performance in 2012, can anybody make the leap and turn into a difference-maker for the Tigers up front?
BIGGEST RESUME
Jeff Whitaker has been a part of Auburn's defensive tackle rotation ever since he arrived on campus, and the big-bodied senior has started the past two seasons, notching 18 starts over two seasons. On the other hand, Whitaker's constant presence in the lineup hasn't made a big impact in terms of plays; Despite a renewed focus on penetration in 2012, Whitaker had only half a sack, and he had half as many tackles as his sophomore season. Whitaker has plenty of experience, but he's going to have to start making some big plays as a senior to keep his role.
FLASH OF POTENTIAL
Auburn's best hope for an emerging star out of the defensive tackle position might come from two players in the same living space. Angelo Blackson and Gabe Wright are roommates, and the pair combined for the overwhelming majority of the plays Auburn made behind the line of scrimmage. Blackson has a quick first step and a knack for penetration at his size, and Wright played with a high motor at the end of the season. In a scheme geared toward getting in the backfield, Blackson and Wright might be the best fits, and the two need to take a step as juniors.
ON THE WAY
Two different types of players were added to Auburn's roster in the 2013 recruiting class. Junior college transfer Ben Bradley is a big, wide-body type who showed a knack for making plays in the backfield at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, and freshman Montravius Adams has incredible athleticism for a 300-plus pounder. With so much depth from the upperclassmen, Adams may have trouble cracking the rotation, but Bradley, who is already enrolled, will have a chance to compete with all the rest of Auburn's returning tackles during spring practice.
FACTS OF LIFE
-- Of the defensive tackles' 2.5 sacks in 2012, only 1.5 involved the quarterback. Gabe Wright's sack came on a halfback pass he read perfectly.
QUOTABLE
-- "We didn't accomplish what we would like. I'm not putting any blame on anyone. I'd put just as much blame as anyone on myself. I just look back, I'm not a statistics guy, but I did little to none to help my team, and I think that's what a lot of guys feel like." -- Gabe Wright, defensive tackle
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