al.kum
One thing the article points out is the guys in the class they just signed are all big, physical athletes. Don't think we've ever had so many guys playing back there with that kind of size. I envision some bone jarring hits in the years to come. Malzahn said Khari Harding hits as hard as anyone he's ever seen.
AUBURN, Alabama -- When Auburn opens spring practice on Wednesday, all eyes for Tigers fans will be on the safeties, where Ellis Johnson and Charlie Harbison have to figure out where players fit. Auburn plays three safeties in Johnson's system: A boundary safety, who plays on the short side of the field and rolls down into the box against the run; a free safety, who plays the middle of the field and acts as more of a ballhawk; and what Johnson calls the Star, a hybrid safety-linebacker who has to have the physicality to play at the line of scrimmage and the speed to cover players on the outside.
This is the 10th 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 safeties' responsibilities, check out the series AL.com published earlier this month.
BY THE NUMBERS
•Demetruce McNeal: 90 tackles, 7 tackles-for-loss, 1 sack, 4 pass breakups, 1 fumble forced, 1 fumble recovery
•Jermaine Whitehead: 86 tackles, 4 tackles-for-loss, 1 sack, 5 pass breakups, 1 fumble recovery
•Ryan Smith: 27 tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss, 1 fumble recovery
•Trent Fisher: 16 tackles, 1 interception
•Erique Florence: 8 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss
THE DEPARTED
•Ikeem Means: 2 tackles
SPRING CAST
•Demetruce McNeal, Sr.
•Ryan Smith, Sr.
•Jermaine Whitehead, Jr.
•Trent Fisher, Jr.
•Erique Florence, Jr.
ON THE WAY
•Brandon King, Jr.
•Khari Harding, Fr.
•Mackenro Alexander, Fr.
BURNING QUESTION
-- With three safeties on the field in the base defense and relatively few returning candidates, will Ellis Johnson and Charlie Harbison move anybody over from cornerback or linebacker, particularly to the Star position?
BIGGEST RESUME
Demetruce McNeal has shown flashes of being the type of player who could fill either the Star or boundary safety positions, both positions that will roll down into the box against the run. McNeal's problem has been consistency. After bursting back into the starting lineup with 18 tackles against Mississippi State, but he also had a few games where he had trouble taking angles to the ball, particularly against Georgia. McNeal runs to the ball well, is a sure tackler when he takes the right angles and hustles all over the field. The key for McNeal is putting it all together on a game-by-game basis.
FLASH OF POTENTIAL
After playing cornerback as a freshman, Jermaine Whitehead made the move to safety and made 86 tackles, but he failed to make many big plays and struggled at times in zone coverage at the back of the secondary. Whitehead's versatility is what led Auburn's former coaching staff to put him at safety; the same type of versatility could be an asset in Johnson's 4-2-5 scheme. Erique Florence's lack of playing time has been frustrating for Auburn fans after his reputation coming out of Valley High, but he has the size and physical nature required to play either the Star or the boundary, and he might get a shot there.
ON THE WAY
All three of Auburn's safety signees were recruited specifically to fit Johnson's scheme, and they all fit the same profile: big-bodied players with lots of tackling experience and an ability to pack a wallop. Brandon King and Khari Harding both had reputations as big-time hitters, and Johnson has said both could play the Star position going forward. Mackenro Alexander played outside linebacker in high school, and his versatility could fit all three positions.
FACTS OF LIFE
-- Four different players started at least one game for the Tigers last season at safety.
QUOTABLE
-- "We've got a vision and a projection of where these guys'll end up, but frankly, by the time we get through the end of spring ball, we may swap a couple of guys. A lot of times, a guy that looks like a star backer ends up being a deep guy because he's smart, he plays with his eyes, and he plays 4.4, even though he's really about a 4.5 or 4.6." -- Ellis Johnson
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