Last Shot U

[Buzz Killington]

https://247sports.com/college/auburn/Article/td-moultry-auburn-tigers-football-2021-defense-edge-rusher-fall-camp-practice-eku-leota-derick-hall-romello-height-preseason-schedule-169308330/

Moultry's last shot: 'T.D. knows he has to step up'

ByNATHAN KING 51 minutes ago

AUBURN, Alabama — It's not a make-or-break season for T.D. Moultry. There's nothing to break; there's nothing left to lose. This is his last ride with the Tigers.
The former top-100 recruit has been a preseason hype magnet for at least the past two years. Since the conclusion of his sophomore season, however, Moultry's production — and usage, for that matter — along Auburn's defensive front has dipped. Still, he decided to return for a super-senior season in 2021.
Under the direction of a new coaching staff and in a new defensive system, the fall-camp fanfare is back for Moultry. Is this the year he makes good on it?


"T.D. knows he has to step up," senior cornerback Roger McCreary said Wednesday. "Like, he’s the leader of that group."

When he arrived on campus as the third highest-rated recruit in Auburn's 2017 class — behind only five-stars Calvin Ashley and Jarrett Stidham â€” Moultry started off as a standard linebacker who could also creep down and get to the quarterback, but he was quickly moved to the buck position as a pure pass-rusher by then-defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.



Jeff Holland was Auburn's leader at buck linebacker in 2017, followed by Nick Coe and Big Kat Bryant in 2018. Moultry worked behind them respectably, with five tackles for loss, three sacks and one forced fumble through his first two seasons.

Moultry and Coe were expected to be a strong pass-rushing duo for the Tigers' front in 2019, but both took significant steps backwards. Coe went from having high-round NFL buzz to going undrafted. Moultry had one sack and no other TFLs, as true freshman Derick Hall emerged as Auburn's best player at the position.

Penalties — Moultry has been called for offsides more than any other player on Auburn's roster over the past three seasons — and a lack of steadiness from snap to snap held Moultry back.

"He's got a skill set," Gus Malzahn said of Moultry in 2018. "He just needs to be more consistent and execute what they call."

Moultry wasn't happy with what he had accomplished in his four years with the program, so he utilized the free year of COVID-19 eligibility from the NCAA and came back for another. Despite missing two scrimmages in the spring — including the A-Day spring game — Moultry has been a fixture in the starting defensive front this preseason, across from Hall at the "rush" position. Auburn splits its outside linebackers into rushers and studs depending on formations and play-calls; the former is a bigger, stronger player whose only job is to get to the quarterback; the latter is a quicker player who can stand up and cover more ground defending passes, as position coach Bert Watts explained in the spring.

"(Moultry) knows football really well; his football intelligence is really good," Hall said. "Just the way he’s pulling young guys along — me and him are in the same room, so we’re pulling these young guys along, trying to show them how we do things at Auburn in the edge room, get them up to speed on just football intelligence and things like that."

In Auburn's first scrimmage of the preseason last Saturday, Moultry's name received some buzz from those in attendance as a playmaker off the edge.

It's a deep room behind Hall and Moultry, though. It appears Northwestern transfer Eku Leota will round out the top trio of edge rushers, followed by players like Romello Height and Caleb Johnson. Dylan Brooks, Auburn's best recruit in its 2021 class, is also learning the ropes and could make a big impact this year depending on how quickly he progresses within the system.


"There’s not one guy on the team that I don’t think can pass-rush or be explosive off the edge," defensive coordinator Derek Mason said.

Auburn has been hoping for the light to come back on for Moultry for a couple years. He now has the chance to erase some of those previous inconsistencies and be a true X-factor in his fifth season with the program. If he can take his game up a notch, Auburn believes Moultry can significantly elevate the level of play of the defensive front as a whole in 2021.

"I feel like for him, he's finally put in a position that showcases what he can do best," defensive end Colby Wooden said of Moultry. "And he's just going to kill it this year. I'm excited to play alongside him and watch what he does."

5COMMENTS

[wesfau2]

I love a super-senior, even an under-performer.  Buuuuuuuuuuuut, there's nothing here to base any optimism on beyond:

"(Moultry) knows football really well; his football intelligence is really good"

Moultry's name received some buzz from those in attendance as a playmaker off the edge

So, I hope it's his year or at the very least he provides quality depth.

[Buzz Killington]

I love a super-senior, even an under-performer.  Buuuuuuuuuuuut, there's nothing here to base any optimism on beyond:

"(Moultry) knows football really well; his football intelligence is really good"

Moultry's name received some buzz from those in attendance as a playmaker off the edge

So, I hope it's his year or at the very least he provides quality depth.

Agreed.  I was just happy to see an actual free article, so I had to share for the cheap asses on here.

[Snaggletiger]

TD Slowtry may be the only one slower than Mud Kat Bryant.  But, if they've got him running with the 1's, maybe he's picked up his game this year.  Hope so, because that's been my beef, among others, for 3 years.  Since Jeff Holland, we've had nobody who could come off the edge and either get the sack or disrupt the play.  

Go back to Corey Lemon-ear, Dee Ford, Carl Lawson and Jeff Holland.  We had a good, long run of guys who stayed in the backfield. Been Slim Pickens the last 3 years.  

[wesfau2]

TD Slowtry may be the only one slower than Mud Kat Bryant.  But, if they've got him running with the 1's, maybe he's picked up his game this year.  Hope so, because that's been my beef, among others, for 3 years.  Since Jeff Holland, we've had nobody who could come off the edge and either get the sack or disrupt the play. 

Go back to Corey Lemon-ear, Dee Ford, Carl Lawson and Jeff Holland.  We had a good, long run of guys who stayed in the backfield. Been Slim Pickens the last 3 years. 

Marlon Davidson and Derrick Brown would like a word.

[Snaggletiger]

Marlon Davidson and Derrick Brown would like a word.

That's some up the middle, in-yo-FACE, bull rushin'.

[Snaggletiger]

I was curious and bi, so I looked up some quick stats.

Marlon Davidson's best sack year was 2019 with 6.5.  He also had 11.5 tackles for loss that year.

Derrick Brown's best was 4.5 sacks in 2018.  He had 4 in 2019.  Also had 10.5 and 11.5 tackles for loss those years.

Jeff Holland and Carl Lawson both had high years of 9.5 sacks and Dee Ford's best year was 10.5.  All three had double digit tackles for loss in those years.


Pretty damn impressive for Brown and Davidson to have all those TFL's.  Big boys getting in the backfield.

[Buzz Killington]

Penalties — Moultry has been called for offsides more than any other player on Auburn's roster over the past three seasons 

Another new league record!

[wesfau2]

Another new league record!

He's gunning for Mark Pera's false-start record.