Good piece by Tom Green verifying what Wesley was alluding to earlier on our D-Line. I was stoked about the number of DB's we have but this also gives me pause for chub.
Posted: Wednesday, April 6, 2016 8:08 pm
By Tom Green tgreen@oanow.com
AUBURN - For Montravius Adams and Carl Lawson, this spring has felt like a blast from the past — at least when it comes to the defensive line.
Auburn has been rotating an abundance of players up front on defense, with at least 10 players along the line who could contribute this fall. The Tigers return a considerable amount of experience up front to go along with a mix of youthful upside.
It’s a recipe that conjures up memories of 2013, when Auburn fielded a deep defensive line that helped pave the way for the team’s remarkable turnaround that culminated in a Southeastern Conference Championship and trip to the BCS National Championship Game.
“Besides my freshman year, yes, this is the deepest we've ever been,†said Adams, now a senior who was a freshman in 2013. “And this ain't even everybody. We've still got three or four more guys coming in at tackle and end.â€
The considerable depth along the defensive line means the unit should be the strength of the defense — something that hasn’t been the case since, again, 2013. During that season, Auburn touted a two-deep along the line that included Dee Ford, LaDarius Owens, Lawson and Elijah Daniel at defensive end, and Nosa Eguae, Adams, Gabe Wright, Ben Bradley and Kenneth Carter at defensive tackle.
That year, Auburn was 31 st in the nation with 32 sacks — a number that ranked third in the SEC. That number has decreased substantially each of the last two seasons, as the Tigers have struggled to develop any consistent rush up front. In 2014, the team ranked 94 th nationally and 11th in the conference with 21 sacks, and then last season that number dipped again as Auburn tallied 19 sacks — 102nd nationally and 13th in the SEC.
“We preach about affecting the passer and we're slowly but surely getting in that direction,†defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said. “You want to be able to do it with a four-man rush and not have to pressure all the time.
“ You get the wrong quarterback, you're pressuring and you can get yourself in a bind. You need to be able to generate that with a four-man rush…. The body of work we've got we're not far into but you can see that there's a group of guys that gives you the potential to be effective on the quarterback.â€
Returning up front for Auburn are Adams and Lawson, who have 60 combined games of experience under their belts, as well as defensive tackles Devaroe Lawrence, Maurice Swain and Dontavius Russell — all of whom played significant snaps last season.
The Tigers also bring back defensive ends Byron Cowart, Raashed Kennion and Jeff Holland, all of whom contributed in 2015, with the latter earning praise this spring for his development as a pass rusher.
Add in redshirt freshmen defensive tackles Jaunta’vius Johnson and Andrew Williams, plus redshirt freshman defensive end Prince Tega Wanogho, as well as the influx of talent already on campus from this year’s signing class, like freshmen Marlon Davidson and Antwuan Jackson, as well as junior college transfer Paul James III, and the potential for quality depth along the line becomes staggering.
“We have a lot of bodies and we're getting some more,†Lawson said. “I'm happy. To be able to rotate and stay fresh like we did in 2013.â€
By summer, the Tigers will also add five-star defensive tackle Derrick Brown — the No. 3 player at his position out of high school, according to Rivals.com — and four-star defensive end Nick Coe, who happens to also be a two-time state champion wrestler.
Does there become a point where Auburn could have too many players rotating on the defensive line? Not in Adams’ eyes. After all, Alabama won a national championship last season with a formidable nine-deep rotation along the defensive line.
“I don't think you have too many,†Adams said. “And how Coach (Rodney Garner) rotates us, it just makes it better. He always wants us to be fresh in the fourth quarter. With that depth, we will be.â€
The abundance of depth up front creates better competition in practice, which Adams believes will only help the defense as it prepares for the upcoming season. By the time the opener against Clemson rolls around come September, Adams said Garner wants to have it trimmed down to “like, 10 people†on the defensive line.
Whoever those 10 end up being, the goal is simple: Get after the quarterback more effectively than in years past.
“There's a lot of great potential because when you have guys with a bunch of pass-rushing skill set you'll be able to execute games quickly and apply pressure on the quarterback, help in the secondary and get off the field on third down,†Lawson said. “Getting after the quarterback is what we want to do.â€
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