Heard my main man @Jay G. Tate talking this morning on Mac and Cube, and within that conversation he spoke about his thoughts on the starting defensive line. I found it very interesting as his starting lineup, which I agree with, featured a bull front consisting of Edge Eku Leota, NT Jayson Jones, DT Colby Wooden, and Edge Derrick Hall. To this point in fall camp the overall defensive scheme has based out of the 4-2-5 but has featured two different fronts which can vary with two stand up Edge players (as notated above), and it can and will also play in a heavy front which features the below starting lineup:
End: Colby Wooden / NT Jayson Jones / DT Marcus Harris / Edge Derrick Hall
Both of these fronts will work in the SEC with the former likely being geared to be more effective vs 10 or 11 personnel and the latter being likely more effective vs 12 and 21 personnel. Defensive coordinators have always changed looks in backend to keep offensive coordinators off balance, but having the versatility to effectively change your looks up front with different personnel is what makes defenses deadly.
Two lynch pins in Auburn’s defensive front make this possible this year, and that’s Jayson Jones and Colby Wooden. Jones is the space eater who can 2 gap if need be that can command double teams and unfortunately we just didn’t have a guy like that last year. Wooden’s versatility is invaluable, as very rarely do you find a guy who can effectively play the 5/6 tech and then also slide inside and play the 3 tech or 2i. Obviously having the Edge presences that we have in Leota and Hall is a major benefit to us, but having two guys inside that you can flat out trust to stop the run and create negative plays is a game changer. Marcus Harris, Burks, Mojo, Walker, Marquis Robinson, and Bragg as well as Brooks and M’ba as they come along will also rotate across the front this year to help keep guys fresh unlike last season.
I’d love to have @hunter48 jump in here and talk a little ball, and this is just one installment today of football talk. Later this evening I want to talk about the Nickel position and what to expect from Donavan Kauffman and Keionte Scott, two very different skillsets that will platoon at the Nickel and likely give us some really good production.
End: Colby Wooden / NT Jayson Jones / DT Marcus Harris / Edge Derrick Hall
Both of these fronts will work in the SEC with the former likely being geared to be more effective vs 10 or 11 personnel and the latter being likely more effective vs 12 and 21 personnel. Defensive coordinators have always changed looks in backend to keep offensive coordinators off balance, but having the versatility to effectively change your looks up front with different personnel is what makes defenses deadly.
Two lynch pins in Auburn’s defensive front make this possible this year, and that’s Jayson Jones and Colby Wooden. Jones is the space eater who can 2 gap if need be that can command double teams and unfortunately we just didn’t have a guy like that last year. Wooden’s versatility is invaluable, as very rarely do you find a guy who can effectively play the 5/6 tech and then also slide inside and play the 3 tech or 2i. Obviously having the Edge presences that we have in Leota and Hall is a major benefit to us, but having two guys inside that you can flat out trust to stop the run and create negative plays is a game changer. Marcus Harris, Burks, Mojo, Walker, Marquis Robinson, and Bragg as well as Brooks and M’ba as they come along will also rotate across the front this year to help keep guys fresh unlike last season.
I’d love to have @hunter48 jump in here and talk a little ball, and this is just one installment today of football talk. Later this evening I want to talk about the Nickel position and what to expect from Donavan Kauffman and Keionte Scott, two very different skillsets that will platoon at the Nickel and likely give us some really good production.
