The success of our defensive backs

[aubiefifty 18,230]

The success of Daniel Thomas and Auburn’s unheralded 3-star defensive backs

Today 7:00 AM

7-9 minutes

Auburn Football

Daniel Thomas woke up Feb. 3, 2016 not knowing how his day would unfold.

The three-star safety out of Lee-Montgomery wrapped up an official visit at Auburn just days earlier but left without an offer. He would have to wait; the Tigers had another safety, Nigel Warrior, ahead of him on their big board, but they wanted Thomas to stand pat until they had an answer for him.

It was National Signing Day, and Thomas was prepared to sign with Minnesota. Then the phone rang at about 6 a.m.

It was Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. Circumstances changed; Warrior was on his way to signing with Tennessee, and Steele wanted to let Thomas know that Auburn had room for him in its signing class.

“He was ecstatic,” said Tyrone Rogers, Thomas’ high school coach. “He was happy, smiling from ear to ear. I think his jaws were sore from all the smiling, because he was smiling all day long and just giving praise to God, because he knew it was God who worked it out like that. He was excited, he was very excited.”

Thomas’ story on the Plains began three years ago, during the 2016 Iron Bowl, when he stepped in for an injured Rudy Ford during that season’s game against top-ranked Alabama in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Seeing the most significant action of his freshman season, Thomas twice picked off Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts in the first half, as the Tigers kept it close at the break, 13-9.

Although Auburn went on to lose that game, 30-12, it was just the beginning for Thomas, an unheralded defensive back who was rated as the 100th-best safety in the 2016 class and the No. 1,532 overall prospect in that cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He was a last-minute addition to Auburn’s 2016 signing class and the lowest-rated player among the Tigers’ 23 signees, but Thomas has turned into one of the most successful members of that ninth-ranked class, alongside five-star defensive tackle Derrick Brown and four-star defensive end Marlon Davidson.

Thomas went on to start the Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma to close his freshman year, again filling in for an injured Ford, before seeing an increased role as a sophomore in 2017. He has spent the last two seasons as Auburn’s starting strong safety and one of the Tigers’ leaders on one of the country’s top defenses.

“I don’t think you could’ve painted a better picture,” Rogers said.

During his junior year, his first as a full-time starter, Thomas was second on the team with 74 total tackles, tied for the team lead with two interceptions and added a couple of forced fumbles. He posted an overall grade of 86.8, according to Pro Football Focus analysis, and a coverage grade of 88.8 while holding opposing quarterbacks to a 74.0 passer rating when targeted.

He has followed it up with a strong senior campaign, ranking second on the team with 60 total tackles through 11 games, with 3.5 for a loss and one forced fumble. He is also one of the Tigers’ four team captains this season.

“One of the biggest assets he has right now is he can quarterback it,” said defensive backs coach Wes McGriff, who coached Thomas as a freshman before spending two seasons at Ole Miss as defensive coordinator and returning to Auburn this season. “He plays with a lot of confidence. He knows the scheme, and he’s not a listener now; he’s a communicator. He sets the table, and that’s what you want safeties to do in this league. They have to be able to recognize formations, make the checks and the calls.”

None of that has come as a surprise to Rogers, who always maintained that Thomas had what it took to be a high-level Power 5 safety. There’s a reason, he said, Thomas had offers from the likes of Clemson, which was coming off a national championship game appearance the season prior, as well as UNC and South Carolina, among others.

He wanted to go to Auburn, however, which is why Thomas remained both patient and optimistic ahead of National Signing Day that year. Steele and the Tigers were always forthcoming with Thomas about how they felt about him, as well as their available scholarship situation in that class.

The decision has paid off for both sides, as Thomas has developed into a linchpin on Auburn’s defense. His success story, going from unheralded three-star prospect to key defensive contributor, is not a foreign one — at least not for the Tigers.

Thomas simply has to look to his side to see another such story; starting free safety Jeremiah Dinson was also a three-star prospect, and outside of punter Ian Shannon, he was the lowest-rated signee in Auburn’s 2015 recruiting class.

Dinson, who was rated as the No. 108 cornerback in the country in 2015, chose Auburn over Louisville and Florida that year. He contributed immediately as a freshman before his season was cut short on a brutal blindside block by Texas A&M’s Ricky Seals-Jones that resulted in a dislocated left shoulder, dislocated right knee and three torn ligaments in that knee.

Dinson eventually returned to the field in 2017, and he has been the Tigers’ starting free safety each of the last two years. This season, he’s playing better than ever; he leads the team in tackles through 11 games, with 69, including a pair of sacks, as well as an interception, a forced fumble and a pair of pass breakups.

The Tigers have also seen another former underrated three-star defensive back emerge this season, as sophomore Roger McCreary leads the team with 10 pass breakups and an interception, to go along with 32 total tackles and a fumble recovery, despite not being a starter in the secondary. McCreary was one of the lowest-rated signees in Auburn’s 2018 class, ahead of only linebacker Josh Marsh and punter Arryn Siposs; he was rated as the No. 87 cornerback in the class and the No. 989 overall prospect.

The bottom line is that in recent years Auburn has had an impressive run of hitting on some three-star recruits, particularly in the secondary, and developing them into key pieces in Steele’s defense — which this year has been arguably the best Auburn has seen in at least 15 years.

“Well, I think sometimes the recruiting services get it wrong, and I think our staff’s done a good job of evaluating those guys,” Gus Malzahn said. “They’re all really good kids. They’re all really hard workers, and they’re very coachable. And they’re very talented, too. So, I think it’s a combination of all those things.”

Thomas may be just one of the many diamonds in the rough that Auburn has discovered and developed, but as his time on the Plains winds down — his final regular-season game coming against the same Alabama team he burst onto the scene against — the senior out of Montgomery certainly stands above as a posterchild for what Steele and his staff have been able to accomplish while transitioning Auburn’s defense from a once-mocked unit into one of the nation’s best.

“You know, a lot of times this recruiting system has flaws in it, and I always told him, ‘Don’t ever allow a recruiting system to determine or determine your outcome or what you feel about yourself.’” said Rogers, a former undrafted NFL defensive end “… I always played with a chip on my shoulder, and sometimes that’s what we need. We need that extra motivation sometimes to push ourselves. You have to know your why, you know what I’m saying? Your ‘why you’re here,’ and I think Daniel always knew why he was at Auburn. He was destined to be there.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[bigbird 60,939]

Nigel Warrior

[Randman5000 4,271]

Thomas has had a down year in my opinion. Too many bad angles and missed tackles. He has effort but McCreary and Tutt have been outstanding. 

[Viper 3,499]

3 minutes ago, Randman5000 said:

McCreary and Tutt have been outstanding.

Have with Tutt, but haven’t been impressed with McCreary. He’s had a lot completed on him. I was yelling at the TV v GA to get him off the field. Yes I know he gets picked on because he’s younger. But for good reason. Hope he improves dramatically in the off-season. 

[alexava 6,974]

1 hour ago, Viper said:

Have with Tutt, but haven’t been impressed with McCreary. He’s had a lot completed on him. I was yelling at the TV v GA to get him off the field. Yes I know he gets picked on because he’s younger. But for good reason. Hope he improves dramatically in the off-season. 

I think McReary has been coming up pretty good. Just need to get penalized less. 

[CR 2,463]

2 hours ago, Randman5000 said:

Thomas has had a down year in my opinion. Too many bad angles and missed tackles. He has effort but McCreary and Tutt have been outstanding. 

He's really had some big mistakes that have led to TD's in the biggest games this season.

[caleb1633 1,421]

As a whole, Auburn football has been very frustrating to watch this year; however, the defense has been thrilling to watch. I would be willing to argue that this Auburn defense is on par with the 2004 defense, and the reason is because of how well it performs against offenses that are far more prolific now than what we were facing in the early 2000s. I never want to lose Kevin Steel.

[cole256 17,085]

Every player makes mistakes, I think mccreary has played excellent. Tutt has made the most improvement....but that's pretty much the best way to tell a good coach...players improving.....I feel like you can see that everywhere but the offensive side of the ball

[AUMASTERS 555]

4 hours ago, Viper said:

Have with Tutt, but haven’t been impressed with McCreary. He’s had a lot completed on him. I was yelling at the TV v GA to get him off the field. Yes I know he gets picked on because he’s younger. But for good reason. Hope he improves dramatically in the off-season. 

McCreary did have a rough 1st half against Georgia, but he came back in the 2nd half and was very solid. I actually think he's been solid in several of our games and is only going to keep getting better.

[AUinGA44 265]

As much as I like the feel good story of Thomas and Dinson, we are going to be so much better at Safety next year with Smoke and Sherwood back there full time. They shouldn’t come off the field unless we are up or down 21.

[bigbird 60,939]

2 hours ago, cole256 said:

I think mccreary has played excellent.

I agree completely

[bigbird 60,939]

1 hour ago, AUinGA44 said:

As much as I like the feel good story of Thomas and Dinson, we are going to be so much better at Safety next year with Smoke and Sherwood back there full time. They shouldn’t come off the field unless we are up or down 21.

Absolutely! 

Next year, with Smoke, Sherwood, Tutt, McCreary, and hopefully Noah (he needs to stay) our back end has the potential to be the best ever.

[wareagleguy 1,397]

I’ve been very impressed by McCreary as well. I was hyping him in one of the game threads and was told he wasn’t as good as I was saying. If you watch how he plays, he is impressive, in my view.

[ellitor 33,773]

1 hour ago, bigbird said:

Absolutely! 

Next year, with Smoke, Sherwood, Tutt, McCreary, and hopefully Noah (he needs to stay) our back end has the potential to be the best ever.

Don’t be surprised if Domio is not a starter or at least one of the first back ups On the field. Also we are still planning to take another Juco corner which leads me to think the staff still expects Iggy to go pro.

[Viper 3,499]

5 hours ago, AUMASTERS said:

McCreary did have a rough 1st half against Georgia, but he came back in the 2nd half and was very solid. I actually think he's been solid in several of our games and is only going to keep getting better.

He’s going to get absolutely obliterated against bammer. If I’m their OC, I wait until he’s in and then take my biggest downfield shots. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,046]

6 hours ago, Viper said:

He’s going to get absolutely obliterated against bammer. If I’m their OC, I wait until he’s in and then take my biggest downfield shots. 

In his defense, probably everyone in the defensive backfield is going to get obiliterated if we’re unable to run that 3-1-7 formation 

[Sizzle 3,948]

16 hours ago, Viper said:

He’s going to get absolutely obliterated against bammer. If I’m their OC, I wait until he’s in and then take my biggest downfield shots. 

I think he’ll be okay. He got an interception against Joe Burrow and he doesn’t throw too many INT’s. Every CB gives up some completions. I’m trying to figure out how some in this thread have said McCreary has been disappointing