Most important 2020 players: Roger McCreary

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247sports.com

Most important 2020 Auburn football players: Roger McCreary

ByJason Caldwell

3-4 minutes

AUBURN, Alabama--With the losses of senior Javaris Davis and junior Noah Igbinoghene from Auburn’s secondary last season, the need for someone to step up and take over as the top cornerback for the football Tigers is a big one. The player who is the leading candidate to step into the role in 2020 is junior Roger McCreary.

Finishing with 36 tackles a season ago, McCreary got plenty of work when Auburn used five and six defensive backs for large portions of the season. Becoming a target for opposing teams, the Mobile native led the team with 11 pass break-ups and added one interception. After having a target on him a year ago, McCreary is ready for the next step, Igbinoghene predicts.

“I expect big things from Roger,” the first round NFL draft choice said. “He had a great season last year as well. He’s kind of in the same spot I was my sophomore year so it’s kinda crazy. I expect big things out of him.”

A talented player out of Williamson High and coached by former Auburn defensive standout Antonio Coleman, McCreary impressed at an Auburn summer camp and earned an offer from the Tigers after originally committing to South Alabama in the spring of his junior year.

Playing as a true freshman for Auburn and showing the athleticism needed to excel at the position, McCreary improved as a sophomore after working on the fundamentals and techniques required at cornerback.

Now with two collegiate seasons under his belt, McCreary is ready to take the next step, said former Auburn safety and teammate Jeremiah Dinson.

“The confidence, that’s all it was,” Dinson said of McCreary. “When you gain confidence, you play well. Kind of lacked a little bit of confidence early in the year, but he was still balling. As the weeks went on, his confidence was at an all-time high. I’m not surprised that he leads the team in PBUs (passes broken up) because he’s another guy, freak of nature, that puts the work in. Puts the work in, quiet guy, watch a lot of film and things like that. When he goes to Saturday it shows. It shows the work he puts in.

“He’s another guy that’s going to be a high draft pick in years to come," Dinson added. "It’s been fun to watch those young guys develop. From his freshman year to his sophomore year, he made a huge jump and there’s still a lot of growth there. He’s still going to grow and get better.”

McCreary is the most experienced player returning in Auburn’s secondary for the 2020 season along with fellow juniors Christian Tutt, Smoke Monday and Jamien Sherwood. They are expected to be the building blocks in the group when the Tigers get back on campus for workouts beginning Monday.

Roger McCreary is expected to handle an expanded role as a junior. (Photo: Jason Caldwell/Inside The Auburn Tigers, 247Sports)

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[Sizzle 3,948]

He’s gonna get tested a lot but he was one of the few guys who got an interception off of Burrow last year so I believe in him to take the next step and be that #1 corner that we’re going to need

[alexava 6,974]

He can play. He might be remembered more for getting beat but he was on so many islands. I'm betting on him being a ringer.

[McLoofus 35,182]

It's still so crazy to me that Iggy got drafted in the first round. I know he was a 4* prospect but that's still one of the most impressive high school > NFL stories I can remember.