Pair of redshirts make big moves into starting roles on defense

[aubiefifty 18,231]

247sports.com

Pair of redshirts make big moves into starting roles on defense

ByJason Caldwell

3-4 minutes

AUBURN, Alabama—For some who looked at Auburn’s opening day football depth chart, the announcement of Colby Wooden as Jaylin Simpson as starters might come as a surprise, but since bowl practices both have shown a steady climb up the depth charts and are now poised to play a very big role for Coach Kevin Steele’s defense beginning this Saturday against the Kentucky Wildcats.

A 4-star prospect coming out of Archer High in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Wooden is a player who got better throughout his high school career while playing against some of the top competition in the country week in and week out. Injured early last season in his freshman year, Wooden got back in the second half of the season and really took things to another level. Getting bigger and stronger, he went from 243 to nearly 270 by the time the Tigers got to bowl practices in Tampa.

Now closer to 280 pounds, Wooden is a player that Gus Malzahn said can really help the Auburn defense because of what he brings to the table every play. While senior Daquan Newkirk will likely get plenty of reps as well at the position as the backup to Wooden, Malzahn says the redshirt freshman has earned his shot.

“Well, he's been consistent, been consistent,” Malzahn said. “He's been impressive throughout fall camp playing the run, rushing the passer and just being consistent. And, you know, when we recruited him, we had high expectations for him. And so we think he's in a good spot right now.”

Maybe the biggest concern for Wooden is size. Even at 280 pounds he’ll be much lighter than the guys he’s going up against each week on the interior. That’s not a concern, said Malzahn.

“It's his quickness,” Malzahn said of what allows Wooden to compete inside. “He's strong. He's got instincts. You know, when you move inside, that's a different world. I just know that he's got really good instincts and has gotten a lot of reps this fall. I think he'll have the ability to improve each game.”

The same is true of Simpson. Another 4-star Georgia prospect from tiny Frederica Academy on St. Simon’s Island, he had offers from most of the top programs in the country before choosing Auburn. Needing to get bigger and stronger, Simpson is listed at 6-0, 171 now after arriving at just over 160 a year ago. Malzahn said that like Wooden, the young defensive back has earned his shot.

“He really came on,” Malzahn said of the corner. “He’s got some natural football instincts and we put him at corner right off the bat, and you could tell that each day he improved. He can flat out run. He’s got really good ball skills and he’s a good tackler. He really stepped up and he made an early impression and just kept that momentum going throughout fall camp.”