position preview: Defensive backs

[aubiefifty 18,231]

This is the eighth in a nine-part series examining each position group ahead of the start of Auburn’s fall camp on Aug. 5. The eighth installment looks at Auburn’s defensive backs.

Auburn’s secondary will have a somewhat different look this season after the unit saw three key contributors — starting safety Jamien Sherwood, reserve Jordyn Peters and starting nickel Christian Tutt — all graduate or leave for the NFL.

But the Tigers also return some crucial pieces, including seniors Smoke Monday and Roger McCreary, as well as junior Nehemiah Pritchett and sophomore Jaylin Simpson. Add to that an influx of offseason additions, and defensive coordinator Derek Mason and defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge have ample talent to sort through to configure the back end of Auburn’s defense this fall.

Departed: Jamien Sherwood (NFL); Jordyn Peters (NFL); Christian Tutt; Marco Domio (transfer to UCF); Chris Thompson Jr. (transfer to USC); Kamal Hadden (transfer to Tennessee).

Returning starters: Smoke Monday; Roger McCreary; Nehemiah Pritchett; Jaylin Simpson.

Other returning players: Zion Puckett; Ladarius Tennison; Ahmari Harvey, freshman early enrollee; Malcolm Askew; Eric Reed Jr.

Summer arrivals: Donovan Kaufman, Vanderbilt transfer; Dreshun Miller, West Virginia transfer; Ro Torrence, JUCO transfer; Bydarrius Knighten, JUCO transfer; A.D. Diamond, three-star freshman; Cayden Bridges, three-star freshman.

Outlook: Auburn’s secondary could be the toughest group to project from a personnel standpoint just because of what the team brings back in terms of returning production and what it added this offseason.

Senior Smoke Monday is all but assured of locking down one of the starting safety spots, while the same can be said for senior Roger McCreary at corner. The other three main positions at safety, corner and nickel should be up for grabs in fall camp, and there is no shortage of options for the Tigers at each spot.

Nehemiah Pritchett and Jaylin Simpson both saw ample playing time at corner last season, with Simpson earning the starting job in fall camp but Pritchett starting every game but the season opener opposite McCreary due to an early-season injury sustained by Simpson. Those two will be competing for the job with West Virginia transfer Dreshun Miller, who led the Mountainers’ top-ranked pass defense with eight pass breakups last season. JUCO transfer Ro Torrence, another one of Auburn’s offseason additions, could work his way into the rotation as well.

Simpson ended spring practices as the projected starter at corner, but that was before Miller arrived on campus. Pritchett can also move inside and play nickel, and if he doesn’t lock down a spot at corner, he could be one of several options in the slot for Auburn, as Zion Puckett and Ladarius Tennison — who spent the spring working mostly at safety — as well as JUCO transfer Bydarrius Knighten are all capable of competing for reps there.

Puckett and Knighten, of course, can also play safety, and Puckett could be a candidate to start alongside Monday on the back end. He’ll be in the mix there with Vanderbilt transfer Donovan Kaufman, who has prior experience in Mason’s system, and Knighten.

There are a lot of moving parts, as well as a lot of versatility, and with all the new pieces Auburn added in the offseason, it could take some time before things get sorted out in the secondary for Mason and crew. But this much is at least certain: Auburn isn’t lacking in depth, or talent, back there.

Battle to watch: The second cornerback spot opposite McCreary will be an interesting battle this fall. Pritchett and Simpson both have starting experience and played well last season, while Miller played a key role in West Virginia’s top-ranked passing defense. All of them will be key contributors this season, without a doubt (Pro Football Focus ranked the combination of McCreary and either Pritchett or Miller as the No. 3 cornerback duo in the nation this season); it’s just a matter of who earns that top spot on the depth chart.

Keep an eye on: Kaufman at safety could be a wild card in this defense. He’s a summer arrival, so it will take him some time to get acclimated, but he has prior experience in Mason’s system from his freshman season at Vanderbilt last year, and he could emerge as a difference-maker at safety for Auburn.

Projected two-deep:

Cornerback

Roger McCreary (6-foot, 190 pounds)

Ro Torrence (6-foot-3, 195 pounds)

Cornerback

Nehemiah Pritchett (6-foot-1, 179 pounds) OR

Jaylin Simpson (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) OR

Dreshun Miller (6-foot-2, 194 pounds)

Nickelback

Ladarius Tennison (5-foot-10, 198 pounds)

Zion Puckett (6-foot, 209 pounds) OR

Bydarrius Knighten (6-foot-1, 201 pounds)

Safety

Smoke Monday (6-foot-3, 199 pounds)

Ahmari Harvey (6-foot, 172 pounds)

Safety

Zion Puckett (6-foot, 209 pounds) OR

Donovan Kaufman (5-foot-10, 200 pounds)

Bydarrius Knighten (6-foot-1, 201 pounds)

[AUpreacherman22 3,945]

This unit will definitely be one of the strengths of the team!!!   Combined with our LBs, our back 7 (or 8 at times) should be very good!