a 'dangerous' pass rush for 2021

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2020 Auburn sack leader predicting a 'dangerous' pass rush for 2021

ByMark Murphy

3-4 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama–There were a variety of reasons why Auburn’s defense struggled on third downs last season. One of the issues was an inconsistent pass rush.

The 2020 Tigers finished last in the Southeastern Conference in third down defense, allowing opponents to convert 82-163 opportunities, a better than 50 percent average. Against SEC teams opponents converted 41.3 percent of third downs with seven to nine yards to go for a first down and 30 percent with 10 yards or more to gain.

Although last year’s defense actually ranked third in the league in sacks per game at 2.50 per contest behind Florida’s 3.0 and Alabama’s 2.91, all too often opposing quarterbacks had enough time to find a receiver open and make possession-sustaining plays on third downs. The 2020 defense was credited with 32 quarterback pressures in 11 games, a number this year’s group will try to improve.

One of the players who has a chance to make that happen is redshirt sophomore tackle Colby Wooden, who tied linebacker Owen Pappoe, who also returns, for the team lead in quarterback sacks last season with four. Wooden led the Tigers in quarterback hurries with six.

“We are going to be dangerous this year with T.D. Moultry and Derick Hall, speedsters coming off the edge,” Wooden said of Moultry, a 6-2, 253 redshirt senior, and Hall, a 6-3, 251 junior, who finished third on the team in sacks last year with 3 1/2.

Colby Wooden pressures TJ Finley and forces a fumble in last season's Auburn victory over LSU. (Photo: Jason Caldwell/Inside The Auburn Tigers, 247Sports)

“Me, Marcus (Harris) and Tony (Fair) up the middle, you know we will be dangerous and the new transfer, Eku (Leota). He surprised me, too. He's very good with pass rush, too.” Leota, a third team All-Big Ten selection last season, was credited with four sacks while playing in eight games in 2020.

Harris is a 6-2, 279 redshirt sophomore, who played at Kansas last year where he led the Jayhawks in tackles for lost yardage with 7 1/2. Fair is listed as a 6-1, 330 senior. He played last season for UAB and produced one sack. Leota is a graduate transfer from Northwestern, who is 6-4, 240 pounds with two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Nine of the 13 Tigers who made sacks last season are on the 2021 roster. Those who are not back include Big Kat Bryant (3 1/2), Daquan Newkirk (1 1/2) along with Jamien Sherwood and Jaren Handy with one apiece.

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“We are just going to kill a lot of people with our speed, techniques and hands and all of that,” predicted Wooden, who will be a key performer in a re-designed defense that is based out of a 3-4 front with new coordinator, Derek Mason, directing the group.

2021 ITAT Auburn Football Guide Now Available

“He is bringing a whole new energy, getting us to fly around to the ball,” Wooden said of the team’s defensive coordinator. “It’s just fun. We are doing a lot more things.”

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