Linebackers the leaders for 2021 defense

[aubiefifty 18,231]

Linebackers the leaders for 2021 Auburn defense

ByMark Murphy

3-4 minutes

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Auburn Defensive Backs in Action at Opening Practice

 

AUBURN, Alabama–Asked to name any players who have made major improvement since spring or otherwise stood out during the early portion of preseason football practice, Auburn’s new defensive coordinator noted that it is a position group that is performing well and captured his attention.

“It is hard to put it on one guy,” said Derek Mason, the former Vanderbilt head coach. “I thought that defensively, as I have looked–and I think you can say this about the offense and where we are special teams-wise–the challenge is how far we can all go together?

“Football is a team game, and everybody has got to pull their fair share in terms of being able to get where we are to where we want to be,” Mason said of the Tigers, who are looking to improve on last season’s 6-5 record.

“When I look at the defensive side of the ball, I think that what I saw from the linebackers in terms of how those guys worked throughout the summer,” Mason said. “It is good to see Chandler Wooten back–when you see a guy like Chandler Wooten, who has so much experience and didn't play a year ago, just to see where that room has gone with (Wesley) Steiner and what is happening with Zakoby (McClain) and Owen (Pappoe) and looking at Cam (Riley) and everybody in that room.”

McClain, a senior, is a returning starter who finished as the team’s leader in tackles with last season at 111. Pappoe, a junior, ranked second in tackles with 93 and made 56 solo stops, one behind McClain’s team lead. McClain is a preseason second team all-conference selection from Southeastern Conference Media Days and Pappoe is a third team pick.

Auburn linebacker Owen Pappoe tackles LSU running back John Emery. (Photo: John Reed, USA TODAY Sports)

Wooten is a 6-3, 232 redshirt senior who has played in 30 Auburn games with two starts. He 2019 he was credited with 18 solo tackles and nine assists.

Riley is a 6-5, 219 sophomore who played in all 11 games last season and finished with four solo tackles and five assists. Also a sophomore, 6-0, 229 Steiner made one solo tackle with two assists while playing in nine games as a true freshman.

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“For me, I just think that group really challenged everybody this summer,” Mason said of the linebackers. “With that being said, everybody around those guys sort of followed them.

“I don't think any group is that group that took us over the top, but I think everybody gave their best,” the coordinator added. “When they do that, especially with guys that play as hard as Owen and Zakoby and then you add a Chandler Wooten in there, that is probably three guys that we know about or we will know about early in the season.

“I just like the group,” Mason said of the linebackers. “We will see how good we are going to be and how far we are going to go in the next couple of weeks.”

">247Sports

[USATiger 741]

Zakoby, the God of badass himself, led the SEC in tackles, and didn't get picked to a post-season team.  With many of those guys in the NFL, he is only 2nd team.  Zakoby this year:

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

3 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

“When I look at the defensive side of the ball, I think that what I saw from the linebackers in terms of how those guys worked throughout the summer,” Mason said. “It is good to see Chandler Wooten back–when you see a guy like Chandler Wooten, who has so much experience and didn't play a year ago, just to see where that room has gone with (Wesley) Steiner and what is happening with Zakoby (McClain) and Owen (Pappoe) and looking at Cam (Riley) and everybody in that room.”

Love to see Steiner's name pop up here. If I didn't always focus on upperclassmen, he had a good shot at being my man crush.