McCreary returned to Auburn with 2 goals

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Roger McCreary returned to Auburn with 2 goals. He already achieved 1

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

5-7 minutes

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Roger McCreary faced a monumental decision at the end of last season: Declare early for the NFL Draft or return to Auburn for another campaign.

McCreary was on the radar of NFL teams after a standout season as the Tigers’ No. 1 cornerback, a role he assumed following the early departure of Noah Igbinoghene. The 6-foot, 190-pounder had a chance to be the fourth Auburn cornerback to declare early and get drafted in as many years, a trend that began with Carlton Davis in 2018 and continued with Jamel Dean and Igbinoghene the following two seasons. After weighing his options, McCreary decided to buck that trend and instead announced Jan. 11 his return to the Plains for his senior season.

“The main reason that I decided to come back was because my education,” McCreary said. “That’s what I wanted first. And second, I can always improve my draft stock, so that was another reason, too.”

That first goal was attained earlier this month, when McCreary became a first-generation graduate by earning his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies — focusing on business, sports coaching and psychology — on Aug. 7. Now his focus is shifted to the second goal of improving his draft stock.

McCreary finished last season as one of the better cornerbacks in college football. He had 45 tackles, three interceptions and six pass-breakups in Auburn’s secondary. He posted a top-10 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus while playing the ninth-most coverage snaps in press-coverage among all FBS corners last year, allowing one or zero catches in five of the 10 games he appeared in and allowing 25 yards receiving or fewer in seven of those games.

The Mobile native and former three-star prospect will look to build on that in a new system under first-year defensive coordinator Derek Mason and in a deep, talented secondary for Auburn this season.

“I feel like this defensive scheme is way different from coach (Kevin) Steele’s,” McCreary said. “…I feel like that is great for the secondary because we’re using our press technique from what we used last year, to different techniques that Coach Mason brings this year.”

During Steele’s tenure as Auburn’s defensive coordinator, the Tigers emphasized press-man coverage at corner. It was an aggressive, physical approach that helped spur the defensive renaissance Auburn experienced under Steele’s guidance, as the Tigers allowed fewer than 220 passing yards per game in three of Steele’s five seasons and had a top-32 pass efficiency defense in each of his first four years as defensive coordinator.

While the press-man coverage applied pressure to opposing offenses, it also provided an opportunity for explosive plays in the passing game if a cornerback got beat; the Tigers allowed 33 passes of at least 20 yards last season, which was 83rd among FBS teams. That’s something the team hopes to eliminate in Mason’s new system, which emphasizes top-down, off-man coverage scheme.

Let McCreary explain the difference between Steele’s press-man coverage and Mason’s approach, which is more of a zone concept in the secondary.

“With the off-man, it’s all about with the eyes and feet and all of that stuff and recognizing, like, what’s going on with the offense like FBI — football IQ and all of that stuff,” McCreary said. “So, it gives us more time to think playing off when you see everything from the offense. With that — playing off-man — we won’t get beat deep. It’s about being more patient when the receiver gets into your cushion race, when to open up and all of that stuff, or when it’s about to come down.

“It’s all about field awareness, really, to play top-down and all that stuff and eyes and feet. That’s what it’s really all about other than man. Man is just — you’re just with this man locked on. No matter where he goes, that’s where you’re going.  This defense, we’re playing like zone. We’re passing off the man if he don’t come right to us; you know, that stuff. And if he comes to us, we’ve got man all the way.”

It’s a simpler approach, according to McCreary, and one he feels is going to be beneficial to him — he has been one of the top college corners in zone coverage the last two seasons, according to PFF analysis — and to the defense as a whole.

Since Mason began implementing his system in the spring, McCreary has seen progress personally as he tries to evolve as a cornerback. He has become more patient thanks to the philosophy in the secondary, and he’s picking up on the nuances of playing the position in a different style of defense.

It has been quite the progression for McCreary, who admitted he used to have trouble understanding schemes and would rely more on instincts and experience at cornerback. But thanks to Mason and defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge, he has seen his football IQ improve considerably and has been encouraged to be a more vocal leader in the room—not just someone who leads by example on the field.

It has helped him develop into “the alpha of the group” at cornerback this fall, according to Mason, and McCreary hopes it can also help him develop into a top NFL prospect by spring.

“The biggest thing with Roger is he’s very talented,” Etheridge said in April. “He has a lot of makeup. He has the skillset to play on Sundays…. So, he’s going to be a special player. We’re working on that.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.