T.D. Moultry ‘knows he has to step up’

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T.D. Moultry ‘knows he has to step up’ for Auburn in final season

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

5-6 minutes

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Kentucky quarterback Terry Wilson (3) fumbles the ball as he is tackled by Auburn defensive back Jamien Sherwood (20) and defensive end T.D. Moultry (99) during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, in Auburn, Alabama. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP

T.D. Moultry’s time is running out.

The former four-star prospect arrived at Auburn as a highly-touted recruit who was a top-100 player coming out of high school, but his career to this point has not necessarily matched the expectations that arrived with him on the Plains.

He’s hoping that changes this fall, as he takes advantage of the NCAA’s free year of eligibility and heads into his fifth and final college campaign with a new position, a new opportunity and a sense of urgency in first-year defensive coordinator Derek Mason’s system. For Moultry, it’s now or never.

“I feel like this year, T.D. knows he has to step up,” cornerback Roger McCreary said. “Like, he’s the leader of that group, so I feel like this year, T.D., he’s improved so much better, and he’s showing he’s more confident and everything.”

Moultry has received considerable buzz during Auburn’s preseason practices, as he has emerged as one of the Tigers’ top players at the new designated edge position in Mason’s defense. During the periods of practice that have been open to the media, he has consistently lined up with the first-team defense at edge opposite Derick Hall.

With Auburn in need of another pass-rushing threat off the edge to complement Hall, who had 3.5 sacks last fall, it has been Moultry who has asserted himself in the role, which seemingly plays to his strengths as a player after spending the last four years trying to carve out a niche on defense.

“I feel like for him, he’s finally put in a position that showcases what he can do best,” defensive lineman Colby Wooden said. “And he’s just going to kill it this year.”

Moultry originally signed with Auburn in 2017 as an inside linebacker, but he moved to the defensive line as a freshman and mostly saw time as a Buck. He was impressive as a freshman that year, totaling 15 tackles, with 2.5 for a loss and 1.5 sacks as a rotational piece along the line for Auburn.

He took a step back as a sophomore, though, with an inconsistent fall camp setting the tone for a sophomore slump — one that began with some untimely penalties in the season opener against Washington, which bled into the rest of his season despite an increased role on defense. He finished with 11 tackles, with 2.5 for a loss and 1.5 sacks in 2018 while appearing in 13 games, which was the same amount he played in during his freshman campaign.

That prompted some frank and difficult offseason discussions with then-defensive line coach Rodney Garner, who challenged him to be a more consistent and reliable player as a junior. That didn’t produce the results that many anticipated, with Moultry posting just four tackles and a sack that season. He followed it up with a nine-tackle campaign that featured just one sack as a senior last fall.

With a new coaching staff and an opportunity for a fresh start after a pandemic-impacted senior season, Moultry has returned with a renewed focus and drive heading into his super-senior year. It was noticeable from teammates during winter workouts and spring practices, when linebackers Owen Pappoe and Zakoby McClain both remarked on the “different mindset” Moultry has displayed.

Now at edge, Moultry has a chance to be an effective pass-rusher for Auburn while spending more time in his more natural role as an outside linebacker-type. His increased comfort in that spot has been evident through his work with the first-team defense this preseason, as well as in his increased role as a leader in coach Bert Watts’ position room.

If his preseason is a barometer for things to come, as it was during his sophomore slump, Auburn’s front seven — which has been the talk of the preseason — could be even more formidable than anticipated.

“T.D.’s always been really good — really good football player,” Hall said. “(He’s) very quick, very aggressive. He knows football really well; his football intelligence is really good. Just the way he’s pulling young guys along, me and him are in the same room so we’re pulling these young guys along trying to show them how we do things at Auburn in the EDGE room, get them up to speed on just football intelligence and things like that. He brings a lot to the table and he’s going to very beneficial come this fall.”

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