A key newcomer to watch

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A key Auburn newcomer to watch during the 2021 football season

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

3-4 minutes

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Auburn center Nick Brahms (52) tries to block defensive tackle Tony Fair in practice Friday, Aug. 20, 2021, during the team's second fall scrimmage. (Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics)Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Tony Fair garnered attention before he ever took the field for his first Auburn practice.

The UAB grad transfer jumped head-first into the Iron Bowl rivalry when he took to social media this summer and declared that the Tigers were coming to “take the head off the elephant” this season against Alabama. The post drew the ire of Alabama fans, while Fair’s new Auburn teammates respected the confidence it exuded.

Now Fair is likely to gain even more attention this fall as one of the key newcomers to watch for Auburn, especially after the preseason departure of two-year starting defensive tackle Tyrone Truesdell. That unexpected personnel change at the start of fall camp left Auburn with a massive hole in the middle of its defensive line — one that the 6-foot-1, 330-pound Fair figures to fill in Derek Mason’s system.

“Tony’s driven,” Mason said. “Tony’s a father. Tony is a grown man. I mean, when I sit down and talk to Tony, it’s like talking to a little brother, so to speak. He’s older. He’s very, very mature. You know, I’m 52. Talking to Tony, it seems like he’s 50. He’s a really mature young man…. Whenever you get maturity in the room — somebody who is quick and powerful and explosive, and you add some maturity to that, I think what you get is a calming force who can challenge guys to get better.”

Fair arrived at Auburn this summer after spending the prior two seasons at UAB. The massive nose tackle played in 18 games for the Blazers and totaled 57 tackles, with eight for a loss and two sacks.

He was one of seven transfer additions for Auburn’s defense this offseason, and after originally being expected to provide depth on the interior of the line, Fair now stands to see an increased role at defensive tackle — especially in the Tigers’ 3-4 front as a “big nose-plugger” who can provide knock-back at the point of attack while taking on double-teams.

He’s the type of experienced player, Mason said, Auburn needs if it wants to play quality defense this season.

Fair has impressed this fall with his athleticism and quickness at his size, and while he can be a difference-maker in early-down situations, Mason and defensive line coach Nick Eason have challenged him to develop into an every-down player in the SEC.

“He’s a big dude, but he’s quick,” defensive tackle J.J. Pegues said. “I respect dudes like that just because of what people think of me. You know, I’m a big guy, but they just think I’m big, strong and slow — but Tony, he could really move.”

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