J.J. Pegues

[aubiefifty 18,236]

J.J. Pegues back at tight end for Auburn, but focus remains on defense

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

4-5 minutes

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Oct 3, 2020; Auburn AL, USA; J.J. Peques (89) runs the ball for 5 yards during the game between Auburn and LSU at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood/AU Athletics Shanna Lockwood/AU Athletics

J.J. Pegues hinted at it in the spring, shortly after he made the move from tight end to defensive tackle.

The versatile 6-foot-3, 308-pound athlete didn’t want to close the door on his prospects on the offensive side of the ball, even though he made the switch to the defensive side earlier this year. He said, at the time, that he wanted to prove he could play defensive tackle and tight end — and in each of Auburn’s first two SEC games this fall, he has done just that.

Pegues has seen time on both offense and defense, as well as on special teams, each of the last two weeks against LSU and Georgia. That included a start in the backfield against the Bulldogs, when the Tigers opened the game with a three-tight end personnel grouping.

“We utilize him.” Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said. “J.J.’s a good player, and you want to try to get the best players on the field…. So, he’s doing quite a bit: playing D-line, playing on special teams, doing a little offense. I would imagine that will continue.”

Saturday’s game against Georgia was Pegues’ second career start on offense, with the other coming last season against Arkansas. The former four-star prospect out of Oxford, Miss., hasn’t played a substantial role on offense thus far this year, but he was used in jumbo packages during the team’s win at LSU two weeks ago and then again to open the game against Georgia, when Auburn methodically moved the ball downfield on its opening drive in its eventual 34-10 loss.

“His football intelligence is very high,” Harsin said. “He understands the game, and that’s what allows us to be able to do multiple things with him.”

Pegues was a fan favorite as a true freshman tight end last season, when he had seven receptions for 57 yards and served as a Wildcat quarterback, with five carries for 14 yards and a completion on his only pass attempt of the season. He wowed with his athleticism at his size, making highlight reels with a spin move and even a hurdle against Ole Miss.

Pegues’ focus, though, has mostly remained on developing as a defensive tackle since making the switch to that side of the ball in early April. He made the move to provide the Tigers with some additional depth at the position following Jeremiah Wright’s ACL tear in the spring, and his ascension at the position was relatively quick. He opened the season as the Tigers’ No. 2 at nose tackle on the official depth chart behind UAB grad transfer Tony Fair.

Midway through his first season at defensive tackle, Pegues has six tackles. Two of those came last weekend against Georgia.

“Still feel like he’s really developing himself into a D-lineman, and a really good D-lineman, that coach (Nick) Eason has done a good job with,” Harsin said. “He’s getting better up front, so we’ll get a chance to see that. There’s little sprinkles here and there of him on the offensive side. And then what he’s doing on special teams.”

While Pegues has a promising future on the defensive side, and his potential as an NFL prospect remains highest as a tackle, Auburn will continue to take advantage of his versatility and ability to contribute in all three phases of the game — though there has yet to be a return of the fan-favorite Wildcat package with Pegues as the triggerman.

“I don’t know how much, as we move forward, his role is going to play on the offensive side,” Harsin said. “But (he’s) a guy who’s done it. That’s one thing. So, there’s video evidence of him…. We’ll see on this game plan. It’s a little bit week-to-week how we utilize him. But the one thing I would say is you’ve got to give him credit because he’s able to do all those things in all three phases and contribute and be a guy that could start for us in all three phases, which is a credit to him, his ability and then just how he prepares himself.”

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

[Newbomb 194]

"His football intelligence is high".  Can he catch a football?

[McLoofus 35,182]

19 minutes ago, Newbomb said:

"His football intelligence is high".  Can he catch a football?

Yes. He came in as a 4* TE. 

He got moved to DL after we had some guys transfer out but it turns out we might need him more on offense this season. Turns out a 300 lb gazelle with soft hands might be useful when your two weakest position groups are OL and WR. 

[Win4AU 4,183]

Probably going to be more of a blocking TE with the threat to catch.  Hopefully open the running game up some against the Pigs.

[IronMan70 3,322]

Pegues is one of the most athletic players to come along in quite some time, especially at his size.  If he's going to also play on offense, I would look forward to seeing more of him blocking from the backside when we pull on a trap play. He destroyed the DL player on that one play and I'll bet the guy is still seeing stars. 

Edited October 13, 2021 by IronMan70

[GTNupe11 2,077]

1 hour ago, IronMan70 said:

Pegues is one of the most athletic players to come along in quite some time, especially at his size.  On offense I want to see more of him blocking from the backside when we pull on a trap play. He destroyed the DL player on that one play and the guy is still seeing stars. 

Remember Ladarious Phillips? Man was that kid special for his size. God rest his soul. 

[gravejd 3,304]

I celebrated his move to defense because if he plays in the Pros DT is the position he'll make it at. But i have no issue using him on offense as he continues to learn the DT position. And heck maybe DT isn't for him and it would be such a waste to not use this kid somewhere. Would love to see him lined up at FB for some of the I-formation stuff we do!!

[JMassie11 1,660]

Maybe throw him in at FB in the I formation? Wish we would have ran the toss sweep more last week after what I saw on the one play.

[cbo 8,725]

I still think we will be glad we moved him to DL. Let’s be patient. It’s reasonable to expect a transitional period. 

[Gowebb11 9,871]

I wish we had used him in a jumbo package vs Penn State on the 4th and 2. He had some devastating blocks last year. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,046]

I don’t want to get pages of pushback on this again but cmon now. Multiple transfers, injuries, and stretches where the interior defense looked gassed and..can anyone remember one highlight the guy had on D? 

Why are we wasting this guy on that side? 

Edited October 13, 2021 by Dual-Threat Rigby

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,046]

At the very least, it’s inexcusable we haven’t featured him in the red zone a TON of times like UGA does Jordan Davis. It’s just silly 

[McLoofus 35,182]

9 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

At the very least, it’s inexcusable we haven’t featured him in the red zone a TON of times like UGA does Jordan Davis. It’s just silly 

It's been a whirlwind and they've been trying to install new systems on both sides of the ball with a very fluid roster. They've got limited time and reps to get players up to speed at any given position, much less at multiple positions on both sides of the ball. uga and Jordan Davis are on autopilot relative to us. 

I personally am not going to complain that it's taking them some time to make the adjustments. I'm just happy that they are making adjustments at all. 

[woodford 3,732]

10 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

At the very least, it’s inexcusable we haven’t featured him in the red zone a TON of times like UGA does Jordan Davis. It’s just silly 

Totally agree.
 

What exactly has JJ done this year?  

[Sizzle 3,948]

1 hour ago, woodford said:

Totally agree.
 

What exactly has JJ done this year?  

Nothing for the most part. He’s a talented football player, we need him on the field contributing somewhere, idgaf what side of the ball it’s on

[McLoofus 35,182]

15 hours ago, cbo said:

I still think we will be glad we moved him to DL. Let’s be patient. It’s reasonable to expect a transitional period. 

I agree with this and I tried to preach patience to the "He's a slam dunk star on the DL" crowd. The guys he's competing with on the DL have been focused on those skills for years and he hasn't. That matters. And he was a very highly rated TE coming in. Again, I agree at this point that his future is at DL, but clearly he does provide skills and value on OL that other players don't. I think that got taken for granted and was outright denied in prior conversations about him.

Edit: meant to say "on offense" and not "on OL"

Edited October 13, 2021 by McLoofus

[Cardin Drake 2,076]

JJ is an interesting guy.  He's a little short as a tight end, and average tight end speed. Athletically, I could see him in the NFL as a DT, but he's got a lot to learn.

Now if he wanted to be an offense guard, (I know he doesn't), he probably has All-Pro athletic talent.

[DAG 34,758]

23 hours ago, McLoofus said:

Yes. He came in as a 4* TE. 

He got moved to DL after we had some guys transfer out but it turns out we might need him more on offense this season. Turns out a 300 lb gazelle with soft hands might be useful when your two weakest position groups are OL and WR. 

I remember when we were eager to keep him on the offensive end. He needs to be utilized. 

[gravejd 3,304]

Interesting convo here. How do you properly use a guy that can help while also preparing him at the position that will get him paid? Thats a very tough balancing act by the coaching staff. You have to take away practice time for him to be involved with the offense but practice time is exactly what he needs at his new position. 

When the move was made i was kind of expecting us to use the TE in a more traditional sense. At the end of the OL and stretching the middle of the defense. We have done that some but Shenker is used more in a FB/HB role. And Pegues would seem to fit that position very well. So i hope we do see him more on offense going forward. 

[auburnphan 6,050]

He was a 4* Athlete

[McLoofus 35,182]

15 minutes ago, auburnphan said:

He was a 4* Athlete

Depends on who you ask. He was offered by bama as a TE- saban compared him to Irv Smith- and obviously offered by us as a TE. Matt Luke had offered him as a TE before he got fired. Kiffin saw him as a DL.

I think the "athlete" designation by recruiting services was mainly because of how versatile he was on offense. But he was mostly considered a TE by the programs that recruited him. 

[metafour 4,978]

2 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Depends on who you ask. He was offered by bama as a TE- saban compared him to Irv Smith- and obviously offered by us as a TE. Matt Luke had offered him as a TE before he got fired. Kiffin saw him as a DL.

I think the "athlete" designation by recruiting services was mainly because of how versatile he was on offense. But he was mostly considered a TE by the programs that recruited him. 

Most schools offered and recruited him at the position that he wanted to play....in order to entice him. Pretty standard operating procedure.

That Saban comparison is comical. Irv Smith was LIGHT for a TE at ~240 pounds. Apart from both of them being on the short side, what exactly is the comparison supposed to be? Pegues was pushing 280 pounds when he first stepped on campus as a true freshman. It would be like Harsin telling Damari Alston that he reminds him of Derrick Henry LOL.

[McLoofus 35,182]

5 minutes ago, metafour said:

what exactly is the comparison supposed to be? 

Guess you'll have to ask the greatest college football coach of all time, since he's allegedly the one who made it. 

[metafour 4,978]

2 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Guess you'll have to ask the greatest college football coach of all time, since he's allegedly the one who made it. 

Oh, I understand the "comparison" just fine...

"Son, you remind me EXACTLY of *insert current star player at the same position who is about to be drafted with a high pick*. The resemblance is so strong that I swear I was looking at *insert current star player at the same position*!"

I understand the basics of recruiting...

When you actually think objectively, you can't help but chuckle. Irv Smith weighed in at the Combine at 242 pounds. When was the last time you reckon J.J. Pegues weighed 242 pounds? When he was in the 10th grade, maybe? Irv Smith's weight measures at the 8th percentile in the NFL for Tight Ends. If Pegues were to enter the draft as a TE, his weight would measure in the 99th percentile.

Irv Smith's entire game - despite his marginal size - was dependant on his speed. He would routinely beat Safeties off the line down the field. Again, even when Pegues DID play TE, this was not his skillset at all. 

You couldn't pick more dissimilar players if you tried. Like I said, the only "comparable" is their lack of height.

[metafour 4,978]

And by the way, the actual thing that everyone should hope to see is more Landen King on the field at TE.

Pegues should be brought in on jumbo packages to utilize his blocking, as well as a threat near the goal-line to sneak him open. They already started bringing him in on jumbo packages, BTW.