Derick Hall

[aubiefifty 18,248]

Most Valuable Tigers: No. 3

Nathan King

6-7 minutes

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12 SEC teams will make bowl games in 2022

 

We're still in the heart of the college football offseason, with more than three months since the end of spring ball, media days this week, and another couple weeks until the start of preseason practices.

So what better time to crank up the rankings?

Auburn Undercover is counting down the top 25 most valuable players for the Tigers' 2022 season. Bryan Harsin had hoped to complete his roster by the of May or start of June, and with 10 transfer additions now on board, it appears he may have done so ahead of Year 2. Summer workouts began the first week of June.

A few notes to set the table: These rankings are based on a player's previous contributions to the team, as well as his assumed impact in 2022 — how important he is expected to be to Auburn's success in both production and the win-loss column. It is not simply Auburn's best players in descending order. If a freshman is included on the list, his positioning is obviously a projection of his talent and significance to his respective position group.

Next up in our countdown is No. 3: senior edge rusher Derick Hall.

AS A RECRUIT

Hometown: Gulfport, Mississippi

Class: 2019

Rank nationally: No. 8 WDE, No. 148 nationally (4-star)

247Sports high school scouting report: "Lean, muscular athlete with long levers that looks capable of carrying a lot of weight and keeping athleticism. Twitched up and explosive as a linear and vertical athlete. Very versatile with the ability to play defensive end, linebacker or potentially even tight end. Length allows him to eliminate space. Elite combine athleticism. Struggles in space against plus athletes and is very stiff - likely pointing towards a future on the defensive line. Needs to show more physicality. Has some boom or bust potential, but if things click he can be a high-level power five defender with mid-round NFL upside."

AS A PLAYER

(Michael Chang, Getty)

Hall fit the physical mold of a stud pass-rusher from Day 1 on Auburn's campus, and he's nicely developed into one across three seasons.

After getting his feet wet as a true freshman in the rotation at was previously known as Auburn's "buck" linebacker spot, Hall stepped into a starting role as a sophomore. He had a couple standout performances where he was able to flash his potential as an All-SEC-caliber player along the defensive front, with a pair of sacks in games against both LSU and Mississippi State.

Then, Hall took off last season. He finished tied for third in the SEC with nine sacks, and tied for ninth with 12.5 tackles for loss. He registered a TFL in all but two games and had a sack in seven games. Auburn's edge rusher room also featured a fifth-year senior, a former top-150 recruit and a highly productive transfer, but Hall showed significant improvements in his pass-rushing skills and led the charge.

The highlight performance of his career, and one of the best games for an Auburn defender in the past few seasons, was the Iron Bowl. In the near-upset that ended in a four-overtime loss to Alabama, the 6-foot-4, 256-pound Hall sacked Bryce Young three times, and had 3.5 TFLs for the game.

According to Pro Football Focus, Hall finished No. 6 in the SEC in quarterback pressures (43) and hurries (25), and is the conference's No. 3 returning player in both categories, too.

2022 OUTLOOK

Helping to facilitate a second coordinator change for Auburn in two years, Hall was praised in spring practices for his increased leadership skills. First-year position coach Roc Bellantoni said he was like having another analyst or grad assistant on the field every day.

And that's key for a position group that, prior to adding Western Kentucky transfer Marcus Bragg last month, had only three scholarship players on the roster. Hall and Eku Leota combined for 22.5 tackles for loss last season and figure to be one of the SEC's better pass-rushing duos. But the second rotation will feature Dylan Brooks, a former top-100 recruit who's yet to play a college snap, and Bragg, who had four sacks last season.

Hall could be a preseason first team All-SEC pick later this week, and that kind of season would thoroughly boost Auburn's defensive front — and the unit overall. A lot of question marks can be offset by a consistent pass rush, and Hall showed last season he can be a force off the edge.

WHAT THEY SAID

“A lot of knowledge comes with that, whether it be football position knowledge or knowledge of the game, so I feel really comfortable about this year. I feel like it’s going to be a big year for me and the football program as a whole.” — Hall

[Barnacle 9,107]

Hope we can keep these guys healthy. 

[homersapien 12,238]

I was about to start a thread on Derick.

Wow!  He is so impressive.  (Future Auburn coach?)

 

 

Edited July 23, 2022 by homersapien