The last few months have been chaotic for every aspect of Auburn football, especially the Tigers’ defensive line. New defensive line coach Nick Eason comes to Auburn after spending a season coaching the Cincinnati Bengals’ d-line. Eason steps in to replace Tracy Rocker who left after just 11 days for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The hardest task that lies ahead for Eason and DC Derek Mason is replacing two of the line’s biggest contributors from last season in defensive end Big Kat Bryant and defensive tackle Daquan Newkirk.
Bryant left Auburn to originally follow Kevin Steele to Tennessee but finally ended up at UCF with former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. He finished last season with 15 tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 interception. Newkirk transferred to Florida and finished last season with 28 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Mason typically runs a hybrid defense that alternates between three and four man fronts. Here are the Tigers projected to fill the positions on the defensive line:
Defensive tackle:
Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics
Dre Butler 6’5, 304 lb junior
- 2020 stats: 14 tackles, 1 sack
- Butler transferred to Auburn from Independence Community College in Kansas where he recorded 66 tackles, 22.0 TFL, and 11.5 sacks
Lee Hunter 6’4, 300 lb freshman
- Senior statistics at Blount High School (Mobile, AL): 54 tackles, 20 TFL, 4.5 sacks
- 4-star recruit with high praise for his strength and athleticism along all aspects of the line
Jay Hardy 6’4, 300 lb redshirt freshman
- 2020 stats: early season leg injury sidelined Hardy throughout season, saw action in one game against Northwestern
- Instinctually a very solid player with quick hands and big upside but will need to step up athletically this spring to fill the role
Zykeivous Walker 6’4, 266 lb sophomore
- 2020 stats: solid option for Auburn at DE, finished season with 14 tackles and 1 sack
- Powerful and quick for his size, has the versatility and skillset to play on the edge and the interior
Marquis Burks 6’3, 312 lb senior
- 2020 stats: 4 tackles, 1 sack
- Two years of experience at Iowa City Community College
Defensive end:
Colby Wooden 6’4 268 lb sophomore
- 2020 stats: 42 tackles, 3 sacks, 9.5 TFL
- His 9.5 TFL ranked third best in the SEC and he finished the season on the SEC All-Freshman team
Zykeivous Walker 6’4 266 lb sophomore
- 2020 stats: 14 tackles, 1 sack
- As mentioned before, his versatility is great and he’s a proven pass rusher
Jaren Handy 6’5 252 lb junior
- 2020 stats: 3 tackles, 1 sack
- Reserve DE for the Tigers in 2020, plays aggressively and runs well in pursuit