Tag: Derek Mason

Auburn freshmen impact (No. 9: Ahmari Harvey)

Auburn’s got a good one in Ahmari Harvey…

This is the eighth article in a series detailing and ranking the incoming Auburn freshmen’s impact in 2021.

Name: Ahmari Harvey

Position: Saftey

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 175 lbs

Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida

High School: Florida State University School

Twitter: @Ahmari_saucy

His impact in 2021: Harvey has tremendous upside as a football player. He saw the field in every way possible for Florida State University High School as a junior. Harvey caught 40 passes for 642 yards and seven touchdowns, along with 94 tackles and six interceptions. He also had a kick return touchdown. Harvey will be behind quality depth such as Bydarrius Knighton and Donovan Kaufman, but because of his raw athleticism, he should find the field in some way in 2021.

No: 16 AD Diamond

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Auburn freshmen impact (No. 12: Ian Mathews)

Expect defensive lineman Ian Mathews to get his shot at playing time early in the season.

This is the fifth article in a series detailing and ranking the incoming Auburn freshmen’s impact in 2021.

Name: Ian Matthews

Position: Defensive Lineman

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 270 lbs

Hometown: Columbus, Georgia

High School: Pacelli

Twitter: @Bigiannnn

His impact in 2021: Auburn needs some guys to step up on the defensive line. A new three-man front is going to limit the number of guys that can be on the field at once but defensive coordinator Derek Mason should rotate his pieces up front early in the season to get a pecking order solidified. Ian Mathews could be a guy we see early in the season get a shot at playing d-line. Mathews had 32.5 tackles, 18.5 TFL, seven sacks, two PBU, and two forced fumbles as a senior at Pacelli High School in Columbus, Georgia. The former 3-star may get buried behind Auburn’s new transfers along with the veterans on the line as the season progresses, but don’t be shocked if Mathews gets his shot early in the season.
No: 16 AD Diamond

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Auburn freshmen impact (No. 14: Cayden Bridges)

Get to know incoming freshman Cayden Bridges.

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This is the third article in a series detailing and ranking the incoming Auburn freshmen’s impact in 2021.

Name: Cayden Bridges

Position: Saftey

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 190 lbs

Hometown: Magee, Mississippi

High School: Magee

Twitter: @03Cayden

His impact in 2021: Virtually non-existent, at least this season. Bridges had 52 tackles, six TFL, four interceptions in his senior season.  He also caught 44 passes for 606 yards and seven touchdowns. He will also play baseball for the Tigers. He is a talented athlete. However, with Auburn’s depth at the safety spot, Bridges should be a 2022 role player at best, especially with other incoming freshmen Ahmari Harvey and Vanderbilt transfer Donovan Kaufman sitting above him currently on the depth chart.

No: 15 Dematrius Davis

No: 16 AD Diamond

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Auburn football: Top defensive players ahead of 2021 season

From Roger McCreary to Colby Wooden, Auburn has talented players returning on defense in Derek Mason’s first season as coordinator.

For the past several seasons the strength of Auburn has been its defense and despite a new coaching staff and scheme that should still be the case in 2021.

New defensive coordinator Derek Mason will have a talented group that is also returning a ton of production. The Tigers will have five of their top seven tacklers from a season ago have returned and the top six in tackles for loss and four in sacks are also back.

While Mason will have limited time with the players and the defense will look quite different, the level of production should not take a step back from the Kevin Steele defenses that were a staple of Auburn over the past several years.

Here is a look at the top five players on the defensive side of the ball ahead of the 2021 season.

Vanderbilt safety Donovan Kaufman commits to Auburn

Former Vanderbilt safety Donovan Kaufman committed to Auburn today.

Former Vanderbilt safety Donovan Kaufman committed to Auburn today. Kaufman had narrowed his search down to Auburn and Texas before making his official announcement. By coming to The Plains, Kaufman now has the opportunity to reunite with Derek Mason.

The transfer commit spoke highly of Mason saying,

“He’s a great dude. Not just for me, ask anybody around. They’ll say they love him as a person and that he keeps it real. He’s more than just a coach. He’s a very hands-on coach. Very detailed. With me and him, it’s deeper than football. He wants the best for me.”

Kaufman committed to Vanderbilt in 2019 with the final decision coming down to the Commodores, Ole Miss, and Florida State. 247Sports’ Sam Marsdale gave insight on the immediate impact Mason had on Kaufman saying,”the Commodores ultimately held onto Kaufman after Mason visited Kaufman’s father at an Alabama prison and made a strong impression.”

Through his high school career at Archbishop Rummel Kaufman recorded 177 tackles and four interceptions returned for touchdowns. As a prospect he was rated the nation’s No. 37 safety and No. 18 player in the state of Louisiana.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQUVlrbzsDU

Kaufman will have four years of eligibility remaining upon his arrival to Auburn. After recording 15 tackles and a kickoff return touchdown across two games in 2020 the freshman safety missed the remainder of the season with a medical issue per Mason.

How soon will we see him in action?

Not clear yet.

The NCAA recently ruled that one-time transfers were to be granted immediate eligibility upon transferring to their next program. The decision will ultimately come down to the SEC who must still decide whether or not intra-conference transfers will receive immediate eligibility.

Kaufman recently moved back to his hometown of New Orleans and is eager to arrive to Auburn in early June. After a recent virtual visit with Auburn Kaufman said, “Everything was great. It’s a neat college town. I like the stadium, the facilities, the people.”

 

Auburn cracks top 10 in ESPN’s future defense power rankings

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg has Auburn’s defense in the top 10 of his future power rankings heading into the 2021 season.

There’s a new man in charge on the Plains of Auburn’s defense as Derek Mason has taken the throne after Kevin Steele made the Tigers one of the most fierce defenses in his six years and the expectations for Mason’s first defense is quite high.

While the defensive front has to work itself out, Auburn is more than loaded at the linebacker and secondary positions with Owen Pappoe, Zakoby McClain, Smoke Monday, Roger McCreary and the crew leading the way.

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg thinks highly of the Tigers defense, ranking them No. 10 in his future power rankings.

Scouting the Tigers: Auburn didn’t fire head coach Gus Malzahn because of the defense, a unit that should continue to thrive under new coordinator Derek Mason. The Tigers lose some key parts — do-it-all safety Christian Tutt and linemen DaQuan Newkirk and Big Kat Bryant — but bring back one of the nation’s top linebacker groups and more than enough talent elsewhere. Junior Owen Pappoe and senior Zakoby McClain will lead the unit in 2021 after combining for 206 tackles, including seven sacks, last fall. Senior Chandler Wooten, who opted out in 2020, is back, and linebackers such as Cam Riley and Wesley Steiner should take over in 2022, along with sophomore edge rusher Derick Hall (3.5 sacks in 2020). Senior cornerback Roger McCreary (three interceptions, seven tackles for loss in 2020) is a nationally elite player and could pair with West Virginia transfer Dreshun Miller. Veteran safety Smoke Monday also returns. The long-term outlook is solid at cornerback (junior Nehemiah Pritchett, sophomore Jaylin Simpson) and at safety (sophomores Ladarius Tennison and Chris Thompson Jr.).

Mason’s development of the line is worth watching. Auburn will miss its departing players but returns sophomore end Colby Wooden, who earned SEC All-Freshman honors after recording 9.5 tackles for loss (four sacks) in 2020. Zykeivous Walker also saw playing time as a freshman end, and Auburn adds Dylan Brooks, ESPN’s No. 5 end and No. 18 overall recruit for 2021. The Tigers also pick up two coveted interior line recruits in Lee Hunter, a top-60 overall prospect, and Marquis Robinson. They join tackles such as senior Marquis Burks, junior Dre Butler and sophomore Jay Hardy. Auburn’s overall line depth looks very good through 2023.

It will be interesting to see how the defense comes along in Mason’s first season in charge.

Auburn Spring Practice: Can the Tigers find a dominant defensive line?

Here are the Tigers projected to fill the positions on the defensive line.

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:

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

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

Opinion: Derek Mason is a phenomenal hire at DC and here’s why

Derek Mason has been hired as the defensive coordinator at Auburn and it is a smart move in every way.

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Bryan Harsin added former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason to his staff on Thursday. Mason will assume the role of defensive coordinator on Harsin’s inaugural staff after a seven-year head coaching stint with the Commodores.

Mason’s career spans 26 years with defensive coaching experience at Bucknell, St. Mary’s, and Stanford. Mason also spent two years with the Minnesota Vikings as the assistant defensive backs coach.

While at Stanford, Mason’s defensive units ranked first or second in nearly every category which earned him a spot as a Broyles Award finalist in 2012. At Vanderbilt he became just the second coach in school history to lead the Commodores to two bowl appearances. Under his leadership inside linebacker Zach Cunningham was the first Vanderbilt football player to receive All-American accolades in 32 years.

What stands out to me the most about Derek Mason is his energetic charisma. Two years ago at SEC Media Days in Hoover I sat on radio row. It was late afternoon on the next to last day when Derek Mason walked in. Usually you see head coaches walk in shortly before they’re scheduled to address the media, but this man showed up a day early to shake hands, network, sit down for interviews, etc. Mason then showed up the next day to do it all over again.

It was a gesture that set him apart from the other coaches that week and I thought, I want that energy on my team. For Harsin, the decision to add Mason as DC was a no-brainer.

In Thursday’s press release Harsin said,

“Derek Mason is one of the best defensive minds in college football and his track record speaks for itself. I’ve always admired his ability to prepare his defenses and his approach with players on and off the field is outstanding. Having experience as a head coach in the Southeastern Conference is invaluable and he will bring a lot to our program. We’re fired up to have Coach Mason join the Auburn family.”

If this doesn’t fire you up about this hire, let me remind you of the time that Mason stood up to Cousin Eddie, I mean…Dan Mullen.

Or the time he had all college football fans ready to run through a brick wall in the name of Vanderbilt.

And his locker room speeches? HYPE.

I am elated, and so is Derek Mason,

“Auburn University is a special place with special people, and I’ve witnessed this in my time in the SEC. I admire the school, the facilities, the traditions and the uniqueness of the community. Auburn has everything! Auburn embraces all that I believe in and I’m very appreciative of Coach Harsin, Director of Athletics Allen Greene and the University Administration for this opportunity. I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Harsin and I’m excited to hit the ground running.”

Welcome to Auburn, Derek Mason! War Eagle!

LSU DC contender Derek Mason, hired at Auburn

One of LSU’s finalists for defensive coordinator is off the board.

One of LSU’s finalists for defensive coordinator is off the board as former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason was announced as the new defensive coordinator for Auburn on Thursday.

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron had expressed an interest in Mason, and he was interested in the job at one point. However, it is not known if Mason ever participated in an actual interview with LSU.

Orgeron made it clear this week that Cincinnati defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman was his top choice for defensive coordinator. Freeman was in Baton Rouge on Thursday with his wife for a formal interview.

The Tigers aren’t the only team competing for Freeman, though, as Notre Dame and Texas have also spoken with him. And, there is no guarantee he leaves his current position.

Mason spent seven seasons as Vanderbilt’s head coach before he was fired late in the 2020 season. Before that, he was the defensive coordinator at Stanford.

There is still no timetable on when Orgeron expects to have a new defensive coordinator in place. LSU officially hired Jake Peetz as offensive coordinator on Wednesday.

 

Report: Auburn to hire Derek Mason as defensive coordinator

Auburn is set to hire Derek Mason as its new defensive coordinator on Bryan Harsin’s staff.

Bryan Harsin is keeping Derek Mason in the SEC.

Per AL.com, the new Auburn coach is hiring the former Vanderbilt head coach to become the Tigers defensive coordinator.

Mason has previously served as a defensive coordinator at Stanford where he built the Cardinal into one of the top defenses in the country under David Shaw. His last season inn Palo Alto saw his defense finish 16th in the FBS in total yards allowed per game, giving up just 343.5.

His tenure at Vanderbilt started including two six-win seasons and trips to a bowl game, yet the Commodores fell apart the last two seasons, finishing 3-7 in 2019 and 0-8 this year, respectively.