Auburn was due for some attrition along the defensive line.
The Tigers had to many talented players for everyone to get enough playing time and when Nick Eason left for Clemson it only worsened the situation.
But losing six players to the transfer portal was unexpected and has thinned out Auburn’s depth.
The Tigers return their top defensive lineman in Colby Wooden and quality starter in Marcus Harris. Marquis Burks gives them another experienced player they will lean on.
After those four, Auburn has several promising players who have yet to carve out roles for themselves and are now in line for serious playing time.
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
Miami landed a pair of four-star recruits, both former Florida State pledges — running back Jaylan Knighton and safety Jalen Harrell — less than a week after an embarrassing loss to FIU.
Miami is less than two weeks removed from one of the most embarrassing defeats in program history, a 30-24 setback at the hands of Florida International University (FIU). One might think that would all but officially sever the pipeline between elite talent in South Florida and “The U.” Incredibly, the opposite has happened.
In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, the Hurricanes gained commitments from a pair of former Florida State commits: Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah, Fla.) safety Jalen Harrell and Deerfield Beach (Fla.) running back Jaylan Knighton. The pair of two of the four Florida State recruits who decommitted following the firing of head coach Willie Taggart.
Incredibly, both committed after visiting Miami during the aforementioned FIU loss, then still decided to commit because of atmosphere around the program.
Harrell, who committed on his birthday, picked the Hurricanes on social media with an all-time classic send off, claiming he plans to “Make the Crib Great Again,”
That sentiment was echoed by Knighton, who also took his official visit over the FIU weekend.
“I love the school,” Knighton told 247Sports. “I love the program. I love the system. I love the support.”
Now, Miami fans will love him. Just as they’re sure to love Harrell, with both players talented enough to make a significant impact early.
Walker, a four-star defensive end in the 2020 Class, told Rivals he chose the Tigers Wednesday. He made it official on Friday when he announced it on Twitter.
The Schley County (Ellaville, Georgia) athlete is ranked as the No. 157 prospect for his class on the 247 Sports Composite. He is the ninth best defensive end and 18th best player in Georgia for 2020, per the composite.
“I asked them to keep it very quiet because I wanted to surprise my family with the news at a cookout Friday night,” he told Rivals. “The Auburn coaches and my mother were the ones that knew, so it was a big surprise for a lot of people.”
Auburn is 8-3 this season. The Tigers play Alabama Saturday.
