Almost everyone, including the TET staff, believes that the Offense comes first at Auburn. The transition from a Defense-first program to the current rendition headed by Gus Malzahn really began in 2009. The centerpiece of Gene Chizik’s staff was the man from Tulsa, who had been run out of Arkansas only to head up the most deadly offense in college football. There was a premium on recruiting elite offensive talent first, and a defense that thrived in pure athleticism under Tommy Tuberville never rebounded. 

Auburn’s defense hasn’t been the same for ten years after being one of the most dominating units in all of college football for half a decade. Though Auburn has brought in some elite high school talent, not many of those players have been close to dominant in the college game despite their ability to find a home in the NFL. Auburn has been through multiple coordinators, and no one has seemed to have the answer to turning the defense into a formidable unit. That was fine when the Hurry Up No Huddle offense worked. Yet, 2014 and 2015 are prime examples of what can happen if the offense is either mundane or even bad. The defense becomes even more exposed under pressure to perform. 

Jay Jacobs, Gus Malzahn, and even the fans had had enough of trying to make the “offense first” and “bend but don’t break” mentality work when Will Muschamp was brought back. The expectation was that bringing back Muschamp and creating “GusChamp” would be the ultimate solution for a national contender. For exactly one quarter, Auburn looked the part: a first play turnover and an effortless score by Jeremy Johnson, the presumed Heisman frontrunner. But, Auburn defied expectations with a 6-6 record behind a dreadful offense and a defense that was inconsistent, at best.  Going into the Birmingham Bowl against Memphis, a Group of Five school, with Muschamp gone, Auburn defied expectations, and the defense looked like a dominant unit. 

To replace Muschamp, Auburn didn’t hire acting coordinator Lance Thompson as many expected. Instead, Kevin Steele was brought in after a one-year stint at LSU. Eventhough Steele is a good coach and has been around the SEC as a defensive coordinator, many expected Auburn to make a bigger and more impactful hire. Can he do what every other coordinator couldn’t? Can the defense turn the low expectations of Auburn’s 2016 season around? 

The answer is emphatically, yes.  See more after the jump.

Defensive Line

It is no secret that Auburn’s success on defense begins with Carl Lawson. There isn’t a player in recent memory that has had heavier expectations levied upon him than Carl Lawson. There have been plenty of players coming out of high school with lofty rankings and pedigrees that suggested super stardom, which didn’t materialize. There hasn’t been a guy who has showed true NFL first-round talent and ability but struggled so mightily to put it together on the field like Lawson. He was terrific when playing across from future NFL player Dee Ford as a freshman, but injuries have basically cut short two whole seasons for No. 55. In the Louisville game to open 2o15, there was no doubt that the Tigers appeared to be a dominant defense before Lawson exited the game with injuries. 

Not only does Lawson have to be healthy, but the former No. 1 high school player in the nation, Byron Cowart, must produce and elevate his game. Marlon Davidson and Derrick Brown Lawson provide depth and have taken giant swings at being starters as true freshmen. Davidson took the field as a starter on A-Day after our scouting report projected him as a potential star. 

Auburn will mix in Dontavius Russell and Devaroe Lawrence, both of whom came on strong last season. However, Montravius Adams is the real talent. Adams is a legit NFL prospect but has been unable to produce without an elite edge rusher. Adams was double teamed the majority of the2015  season as Auburn was unable to provide pressure with a four-man front. Adding a blitzing Tré Williams provided some pressure but exposed the linebackers. 

Linebackers

Auburn lost a trio of starters in Justin Garret, Kris Frost, and Cassanova McKinzy, all of whom started most of their careers. Unfortunately, this unit wasn’t very good, and now Auburn must replace them with returning players and a transfer. Linebacker will be a key to Auburn’s success, but it will be the weak spot of this defense. Auburn will look to Tré Williams to be a leader in the strong-side linebacker slot. Williams has the physicality to be a very good player, which he showed in relieving Frost. Deshaun Davis and Illinois transfer T. J. Neal look to be the weakside and middle linebackers. Davis appeared in 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 2015 but made only one solo tackle and had four assists. T. J. Neal, on the other hand, comes to Auburn as a national leader in tackles.

Many have Neal penciled in as a quick fix with his experience, sheer tackle volume and having been part of an Illinois defense ranked 62nd against the run in 2015. (Auburn was 81st.)  Yet, watching his game film against premier rushing teams he faced while at Illinois, one can’t help but see another Krist Frost. Ohio State’s Zeke Elliot (181 yards, 2TDs), North Carolina’s Elijah Hood (129 yards 1 TD), and Iowa’s Jordan Canzeri (256 yards, 1 TD) ran roughshod over the Illini as blockers dominated Neal at the point of attack. Much like Auburn’s 2015 linebackers, he was frequently out of position, effectively blocked, or tried to arm tackle elite backs such as those he will face every Saturday in the SEC. 

Secondary

There isn’t much negative to say about this group of players. Despite being ranked 63rd in pass yards allowed, Auburn was 33rd in interceptions and 31st in defensive pass efficiency. Auburn’s secondary was spectacular in the red zone. They did all of this with no pass rush, as QB’s were allowed to survey the field for three and four seconds per play. Auburn returns all but one starter, and Jamel Dean, the highly touted transfer from Ohio State, looks to fill the slot vacated by Jonathan Jones. Rudy Ford slides from thr nickel spot to safety to replace Blake Countess This unit will be very, very good with Carlton Davis locking down the opponents’ go-to receiver. 

Coaching

Auburn’s defense has seen more coaching turnover than anywhere in the nation in the last six years. This staff may not be touted as highly as previous staffs, but it has both pedigree and experience. Wesley McGriff comes to Auburn after a stint in the NFL with the Saints. Travis Williams, an Auburn alum and fan favorite, gets his first shot at being a position coach. He brings an intensity that seems to resonate with the players. Could this be the right coaching mix? Only time will tell. One thing is certain, players have not been shy at throwing the previous regime under the bus, and one has to wonder if this is due to the coaching or the recruiting.

Conclusion

The perception is that Auburn didn’t shake the earth with the hiring of new coaches, nor does there seem to be expectations of confidence that the staff will be able to turn the same players into gamebreakers. Most observers seem believe the status quo of Auburn’s D over the last decade will continue. Could this unit defy expectations?

Auburn’s previous failures on defense have come from multiple structural weaknesses. There hasn’t been just one component keeping the Tigers from success.  Last year’s doldrums stemmed from the lack of any pass rush combined with poor linebacker play. Will this year’s unit return to the domination of the Dye and Tuberville eras? Simply, no. But Auburn will potentially field an offense better than anything since the 2004 team, and the combination of decent defense and powerful offense was enough to get to the national title game2010 and 2013.

With improvement in the defensive line in both quality and depth and the health of Auburn’s (and possible the SEC’s) best player in conjunction with a very good secondary, Auburn can cover its weakness in the second level well enough to be a top-30 defense. And this with a clicking Malzahn offense equates to a ten-win season. 

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