Steele on defense, position changes

[aubiefifty 16,755]

What Kevin Steele said about Auburn defense, position changes

Wesley Sinor | wsinor@al.com

Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele is scheduled to meet with the media at 6 p.m. Thursday to discuss the team's spring practices.

AL.com will provide live updates of Steele's comments, so refresh this page for the latest.

KEVIN STEELE 

-- Steele is happy with what he has coming back from the 2016 squad.

-- "At the end of the day, we have started all over... We literally took the template of what we were doing this time last year... and started at ground zero as if he had never coached together and never coached these guys simply because we have to build this thing as if it hadn't existed."

-- Steele says Auburn has had a plan to replace Carl Lawson and Montravius Adams for "two, three, four years" in recruiting.

-- Steele says there's still a lot of leadership on the team despite the loss of Lawson and Adams.

-- On DE Jeff Holland: "He's done a great job in the offseason and weight room. He's kind of remade his body... he's pretty proud of it. He's stronger, he's got more muscle mass, which has helped him in his power. He's got a lot of confidence."

-- Nick Coe has been limited in practices with an injury

-- Linebacker Tre Threat has been moved to Buck end. "Not to say he won't play some linebacker." Played both positions in high school.

-- Byron Cowart "appears to have gotten thicker" as he moves from defensive end to defensive tackle. "He's concentrating on the inside right now... that's kind of where our focus is right now." 

-- Steele says "it's easy to move guys around" if everyone is doing their job.

-- Jeremiah Dinson, Daniel Thomas, Mike Sherwood and Javaris Davis will be working at Nickel to replace Rudy Ford. "Dinson's looked really good" after returning from multiple injuries he suffered at Texas A&M in 2015.

-- Marlon Character is playing cornerback, but is also versatile enough to play safety. Tigers are "very thin" at safety this spring.

-- On Jeremiah Dinson: "He's got a tremendous skill set." Steele says he can't tell he's ever been hurt. "He can run fast and he's really, really smart."

-- New secondary coach Greg Brown has made a smooth transition onto the coaching staff.

-- "We have not arrived, none of us."

-- On DL Tashawn Manning, who is now cancer free and practicing: "That's an amazing story... To be diagnosed with leukemia -- cancer -- have radiation treatment and think you're never going to be able to play again and then be back doing it, it's kind of a neat thing. He has a skill set. He can help us. He's sure is happy to be out there." Manning told Steele he "had a blast" at his first practice.

-- "We're trying to create competition at every position."

-- Chandler Wooten has stood out and "doesn't look like a freshman."

[kd4au 1,145]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

"We have not arrived, none of us."

Wish Gus would learn to say this.

[WarEagleHunter1221 1,690]

I just read another article on Dinson and I really hope his injuries are completely rehabbed and he stays healthy this spring/fall. I want this guy to have a tremendous season and really show out. I think we all do. Everyone is rooting for him for sure. I hope he starts for the A&M game and has three picks, 10 TFL, and then they put him on offense and he scores three touchdowns. Obviously I am not being serious, but you get my point. WDE. 

[lionheartkc 6,150]

9 minutes ago, WarEagleHunter1221 said:

I just read another article on Dinson and I really hope his injuries are completely rehabbed and he stays healthy this spring/fall. I want this guy to have a tremendous season and really show out. I think we all do. Everyone is rooting for him for sure. I hope he starts for the A&M game and has three picks, 10 TFL, and then they put him on offense and he scores three touchdowns. Obviously I am not being serious, but you get my point. WDE. 

I want him and Ricky Seals-Jones to make it to the NFL, so Dinson can say "hi" when he has enough money to pay the fine that will go with it.

[WarEagleHunter1221 1,690]

1 minute ago, lionheartkc said:

I want him and Ricky Seals-Jones to make it to the NFL, so Dinson can say "hi" when he has enough money to pay the fine that will go with it.

Seeing as the guy brushed the hit off as "just football", or whatever he said, and had no respect for the guy he put out for two seasons when he was asked about it, yeah I agree. I agree 1000000%. 

[Barnacle 9,064]

10 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

I want him and Ricky Seals-Jones to make it to the NFL, so Dinson can say "hi" when he has enough money to pay the fine that will go with it.

Yeah I wouldn't mind him getting the chance to get his. It was RSJs tweet and attitude afterward that bothered me more than anything else.