Coach G wants to see more of TD at Buck

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Rodney Garner wants to see more of Auburn freshman linebacker T.D. Moultry at Buck

By Tom Green    al.com 

Auburn defensive line coach Rodney Garner wants to spend some more time with freshman T.D. Moultry this fall.

Moultry, a four-star linebacker out of Jackson-Olin, has spent most of his time at linebacker and in the meeting room with linebackers coach Travis Williams. However, Moultry has repped some at the Buck position during fall camp -- and Garner would like to see more of that.

Auburn defensive line coach Rodney Garner wants to spend some more time with freshman T.D. Moultry this fall.

Moultry, a four-star linebacker out of Jackson-Olin, has spent most of his time at linebacker and in the meeting room with linebackers coach Travis Williams. However, Moultry has repped some at the Buck position during fall camp -- and Garner would like to see more of that.

"I haven't been able to work with him a whole lot but we're looking forward to being able to work with him a lot more going forward," Garner said Thursday. "He's come down and taken a couple of reps in pass rush, which I told Trav it's really not fair; we're coming on there and putting him in live reps but we really ain't did no pass rush fundamentals. But he has natural pass-rushing ability."

Moultry was the highest-rated of Auburn's three linebacker signees, coming in as the nation's No. 3 inside linebacker. While Moultry spent his high school career at linebacker, Auburn is intrigued by what the 6-foot-2, 240-pounder brings to the table as a pass-rusher.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said at SEC Media Days last month that Moultry and fellow freshman Markaviest Bryant will get a chance at Buck this season as the Tigers try to amplify their pass rush following the departures of Carl Lawson and Montravius Adams. The trick is finding the right balance for Moultry, whose skillset also brings value to the linebacker room.

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"He's in my room most of the time," Williams said. "All the time, really. And then once we start getting into different packages, we'll get him in some pass rush situations and some things like that."

Garner hopes to change that as Auburn approaches the season opener against Georgia Southern on Sept. 2, saying that he may have to "try to steal some reps" for Moultry at Buck so he can get better situated off the edge. While Moultry has exhibited some innate ability as a pass-rusher, he still needs to learn and understand the nuances of the position to pair with his skillset.

"He's built like a Greek god," Garner said. "I mean, he's got like 8 percent body fat. He's explosive, he's quick, he's powerful. I think he has a tremendous skillset but I think we need to do more fundamental work to help him with his pass rush."

That assessment was echoed by Williams, who said Moultry's film from high school has translated to the field at Auburn -- even with the freshman missing time earlier in camp due to a minor injury that held him out of the team's first scrimmage on Monday . The injury did not hinder Moultry's progress, however, and Williams said he is up to speed with everything.

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Moultry has also done well in learning the defense and picking up on everything since arriving in the summer.

"He's a kid that's just build differently, mentally and physically," Williams said. "He has an old soul. He really takes pride in his performance. And he really takes pride in his work. He takes his work serious, so he's definitely, he's not your normal 18-year-old. He's really focused and he's about his business. That's what you like about him."

Still, there's work to be done for Moultry as he tries to carve out a role in Auburn's defense this season, whether it's at linebacker -- where he is working at the Money position -- or as a Buck defensive end, or even on special teams.

"He's a powerful kid, he's strong," Williams said. "He's raw, you know. He's raw, he's not a finished product. Nowhere close to being a finished product. None of those freshmen are, but he's that lump of clay I love to work with."

[AUIH1 1,515]

T Will is a better coach than Garner.  Moultry needs to stay with T Will

[Mikey 16,540]

27 minutes ago, AUIH1 said:

T Will is a better coach than Garner.  Moultry needs to stay with T Will

Your constant negativism isn't missed by anyone when you post less frequently.