linebackers should be among team's strengths

[aubiefifty 16,839]

Auburn's linebackers should be among team's strengths this spring

Updated 6:00 AM; Posted 6:00 AM

Auburn linebacker Deshaun Davis (57) celebrates a sack of Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm (11) during the first half Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)(Julie Bennett)

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By Tom Green

tgreen@al.com

We're taking a look at each position group as Auburn prepares to open spring practice on March 1. The eighth of a nine-part series looks at the linebacker corps.

Auburn returns ample depth and experience at linebacker this spring, needing only to replace Tre' Williams, who was one of the defensive leaders and a two-year starter on the weakside.

Projected depth chart:

Strongside:

Darrell Williams, senior; appeared in all 14 games and made six starts while totaling 57 tackles

Richard McBryde, redshirt junior; appeared in all 14 games as a reserve in 2017, making 13 total tackles, including two for a loss.

Josh Marsh, freshman.

Middle:

Deshaun Davis, redshirt senior; appeared in all 14 games with 10 starts, leading the team with 82 total tackles.

K.J. Britt, sophomore; appeared in all 14 games as a freshman, totaling four tackles.

Weakside:

Montavious Atkinson, senior; appeared in all 14 games with five starts in 2017, totaling 30 tackles, with 4.5 for a loss.

Chandler Wooten, sophomore; appeared in eight games and totaled eight tackles as a freshman.

Departed: Tre' Williams, appeared in 11 games with eight starts last season while battling a lingering shoulder stinger, finishing the year with 50 total tackles.

Due to arrive in the fall: Michael Harris, Zakoby McClain

Outlook: Auburn returns six players with in-game experience at linebacker, including three with starting experience. Chief among those, of course, is middle linebacker Deshaun Davis, who led the Tigers in tackles a year ago and was one of the emotional leaders of the defense.

Davis' experience and leadership will buoy the unit, helping make up for the departure of Tre' Williams. It is often joked within the program, including by Davis and defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, that Davis is actually the team's defensive coordinator. That's how imperative he is to what Auburn does on that side of the ball, and at linebacker in particular.

Joining him on either side will be Montavious Atkinson, who made five starts last season and has been described as -- among other things -- a "rolling ball of butcher knives," and Darrell Williams, who started six games a year ago and was the team's third-leading tackler, depending on which formation the defense is in. Auburn's "base" defense is a 4-3, but the Tigers often play with their nickel package, which fields just two linebackers.

Expect sophomores Chandler Wooten and K.J. Britt, each of whom saw the field plenty as true freshmen, to take the next step this spring and help provide depth behind the Tigers' veteran linebackers.

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With an experienced unit and the coaching of Steele and linebacker coach Travis Williams, this unit should be one of Auburn's strengths in 2018.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,307]

But I thought wide receivers were a position of strength? 

[aubiefifty 16,839]

13 hours ago, WDE_OxPx_2010 said:

But I thought wide receivers were a position of strength? 

are you trying to say auburn is not good enough for TWO positions of strength?   lol i kid i kid...........

[AUIH1 1,515]

TWill is probably the best overall coach on the entire coaching staff. AU needs to keep him.

wde
 

[Zeek 16,658]

15 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

Chandler Wooten and K.J. Britt, each of whom saw the field plenty as true freshmen, to take the next step this spring and help provide depth behind the Tigers' veteran linebackers.

Very excited to keep seeing good linebacker play...KJ better take the next steps; four tackles isn't going to cut it this year 

[aufan57 922]

3 hours ago, AUIH1 said:

TWill is probably the best overall coach on the entire coaching staff. AU needs to keep him.

wde
 

I would put Rodney Garner above Williams, by a significant amount. Garner's recruiting, coaching and player development is at a higher level than Williams (at this stage of Williams career) Give Williams  5-8 years and see how they compare.

[AUIH1 1,515]

On 2/28/2018 at 1:30 PM, aufan57 said:

I would put Rodney Garner above Williams, by a significant amount. Garner's recruiting, coaching and player development is at a higher level than Williams (at this stage of Williams career) Give Williams  5-8 years and see how they compare.

No way about Garner in terms on of on the field coaching and player development.  RG can recruit when he feels like it, but on the field coaching is not his strength.

wde

[bigbird 60,576]

11 minutes ago, AUIH1 said:

No way about Garner in terms on of on the field coaching and player development.  RG can recruit when he feels like it, but on the field coaching is not his strength.

wde

Yeah our DL has suffered greatly under him

[AUIH1 1,515]

1 minute ago, bigbird said:

Yeah our DL has suffered greatly under him

Bird,

Our DL has not suffered compared to what?   RG can recruit when motivated but has done less with more talent on the field in terms of coaching.  Again, if motivated by money, RG, can recruit, but he lacks in coaching on the field and in player development..  Sacks and tackles for the loss were average at best last season with what many considered to be a dynamic DL.    When it came down to winning big games like the SECCG, our DL was not where they should have been,   Granted, this also goes to the wuss in the secondary who decided to not play the second half of the SECCG (or the bowl game) too.

I understand if you disagree with me on RG, but IMO he has made his living on recruiting (when motivated) and recruiting primarily rather in terms of on the field coaching,  

wde

[bigbird 60,576]

25 minutes ago, AUIH1 said:

Bird,

Our DL has not suffered compared to what?   RG can recruit when motivated but has done less with more talent on the field in terms of coaching.  Again, if motivated by money, RG, can recruit, but he lacks in coaching on the field and in player development..  Sacks and tackles for the loss were average at best last season with what many considered to be a dynamic DL.    When it came down to winning big games like the SECCG, our DL was not where they should have been,   Granted, this also goes to the wuss in the secondary who decided to not play the second half of the SECCG (or the bowl game) too.

I understand if you disagree with me on RG, but IMO he has made his living on recruiting (when motivated) and recruiting primarily rather in terms of on the field coaching,  

wde

You seem to always have a burr under your saddle when it comes to RG.  I do disagree with your position on RG and your assessment of his abilities.  Our DL is the strongest it has been in years.  To me, that's a direct reflection on RG, his recruiting, and his ability to develop his players. I've never worried about the DL being ready to play.

[DAG 34,002]

I remember when majority of us hated RG haha. Honestly though , the defense in a whole didn’t really get the swagger and  chip on their shoulder until muschamp returned. 

[AUIH1 1,515]

18 minutes ago, bigbird said:

You seem to always have a burr under your saddle when it comes to RG.  I do disagree with your position on RG and your assessment of his abilities.  Our DL is the strongest it has been in years.  To me, that's a direct reflection on RG, his recruiting, and his ability to develop his players. I've never worried about the DL being ready to play.

We agree to disagree then on some things.   Especially where we could be given the talent we have on the DL. But at this point in my life,  I really don't give a s*** whether you end up being right or I do so take care.

 

wde

[bigbird 60,576]

9 minutes ago, AUIH1 said:

I really don't give a s*** whether you end up being right or I do so take care.

wde

Now that we can agree on. War Eagle, my friend.

[corchjay 5,311]

On field coaches there is no question that Garner and Brown have by far been the best during there careers.  Championships and championship level defensive line play has followed Garner over many years from AU to UT to UGa and back to AU.  Williams isn’t even the same discussion as Brown and Garner.  Who cares what their “stars” are it’s production on the field that matter and both Brown and Garner are at the top of the list for their respective positions.  Period end of discussion.  

Williams is on track to be an excellent coach and he’s already a pretty good recruiter.  Would like to see him pull in some guys st the top of our board before we say he’s some elite recruiter.  That’s not a knock on Williams but he isn’t in the same stratosphere as Steele Garner or Brown.  We will see where he stacks up with Woodson 

 

[Gowebb11 9,352]

I like our 2 returning starters a lot, and I believe T Will will have his guys ready to play. But I’m very concerned about depth. Two starters, McBryde and Atkinson, plus two untested players. We better hope we stay healthy there, and that’s not easy to do in this league. 

[AUIH1 1,515]

10 hours ago, bigbird said:

Now that we can agree on. War Eagle, my friend.

Of course my friend!! Just keep your Mod ears open because depending on some scans coming up, I may be more open and less AU PC than I normally am.   Take care and I hope all is well with you and yours.  War Eagle, my friend!

wde

[augolf1716 21,247]

Well now that everything is kumbaya between bird and AUIH1 we are all happy. God its only March