Zakoby McClain

[WFE12 9,191]

McClain making his presence known this spring at linebacker

Jason Caldwell - 247sports

AUBURN, Alabama—Impressing his coaches and teammates last season as a true freshman with his ability to find the ball and to also play physical football being undersized at the linebacker position, Auburn sophomore Zakoby McClain has continued his strong play into the spring and is in a battle for a starting job for the Tigers after gaining 10 pounds and checking in at 215 this spring.

 

“Zakoby just finds the ball, just has a knack for finding the ball,” Auburn junior middle linebacker Kenny Britt said following Saturday’s scrimmage. “He’s really natural at finding the ball. He’s got a really good punch about himself. He knows what he’s doing and really he’s got a lot of confidence and he knows he can play.”

Seeing action in all 13 games a season ago with much of his time spent on special teams, McClain is one of the players in the mix this spring to take over for departed seniors Darrell Williams and Montavious Atkinson at the will linebacker position. 

With an opportunity and getting more reps to show what he can do, McClain has come on physically and had a good spring, according to Coach Gus Malzahn. “I think so,” he said. “He's got a natural nose for the ball. He did that last year. But, you know, he's stepping up."

Just over the halfway point of the spring, Auburn’s linebackers continuesto take strides with Britt leading the way as the man in the middle. With McClain in a battle with junior Chandler Wootenalong with true freshman Owen Pappoeand redshirt freshmen Mike Harris and Josh Marsh also getting reps, Britt said the entire group is coming on and he’s excited to see what the future holds.

“Zakoby is having a really good spring,” Britt said. “Really, the whole linebacker group is having a really good spring. I think what’s so unique about our linebackers is we’re all so eager to learn. Nobody is selfish. Everybody is coming together. 

“We’re really tight and we’re always talking, trying to get better. We always take criticism, somebody always criticizes somebody but it’s always good. I believe that’s what successful teams always have, somebody in your ear. I love this linebacker group and I don’t want nobody else.”

With plenty of experience in front of them with guys like Derrick Brown, Marlon Davidson and Nick Coe on the defensive line and seniors like Javaris Davis, Daniel Thomas and Jeremiah Dinson on the back end in the secondary, Britt said even without the three senior linebackers there is still plenty of communication on the defense this spring when you include him and others at linebacker.

Now with two weeks until the A-Day game he said the defense is excited to show what they can do and what they can be in the 2019 season.

“I feel like this defense right here is hungrier, more willing,” Britt said. “I know you guys put a lot of question marks on things, but I think we all internally know what we can be. That defense last year, you already knew what they were. They already had a season. You really don’t know who we are now. We’re trying to make an identity for ourselves. I believe that this defense is going to be good, really capable of going and making a true identity for ourselves with the 2019 team.”

[McLoofus 35,182]

Excellent news. Thanks for passing along.

Was it McClain who started getting a rep last year for having some pop to him? 

[Randman5000 4,227]

Really thought this thread meant transfer. What a relief

[Win4AU 4,052]

It would be great if this was a situation of reloading and not rebuilding.  If LBs step up and there isn’t a huge learning curve then this defense could be special.

[cole256 17,051]

Been calling him my sleeper for a while