Most Important Tigers: No. 19

[aubiefifty 16,753]

................... is the answer against the pass

ByBrandon Marcello

3-4 minutes

 

Manage

Auburn Undercover editor Brandon Marcello takes a look at the roster and ranks the top 50 players on the team entering the 2019 season. Think of it as a breakdown of each player and an extended preview of the upcoming season.

No. 19 Christian Tutt, sophomore

Recruiting ranking: 4 stars, 0.9045 247Sports Composite; No. 28 cornerback

Notable: Christian Tutt arrived at Auburn and provided an immediate impact at cornerback in 2018. He had 25 tackles,a 23-yard interception and was fantastic stopping ball-handlers behind the line of scrimmage (one sack for a 6-yard loss). He did all of this last season as a backup, and the heir apparent to take over as a starter within the next season or two. Oh, and he also returned five punts for 65 yards, including a 32-yard return against Alabama State. He proved worthy of being in the rotation at cornerback.

Tutt dropped weight and reshaped his body/frame in the offseason to better prepare for the transition to Nickel, where running side to side and identifying plays is more crucial than a face-to-face, one-on-one matchup with a receiver at cornerback.

2019 outlook: Auburn needs its best players on the field, regardless of position, so that's why you will see Tutt lining up more often at Nickel this upcoming season.

The Nickel position was, at times, a weak spot for the Tigers last season. Inconsistency plagued the Tigers, leading to big plays and some frustrating endings and losses against LSU and Tennessee. It wasn't just the big plays everyone remembers, and while issues weren't solely at the feet of the Nickel, the Nickel and Star spot was definitely a position in need of improvement.

In steps Tutt, a player with cornerback skills who will handle the complexities of Nickel as a sophomore.

"He had a very, very productive spring," Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said. "But the thing about Tutt is he loves football, he loves to compete, he is extremely tenacious in terms of the way he goes about things. He's a very intense football player and he plays with an edge."