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Busy spring for linebackers coach


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Busy spring for Auburn's new 

ByMark Murphy
4-5 minutes

AUBURN, Alabama–Auburn’s new linebackers coach for the 2022 football season, Christian Robinson, faces one of the bigger challenges this spring of any of Bryan Harsin’s assistants. Robinson is working with a group that has to replace its most productive players from the 2021 campaign.

Last season’s top two tacklers for the Tigers were senior linebackers Zakoby McClain and Chandler Wooten, who produced 75.2 percent of the tackles from the position. With returning senior Owen Pappoe not being able to participate in spring practices while recovering from an injury, Robinson’s spring group is lacking the guys who produced 84.3 percent of the tackles coming from the linebackers.

Hired by Coach Bryan Harsin in January when linebacker coach Jeff Schmedding was promoted to defensive coordinator, Robinson spent the past four seasons coaching linebackers at the University of Florida. Last week was the first time he was able to get on the field for a practice to see what the guys he has been assigned to coach can do.

“It has been really enjoyable just to be on the field with them and work with them finally to start implementing some of the core beliefs of what I have been exposed to and what we are doing schematically,” Robinson said.

“The guys have done a great job of adapting to my terminology,” he said. “I have tried to emphasize just my own background in coaching and through my experiences as well using (video) clips from what I played in and to be able to show them there are going to be difficult things you have to do at every position and to understand that and be able to guide them through that. It has been enjoyable so far.”

10991824.jpg?fit=bounds&crop=620:320,offset-y0.50&width=620&height=320 Christian Robinson is a newcomer to the Auburn football coaching staff. (Photo: Todd Van Emst)

Playing for the Georgia Bulldogs from 2009-12, Robinson saw action in 51 games and made 159 tackles, including 22 1/2 behind the line of scrimmage. He was part of teams that won the SEC East in 2011 and 2012.

“The beauty of spring it that it is a teaching time for us,” the coach said. “One, for teaching what is expected and what we are going to have to do this fall. They understand there are guys who are going to get more reps than they used to due to some guys moving on to the next level and graduating.

“I think they are highly motivated and excited about the opportunity,” Robinson pointed out. “I think, now that there is an opportunity because of the vacancies the guys are giving their full effort to understand they are going to be the guys we are depending on in the fall.”

Pappoe, a starter as a freshman and sophomore, was only able to play in five games as a junior, but is the leading returning tackler among the linebackers with 23 stops in 2021, two more than Wesley Steiner. Cam Riley was in on 14 tackles while Desmond Tisdol and Joko Willis were in on two stops apiece and walk-on Jake Levant made one tackle last season.

Robinson is quite familiar with the SEC. He worked at his alma mater in 2013-14 as a quality control assistant before moving to Ole Miss to coach the defensive line for two seasons. In 2017 he coached at Mississippi State before taking a job at Florida.

Robinson said the linebackers were as excited as he was about starting spring practice last week. “They were just ready to go to work.”

The group includes Eugene Asante, a transfer from North Carolina, and Powell Gordon, an early graduate from Auburn High along with Kameron Brown, a 6-0, 238 junior who has yet to break into the playing rotation.

“Obviously, I have got a large room (lots of players),” Robinson pointed out. “I have a lot of guys who love this place and love this program. As linebackers we are going to be on every phase (including special teams). I think that is something they realize that in order for us to be successful, the room has to contribute, not just on defense, but every aspect of the team.”

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I really thought we would have a big drop-off at LB as the guys we lost were so good. Having Pappoe coming back helps in Spring game I was impressed by Riley and Steiner. Riley has really grown into the position and actually is a more traditional big linebacker. We picked up Asante, Woodyard coming this fall Joko looked good also.  Powell has added mass and by being here early will be in a position to learn the D.

After the spring game I feel better about the Linebackers but realize they were not going against a high powered offense so I don't want to get to excited.

 

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21 minutes ago, AuburnNTexas said:

I really thought we would have a big drop-off at LB as the guys we lost were so good. Having Pappoe coming back helps in Spring game I was impressed by Riley and Steiner. Riley has really grown into the position and actually is a more traditional big linebacker. We picked up Asante, Woodyard coming this fall Joko looked good also.  Powell has added mass and by being here early will be in a position to learn the D.

After the spring game I feel better about the Linebackers but realize they were not going against a high powered offense so I don't want to get to excited.

 

We’ve got talent in the LB room but their all inexperienced, except Pappoe who’s coming off an injury and Asante. 

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