Freshman Defensive Tackles

[StatTiger 3,188]

With only 4 scholarship defensive tackles in place for spring, Auburn will likely be reliant upon the arrival of Gabe Wright and Angelo Blackson signed during the 2011 class. With this in mind, I researched all the freshman DT's, who played during their freshman season (red shirt too) that remained on the active roster through their senior seasons from 1996-2010. I also included the freshman seasons of Derrick Lykes, Jamar Travis, Kenneth Carter and Jeffrey Whitaker.

Here are the average numbers by the freshmen DT's...

Games ........................ 9.0 (avg gms appeared)

Tackles ..................... 13.9

Tackles for Loss ............. 2.6

Sacks ........................ 1

Auburn will need Kenneth Carter and Jeffrey Whitaker to stay as healthy as possible and for Derrick Lykes to have his best year. Auburn truly had a solid 5-man rotation in 2010.

Thoughts?

[Mikey 16,781]

DT is clearly the weak point of the team coming into this season. To date, only Whitaker has shown promise. Last year it took solid performances from Blanc, Clayton and Fairley to get the job done.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Nosa Eguae moved inside before opening day. Not an ideal solution, but there is plenty of help at DE and DT is stripped.

[mcgufcm 4,107]

Personal opinion, Nosa doesn't have the girth to play inside. Maybe he could move in on clear rush downs, but he's not capable of holding the point of attack on first or second down. He's listed at 260, but I don't buy it.

Stat, how would those numbers change if you included guys who went pro early? Sen'Derrick Marks started every game as a freshman, but he left after the coaching change (after his junior year). Also, how much did DeMarco McNeal skew the numbers? He was a full-time starter as a freshman as well.

If Wright or Blackson can give us the kind of performance either of those guys gave, we'll be fine. Whitaker is a proven player. Carter needs to add weight before he's anything more than a decent backup. He got physically manhandled in a number of his SEC snaps (best example: Ingram's TD run at the start of the Bama game). That said, if all we're asking him to do is make the leap from 5th DT to second team, I have confidence that he'll be just fine. That leaves us with Lykes, Travis, and possibly the "other" freshman DT (whoever loses out on the battle) to fill the 4/5 slots. If we get big-time production from either guy, I'm comfortable with the rotations, but that's a big question mark.

[StatTiger 3,188]

Personal opinion, Nosa doesn't have the girth to play inside. Maybe he could move in on clear rush downs, but he's not capable of holding the point of attack on first or second down. He's listed at 260, but I don't buy it.

Stat, how would those numbers change if you included guys who went pro early? Sen'Derrick Marks started every game as a freshman, but he left after the coaching change (after his junior year). Also, how much did DeMarco McNeal skew the numbers? He was a full-time starter as a freshman as well.

If Wright or Blackson can give us the kind of performance either of those guys gave, we'll be fine. Whitaker is a proven player. Carter needs to add weight before he's anything more than a decent backup. He got physically manhandled in a number of his SEC snaps (best example: Ingram's TD run at the start of the Bama game). That said, if all we're asking him to do is make the leap from 5th DT to second team, I have confidence that he'll be just fine. That leaves us with Lykes, Travis, and possibly the "other" freshman DT (whoever loses out on the battle) to fill the 4/5 slots. If we get big-time production from either guy, I'm comfortable with the rotations, but that's a big question mark.

The averages I posted came from the following DT's as freshman...

Dexter Murphy

Spencer Johnson

DeMarco McNeil

Marcus White

Bret Eddins

Wayne Dickens

Tommy Jackson

Josh Thompson

Tez Doolittle

Pat Sims

Sen'Derrick Marks

JerMarcus Ricks

Zac Clayton

Mike Blanc

Derrick Lykes

Jamar Travis

Kenneth Carter

Jeffrey Whitaker

[StatTiger 3,188]

DT is clearly the weak point of the team coming into this season. To date, only Whitaker has shown promise. Last year it took solid performances from Blanc, Clayton and Fairley to get the job done.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Nosa Eguae moved inside before opening day. Not an ideal solution, but there is plenty of help at DE and DT is stripped.

Nosa Eguae is our best overall DE. I could see him moved to DT on certain passing downs to add more pass rush but a full time move to DT would make AU weak inside and outside.

I do believe we will see more blitzes in 2011, especially with a more athletic secondary.

[StatTiger 3,188]

DeMarco McNeil played in 12 games, finishing with 66 tackles, 12 for loss and 5 sacks.

Sen'Derrick Marks played in 13 games with 36 tackles, 10.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks.

Spencer Johnson played in 12 games with 27 tackles, 5 for loss and 3 sacks.

Tommy Jackson played in 13 games with 25 tackles, 6.5 for loss and .5 sacks

Of the 18 DT's compared, only 5 had more than 20 tackles during their freshman season.

[mcgufcm 4,107]

Since you left us with a cliffhanger, was the fifth Jake Ricks?

Also, good to see a few names from the past that I'd forgotten about like Dexter Murphey.

If Wright or Blackson can be as productive as any of the four listed above, we'll be okay. I trust Whitaker to take a big step forward. I think Carter can be relied upon to back up the three-technique spot (assuming Pelton still tries to differentiate the way Rocker did). Then it would boil down to Lykes or Travis providing another solid backup. You like to have five, but we really played with four last year.

[StatTiger 3,188]

Since you left us with a cliffhanger, was the fifth Jake Ricks?

Also, good to see a few names from the past that I'd forgotten about like Dexter Murphey.

If Wright or Blackson can be as productive as any of the four listed above, we'll be okay. I trust Whitaker to take a big step forward. I think Carter can be relied upon to back up the three-technique spot (assuming Pelton still tries to differentiate the way Rocker did). Then it would boil down to Lykes or Travis providing another solid backup. You like to have five, but we really played with four last year.

The fifth was Josh Thompson.

I'm not holding my breath on Travis making a major impact, even as a reserve but I hope I'm wrong. Lykes could go from the 5th man in to the 3rd man in, which means he needs to have a breakout season. Not as a starter but as a quality backup that can take 10-15 snaps per game if needed. No doubt Whitaker and Carter are the starters and it would be nice to have Wright step in as the 3rd man in. Blackson has a real mean streak but his level of competition in HS comes into question. Niles is very athletic for a big guy but he might be too light in the can at DT in 2011. I agree, it would be nice to have a 5-man rotation but we likely have to settle on a solid 3-man rotation with a possible 4th earning his wings as the season progresses.

[RunInRed 16,996]

The need for Freshmen to play is why missing out on prospects like Jenkins and Tuitt hurt. And back in 2010, Mike Thornton (UGA).

All of this is why Gabe Wright was such a must get. Also, I'm very optimistic about Blackson - big upside.

And what about Sigler, thoughts on him being able to play as a DT - obviously not as freshman but maybe in time?

[RunInRed 16,996]

Also, don't forget about Justin Delaine - I wonder if some of our raw DEs might put some weight on and play inside?

[RunInRed 16,996]

FYI - Top DT targets this year:

Jonathan Bullard, DT

Shelby, NC

6'4 / 255

Others(10+): Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, among others.

Nick James, DT

Long Beach, MS

6'5 / 335

Offers (5+): Arkansas State, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State and Tennessee, among others.

Justin Shanks, DT

Prattville, AL

6'2 / 256

Offers (15+): Alabama, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, Miami (Fl.), South Alabama, Southern Miss, Tennessee, UAB and Vanderbilt, among others.

Jonathan Taylor, DT

Millen, GA

6'4 / 315

Offers (15+): Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Louisville, LSU, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt, among others.

Jordan Watkins, DT

College Park, GA

6'5 / 260

Offers (30+): Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois, LSU, Miami (Fl.), Mississippi, Mississippi State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Purdue, South Carolina, South Florida, Stanford, Syracuse, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia, among others.

[mcgufcm 4,107]

Stat, honest question, what did you see from Kenneth Carter that made you think he's going to make the leap to starter this year? I honestly think this is the most wide open position for incoming freshman. I saw enough quickness from Carter to think he could be productive as a backup and grow into a starter, but unless he packs on 20-30 pounds over the next few months, I just don't think he has the size to hold up. You cannot start inside in the SEC at 260. That's why I think Wright/Blackson have almost as much chance of earning the starting job because both of them have better "SEC-ready" bodies than Carter.

Red, I think you're right about larger DEs moving in. I think it's a real possibility that Auburn goes with a four-man DT rotation but gets a lot more creative with its personnel. We had a luxury last year in having three DTs that could shift gears into pass rush mode, but that's rare. I think we'll see more mixing and matching on pass rush downs, which would lessen the need for a real 5th option at DT.

One incoming freshman that picqued my interest is JaBrian Niles. I don't know a lot about him outside of a few highlights and his measureables. What I do see is decent size combined with quick feet. I could be way off-board with this (since I've never seen him play), but he's got the tools to help this team if he shows up ready.

[StatTiger 3,188]

Stat, honest question, what did you see from Kenneth Carter that made you think he's going to make the leap to starter this year?

Some non-public comments Rocker made about Carter.

[metafour 4,973]

That's why I think Wright/Blackson have almost as much chance of earning the starting job because both of them have better "SEC-ready" bodies than Carter.

I'm sorry, but there is zero percent chance that a super raw kid from Delaware is going to beat out Carter.

[creed 1,728]

Personal opinion, Nosa doesn't have the girth to play inside. Maybe he could move in on clear rush downs, but he's not capable of holding the point of attack on first or second down. He's listed at 260, but I don't buy it.

Stat, how would those numbers change if you included guys who went pro early? Sen'Derrick Marks started every game as a freshman, but he left after the coaching change (after his junior year). Also, how much did DeMarco McNeal skew the numbers? He was a full-time starter as a freshman as well.

If Wright or Blackson can give us the kind of performance either of those guys gave, we'll be fine. Whitaker is a proven player. Carter needs to add weight before he's anything more than a decent backup. He got physically manhandled in a number of his SEC snaps (best example: Ingram's TD run at the start of the Bama game). That said, if all we're asking him to do is make the leap from 5th DT to second team, I have confidence that he'll be just fine. That leaves us with Lykes, Travis, and possibly the "other" freshman DT (whoever loses out on the battle) to fill the 4/5 slots. If we get big-time production from either guy, I'm comfortable with the rotations, but that's a big question mark.

mcgufcm...exactly what I was thinking.

[Mikey 16,781]

Of course moving Eguae to DT would weaken the DE position, but DE would still be in good shape. If Carter and some of the recruits don't come through, something will have to be done and Nosa Eguae is the best option under those circumstances.

None of the other DE's even come close to having the body type for playing inside. Nosa comes close, so there you have it. Hopefully Carter will come through, he was really good in the Al/Miss all star game, which is the only time I've seen him get extensive playing time. Jabrian Niles was recruited as a DT and he could make it big, but if none of the above work out, look for Eguae to be the first guy pulled in from elsewhere to stop the bleeding.

[StatTiger 3,188]

He got physically manhandled in a number of his SEC snaps (best example: Ingram's TD run at the start of the Bama game).

In fairness to Carter on that play, he was double teamed on that play. Whitaker was on 1 on 1 with the center and could not break contact as Ingram ran right past him.

[mcgufcm 4,107]

Fair enough but saying they both got manhandled doesn't make it better. Carter finished the play backpedaling in the endzone.

[StatTiger 3,188]

Fair enough but saying they both got manhandled doesn't make it better. Carter finished the play backpedaling in the endzone.

I never said both got manhandled and if I did, it would not make anything better. Both were freshman and played like true freshman at times. Carter was undersized for someone close to 6-5 and he got poor leverage on that play and paid the price. If we want to point out poor play on that particular play, Bynes and Freeman were both out of position on that play assuming Ingram was going to bounce the play outside. Yes, it was ugly play for several players, including Kenneth Carter. I know Coach Rocker was high on the kid's future and I've heard promising remarks from HS coaches that competed against against him his senior year in HS. I never said he was going to be a star at this level but has a high probability of starting in 2011.