[ad_1]
Auburn football has been active in the transfer market since he hired Bryan Harsin in January and filled his support staff in the following weeks. Once Derek Mason has finished as a defensive coordinator, the mics on the other side of the ball have no doubt surpassed the wins of the offensive portal.
That doesn’t mean what Harsin and Mike Bobo have done. Bringing TJ Finley out of Baton Rouge gives Bo Nix plenty of reasons to bring an A-game weekly and this week this season when the former LSU QB is not only an arm improved by Nix, but also a legitimate threat to line up below the center in a week.
Not only that, but Central Michigan runner Jordon Ingram – who many thought had the ability to land on Power 5 from high school – also returned to his home state last week when the mobile facility joined the now-stacked Auburn football RB room, led by Tank Bigsby and Shaun Shivers.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the biggest increases were made on the battle side. Just as it has been since Cam Newton left the plateau, it is a defense that will lead the Tigers to the Top 25 if they break through Harsin in their first year.
When asked which transfer would have the greatest impact next season, Justin Lee of Opelika-Auburn News forwarded the SEC transfer to Donovan Kaufman as secondary gatekeeper:
Donander Kaufman, the transfer of Vanderbilt’s right to safety, returned the fired to the Commodors and could be there in the role of Auburn as well.
Defensively, it’s easy to see how he can build an impressive role with the SEC experience under his belt and has already played defensive coordinator Derek Mason. But right from the bat I could see him participating in special groups.
Kaufman splits the start-up tasks with Tank Bigsby and Shaun Shivers based on how Harsin used those two in the A-Day spring game. During the season, it might make more sense to use Kaufman more than a pair of backfields to reduce wear.
Lee’s colleague, Jordan Hill, had a different name in mind. He believes Eku Leota – who left Northwestern’s Citrus Bowl victory over Auburn football on New Year’s Day – would be the most significant addition to Mason’s prevention team:
Leota was Harsin’s first major recruitment win at Auburn, and I predict it will be one that pays big dividends this fall. He played well under the leadership of the legendary Northwest Defense Coordinator Mike Hankwitz in 2020, and despite only eight games, he had a 5.5 loss loss and the team’s high four sacks.
Contextually, Leota’s sack figures would have tied Owen Pappoe and Colby Wooden to the top with Tigers last fall. Adding Leota, which, according to the College Football Film Room, raised pressure to 14.3 percent of his pass-rush clicks last fall, may be the piece needed to set the tigers ’defense from above.
Personally, Leota seems to be a safer bet that has an effect right away. He recorded four sacks in the shortened Big 10 season, so the spotlight could be on him often as the Tigers DL crosses opposing OLs in the coming season.
Either way, Fly War Eagle hopes this pair could further strengthen the unit with stellar power in the secondary and solidity in the front seven.
[ad_2]
picture credit