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Thursday, April 23, 2009

Spring wrap: Secondary

DEPTH CHART
  • CB Walt McFadden, Sr., 6-0, 176
  • CB Neiko Thorpe, So., 6-2, 182
  • S Zac Etheridge, Jr., 6-0, 204
  • S Mike McNeil, Jr., 6-2, 205
  • CB Aairon Savage, Sr., 5-11, 173
Reserves
  • S Mike Slade, So., 6-3, 191
  • S Drew Cole, So., 5-11, 192
  • S Christian Thompson, So., 6-1, 200
  • CB T'Sharvan Bell, rFr., 6-0, 177
  • CB D'Antoine Hood, So., 5-10, 191
  • DB Jeremy Flowers, So., 5-10, 205
Walk-ons
  • DB Landry Bodie, Sr., 5-9, 189
  • DB Matthew Sample, Fr., 6-2, 190
  • DB Deante Lewis, So., 6-1, 176
  • DB Brandon Evans, rFr., 5-10, 190
OVERVIEW
Jerraud Powers' decision to enter the NFL Draft might not be the blow everybody thought it would be. The secondary is undoubtedly the deepest position Auburn has on the defense, with three starters returning from last year, another player who nearly started before injuring his knee in two-a-days (Savage) and a former nickelback who is coming into his own (Thorpe). Despite injuries that kept both Etheridge (shoulder) and McNeil (broken leg) out for part of spring drills, Auburn has plenty of bodies to take their place, with three sophomore safeties eager to get their shot. The Tigers had so much depth, in fact, that safety Marcus Jemison moved to linebacker and cornerback Harry Adams moved to wide receiver, which tells me the coaches are very comfortable with this group.
GOOD THINGS
From all accounts, McFadden and Thorpe had a great spring. McFadden played second fiddle to Powers last season but emerged by the end of the year as a durable corner who you could rely on in one-on-one coverage. Thorpe (who fans of "The Wire" might notice looks exactly like Dukie from seasons 4 and 5) was so good this spring that he seemingly locked down the other starting corner spot, leaving Auburn with few questions about its cover corners. While injuries are never good, it did give the coaching staff a long, hard look at Slade, Cole and Thompson, who stepped in for McNeil and Etheridge. All got valuable experience this spring, which should come in handy when the bullets actually start flying in the fall. Also, Savage, although limited in the spring, is back on the field. Anytime you can add someone with that experience level to the mix, it's a positive.
BAD THINGS
The injuries are disconcerting. McNeil's broken leg isn't supposed to keep him out for more than two months, but you can never tell how somebody comes back from something like that. Etheridge and Savage were kept out of most contact drills this spring because of their injuries, so they didn't benefit from the drills as much as everyone else. But with their experience, that's not necessarily the worst thing in the world.
ARRIVING SOON
Auburn has four defensive backs joining the team this fall, provided Mississippi Gulf Coast CC transfer Demond Washington starts out on offense, as is expected. Reggie Taylor and Taikwon Paige are both four-star recruits, but they'll find a hard time breaking into the rotation just because the Tigers are deep at the position. Safeties Daren Bates and Izauea Lanier struck me as project players who have some work to do before they would get any time on the field. The good news is that Auburn has enough depth that nobody has to step in and compete immediately, one of the rare positions where that is the case.
POTENTIAL BREAKOUT
Thorpe, to me, has all the makings of a future All-SEC cornerback. He's got a nice frame (6-2, 182), he's fast and, as evidenced by his ample playing time as a true freshman, doesn't appear to be overwhelmed by any situation. He had 29 tackles, two interceptions that he returned for 101 yards and four pass break-ups last year in sporadic playing time. And that was as a true freshman. Not too many players come in and do that right away.
BATTLE TO WATCH
With the starting spots pretty well locked down and Savage as the wild card who could steal some reps or be the fifth man in on the nickel, the real competition is in the reserves. Slade, Cole and Thompson all drew praise from safeties coach Tommy Thigpen this spring. Slade has had a year of learning the position after moving from corner. Cole, although slight in stature, will stick his head into any play. And Thompson, in addition to having a body that seems like it's best suited to play safety, is the best tackler of the three. At corner, Bell and Hood have both made progress. Bell, a converted quarterback, got a little more mention from cornerbacks coach Phillip Lolley, who is quick to compliment anybody in his stable of corners who is doing well.
THEY SAID IT
"He always knew he was athletic. He’s always had tremendous confidence. Now, he’s feeling the next part of the game. He’s getting smart with the game. They tried him on what I call a hesitation-and-go, stutter-and-go, one time. Immediately his eyes (lit up) and he flipped his body, he turned and ran to a point on the field and cut the guy off. Like I tell him, there’s a reason for that. You know they’re going to come back short on you thinking now he’s scared to bite on anything. The very next play they threw one short in front of him and he causes a fumble. That’s the mark of a guy starting to mature a little bit."
— Lolley on Thorpe
NUMBERS GAME
3 — interceptions last year by linebacker Josh Bynes, most on the team. McFadden, Powers and Thorpe each had two.
THE END OF THE DAY
Finally, a position Gene Chizik and Co. don't have to worry about getting the numbers up. The Tigers seem to have a solid starting lineup already in place, with Savage as an option to start or come in as a key reserve. Behind them, there's plenty to work with, so you won't see any iron man action out there this season. All in all, one of Auburn's most solid groups.
Tomorrow: Special teams

4 comments:

AUBigCat said...

Nice work AB! I would expect Taikwon Paige to be in the "Battles to Watch" just because he's a JC player and Coach Roof brought him here. Hopefully people will realize that not taking Phelon Jones (transfer from LSU) was a good decision by the coaches.

AUsome04 said...

AB, how did Savage look out there during the small amount of time you may have seen him this spring? I sure hope him and McNeil can get back to full strength. Etheridge needs to be careful with that shoulder. Safeties and bad shoulders don't mix.

AU turned down Phelon Jones?

ron mexico said...

I completely agree about neiko thorpe. He should be the next great corner that chizik and co. coaches. The safties really concern me. Etheridge does not cover well and in the cover 2 that chizik is known for the safties need to cover some ground.

I also agree with bigcat about phelon jones. I actually know him and followed his high school career. He is a freakish athlete (i think he holds the state record triple jump), but his work ethic leaves alot to be desired. He transfered from st. paul's because he wouldn't learn the plays and the coaches wouldn't let him get away with that. And his dad is very medalsome.

Andy Bitter said...

AUsome04, they didn't let Savage do all too much when we were out there. Whenever there was a drill in which Savage's competitive instincts would take over and he might have to make a severe cut, Phillip Lolley would make sure the corner didn't do anything too drastic. They were really taking it easy on his knee, so I couldn't accurately assess how much progress he had made.