How Auburn’s 2020 recruiting class addresses the Tigers’ key needs
Marlon Davidson and Derrick Brown anchored Auburn’s defensive front, which gave up less than 4 yards per rush.
JaTarvious “Boobee” Whitlow was the Tigers’ leading rusher in each of the past two seasons.
They’re all gone now — along with many more. Davidson and Brown graduated, along with safeties Daniel Thomas and Jeremiah Dinson. Bryant declared for the NFL Draft, and Whitlow is in the transfer portal.
Those are just a few of the notable losses.
The Tigers lost a multitude of experience when the 2019 season wrapped up. Multiple offensive lineman spots are up for grabs with just over one month from spring practice. And Auburn must replace much of its production from last year’s defense, too.
Although replacing those major contributors (specifically Davidson and Brown) will be tough a challenge for coach Gus Malzahn’s staff, the recruiting class the program brought in this cycle could help ease the burden.
“I really believe this is one of the best classes that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Malzahn said. “We needed some guys that could come in and help immediately. We did that by bringing in some junior college players.”
Let’s start with those junior college signees.
IS JUCO THE WAY TO GO?
Brown and Davidson combined for more than 100 tackles and 20 tackles for loss last season. They also combined for 10 1/2 sacks.
Those are big shoes to fill. So, Auburn brought in two big-bodied JUCO defensive line signees.
Marquis Burks, who transferred from Iowa Central, is described by Auburn as a “disruptive college defender with plenty of upside.” He played for two years at Iowa Central.
247 Sports ranks the 6-foot-3, 305-pound Burks fourth nationally among JUCO defensive tackle prospects.
Dre Butler (6-5, 275 pounds) recorded 66 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in one season at Independence Community College.
“I really feel like we needed some guys that had experience, losing the guys that we had, and Dre is a guy that was a big-time basketball player in high school himself,” Malzahn said. “Marquis Burks, another junior college player, is more of an internal guy. I really felt like he’s got big-time athleticism. He’s a very good athlete, he really gets after the quarterback, and we really think that he’s got a chance to help us.”
TWO TIGHT END SIGNEES
The Tigers also lost senior tight ends/H-backs Spencer Nigh and Jay Jay Wilson. Upcoming redshirt sophomore Harold Joiner returns, but he caught just six passes in 2019. He finished 2019 with 128 yards receiving.
There’s no telling how new offensive coordinator Chad Morris will use the position in his first year at the helm, but Auburn’s two tight end signees both have pass-catching abilities that could bring another element to the Tigers’ offense.
Four-star tight end Brandon Frazier (6-5, 237) caught 40 passes for 879 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior at McKinney (Texas) North High.
Four-star tight end signee J.J. Pegues finished his high school career with 1,462 yards receiving, averaged nearly 6 yards per rush and ran for 1,086 yards at Oxford High (Mississippi).
“There’s an open competition at every position,” Malzahn said. “The good thing is that we have really talented young guys. Even the guys coming back, we are going to put the best out there.”
BOOBEE’S GONE
The loss of upcoming junior running back Whitlow leaves a gaping hole in Auburn’s offense, but the Tigers are not without options.
Junior Malik Miller, sophomore Shaun Shivers, freshman D.J. Williams and redshirt freshman Harold Joiner all return next season, each with a solid amount of experience. But the one player with perhaps the biggest opportunity is early enrollee Tank Bigsby, the former Callaway standout.
Bigsby rushed for 700 yards in the 2A playoffs as a junior at Callaway. He rushed for 2,221 yards his senior season, adding 22 touchdowns.
Bigsby can break tackles up the middle, carry the ball outside the tackles and catch passes out of the backfield. On paper, he’s the perfect fit for Morris’ system.
“We have very talented guys at that position,” Malzahn said. “And for the most part, all those guys are pretty versatile. They’re not just runners, but good protectors and can catch the ball out of the backfield. Just talking with Chad, I know that’s what he likes to do.”
OFFENSIVE LINE QUESTION MARKS
Left guard Marquel Harrell, left tackles Prince Tega Wanogho and Bailey Sharp, right guard Mike Horton, center Kaleb Kim and right tackle Jack Driscoll have all left the program, which has opened up most of the offensive line slots heading into spring practice.
The Tigers signed three early enrollees, each a three-star, in Avery Jernigan from Pierce County (Blackshear, Georgia), Kilian Zierer from College of the Canyons (Valencia, California) and Tate Johnson from Callaway. Zierer, though, will miss spring practice as he recovers from an ACL injury.
“Rehab is going well,” Malzahn said of Zierer. “We are really hoping that we get him back rolling really good in the summer. That is our plan.”
Three-stars Brenden Coffey from Butte College (Oroville, California) and Jeremiah Wright from Selma High (Alabama) will join the team later in the year.
The Tigers return several backups from last season’s offensive line, but with much of the core group now departed, the opportunity is open for Auburn’s 2020 signees.
Malzahn said the team could still bring in a graduate transfer at offensive line or cornerback, and three-stars are not often expected to come in and start on Day One, so the offensive line will be a key position to watch as the Tigers begin spring practice on March 16.
“There’s going to be some good competition,” Malzahn said. “There are some young guys that redshirted last year that we think are going to be really good players. Those veteran guys have been our twos for the last two years. They’ve gotten a lot of quality reps and are going to have a chance. And then, obviously, we have the two junior college guys coming in.
“So, there’s going to be really good competition.”
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This story was originally published February 8, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
