Auburn head football coach Gus Malzahn's offense was the hot topic for Auburn at SEC Media Days Wednesday, July 17, but the Tigers' new defensive scheme has players excited for the season.
Senior defensive end Dee Ford said the Tigers are excited about Ellis Johnson's 4-2-5 defense and want to get their edge back.
"He makes his system based off of our abilities; it's all about how quick you can play, and it's not just about being the pass rusher, it's stopping the run," Ford said. "Getting our edge back we have to practice that way, there's no way around it, we have to put in that work."
Senior defensive back Chris Davis agrees that Johnson's defense will cause trouble for opponents this coming season.
"His scheme is the perfect scheme. With the 4-2-5 we get an extra defensive back on the field and the star position that everyone has been bragging about," Davis said.
The star position in the 4-2-5 defense will be one of the most crucial players on the field. Designed to be a cross between a linebacker and safety, junior Justin Garrett has emerged as the leader for the position.
"Justin Garrett has made improvement," Davis said. "He's going to be one of the breakout players this season, it's a perfect fit for him."
Practicing against the fast-paced, no-huddle offense, designed by Malzahn, has helped prepare Auburn's defense for different looks in offensive schemes.
"You have to get lined up; a play can be ran at any time," Davis said. "If we're out of position it can be an explosive play or a touchdown. That's something that we have to limit coming from last year."
Davis said Malzahn rarely spends time on the defensive side of the ball at practice, and it motivates the defensive.
"We want to try to stop everything Malzahn is doing," Davis said. "If we can stop Malzahn we can stop any team we play."
Ford also agreed practicing against Malzahn's two-minute drill offense will benefit the defense this year.
"That's why we practice with him to pick up that slack if anything is going wrong. We are expecting a fast offense," Ford said.
The simplicity of the defense allows a player to make a mistake in coverage without allowing a long scoring play.
Johnson's 4-2-5 defense may not have the complexity of Malzahn's offense, but it is a versatile scheme that can stop multiple offenses from making big plays.
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