In his first season on the Plains, true freshman defensive back Nick Ruffin has already made his presence felt with the Tigers.
With Justin Garrett moving back to linebacker, Ruffin now sits at No. 2 on the depth chart at the star positon behind senior Robenson Therezie.
"(Ruffin) has a lot of the same skills that Therezie has," said defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson. "He's a natural DB. The biggest thing he's had to improve on right now is the big receivers stock blocking him out in space or coming off the edge and having to take on a running back on a blitz or an outside run play. He's kind of got DB skill sets, and he's looked very comfortable out there."
Just because he's a backup doesn't mean Ruffin hasn't made a significant contribution to the Auburn defense. The true freshman has seen time on the field in all six games this season, recording five tackles and two pass breakups.
Cornerbacks coach Melvin Smith said he appreciates the way Ruffin approaches the game and the passion he brings to the field.
Smith also said Ruffin is one of the most important players in his recruiting class, and Auburn knew it wanted him wearing orange and blue for a long time.
"We had coaches on the staff who had a connection with him since he was a ninth grader," Smith said. "He came down here, and he liked what coach Malzahn and all the coaches were about. He committed early. To me, he's one of the most critical guys in the class because he was a guy everybody wanted, but he chose us before we did anything (on the field)."
Malzahn agreed with Smith.
"(Ruffin is) one of the top corners on our board early on, and coach Melvin Smith and coach Dameyune Craig did a great job of recruiting him," Malzahn said. "He's long, he's athletic and he's got very good ball skills and high character. We're really excited about Nick."
Since his arrival, Malzahn has taken notice of his on-field contributions in the defensive backfield.
"He's got some natural football instincts," Malzahn said. "Sometimes freshmen come in with bright eyes, and he really wasn't that way. You could see he was real confident when he would get out there. He's a very good tackler. We think he's got a chance to be a real special player."
The star position is fairly new to Ruffin, but safeties coach Charlie Harbison said he is confident Ruffin can thrive there.
"He can already do things that Therezie did last year," Harbison said.
"Really athletic, really smart, gym rat, loves the game," Smith said. "He has the right kind of spirit."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
