Auburn began its second week of spring practice on Monday and the defense has been locked in and ready to go for practice four. Defensive coordinator Derek Mason and his defense have had a “Fast and furious” mindset as they have headed into spring ball.
“It’s been a fast and furious last couple of months,” said Mason. “Heading into practice number four, getting ready for a fast and furious practice, as we get ready to hit a little bit, do a little red zone and goal line.”
Since arriving at Auburn, Mason has felt confident in his choice to rejoin college football and in his choice to coach for the Tigers. Under head coach Bryan Harsin, Mason feels good with how the program is shaping up and his relationships with the players are growing.
“I spend a lot of time with these guys getting to know their stories and once you understand the why and you can establish trust, the opportunity for them to grow fast and grow quickly is what’s needed for us right now,” said Mason. “I feel good about where we are right now and believe me, I would make this decision 10 out of 10 times.”
Not only is Mason adapting to his new football team, the defensive groups are also battling it out and creating more depth than ever.
In the linebacker group, Owen Pappoe and Zakoby McClain are returning players who played nearly every snap last season, giving them depth and needed experience.
“When you look at the linebacker group as a whole, it’s probably our deepest group,” said Mason. “These guys collectively as a group, they’re fast, they’re sudden, they get it, they’re physical and they’re probably the most communicative group right now.”
In the backend, Smoke Monday is projected to lead those group of guys along with Ladarius “LT” Tennision also playing safety. At corner, Rodger McCreary is expected to show up big on Saturdays in the fall.
Another main aspect Mason has seen in his players is the versatility the defense has offered, especially with the front seven in term of speed, size and trying to create one-on-one matchups.
“I think its great when you can have an opportunity to step into a place like Auburn and look and see exactly what they have available to you,” said Mason. “I think it’s all about the players, right, so when we talk about football, how do you put guys in the best possible position to permeate some success. Coming in, we’ve got all different types, we’ve got big guys, we’ve got long guys, so for me it’s a nice smorgasbord of players who have different skill sets. I think the versatility of the front seven is going to be huge for us.”
Despite not having a spring season last year and having a shortened regular season, the defensive players are meeting all expectations that Mason and the rest of the defensive coaching staff have put on them.
Overall, the spring season will be essential to get the players ready and settled for the 2021 season.
“I think it’s extremely important for these guys to settle in to where we’re at but it’s about coaches meeting these guys where they are and I think that started when we got here,” said Mason. “Now what it’s about is assessing our own talent and putting us in the best possible position for Auburn, to go fast, because we’ve got seven to eight months to get this thing going and get it going fast.”
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