Auburn linebacker room adding power to new defense

Head coach Hugh Freeze has been honest with his impression of his players this spring. Freeze expressed concern for the quarterback and wide receiver rooms, but the linebacker room has impressed Freeze the most this spring. 

“That’s actually one group where I felt like we’ve improved ourselves from practice one to practice six. I don’t feel as good about some other groups like I feel about that one,” Freeze said. 

Freeze announced Josh Aldridge as Auburn’s next linebackers coach. Aldridge spent the last four seasons with Freeze at Liberty and announced some changes he wants to install at Auburn – playing five or six linebackers and rotating them out during games. 

“It’s always fun to just see how coaches coach and, you know, draw comparisons to things I’ve learned in the past. I think it’s been good learning new stuff so far with the new coaches,” said senior linebacker Wesley Steiner. “There’s not much more you can do, you know, once you learn the concepts, you shouldn’t have a problem adapting to any new situation, and that goes from high school, college and beyond.”

Although Auburn football has undergone a massive change in leadership, the players haven’t seen a noticeable difference in the game’s mechanics. 

“I don’t see a big difference in the change of scheme, but that could also be the way I looked at the concepts. I don’t see it much differently,” Steiner said. “It’s just the way we kind of speak it. Obviously, there’s a few things that are a little different, but just for me, concept-wise, I think things are the same, so it’s not too hard to learn.”

Over spring ball, the offense and defense have had several chances to face each other, and so far, the defense has dominated that matchup, although the offense has had its moments according to Freeze. These scrimmages allowed all of the linebackers a chance at each position. 

“We have a very fluid depth chart, so I’ve been all over the place – I’ve been with the ones, been with twos and been with threes,” Steiner said. “Everyone’s gotten reps… For most of spring, the defense has been pretty dominant for the most part.”

Although the Tigers lost Owen Pappoe to the NFL Draft, Auburn added key defensive players to its roster. 

The Tigers picked up junior Austin Keys this offseason from Ole Miss. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker adds years of SEC experience and physicality to the linebacker room along with “consistency.”

“He brings a great approach to just kind of accepting coaching as it comes,” Steiner said. “I think he does a great job of just taking coaching as we get it. That’s been something that we’ve been harping on in the room — just hearing the message, not the tone. Everyone knows coaching can get a little heated sometimes, but Austin’s done a good job of just taking coaching and just being consistent.”

Auburn also added LSU transfer, DeMario Tolan. Although Tolan played every game at LSU as a freshman, the former four-star linebacker is still learning the concepts because he’s a young guy. 

“I’ve definitely seen DeMario grow. There’s no question about that. He reminds me a lot of how I was when I got here,” Steiner said. “Just knowing that I struggled, it gives me more confidence that you know, even when these guys are struggling, he’s gonna get it because I got through it, and I’m here to help them. I have seen his growth, and I’m excited to see how far he will grow.”

Freshman Robert Woodyard Jr. was the highest-rated signee in the Tiger’s class of 2022. Woodyard saw some action last fall, but he has developed his skillset a bit more this spring. 

“I’ve enjoyed watching Robert grow so far, and I’m pretty confident, you know, once all the older guys leave, if he stays, I think that the defense will be in a good place," Steiner said. "I think he’s grown physically. He’s matured as a man, and I think that’s helped him on the football field and I’m excited for the future.”