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Auburn football: Ranking Tigers’ 10 best players after 4 games
By Brian Stultz
Published:
The defense is stout, the offense is coming along and Auburn sits at 4-0 as we head into the last weekend of September. It hasn’t been an easy road, as the Tigers have faced 2 top 20 teams in Oregon and Texas A&M, but Gus Malzahn’s side has walked out victors both times.
The schedule gets tougher in October. After this Saturday’s game at home against Mississippi State, the Tigers will play 3 consecutive road games, including at No. 9 Florida and No. 4 LSU.
So who has excelled for the Tigers in the first third of the season? I rank them 10-1 in order of play.
10. Anders Carlson
Notable stat: 78.26% touchbacks
He hasn’t been asked to make a pressure kick with the game on the line, but Carlson has proved effective by putting 18-of-23 kickoffs through the end zone, giving the opposing team no chance at a return. He’s also 5-for-6 on field goal attempts and has made all 15 extra point attempts, something that can’t be taken for granted.
9. Eli Stove
Notable stat: 17 receptions
Stove provides a threat rushing and receiving and can help spread the field with his speed. He leads the team with 17 receptions while he has also rushed for 53 yards, mostly on jet sweeps.
8. Big Kat Bryant
Notable stat: 1.5 sacks
Sure, he might have driven some Auburn fans up the wall Saturday by seemingly continuing to jump offsides, but Bryant’s play as been solid. His versatility, being able to play at multiple positions, gives him an extra edge for Kevin Steele’s defense.
7. Bo Nix
Notable stat: 0 interceptions in past 3 games
Granted, his numbers aren’t eye-popping, but for a true freshman, he has stayed poised, taken care of the ball and made plays when needed. There are a lot of things he will need to improve on — missing open receivers on the deep ball among them — but he has shown why Malzahn picked him to be the starter.
6. Seth Williams
Notable stat: 14.22 yards per reception
When Nix needs to find a receiver for a touchdown, it has become apparent that he trusts Williams to make the play. It started with the last second heave against Oregon that gave the Tigers the win and continued this past Saturday on a short slant route that gave Auburn a 21-3 lead at Texas A&M.
5. K.J. Britt
Notable stat: 3.5 tackles for loss
Owen Pappoe has been the surprise for the linebacker corps, but Britt has really improved his game. He has been a pleasant surprise in stopping the run and has proven that he can drop back into coverage a bit.
4. Marlon Davidson
Notable stat: 2.5 sacks
A part of the core 4, Davidson has elevated his game to where he is even stealing headlines from Derrick Brown. He seemingly lives in the backfield — along with the 2.5 sacks, he has 4.5 tackles for a loss — and plugs the hole nicely in running situations.
3. Noah Igbinoghene
Notable stat: 19 total tackles
His stats don’t do him justice as Igbinoghene has made himself a consistent defender in the passing game and, when given an opportunity, looks like a threat at returning kickoffs. He has made sure tackles while making sure that his receiver is always covered. The penalties that plagued him some last year are a thing of the past.
2. Boobie Whitlow
Notable stat: 102 rushing yards per game
As the running game goes, the Auburn offense goes. Whitlow, after some early struggles with holding onto the ball, as marked his claim as the go-to back for Malzahn. On a drive where the Tigers needed to put the Aggies away this past Saturday in the 4th quarter, Whitlow served as the workhorse, punching it in from 8 yards out. He is 2nd in the SEC in rushing.
1. Derrick Brown
Notable stat: 3 passes broken up, 4 tackles for loss
There’s no question that Brown, who turned down a spot in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft to return for his senior year, is the leader of this defense. His presence on the line — 6-5 and 318 pounds — is key for a front 4 that remains one of the best in the country.
Brian Stultz covers SEC football for SaturdayDownSouth.com. A graduate of Auburn University, he is a member of the Football Writers Association of America. You can follow him on Twitter @brianjstultz.
