Auburn HC Gus Malzahn: Impact DE Carl Lawson's Return a 'Breath of Fresh Air'
ATLANTA — "Hello, boys. I'm baaaaaaack."
Carl Lawson isn't going to save the world like Randy Quaid's character did shortly after screaming that iconic line in Independence Day. He could, however, save an Auburn defense that was nearly as frightening last year when it gave up 398.8 yards per game, 26.7 points per game and 5.67 yards per play in 2014.
The redshirt sophomore defensive end sat out the entire season recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL, one season after playing a big role in Auburn's run to the 2013 SEC championship.
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As a true freshman, the 6'2", 257-pounder from Alpharetta, Georgia, notched 20 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, while earning a more significant role as the season went on.
His return has head coach Gus Malzahn relieved and excited about the future.
"He’s like a breath of fresh air," Malzahn said on Wednesday prior to his Tiger Trek event in Atlanta. "Last year, it was very challenging to play without him because he’s an impact player and one of the better defensive players in the entire country. When you don’t have him, it’s tough."
How important is Lawson's return?
Auburn managed just 21 sacks last year, which was the fourth-worst mark in the conference. Malzahn and former defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson mixed and matched pieces all season long, to a point where hybrid safety/linebacker Brandon King even moved down to defensive end in the middle of the season in an effort to kick start the Tigers' stagnant pass rush.
"That was our Achilles' heel on defense," Malzahn said. "When you can’t put pressure on the quarterback, it makes it tough on everybody."
In the end, nothing worked. That was the biggest reason Johnson got shown the door and Malzahn welcomed former Florida head coach and noted defensive mind Will Muschamp back into the Auburn program as his new defensive coordinator.
Lawson's return is vital to the success of the 2015 Auburn defense.
"Muschamp needs Lawson to affect the pocket to help that secondary," Cole Cubelic, host of the Cole Cubelic Show on WUMP 730 in Huntsville told Bleacher Report in March. "If [Muschamp] is forced to overcommit to [bringing] pressure, you will see similar results as last year."
Lawson didn't play in the spring game, but that was just a precaution.
"He did all of the 'thud tempo,' which is everything except tackling the player to the ground," Malzahn said. "You always have to say 'whoa' to Carl anyway, which is a good thing and really makes him special. He’s very eager to get back out there.
"I really believe he’s back to 100 percent."
He participated in virtually every other aspect of spring other than live scrimmages, which helped Muschamp to install most of his scheme during the latter part of spring practice.
"Will has worked extremely hard," said Malzahn. "First of all, he had to evaluate our guys. The second part of spring, they started putting packages in and putting guys in different situations to see who can put some pressure on the quarterback."
More help could be coming.
The star of Auburn's ninth-ranked recruiting class in 2015 was 5-star defensive end Byron Cowart. At 6'4", 250 pounds, the top-ranked defensive end in the class is similar to Lawson in stature and has the same quick first step and violent hands that helped Lawson make an impact as a freshman two seasons ago.
Malzahn knows that while Muschamp accomplished his goals this spring, Cowart's presence could provide a little fuel additive to the new-look pass rush.
"I think [Cowart] could have a big impact," Malzahn said. "It’s going to be up to him. He’s going to have an opportunity. Carl Lawson made a big impact as a freshman, and I see a lot of similarities not only ability-wise, but also mindset-wise."
If all goes according to plan, the return of Lawson combined with the appearance of Cowart could turn Auburn's pass rush from a punchline into a power.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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