Auburn Football: Where Do Tigers Turn After Secondary Loses More Transfers?
In Gus Malzahn's two seasons as Auburn's head coach, the secondary has definitely been the Tigers' Achilles' heel.
This week, that heel appeared to be getting weaker and weaker.
Sophomore cornerback Kamryn Melton announced on Twitter on Thursday night that he decided to transfer from Auburn:
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
"— Kamryn Melton (@_NoFlyZoneMelt) May 14, 2015"
The next morning, senior safety Derrick Moncrief—who practiced at linebacker this spring—announced he was also leaving after just one season with the team.
"I came in as the No. 1 safety in the country and things are just not going well there," Moncrief told Ethan Bernal and James Crepea of the Montgomery Advertiser. "But Auburn was a good place, I just want to thank them for everything, for them recruiting me, and I wish them the best of luck."
A few hours later, Auburn confirmed the news for Melton and Moncrief while also announcing junior cornerback Joe Turner's transfer intentions.
This recent surge of transfers is just part of a bigger exodus in the Tigers' secondary. In December, sophomore safety Mackenro Alexander transferred from Auburn to South Florida and freshman cornerback Kalvaraz Bessent decided to leave the program in February.
New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp brought defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson back home to his alma mater to rebuild a struggling secondary that has been porous for the last two seasons.
| 2013 | 255.7 | 102nd | 19 |
| 2014 | 230.1 | 70th | 22 |
Injuries and depth issues led to walk-ons starting at defensive back in last month's A-Day Game.
Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee said he believes Auburn's transfer outbreak is about Muschamp and Robinson already having their depth chart in mind:
But how much depth is there left in the Tigers' secondary? Who can they now turn to at the position? Here are three key groups to watch.
The Experienced Players
Aside from Moncrief, who played in all 13 games for Auburn last season and made one start, the other four transfers from the secondary did not play a single snap in 2014.
According to Crepea, Auburn still has nine defensive backs on scholarship:
The biggest name still remaining is Johnathan "Rudy" Ford, the former running back who started all 13 games at safety and had a team-high 93 tackles in 2014. The junior is expected to be the team's leader in the secondary and might just play a part in helping Auburn's cornerback depth this fall.
Jonathan Jones will also return as a starter for Auburn at cornerback. While he was tied for the team lead with six interceptions last season—good enough for ninth in the country—the senior was limited in spring practice due to a lingering foot injury.
"We need some other guys to step up, but Jonathan is an experienced player, a very explosive player," Muschamp told AL.com's Joel A. Erickson earlier this year. "He covers well on the top end, he's got really good ball skills, he can finish on balls down the field."
Josh Holsey, the wild card of Auburn's secondary, is also back for his senior season. He was stuck in limbo between safety and cornerback for most of 2014, but he has seemed to settle in at cornerback this year.
Those three veterans, combined with returning role players Nick Ruffin, T.J. Davis and Stephen Roberts, give Muschamp and Robinson something to build around for 2015. That might not be a lot of experience, but it could be solid enough to serve as a foundation.
The Not-So-New Guys
Two defensive backs who didn't play for Auburn last season are set to make an impact on the depth chart this season after participating in spring practice: Tray Matthews and Tim Irvin.
Matthews, the former Georgia safety who was involved in the tipped pass to new Auburn teammate Ricardo Louis in 2013, is eligible to play for the Tigers after sitting out a season. He arrived at Auburn after his dismissal from Georgia and has already made an impression on the rest of the Tigers.
"Tray is one of them relentless guys," Holsey told the Opelika-Auburn News’ Tom Green. "He was out for a year and I feel like he just couldn’t wait to hit somebody, so now I realize he really wants to hit everything moving. I really like that."
Matthews will most likely grab the starting safety spot alongside Ford, while the true freshman Irvin is projected to be a factor at the nickel position.
The early enrollee and nephew of Hall of Fame player Michael Irvin also had an injury worry this spring, but he still found a way to turn heads.
"Obviously, I think his hand being in a cast for the entire spring and not really having contact until the spring game certainly set him back a little bit, but he has the skill set to be successful," Muschamp said, according to AL.com's Julie Bennett. "Just not quite where we need to be."
More practice time this fall will be much needed for Matthews and Irvin, as their arrivals possibly prompted the slew of transfers away from Auburn.
The Incoming Talent
On top of these returning and newly eligible players, Auburn has a few new faces in the secondary set to arrive this summer.
The group of incoming freshmen is highlighted by Jordan Colbert, a 4-star from Georgia who was ranked as the No. 9 safety in his class.
Colbert was even projected by some to be a linebacker in college due to his heavy-hitting nature and playmaking ability.
Another name Auburn fans should watch for this fall is Carlton Davis, a 4-star cornerback from Miami who flipped from Ohio State and chose the Tigers on national signing day.
Davis has the size (6'2", 184 lbs) and speed (4.67-second 40-yard dash) to be a fearsome matchup for SEC wide receivers in the future.
If these new Tigers can fill in important depth roles this fall or even challenge for spots on the two-deep depth chart, Auburn's secondary should be in decent shape in its first season under Muschamp and Robinson—even after all the offseason departures.
Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
Justin Ferguson is an On-Call College Football Writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
