Blake Countess Alleviates Some Concerns for Auburn Tigers Secondary

The Auburn Tigers football program received big news Tuesday as former Michigan Wolverines cornerback Blake Countess announced his decision to join the Tigers on his Instagram account, a move that should bolster a defense damaged by offseason departures, especially in the secondary.

Countess is a graduate transfer and will be eligible to play immediately for one season.

Standing at 5’10” and 185 pounds, Countess started 30 games during his Michigan career. He earned All-Big Ten first-team honors in 2013 and All-Big Ten honorable-mention honors in 2014, both from the media.

The native of Owings Mills, Maryland, took an official visit to Auburn from Friday to Sunday. He left impressed, according to Jeffrey Lee of AuburnSports.com.

Per Lee, Countess credited head coach Gus Malzahn, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and secondary coach Travaris Robinson for making him feel comfortable during the visit:

“They all sat down with me and did a really good job of explaining their situation to me. They explained how they would utilize me and my skillset, how they would help me get to where I want to be and also how I could help get them to where they want to be, which is national champions.”

The inclusion of Countess brings much-needed help to the Tigers’ situation—which is a lack of depth and experience on a defense fresh off an offseason exodus of secondary players.

Senior safety Derrick Moncrief, sophomore defensive backs Kamryn Melton and Mackenro Alexander, junior cornerback Joe Turner and freshman cornerback Kalvaraz Bessent all left the program this offseason. Moncrief played in 13 games last year, but the other four players contributed minimally.

Countess gives the team 10 scholarship defensive backs currently on the roster, not including four incoming signees.

With senior Jonathan Jones, a second-team All-SEC selection in 2014, entrenched as a starter at cornerback, Countess will likely battle senior Joshua Holsey, who seemingly emerged as the other starter out of spring camp, according to AL.com.

This allows junior safety Jonathan “Rudy” Ford to play more exclusively at safety. Ford started all 13 games at that spot and led the team with 93 tackles last year. The Tigers were expecting Ford to play cornerback at times this season to compensate for the position’s lack of depth.

At the same time, Countess’ presence will help take some pressure off the secondary players in the incoming signing class. Instead of being thrown into the fire, players like 4-star defensive backs Carlton Davis and Jordan Colbert can take time to get accustomed to the college game while still possibly contributing.

Muschamp can breathe a little easier, knowing he has an experienced and talented cornerback in the fold to help him as he tries to reinvigorate a defense that finished 80th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total passing yards allowed (2,870).

Some, like Bleacher Report’s Barrett Sallee, believe Countess will immediately start for the Tigers.

Countess will have to adjust to a faster pace of play in the SEC, but a player of his caliber should be able to manage. Against the best competition in the Big Ten, Countess performed well. He finished with a total of 15 tackles, two pass breakups and one interception in his Michigan career against Big Ten powerhouses Ohio State and Michigan State.

All recruit rankings courtesy of 247Sports.