Auburn cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett leads the nation in a key stat
Auburn football has developed the reputation of having talented defensive backs.
From Carlton Davis to Jamel Dean, to Noah Igbinoghene, to Roger McCreary, Auburn has had a solid number one corner on the roster for the better part of a decade.
The next standout defensive back on that list could be Nehemiah Pritchett. With McCreary leaving for the NFL Draft, the job is open for several talented corners to take the reigns.
Pritchett may be the favorite to land the job over veteran cornerback Jaylin Simpson and Oregon transfer DJ James.
Per PFF, Pritchett leads all players in most press coverage snaps played since 2020 without allowing a touchdown.
That's incredible.
Across 269 snaps in press coverage, Pritchett has not allowed a defender to find the end zone since 2020.
Interestingly enough, Pritchett did not score well in coverage last season by PFF. His overall defensive grade was 55.4. His coverage grade was 52.8.
Auburn pressed less on defense under Derek Mason's defense than what was seen during the Kevin Steele era of Auburn football.
With Jeff Schmedding taking over as defensive coordinator, there could be press coverage on the outside of the field but many are expecting the scheme to be similar to what we saw a year ago.
Regardless of what the defense will look like in 2022, Auburn should enter the season with the cornerback position as a position of strength.
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