Players to Know for Auburn
When you lose a running back, five offensive linemen, two of the best defensive linemen in the conference, two leading tacklers, and a first-round defensive back, you should expect the national media to have some questions about your football team.
That's exactly what happened to Auburn this offseason. Yet, they are still the No. 7 ranked football team in the country and they managed to beat a solid Kentucky team in week one.
Despite losing as much as Auburn did, they are still a really talented football team, thanks in part to a consistent presence within the top-10 discussion nationally in recruiting. Today, we look at the players Georgia fans need to know headed into the matchup with Auburn.
Offense
Bo Nix
Of course, you've got to start with the quarterback. Now a sophomore, Nix has pretty much seen it all already thanks to a brutal schedule as a true freshman. He opened up with Oregon, went on the road to Texas A&M, Florida, and LSU, then closed out the season against Georgia and Alabama. that's a nightmare. And yet, he either won or had his team in a position to win in all but the Florida game. Throw out the stats, throw out the completion percentage, at the end of the game Nix gave his team a chance to win. Despite all the changes around him, I don't think that ability to compete has somehow disappeared.
Seth Williams
Of the 245 yards Bo Nix threw for against Georgia a year ago, Williams was responsible for 121 of them. Georgia allowed just four wide receivers to eclipse 100 yards receiving in 2019 — Juan Jennings, Marquez Callaway, Justin Jefferson, and Seth Williams — Williams led them all.
Expect Bo Nix and this Auburn offense to take one on one shots in the direction of Williams given the chance. He's there only real 50/50 threat and he's their primary redzone target when they get in close.
Anthony Schwartz
Gus Malzahn's offense has always needed a gadget speedster, guys they can get easy completions to on drags, screens, crosses, etc, and have them do damage after the catch. This is the year people are expecting Schwartz to breakout, but this isn't the defense you'd think it'd happen against. Nix isn't known for his deep ball accuracy, he's more so known for his playmaking ability with his legs and the ability to extend plays. Though I would imagine given Richard LeCounte's tendency to bite on double moves, they may take a shot with Schwartz early in the football game.
Defense
Owen Pappoe
Pappoe is far and away the freakiest athlete that I've ever covered, so much so that his nickname is "The Freak." He's 6'1, 225 pounds and is a bonafide 4.4 runner with a 40" vertical, it's borderline absurd. Now, in his second year at Auburn, he's got a legitimate shot to become an All-Conference type of football player. Expect Kevin Steele to use Pappoe in a variety of ways near the line of scrimmage. He will blitz, he will cover, he will be a force in the run game.
If you want to know what Auburn is doing on defense, just watch No. 0.
K.J. Britt
This linebacker group is going to need to play lights out for the majority of the season considering what they lost upfront, and they've got the two guys to do it. Where Pappoe is athletically superior, Britt brings the instinctual ability at the inside linebacker position. His style of play is similar to that of a guy like Monty Rice. They are likely not going to overwhelm you with athleticism, but they are going to always be in the right spot at the right time and arrive with violent intentions. Britt will likely lead Auburn in tackles this fall.
Smoke Monday
With a name like Smoke Monday, you'd better be a baller. He takes the place of Jeremiah Dinson and Daniel Thomas in the back end of this Auburn defense after being a reserve player in 2019. The Carver High School product from Columbus, Georgia took a pick-six back against Alabama a year ago. He's an athletic football player, but inexperienced like most of this secondary and defense.
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