Auburn Tigers' Enviable Cornerback Depth is Making Everyone Better

The defensive back group for the Auburn Tigers is loaded to say the least, with Hugh Freeze bringing in Raion Strader and Rayshawn Pleasant via the transfer portal, returning starting corners Kayin Lee and Jay Crawford can’t assume that they will hold their spots this upcoming season, at least not without some tough competition in fall camp.

Head coach Hugh Freeze has high praise for his cornerback room, knowing exactly what he was doing by bringing in more cornerbacks for his team. Igniting competition amongst his players so that everyone in the cornerback room can perform at their highest level, or someone else could step in and get their reps.

“When you have someone behind you (on the depth chart) that's like ‘oh, this guy can take my reps because he’s a dang good player too,’ I think that is the greatest motivator you can have and I think we are finally kind of at that point”, Freeze said on Saturday.

The depth and high level of play from the cornerback room will only boast the Auburn receiving core and quarterback position, when every day you are going against a deep, competitive position group.

Clearly new starting quarterback Jackson Arnold is getting better looks in practice as well. 

“Certain tendencies they have makes me see how a good corner is supposed to play, and alongside that too, it is making our receivers better so that when we go into that first game against Baylor, or I guess whoever we go into throughout the season, those guys have seen the best of the best. They are playing against the best of the best right now, and it will make the season a whole lot easier for them,” Arnold said. 

Auburn currently has nine cornerbacks on the roster, with six in particular standing out to Freeze, name-dropping Jay Crawford, Kayin Lee, Blake Woodby, Donovan Starr, Raion Strader, and Rayshawn Pleasant, but also bringing up that Champ Anthony is still not 100%, but another reliable option for him and his defense.

Arguably, cornerbacks are a premium position in football. They’re paid like it and drafted like it in the NFL. In today’s pass-happy offenses, a team needs at least five healthy cornerbacks every game. 

“Well you’re glad you have more depth, where you’re not feeling like there’s a drop-off when you rotate people or have an injury,” Freeze said on Wednesday. “I think every team at this level would be excited to have that type of depth, and we do.”

Freeze is confident that his cornerback room has the depth, and the competition will continue to improve them throughout the season.