re: 2022 Fall Camp Discussion Thread- Retired

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believe we’ll go undefeated

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Ironic, another knowledgeable reporter

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The nation’s top JUCO defensive tackle has already won over his new team with his French accent and the way he "lights up a room."

He’s also trying to light up Auburn’s offensive linemen.

At 6-foot-6 and 305 pounds — rocking a dark visor in practice, and Derrick Brown’s No. 5 jersey — you can’t miss Jeffrey M'ba on the Auburn practice field. And two days into the Tigers’ 2022 fall camp, he’s starting to make a name for himself — both as a terrifying defender, and a hilarious teammate.

“If you talk about M'ba, it brings a smile to your face,” Auburn defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding said. “His personality, No. 1. He lights up a room. And that positive energy is just contagious.”

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A Congo native who moved to France with his family, M’ba has only been playing American football for a few years. His accent picked up interest quickly once he got on campus — much like Auburn’s pair of starting punters from Australia over the past few seasons.

He also refers to himself as Thanos. His teammates said this week that nobody calls him that but him.

“Jeffrey’s unique,” senior edge rusher Derick Hall said with a smile.

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Saturday morning after practice, Hall said M’ba was writing out something having to do with Auburn’s defense, and he was writing numbers in French. He didn’t initially understand why that would be an issue.

“It’s just little stuff like that that makes you laugh and makes you chuckle, but he’s a great player,” Hall said. “I mean, he brings that characteristic; he brings joy into the room, he brings light into the room, so we couldn’t ask for more.”

Before Auburn’s pre-practice meetings Thursday, after everyone had reported to campus, M’ba jokingly got up to the microphone at the front of the meeting room and starting joking with his teammates over the speaker system. M’ba was laughing at his own jokes, but no one else could understand what he was saying.

“Jeffrey is funny, and he doesn’t even try to be,” preseason All-SEC defensive lineman Colby Wooden said.

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Auburn is less than two full days into fall camp, but M’ba’s rare athleticism is already on display. Garnering first-team reps at defensive tackle, he certainly doesn’t move like he’s bigger than 300 pounds.

“He’s a freakish athlete, I can tell you that,” said left tackle Kilian Zierer, who’s also from outside the states, in Germany.

Added Wooden: “Jeffrey's, like, 300 pounds and trying to run with me. So that should say something. He hasn't put together the scheme, but once he gets together and, OK, that's how you do that. That's how you play. Jeffrey will fit right like a glove."

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Coming off shoulder surgery, M’ba missed all of spring practice — but he was praised by Bryan Harsin for being heavily engaged, both during practice and in the meeting rooms, and taking advantage of his “mental reps.” That commitment during M’ba’s recovery could pay dividends this preseason, as he works to master the Tigers’ defensive system and make his case to be a piece of Auburn’s deep D-line rotation immediately.

“He's raw, he's young — in the aspect of football age, let me say that,” Hall said. “He's fairly new to this game. He's willing to work. One thing about Jeffrey — his attitude, his approach to the game. He studies, he loves us, he loves Auburn. Just having that attitude, you're going to come out here every day and obviously get better. He's taking that next step every day. The physical features are there, obviously. So we're happy to have him.”

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He’s wearing a Def Leppard t-shirt. I asked him to identify his favorite Def Leppard song. He says he doesn’t even know the band.

On his goals: “Just go out and play football and handle what happens. Put the work in … and everything takes care of itself.”

On being a receiver, too. “That’s another part of me that a lot of people haven’t seen yet. I feel like that’s going to be a big step.”

On if he’s quicker: “This season, I just put in work work work. Put in work on speed. I feel like that was a part I was missing last season — I wasn’t as explosive as I can be.”

On getting tailbacks more involved in the passing game: “Spreading backs out, putting backs in, being creative. That’s what it’s all about — having fun and being creative.“

On the RB room: “We have a lot of guys. We push each other. We’re all working hard. That‘s the goal. I feel like everybody has their own style, their own swag.”

He says all tailbacks are improving.

On running against Jayson Jones: “Those guys in the trenches … those guys are veterans coming back. Running against those guys all game, some people are going to be having some long nights. Jayson in the middle … you’ve got to make him miss.”

On TJ Finley: Says he’s trying to be at his best every day. “He keeps getting better each and every day. I haven’t seen a good TJ and a bad TJ; he’s the same person.”

On working with all three primary quarterbacks: Says it’s all the same working with any of the Big Three.

On getting Auburn back into championship consideration. “That’s the focus and that’s the goal.”

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On TJ Finley: Says he’s trying to be at his best every day. “He keeps getting better each and every day. I haven’t seen a good TJ and a bad TJ; he’s the same person.”

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I will turn the TV off or walk out of the stadium week 1 if TJ Finley is the starter. 

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