re: Nick Coe is Gone.

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Examining Auburn's future at buck position

Last year, not many Auburn fans would have been surprised if they were told that, at the conclusion of the 2019 regular season, junior Nick Coe would make the decision to forgo his senior year and pursue the NFL. But not in this fashion.

Coe announced Friday that he will skip the Tigers' Outback Bowl game against Minnesota and will not return to Auburn, opting to immediately pursue the NFL.

This comes after Coe's production as a buck edge rusher/defensive end hybrid dropped from his seven-sack, 13.5-tackle-for-loss season in 2018 to a rocky 2019 campaign in which he recorded no sacks and started just one game.

Although Coe wasn't the No. 1 option at buck all season, if he had returned, he would have been expected to improve and be a senior anchor. Now, Auburn must permanently turn to other names, with varying degrees of experience, at its pass-rushing position.


DERICK HALL

Auburn asked a lot of Hall during his true freshman season, and the lack of production from Coe was a big reason why. Hall was relied on in 10 games, including a start at defensive end against Ole Miss because Marlon Davidson sat out with a back injury.

Though his stats — 10 tackles, 1.5 for loss and no sacks — don't jump off the page, Hall was a fast learner, and his week-to-week improvements as a true freshmen were highly complimented on by his teammates and coaches.

Just this week, Davidson said he feels that with a bit more experience, Hall could reach the elite pass-rushing prowess Auburn believes he can obtain.

“Derick Hall, he’s kind of different," Davidson said. "I don’t know how to explain him. He is extremely fast. He’s probably run a 4.4 (40-yard dash). Really does. ... Whenever he gets his stuff together, like his technique and everything, he’s going to be really good.”

T.D. MOULTRY

It will likely be down to Hall or T.D. Moultry for the starting job at buck next season.

Moultry, a rising senior, also had high expectations for the season, like Coe. Teammates said he was getting "back to the old T.D." and in prime position to break out.

But that never came to pass for the 6-foot-2, 245-pound end. He played sparingly at the start of the season while dealing with an ankle injury, then played well against the likes of Florida and Arkansas. He proceeded to fade again down the stretch, with just two tackles over Auburn's final five games for the former 5-star prospect.

Expect another summer of expectations for Moultry heading into his final season as the most experienced player at the position.

COLBY WOODEN

On Auburn's roster, Colby Wooden is listed at 6-foot-4, 243 pounds. But those numbers are taken preseason, when Wooden was dealing with a major "setback" that would go on to affect his true freshman campaign — mononucleosis.

"That set him back. He was weaker. Mono takes a lot out of you," Davidson said.

Davidson added that Wooden was held out of workouts for an extended period of time, and quickly dropped from 260 pounds down to 240.

But Wooden picked himself back up after recovering, and now resembles the same that chose Auburn over Clemson.

"He’s stronger, he’s leaner and he’s more powerful and explosive, and you can see it when you come to practice," Davidson said. "You be like, ‘Yeah, Colby, you got your juice back now.’ He just has fun with that type of thing. He’s going to be a good player, too.”

Wooden will be a redshirt freshman next year after appearing in just three games this season.

ROMELLO HEIGHT
While buck linebacker signee Romello Height wasn't the highest-rated defensive prospect for Auburn during the early signing period, his addition to the roster may have been one of the most important for a thin position group.

Height, a 6-foot-4, 216-pound pass rusher, flipped from Miami to Auburn on Wednesday.

"He had 16 sacks this season so he’s an excellent pass rusher off the edge but he plays the run very good, too," Gus Malzahn said of Height on Wednesday. "So we’re excited to add him to our class."

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