re: Fire Bryan Harsin.

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The adjustment from Mason to Schmedding this spring has been a seamless one for Auburn’s returning defenders. The system has largely remained the same, as has the playbook, though there have been tweaks to the terminology and some new wrinkles. According to defensive back Donovan Kaufman, Schmedding has simplified some things to make the defense easier for players to absorb and retain.

“It’s really not that different,” said Kaufman, who also played under Mason at Vanderbilt in 2020. “The best thing about it, Coach Schmedding was around last year so it’s not like it’s somebody new. We have that relationship with him. Now it’s just building a stronger relationship with him at this point.”

One of the biggest differences, according to players, has been in Mason and Schmedding’s approach to coaching. Mason was more hands-on and more inclined to stop practice to go over specific points, while Schmedding prefers to let position coaches help fix those mistakes and promotes more player-led adjustments during practice. The other big difference has been a bigger emphasis on takeaways after Auburn forced just 12 turnovers and ranked 113th among FBS teams in that category last season under Mason.

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