AUBURN | Big Kat Bryant saw Marlon Davidson nearly triple his tackles-for-loss and more than double his sacks from 2018 to 19, and then go on to become a second-round NFL Draft pick.
Bryant is hoping to follow a similar path for his senior season, especially when it comes to increasing his sack numbers.
“Definitely, and that's something that I look out every day,” Bryant said. “I try to take care of the little things when it comes to that because obviously, I'm getting to the quarterback. I'm just not finishing. So it's just like now what I look at -- I go back and look at my film, look at the things that I've done. I've also talked to him, too, and what he did and how he looked at it and how he went about it.
“So I just try to take care of the little things, man, because I feel like the little things that I didn't do is what kind of stopped me from getting or prevented me from turning my hurries to sacks.”
Davidson had 11 quarterback hurries and 3.5 sacks as a junior, and five quarterback hurries and 7.5 sacks as a senior. Bryant had nine quarterback hurries and just 1.5 sacks last fall. He’s working hard to gain that same extra half-step that made the difference for Davidson a year ago.
Working out with some NFL players during the COVID-19 shutdown helped him develop improved techniques with his footwork and hands.
“That’s something that I kind of learned with the pros, working out with them,” Bryant said. “I try to come out here every day and get better. We’re practicing now, so I find something everyday to attack and try to get better every day. That’s what I do.”
Bryant has played in 39 career games at both defensive end and buck linebacker. He’s working mainly at d-end during preseason drills, but has added a new responsibility, the same one Davidson took on the previous couple of seasons.
“So I know the buck position. I know the end position. So now I'm at the tackle position in rabbits. I’m learning that,” Bryant said. “But I feel like it's pretty good for me now because I know those two positions by heart, and now I'm learning something new.”
Bryant is hoping that a successful offseason including some added techniques along with playing inside in pass-rushing situations will boost his sack numbers. He’s also taken on a leadership along with fellow senior Tyrone Truesdell.
“First thing is we have to let the guys know the standard,” Bryant said. “Like, how we go about things, the way this thing is built. That’s first and foremost, so that’s something we had to let them guys know, man, and things like taking care of the little things. Always make sure your sprints are done—just something that’s huge, taking care of the little things to make sure they lead to the bigger things.
“Tyrone, man, we’ve been real tough on these guys. I’m not going to lie because, like, times are uncertain and we have limited time. We’ve been a little tough on the guys, encouraging too, but we’ve been a little bit tougher on the guys than probably usual in any other year because of everything else that’s going on.”
The Tigers will practice Thursday afternoon, take off Friday and hold their second scrimmage of fall drills Saturday morning at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
