In terms of who will be the top-graded Tiger next year, advanced analytics site Pro Football Focus projects a first-year defensive starter.
In a breakdown of all 130 college football teams' top players for their respective 2020 squads, PFF selected defensive back Roger McCreary as Auburn's.
McCreary wasn't a starter in Kevin Steele's defense last season, but for PFF, grades are about taking advantage of snaps, regardless of position on the depth chart. For example, during most of the 2018 season, freshman safety Jamien Sherwood was Auburn's highest-rated defensive back according to PFF.
But McCreary wasn't a run-of-the-mill backup for Auburn last year. Though he technically wasn't one of the Tigers' starting two corners, McCreary was invaluable in Steele's system as the No. 3 option.
He played a heavy role in all 13 games, including his first career start against LSU, where all he did was record a career-high 10 tackles and intercept Heisman winner Joe Burrow.
McCreary, a rising junior from Mobile, had the sixth-most pass breakups in the SEC last year with nine. According to PFF, McCreary's pure coverage grade of 81.1 was 33rd out of 419 qualifying corners across the country, finishing 2019 in the 79th percentile as a non-starter.
"McCreary’s ball skills were exceptional — he consistently forced tight coverage and hardly lost at the catch point," PFF's Anthony Treash wrote. "He actually forced a contested target at one of the three highest rates on the outside (23 targets in total) and he allowed just nine to be caught while making 11 total plays on the ball."
Auburn must replace four of its five starters in the secondary, losing corners Noah Igbinoghene and Javaris Davis, and safeties Daniel Thomas and Jeremiah Dinson while returning nickelback Christian Tutt.
McCreary's mentors don't expect any drop-off in the secondary, however, with the high-ceiling junior leading the charge as Auburn's probable No. 1 cornerback.
"I expect Roger — big things for Roger, just me playing cornerback, personally, he had a great season last year, as well," Igbinoghene said at Auburn's 2020 pro day. "He's kind of the same spot I was my sophomore year. So it’s kind of crazy. So I expect big things out of him. I expect him to have an interview with you next year (at pro day), as well."
PFF'S TOP 2020 PLAYERS IN THE SEC
Alabama: WR DeVonta Smith
Arkansas: WR Treylon Burks
Auburn: CB Roger McCreary
Florida: CB Kaiir Elam
Georgia: QB Jamie Newman
Kentucky: CB Brandin Echols
LSU: CB Derek Stingley Jr.
Mississippi: WR Elijah Moore
Mississippi State: QB K.J. Costello
Missouri: LB Nick Bolton
South Carolina: CB Israel Mukuamu
Tennessee: CB Shawn Shamburger
Texas A&M: QB Kellen Mond
Vanderbilt: CB Jaylen Mahoney
