Published Aug 11, 2022
Roc on special teams: 'Your best guys gotta go'
circle avatar
Brian Stultz  •  AuburnSports
Staff Writer
Twitter
@brianjstultz

If you want to get your daily step count in, follow Donovan Kaufman around during practice. The sophomore never sticks around in one position too long, serving as Auburn's do-it-all man on defense and special teams.

He's everywhere. At one moment, he's helping lead the first-team secondary at safety. If you flinch, you'll miss seeing him work on special teams in every possible way. It's a task to track him, and that's one of the things Roc Bellantoni loves about the player.

"Everything we ask him to do on special teams, whether it's returning a punt or a kickoff or blocking for the kickoff returner, or rushing a punt or covering a kickoff, whatever we ask him to do, he excels at," the special teams coordinator said. "He's just a really good football player."

It's part of Bellantoni's plan to play the best possible players on special teams, something he states is essential to success. As the coach puts it, it's not high school anymore where you put "the booster club president's son out there on kick return." No matter who you are and how valuable you are to the offense or defense, no one is too good to participate in special teams.

"Your best guys gotta go," Bellantoni said. "To me, special teams is all about personnel and effort. If guys are going hard and you get the right people out there, you can be pretty good on special teams."

This puts a lot on the plate of Kaufman and others asked to play special teams. Bellantoni pointed out that Heisman Trophy winners in the past, including Alabama's Devonta Smith, were utilized on that unit. The coach also mentioned Zion Puckett, who played a lot on special teams last season. For Bellantoni, it's about finding those willing to pay the sacrifice.

"You have to be a leader," the coach said. "You have to be organized. You have to be studying the game at all times."

Kaufman is doing that. So are Puckett, Tank Bigsby, Ja'Varrius Johnson, Tar'Varish and other skill players that will play a significant role on offense or defense. Bellantoni made clear his vision in his new role as coordinator.

"The best players have to play on these units," he said.