AUBURN | The next in a series of position-by-position looks at Auburn’s roster in 2019 is safety. With both starters returning along with their backups, it’s the deepest and most experienced position group on defense.
It’s also a position where there could be some interesting competition during the offseason.
It starts with seniors Jeremiah Dinson and Daniel Thomas, who combined for 25 of a possible 26 starts this past season. Thomas finished second on the team with 74 tackles and tied for the team-lead with two interceptions and two forced fumbles. He returned an interception for a 29-yard touchdown against Alabama State and was brought down at the 2-yard line after a 40-yard fumble return against Arkansas.
Dinson was fourth on the team with 64 tackles along with 4.0 tackles-for-loss, two interceptions and one forced fumble. He’s also a key team leader and a proverbial coach on the field, who does a great job of making sure his teammates are lined up correctly.
Are those two locks to retain their starting positions? Probably. But the Tigers have two young, talented safeties that should at least push the two upperclassmen for playing time.
Smoke Monday and Jamien Sherwood both played in every game as true freshmen last fall with Monday starting in place of an injured Dinson at Ole Miss.
Monday had 14 tackles, two sacks, one interception and blocked a punt in the Iron Bowl that helped Auburn go into halftime trailing Alabama just 17-14. His sack on fourth down sealed Auburn’s opening 21-16 win over Washington.
Sherwood finished his first college season with 21 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one interception and three pass breakups.
Further depth will come from junior Jordyn Peters, who also plays nickel and is a standout on special teams with three blocked kicks last season, and sophomore Malcolm Askew, who has played in just two career games his first two years at Auburn.
The Tigers also signed four versatile defensive backs in December including early enrollees Cam’Ron Kelly and Zion Puckett, and are expected to add at least one more to the 2019 class.
