Auburn's secondary is comprised of chippy and driven characters determined to best each other week-by-week in the name of keeping the lid on the Tigers' upper-tier defense.
As junior cornerback Noah Igbinoghene put it, the group couldn't be more tight-knit — and that's a result of its leadership and healthy competitiveness.
"Just over the summer we all worked together, and so it wasn't — there's no separation, there's no pointing fingers, there's no jealously or envy in the room," Igbinoghene said. "It's just straight work. That's all we do."
It's seemingly been a different player stepping up every game for Auburn's secondary. Through the first three weeks of the season, it was senior safety Jeremiah Dinson, who was playing at an All-SEC level, leading the nation in tackles among defensive backs to go with his one interception and sack.
Senior corner Javaris Davis got out to a slow start, allowing a big touchdown against Oregon, but he quickly cleaned up and became an open-field tackling machine who wasn't allowing many big plays downfield, either.
Against Georgia, Davis was slapped with head coach Gus Malzahn's defensive helmet sticker. Davis had one of his best games as a Tiger, recording a trio of solo of key stops on third downs with two pass deflections and an open-field tackle to polish off three more three-and-outs for an Auburn defense that forced nine against the Bulldogs.
But Davis' guys allowed a 51-yard touchdown in the first quarter in a game decided by one score.
"We knew that coming into this game, that the DBs had to play a great game, and I feel like, for the most part, we did that," Davis said after the loss. "We still have to watch the film and clean up some of the mistakes that we made. Obviously, you can see that we gave up 21 points. So we just have to correct the little things.”
Igbinoghene, the receiver-turned-defensive back, was heavily picked on in Auburn's loss to Florida, getting tagged with two pass interference penalties. The Trussville, Ala., product said that while he's improved since then and has been targeted less as the year has gone on, he's still putting all the pieces together to become a No. 1 corner in his second year playing the position.
"I might seem like I've got it all but I really don't," Igbinoghene said. "I'm still working, I'm still trying to find out things, trying to work. And so, it's just a work in progress. I'm trying to get better every single day I come here."
In the Tigers' following loss to LSU, Heisman favorite Joe Burrow decided to go at sophomore corner Roger McCreary instead. Burrow and the LSU receivers had success in the first half until they didn't, when McCreary elevated with perfect positioning to intercept Burrow near the goal-line. Like Davis, McCreary also logged two pass breakups against Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm.
"Roger, just — he's grown up, for real," Igbinoghene said. "I know y'all have seen that. People started targeting him more now, and he's showing why you shouldn't. So, just him doing that is going to earn him respect, and so I'm happy for him to see him to do that."
While it's sometimes viewed as the weak link of a spectacular Auburn defense, the Tigers secondary's big mistakes can really be counted on one hand this season. The defensive backs have Auburn ranked No. 9 in the nation in yards per completion, and only 16 teams in the country have forced opposing quarterbacks into a lower average passer rating in 2019.
"It just shows our hard work and resiliency," Igbinoghene said.
Auburn will lose Dinson, Davis and safety Daniel Thomas to graduation after this season. But in defensive coordinator Kevin Steele's scheme, their backups have been playing since their true freshman years.
Sophomore Jamien Sherwood has elevated his play in the second half of this season with 24 tackles, three pass breakups and three tackles for loss in the last four games. Fellow sophomore safety Smoke Monday is one of the quickest players on the defense and is viewed as having immense potential. Nickel Christian Tutt will be a second-year starter as a junior next year.
"I feel like there's going to be no drop-off," Igbinoghene said. "I feel like we're going to get better, honestly."
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