AUBURN | Bryan Harsin is still looking for consistency. He reminds everyone of that each week during his weekly press conference and, we're just guessing, preaches that continually to his team. Auburn's offense hasn't been consistent, neither has the Tigers' defense or special teams. If anything, the team has been more Jekyll and Hyde this season, but there has been one constant that remains for Harsin to use as an example in Zakoby McClain.

The linebacker's teammates have taken notice.

"He's an impact player for us, a guy we all can depend on," Chandler Wooten said of McClain. "We know he's going to show up week in and week out and produce on Saturdays. He's just a guy you feel comfortable playing next to."

McClain came into the season with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder, he admitted. After leading the nation with 113 total tackles as a junior in 2020, he didn't appear on any All-American teams and made just one All-SEC team.

His play hasn't dropped off a bit. In a surprise to no one, the Valdosta, Ga., native leads the Tigers with 84 tackles this season. He's also been a force in the backfield, recording six tackles for a loss and two sacks. More importantly, he's a sure-tackler, someone who opponents do not want to see coming at them in the open field. The vast majority of that time, McClain is going to win that battle.

He's also been one of the leaders on the team, both through his play and his words. McClain's actions don't just affect his fellow linebackers but spread throughout the entire defense.

"He's always going to bring the energy to the game, every time," Roger McCreary said. "I feed off him … I feel like every time he makes a big tackle, that's what keeps the defense going even when we're down. He tries to pick us up and encourage us."

It's a presence Auburn has been lucky to have at the second level for the last three seasons and the consistency that Harsin demands from the rest of the Tigers.