Auburn football: 5 questions the Tigers must answer in 2020

2. Auburn football: Is the secondary going to be problematic?

For as big of a question that revolves around the defensive line, an even bigger question for Auburn football lies in the secondary. Both starting cornerbacks and safeties from the 2019 season are now gone, leaving a whole new cast of young players to step into larger roles and try to keep this unit as a strength on the Tigers defense. That, of course, is no easy task.

To be sure, there is talent in the group that will be asked to step up and it’s not a completely unproven group of players either. Safety Smoke Monday, a member of the 2020 All-Name Team, acquitted himself well when on the field last season, including notching an interception. Cornerback Roger McCreary also returns after leading the team with nine passes defended a year ago.

Especially in the case of McCreary, though, the secondary will have to be ready to assume more important roles. One of the reasons the cornerback was so effective in defending passes was the simple fact that he was targeted often due to the strength of the group around him. Now tasked with covering opposing team’s top weapons and with less sure help around him, can he maintain that?

This is another area of the Auburn football roster that could make fans a bit queasy. Again, so much of what they were able to succeed with last season hinged upon their defense being one of the better units in the country. In 2020, the secondary is another group on that side of the ball that may not be able to reach that same level.