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The Auburn Tigers are looking to rebound from last week’s tough loss to Florida, though to do that, they will need to get through the Vanderbilt Commodores, who are set to play the Tigers this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. CT.
The Tigers are early favorites in this matchup, but top-level leadership can prove to be the difference in any SEC game, especially one between two unproven teams. Alex Golesh’s squad has picked their leaders for the Vanderbilt game, and the university announced the group’s decisions on Friday.
Our Game 4 Captains 🦅 pic.twitter.com/h9lsBlKwFO
Best was one of the many players to make the trip over from USF this past offseason, joining the Bulls’ former head coach Alex Golesh on the Plains. So far this season, the interior offensive line has been a point of concern, though Best has been the bright spot of the group.
Even when the team rotated up to three players at each position to Best’s immediate right or left, the veteran rarely faltered in his protection of Byrum Brown, who has been his quarterback for some time now. He’ll look to continue that dominance this week against Vanderbilt.
Brown has been steadily improving each week as he settles into life in the SEC, and though his performance against Florida was not enough to win the Tigers the game, it was certainly proof of life for a quarterback who had been drawing many concerns from analysts around the country.
Vanderbilt provides an opportunity for Brown to have a statement game in the SEC, something that he has yet to do at either Auburn or USF. Certainly, it will not be an easy task, but if there were a matchup for Brown to flash some pro potential, it would be this one.
Easily the star defensive player that Auburn defensive coordinator DJ Durkin has at his disposal this year, Melendez leads the Tigers in total tackles, solo tackles, sacks and pass deflections this season, despite the fact that this year is only his second at the collegiate level.
Melendez currently has nine more tackles than Eric Winters, who has the second-most tackles on the team, and it is clear that the sophomore has been a crucial piece of the Tigers’ defense as they’ve worked through some kinks throughout the beginning of the season. He’ll look to continue that impact on Saturday.
Sigler was listed as PFF’s highest-graded SEC returning defensive tackle ahead of the season’s start, and he has not disappointed in the time since. The Arkansas State transfer has accounted for the Tigers’ lone safety this season, while also ranking fifth among the Tigers in total tackles and tying for second in total sacks.
Sigler’s impact mostly comes on the rushing front, where he is a pure run-stopper who can stall an opposing rushing attack nearly on his own. The Commodores have struggled to rush the ball through their first few games of the season, so Sigler could be a true nightmare matchup for them.
One of the more vocal leaders of the Tigers’ secondary, Smith-Reed has been a crucial piece of the Tigers’ culture over the past few seasons. He’s been a great contributor on the field as well, boasting six total tackles and a pass deflection, which may not seem too exciting until you realize that opposing teams rarely throw in his direction.
Smith-Reed will play a crucial part in stopping the Commodores’ passing attack, which is likely to be a little flatter this season with true freshman quarterback Jared Curtis at the helm. He’s only snagged one interception so far throughout his four-year Auburn career, a fact that could easily change with one errant ball from Curtis.
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Brooks is an Atlanta-born sports journalism major. His work has been featured on Eagle Eye TV, Fly War Eagle, Sporting News, Bleacher Report, MSN, among others. Additionally, Brooks anchors Eagle Eye TV’s “Sports Night in Auburn,” a live broadcast shared on Channel Six and YouTube Live.
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