Jeff Schmedding breaks down how defense reacts against each quarterback

The Auburn Tigers have one of the most diverse quarterback rooms in college football when it comes to style of play. From the big and powerful TJ Finley to the more pocket-prone Zach Calzada and the speed and quickness of Robby Ashford, Auburn has a little bit of everything at the position. And Auburn’s diversity at quarterback has its benefits for their defense. During a recent press conference, Tigers defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding broke down how the defense reacts against each quarterback and how his side of the ball benefits from facing them every day in practice.

“First of all, I’ll say this, that’s an advantage for us when you have different styles of quarterback to defend,” said Schmedding. “Because each week in the SEC is going to be something different depending on who it is. There are some teams that will spread it out and run the quarterback; some guys are more drop-back. And we’re able to see it all.

The SEC is stacked with talented quarterbacks, with one at almost every school in the conference. This year Auburn will have to face off against the likes of Arkansas‘s KJ Jefferson, Mississippi State‘s Will Rogers, defending national champion quarterback Stetson Bennett of Georgia, and reigning Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young at Alabama. Each quarterback brings their own individual style and flair to the game and will be difficult to game plan. But with what the Auburn defense and Schmedding face in practice, they will be ready for the various styles they will face.

“You have to also call the game a little bit different depending on the style of quarterback. I mean, that’s the most important position on the football field, and we all know he touches the ball every single snap. So it is giving us the opportunity to be in different structures of defense to defend those guys.

Regarding what each quarterback brings to the table, Schmedding was selective in his wording, careful not to give away any trade secrets:

“I don’t wanna get too deep into it, but Robby can really run. So that is something that he has. But I think they’ve all operated within who they are. And our offensive coaching staff is doing a great job of really tailoring certain things to their strengths.”

Auburn is still trying to figure out exactly how their quarterback rotation will work next season and who will be their starter for their opening matchup against Mercer. Despite the Bears not being the usual level of competition Auburn will face throughout the season, the sooner they can figure out their quarterback situation, the better. And it is wise of the Tigers’ defensive coordinator not to tip his team’s hand while they try to figure out their quarterback situation.