Auburn DL Malik Blocton learning how to be 'instinctive' from his brother Marcus Harris

AUBURN – Several freshmen have gotten praise from coaches. Malik Blocton, now a legacy as his brother Marcus Harris is moving up to the NFL, has gotten some mentions. He also has given plenty of mentions to new Auburn defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams–first as a recruit and now as a player.

“It was no fall off, Coach Vontrell (King-Williams), he is the man for the job,” Blocton said. “He gets on me super hard but he loves me even harder. He makes sure he coaches me hard. When I mess up he will throw me out, tells me to keep my helmet on because he will put me right back in.”

As far as Blocton’s first few practices as an Auburn Tiger, he has been taken care of pretty well by the people in the building.

“Spring has been amazing so far,” Blocton said. “Getting to learn from Coach Vontrell, getting to learn from other guys in the room. My brother (Marcus Harris), he’s still been around here, so he is still giving me pointers. Lawrence Johnson has been around and helping me. All of those guys are pouring into me and making me a better player.”

What he has taken from his brother

Being coached up by your older brother can come with challenges, but Blocton says Harris knows exactly how to approach him.

“Marcus does a really good job of not yelling at me or talking to me crazy,” Blocton said. “He knows how I am, he knows how to push my buttons and how to get me to listen to him. He just gives me little stuff, not really going in depth. Just how to be as simple as possible and play fast.”

After not being recruited by Auburn, Harris went to Kansas before making his way back home.

“I’m really proud of him,” Blocton said. “Coming out of high school he wasn’t a high recruit. He had to go to Kansas and work his butt off just to come to the SEC. Then when he got his chance, he blew up with it. I’m just proud of that man.”

What has been Harris’ best advice for Blocton

“Some of the plays he made, they weren’t designed, he was just being instinctive,” Blocton said. “If you are going to go off-script, if you’re going to do your own thing, you better make the play. That’s what he did. He told me when starting off, you have to do what the coaches say, but when you start seeing things faster, you have to be a ball player.”

Blocton believes his versatility from high school is beginning to translate to the college level.

“I feel like my versatility is a strength and my ability to stop the run,” Blocton said. “I’m not one of those players you have to take out on third down because I can still rush the passer.”

First practices, looking forward to A-Day

Blocton is excited to participate in A-Day.

“A-Day is going to give me a chance to show my family, friends, everybody back in Pike Road that I’m still good and get a chance to show what I can do against the best of the best,” he said.

Who on the offensive line has been tough to go against in practice?

“All of them to be honest,” Blocton said. “Jeremiah Wright, Connor Lew, D-Wade–I’ve been at the end some so I have been going against Percy and TooTall. All of those guys are really good offensive linemen.”

He loves the coaching and compliments he is getting from King-Williams, but knows the small details have to be cleaned up.

“It’s been good, I am really getting some good competition and making some plays,” Blocton said. “Coach Vontrell told me the other day that I am making some veteran level plays, but I have to fix some mistakes in my game, some little stuff that can turn into big things.”

Blocton says the young defensive linemen all have a tight bond as well as the entire defense.

“We all talk to each other, have class together, try to watch film together,” Blocton said. “Everybody on the defense is really close. There’s not that many of us, so everybody we’ve got, we need them.”

He is impressed with DJ Durkin’s energy as well.

“(Durkin) brings the energy every single day, there has never been a fall off with Coach Durkin,” Blocton said. “He puts us in a lot of different positions to make a lot of plays. He’s a really good coordinator.”