Brandon King moves to end for pass rush help

AUBURN – In desperate need for pass rush from the defensive line, Ellis Johnson is willing to kick over every rock imaginable to generate pressure on the quarterback.

Auburn's defensive coordinator, who said his unit looked like a pass skeleton drill due to its lack of pass rush on the line, has moved safety Brandon King to defensive end on passing downs to see if the 6-foot-2 213 pound senior can help the struggling Tigers front.

"We've tried to work on it. We have worked on it quite a bit," Johnson said of the line's pass rush. "What we're doing is we have tried to get some guys that we can sub in there to put some extra speed on the field. Some of that has to be situational. … They are developing."

Johnson has turned to King, who has six tackles, including two on specials teams, this season and freshman Raashed Kennion, who has one tackle while appearing in two games, to generate pressure off the edge, particularly in the "Cinco" package.

"They are really good edge guys," Johnson said. "We've just got to find a time they can get on the field from a situational standpoint."

King, who had just seven tackles last season, is being looked at exclusively as a pass rush specialist when at end. He didn't see time on defense until the LSU game.

"He's learning," Johnson said. "We're going to try to get him in there for the opportunity. There's no question he's the fastest off the edge we got."

It's a bit odd for a player as diminutive as King to line up next to near 300 pound linemen, but that's where Auburn finds itself at the midpoint of the season. The Tigers have just 12 sacks, with 5 1/2 from the line.

"If they call his number, I know he'll be ready," defensive tackle Jeff Whitaker said of King, who has not been available for interviews this season. "He looks fast. He's still learning. I know I trust coach Johnson and (defensive line) coach (Rodney) Garner and everybody that is going to be directing that."

Kennion, a 6-foot-6 225 pound true freshman, was limited in practice after not playing the last two weeks due to an undisclosed injury, which is believed to be minor.

"He's learning our base defense," Johnson said, "but the primary thing we see him for this year is as a role player hoping to get him in pass situation that we can get him in on pass rush."