AUBURN AUTHORITY

Depth chart analysis: Middle linebacker

James Crepea
Montgomery Advertiser
Cassanova McKinzy moves to the middle linebacker spot this season.

This is the seventeenth of a 24-part series that will run up to SEC Media Days detailing Auburn's depth chart heading into the 2014 season. This comes well after the Tigers concluded their 15 spring practices and includes insight from nearly every position coach on the staff.

AUBURN -- The learning curve is still a concern as Cassanova McKinzy takes over as the Tigers' new middle linebacker in the fall.

The Birmingham native spent last season on the weak side and was the team's leading tackler (75). He moves inside but will need to do a lot in fall camp for defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson to be totally comfortable with his new Mike linebacker.

"When I first got here, I thought he was a Mike linebacker but he wouldn't talk," Johnson said. "He didn't communicate well at the line of scrimmage and things of that nature."

That was the same issue that hampered McKinzy as a true freshman when he played in the middle for a few games in 2012.

Kris Frost was the backup inside last season but he's moved to weak side as Kenny Flowers moved inside.

The Two-Deep
Cassanova McKinzy (6-foot-3, 249 pounds, junior)
Kenny Flowers (6-foot-1, 230 pounds, junior)

DEFENSIVE POSITION ANALYSIS: LDE | DT | NT | RDE

Starter
Cassanova McKinzy played an inordinately high percentage of the defensive snaps last season, helping fuel his production.

He missed a lot of spring practice with a tailbone injury and didn't play a lot on A-Day but his hit on Peyton Barber caused a fumble and ability has never been the issue with McKinzy.

Learning the communication aspect of the position is a challenge and that's where the junior still has to develop before the season starts.

"He needed a good spring," Johnson said. "I know he was a starter last year, but he's still a relatively young linebacker. I wish he would have had more work."

OFFENSIVE POSITION ANALYSIS: QB | RB | HB | TE | SE | F | SLOT | LT | LG | C | RG | RT

Backup
Kenny Flowers had a disappointing season for a JUCO transfer, with just four tackles. He moved to the middle from the weak side and showed a different level of play on A-Day, which earned him Defensive MVP honors.

Now he has to carry that into the season.

Next Wave
Khari Harding
(6-foot, 224 pounds, sophomore) moved from safety to middle linebacker and did well in spring practice.

"I'm really happy about Khari's progress, because when you move a player like that - I don't think he's ever truly played inside linebacker, he played down near the box quite a bit - but when you move a player like that, you never know how it's going to work out," Johnson said. "... I'm very optimistic about what he's going to be able to do for us this year.

Anthony Swain (6-foot-2, 249 pounds, junior) was held out of spring practice for undisclosed reasons and reinstated in June.

Summer Arrivals
Tre' Williams (6-foot-2, 217 pounds) is one of the centerpieces of Auburn's 2014 recruiting class and expected to contribute immediately.

Quotable
"His transition to that position was really effortless. It was easy. I just wish he hadn't missed so much time, because I think fundamentally he hasn't improved. And he's still a relatively inexperienced linebacker who would have gotten a lot better with spring." – Ellis Johnson