Ranking the Malzahn era: Defensive ends and Bucks
AUBURN | Gus Malzahn’s Auburn teams have produced a number of very productive defensive ends and Buck linebackers over the past seven seasons. Here’s a look at the top five.
1. Marlon Davidson (2016-19)
Perhaps the most impressive stat on Marlon Davidson is that he started 51 of 53 games at defensive end beginning with his true freshman season. He missed just two career games, one in 2017 and another in 2019, due to injuries. His production improved each year culminating in a senior season in which he totaled 48 tackles, 12.5 tackles-for-loss, 7.5 sacks, one pass breakup and two forced fumbles, earning first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American honors. He also served as a team captain. His junior season included 46 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sack, and three blocked field goals. In his four-year career, Davidson totaled 175 tackles, 29.5 tackles-for-loss, 17.0 sacks, which ranks eighth all time, nine pass breakups, four forced fumbles and three blocked kicks. Davidson was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
2. Carl Lawson (2013-16)
Lawson was a terror to opposing offensive tackle and quarterbacks as soon as he arrived at Auburn in 2013. As a backup to Dee Ford his true freshman season, Lawson earned Freshman All-American honors with 20 tackles, 7.5 tackles-for-loss, four sacks and two forced fumbles. He had one of the more memorable defensive plays of that SEC Championship season with his fourth-down stop of T.J. Yeldon, which led to Auburn’s game-tying touchdown in the Iron Bowl. Injuries kept him out of the 2014 season and limited him to just seven games the next year. He played in 13 games as a fourth-year junior in 2016 and put together his best season with 30 tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss and nine sacks, earning first-team All-SEC and All-American honors. He finished his Auburn career with 67 tackles, 24.0 tackles-for-loss, 14.0 sacks and three forced fumbles. Lawson was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft and has totaled 14 sacks in three professional seasons.
3. Dee Ford (2009-13)
Dee Ford went from a 190-pound linebacker recruit to a 240-pound first-team All-SEC defensive end during his five-year Auburn career, only one of which was played under Malzahn. Ford was a backup his first two season but did have two sacks as a sophomore on Auburn’s 2010 national championship team. A back injury ended his 2011 season after three games and he received a redshirt. In 2012 Ford had six sacks and followed that up with a huge senior season in which he totaled 29 tackles, 14.5 tackles-for-loss and 10.5 sacks, which ranks fifth in AU single season history. He won his second SEC Championship in 2013 and just missed a second national championship in a close loss to Florida State. Ford finished his AU career with 93 tackles, 27.5 tackles-for-loss, 20.5 sacks, which ranks sixth all time, one interception, three pass breakups and three forced fumbles. Ford was selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and has totaled 37.0 career sacks in six seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
4. Jeff Holland (2015-17)
Much like Ford, Jeff Holland was an outside linebacker that converted to defensive end/Buck at Auburn and transformed himself into one of SEC’s best pass rushers as a junior. Holland earned first-team All-American and All-SEC honors in 2017 after totaling 43 tackles, 12.0 tackles-for-loss, 10.0 sacks, one pass breakup and four forced fumbles. He had his best game at Arkansas where he had three tackles, 1.5 sacks, forced two fumbles and recovered a fumble. He helped the Tigers win November contests over No. 1 Georgia and No. 1 Alabama totaling a sack and six quarterback hurries in the two contests combined. Holland wrapped up his career at AU with 71 tackles, 18.5 tackles-for-loss, 13.0 sacks and five forced fumbles. Holland declared for the draft after his junior season but went undrafted and signed a free agent contrast with the Denver Broncos. He's had short stints with five NFL teams playing in just three games, all with the Broncos in 2018.
5. Nick Coe (2016-19)
Despite a disappointing junior season, Nick Coe still had a productive career at Auburn including leading the team in sacks in 2018. After redshirting as a freshman in 2016, Coe backed up Davidson at defensive end the next season totaling 29 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss and two sacks. He became the starter at Buck as a sophomore and had his best season with 27 tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks. He was a second-team preseason All-American going into his junior season but had just 15 tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and no sacks. He left the team before the Outback Bowl and declared for the 2020 NFL draft, but was not selected. Coe signed a free agent contract with the New England Patriots in April.
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