Ranking the Malzahn era: Linebackers
AUBURN | Gus Malzahn’s Auburn teams have produced some very productive linebackers over the past seven seasons. Here’s a look at the top five of the Malzahn era.
1. Deshaun Davis (2014-18)
Davis finished his five-year Auburn career with 36 starts in 52 games played. He had 266 career tackles, which is the fourth-most for an AU player in the last 20 years. A team captain and first-team All-SEC linebacker in 2018, Davis was a leader on and off the field for the Tigers. He had 10 double-figure tackle games and led the team in tackles in 16 games. In three Iron Bowls, he totaled 22 tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks. Finished his career with 29.0 tackles-for-loss, 7.0 sacks, six pass breakups and two recovered fumbles.
2. Kris Frost (2011-15)
Playing through a series of injuries, Frost managed to appear in 50 games with 23 starts. He had six double-digit tackle games. His career stats are impressive with 247 tackles, 19.0 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions and seven forced fumbles. His best game probably came as a junior at Ole Miss in 2014 when he stopped Laquon Treadwell at the goal line and forced a fumble with 90 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Treadwell was injured on the play. Frost totaled nine tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss, 0.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in the AU win. Injuries derailed Frost’s NFL career but he reportedly received $1.5 million from an insurance policy in 2019 that he took out while at Auburn.
3. K.J. Britt (2017-present)
Britt doesn’t have the career numbers as the others on this list, but after backing up Davis for two years, he put together a strong junior season in 2019 with 69 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble, earning first-team All-SEC honors. One of his best games came against Mississippi State with five tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss and a sack. He now has 96 career tackles. Britt will go into his senior season as a key team leader and likely one of three captains.
4. Darrell Williams (2015-18)
Williams played in 49 career games with 26 starts. He led the team in tackles six times including nine stops against Southern Miss as a senior along with 2.5 tackles-for-loss. He returned an interception for a 26-yard touchdown against Liberty and was SEC Defensive Player of the Week against Washington with eight tackles, 1.0 tackle-for-loss, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup. He finished his AU career with 183 tackles, 14.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, five pass breakups, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.
5. Tre’ Williams (2014-17)
Williams overcame injuries to play in 47 games with 20 starts. He was a team captain and earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2017. He led AU in tackles eight times including a career-high 10 along with two tackles-for-loss against Georgia Southern in 2017. He also had nine tackles and a sack at Clemson as a senior. He finished his career with 188 tackles, 10.0 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sacks, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
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