Ranking the Malzahn era: Offensive tackles
AUBURN | Gus Malzahn’s Auburn teams have produced some very productive offensive tackles over the past seven seasons. Here’s a look at the top five of the Malzahn era.
1. Greg Robinson 2011-13
Even though he played just one year under Malzahn as head coach, it’s hard to choose any other tackle for the top spot considering how dominant Robinson was in 2013. The first-team All-SEC selection led an Auburn offense that topped the nation averaging 328.3 rushing yards per game. He led the way as Tre Mason set an Auburn single-season record with 1,816 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Robinson’s post-Auburn career hasn’t gone well. He was already on his third NFL team when he was arrested in February along with former Auburn receiver Quan Bray for possession of over 150 pounds of marijuana.
2. Avery Young 2012-15
Young started 36 games along Auburn’s offensive line, mainly at right tackle along with both guard positions. He started nine games for the 2013 SEC Championship team and earned preseason first-team All-SEC honors for the start of his redshirt junior season in 2015. Young injured his knee during Auburn’s Pro Day and signed with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent for the 2016 season. He had three years of NFL practice squad experience with four teams before playing for the Birmingham Iron AAF team in 2019.
3. Shon Coleman 2011-15
Coleman is a great story, overcoming leukemia to start 25 games at left tackle over his final two seasons in Auburn. He sat out his first two seasons while receiving treatments for leukemia, backed up Robinson on the 2013 SEC Championship team, became the starter in 2014 and was a captain as a junior in 2015, earning second-team All-SEC honors. He left Auburn in 2015 with a Master’s in Adult Education. Coleman was a third-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 2016 NFL Draft and has started 16 NFL games with the Browns and San Francisco 49ers.
4. Prince Tega Wanogho 2015-19
The Nigeria native started 32 career games at left tackle after coming to Auburn in 2015 with one year of high school football experience. He switched from defensive line to offense after a redshirt season and was a backup at left tackle in 2016 and a part-time starter in 2017 before taking over as the full-time starter the past two seasons. Wanogho didn’t allow a sack and earned second-team All-SEC honors as a senior in 2019. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
5. Jack Driscoll 2018-19
Driscoll started 26 consecutive games for Auburn at right tackle after arriving from UMass as a graduate transfer. He had a key block on Shaun Shiver’s 11-yard game-winning touchdown run in the 2019 Iron Bowl. Driscoll earned his MBA at Auburn and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft where he’s expected to compete at guard or center.
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