Eugene Asante and The Art of Blitzing

Mr. Let's Work was arguably the most effective pass-rushing inside linebacker in FBS last year. So what does he have for an encore?

LB Eugene Asante (Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers)

You are probably well aware of how Eugene Asante went from relative obscurity to household name at Auburn last season.

You know his booming “LET’S WORK!” catchphrase that took the team and the fan base by storm.

You know he led the Tigers in tackles last season.

You remember his huge performance in the Week 2 win at Cal.

You definitely have the image of him sidestepping now-former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher on a touchdown.

But did you know that Asante led all FBS inside linebackers in a specific statistic last season — and that he became the first Auburn player at that position to hit a certain benchmark since an All-American did it two decades ago?

In 2023, Asante was arguably the most productive inside linebacker in college football when it came to the art of getting to the quarterback.

According to Pro Football Focus, Asante registered 22 quarterback pressures last season: five sacks, one hit and 16 hurries. He was third on the Tigers in total pressures, trailing only edge rusher Jalen McLeod and NFL-bound defensive tackle Marcus Harris.

But Asante wasn’t always rushing the quarterback when opponents dropped back to pass. In fact, he rushed the quarterback just 54 times in 327 total snaps against the pass.

That means Asante only rushed 19.8% of the time last season, but he affected the quarterback on 40.7% of his opportunities.

It was incredible efficiency from a linebacker who spent more than 80% of his snaps against the pass dropping back into coverage. He “got home,” so to speak, nearly half the time he was sent on a blitz.

PFF has an advanced statistic called “pass rush productivity,” which is “a formula that combines sacks, hits and hurries relative to how many times they rush the passer.”

Asante finished the 2023 season with a PRP of 25.5. That was first among all Auburn players who had at least 10 pass-rushing snaps.

It was also first among all FBS inside linebackers who had at least 50 pass-rushing snaps.

While Asante isn’t a traditional pass rusher — he plays in the box and he’s listed at 6-foot-1 and 217 pounds — Auburn unleashed him like one last season.