Aubserver Mailbag 35: Why is Auburn getting so many defensive backs?

This week: Derek Mason, CFP expansion, NIL, recruiting, press boxes, campus buildings, 2000s metalcore and war crimes at Sonic

DB coach Zac Etheridge (Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics)

Welcome back to the Mailbag. It’s another busy one, so I won’t take up too much time with an introduction.

This week, we get philosophical about matters of defense and the new College Football Playoff proposal. There are also discussions of recruiting, coach tenures, fights to the death, Sonic slushes and music festivals.

Let’s get right to it.

We've all joked about how many DBs the staff has pursued. But are quality DBs genuinely the new hotness? Does this represent the defensive philosophy shifting in response to the wide-open passing attacks that rule CFB today? Is it easier to build a secondary than a pass rush?

Jonny

This is a fantastic question, and there are a number of ways to attack this — on-field results, recruiting trends, statistical comparisons, etc.

With the way college football is going, an elite secondary is one of the ultimate weapons a team can have. Five defensive backs on the field is now the base. Playing with six …