Auburn's Asante at the Helm of Creative Defensive Unit

The Tigers' captain middle linebacker is commanding the Auburn defense, with help from creativity from the coaching staff.

Sep 21, 2024; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers linebacker Eugene Asante (9) chases Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) during the fourth quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images / John Reed-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers have talent on both sides of the ball, both young and more experienced.

From true sophomore Keldric Faulk on the defensive line and standout freshman linebacker Demarcus Riddick and safety Kaleb Harris to fifth-year safety Jerrin Thompson and senior linebacker Dorian Mausi Jr., there is veteran experience and young talent sprinkled throughout Auburn's defensive unit.

In the middle of the field for the Auburn defense is arguably its most experienced and talented player. Senior inside linebacker Eugene Asante is an Auburn veteran and commands his defensive unit. Named a captain at the beginning of the season, Asante presents as a test for the Missouri defense. Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz has made Asante a focus of preparation ahead of their matchup and acknowledges his talent.

“Eugene Asante stands out by the best linebacker we've played so far this year,” Drinkwitz said. “I think he's an elite player.”

The way Asante is utilized by head coach Hugh Freeze and defensive coordinator DJ Durkin is very unique. He excels in pass rush opportunities and can be thrown at the inside linebacker spot or on the edge. His range to beat linemen on the outside of the field, while also being able to wrap up and tackle running backs, makes him a force.

“They do a nice job of using [Eugene] Asante in their blitz packages,” Drinkwitz said. “So we're going to have to figure out if we want to use five-man protection to try to get the fifth guy out and make them cover, or do we keep him in the backfield and match him up on the linebackers.”

The creativity of Durkin and how he spotlights his players' skill is what makes Auburn's defense difficult to play against. Durkin's ability to disguise blitzes and blend pressure with less aggressive defensive fronts. It's a hard scheme to defend and even harder to prepare for.

“There'll be a little bit of a cat and mouse game just because of the odd front structure that coach Durkin uses,” Drinkwitz said. 

When preparing for Asante and the Auburn defense, handing out assignments to the Missouri offensive line is crucial. The preparation for what Durkin is going to throw at the Missouri offense also includes getting running backs Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll one-on-one situations against the Auburn linebackers. A certain trust is needed in the running back room to beat those linebackers in said situations.

“It allows us more to identify the stand-up players and utilize offensive linemen picking them up, whereas, in a four-down structure, you can get some matchups on a running back,” Drinkwitz said.

Asante, alongside Mausi and Riddick, is a challenging linebacker room to go against. Asante has recorded 17 tackles this season and is not off to as hot a start as last year, where he posted 86 tackles and five sacks the entire year. He has yet to record a sack this season for Auburn but has pressured the quarterback five times, placing him at the No. 6 spot on the team.

Missouri and Auburn face off at 11 a.m. at October 19 at Faurot Field for Missouri's homecoming matchup.

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