Auburn Top Performers Vs. IMG Academy

Auburn went on to suffer 27-17 defeat at the hands of IMG Academy, represented the state of Alabama to the best of their abilities. This game can gives a clear evaluation of Auburn’s talent being that IMG has a plethora of 5-stars and SEC level recruits on both sides of the ball. Check below to look at who we thought showed up and showed out for this big time game. https://twitter.com/AuburnHighFB/status/1454271443617857540?s=20 <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="125491" first="Powell" last="Gordon"] DE </strong></span> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Gordon is a speed rusher who understands his assignments at all times. Gordon has the prototypical speed and motor to be a D1 pass rusher. His first step is superb, and he showed the ability to bend the corner if he gets an angle on a tackle. Gordon is also very disruptive and created consistent pressure against IMG. There were a handful of pressures, hurries, incomplete passes Gordon had his fingerprints on. Gordon is easily in the state’s upper echelon of defensive ends/ outside linebackers</span> https://twitter.com/ColePinkston/status/1454252441009115137?s=20 <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="125497" first="Brad" last="Harper"] RB/MLB </strong></span> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Harper stood out on both offense and defense, which speaks to his skill, versatility, and endurance as an overall athlete. He was primarily used as a change of pace back when playing running back and made big plays on limited touches. He showed great vision and ability to read then cut off of blocks. His patience also allowed him to attack the weakness in the defense once the play developed. As a linebacker, Harper uses his quickness to flow sideline to sideline and penetrate the backfield. He proved to be a sound tackler in crowded and open-field situations. </span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Carson Yancy CB</strong></span> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Often the best-kept secrets in football are the corners, which seems to be the case for Yancy. A wise man once said, "you only know if a corner’s good if you never hear his name." and in this game, Yancy proved to be a silent assassin. Yancy patrolled his side of the field all night with quickness, agility, and speed. Yancy would only receive one attempt, and he would run stride for stride with the targeted receiver forcing an incompletion. Anytime the No.2 team in the nation specifically game plans against you, you the level of respect they have for your skill. </span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Klark Cleveland OLB </strong></span> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Cleveland was a solid contributor to Auburn’s defense. Showed an ability to contain the outside with discipline and sound tackling. Does an excellent job of flowing to the ball and making downhill plays. Cleveland does a good job of not taking false steps and getting to the ball quickly, especially on outside zones and counters. Cleveland projects as a solid D2/ JUCO prospect if he can add size to his frame before his 2023 graduation date. </span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Trey Nelms SS</strong></span> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Nelms had one of the biggest defensive plays of the game when he made a diving interception in the 3rd quarter to give his team the ball back. Although undersized, Nelms plays with toughness, consistency, and fundamentals. When necessary, he showed an ability to affect the run game from the safety position and become an extra linebacker on the field. With the opposing running back weighing around 200-215 pounds, Nelms did take some punishment on some stops, but he continued to run through that brick wall for his team and showed heart. Nelms would be an asset at the JUCO or D2 level off of competitiveness and consistency alone.  </span> &nbsp;