Rivals Rivalry Week: Auburn defense

The Auburn defense is playing at an unbelievable level and is an elite group nationally. Auburn is allowing just 14.3 points per game (No. 7 nationally) and 335 yards (No. 18). So where did the Tigers' key defensive playmakers come from and how were they ranked out of high school? We take a lot at the big-time contributors to the defense in order by their national ranking back in the day on Rivals.com.

Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

MORE RIVALRY WEEK: Alabama's defense | Best rivalry? | Big-brother rivalries | Dead rivalries

The skinny: Lawson committed to Auburn during the spring of his junior year but began to look at other schools following the program's coaching transition. Despite taking official visits to both Clemson and Tennessee in the weeks leading up to National Signing Day, Gus Malzahn was able to hold onto Lawson's pledge. After a big true freshman season, Lawson missed the 2014 season with a torn ACL and then was limited to seven games last season due to a lingering hip concern. Fully healthy this fall, Lawson has regained his form with 25 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks.

Farrell’s take: Lawson destroyed people at our first Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge Presented by Under Armour and became a five-star as a result of that dominant performance. He’s had some injuries in college, but he's been healthy this season and leads one of the best defensive lines in college football. Lawson reminds me of James Harrison from the Steelers. That’s impressive stuff.

The skinny: Williams committed to Auburn in May of his junior year after taking several unofficial visits to the Plains. He turned in a solid sophomore season in 2015 but has taken his game to the next level this fall. Williams has logged 53 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, one sack and one forced fumble so far in 2016. He has been one of the more consistent players on the Tigers' defense this season.

Farrell’s take: Williams had it all as a high school player. He could cover in the passing game, thump downhill in the running game and run plays down. We liked everything about his game. Williams was instinctual and smart as well. He was clearly a five-star.

The skinny: Auburn was the early front-runner for Adams, but Georgia, Clemson and Alabama all became major threats after the dismissal of Gene Chizik. However, Adams committed to the Tigers in the days leading up to National Signing Day after a great visit to the Plains. He has had a very productive and consistent career at Auburn. This fall, he has accounted for 35 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Farrell’s take: We had Adams as a five-star and the No. 3 player at his position back in 2013 behind Kenny Bigelow and Eddie Vanderdoes. The only question about Adams really was the level of competition he faced because he was very athletic and could shoot the gap. He missed numerous events with minor injuries, so I guess toughness was questioned as well. He's the best defensive tackle prospect in the 2017 NFL Draft. The best way to describe him is 'freak of nature.'

The skinny: Davidson committed to Auburn in September of his senior season and, despite a strong push from Alabama, Georgia and others, he remained true to his word. Davidson has quickly emerged as one of the top true freshmen in the country and has amassed 33 tackles, six tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble on the season. The future looks very bright for Davidson.

Farrell’s take: Davidson holds a special place in my heart among the 2016 recruits because he has gone through so much personally. From switching schools to losing his beloved grandmother, following his recruiting journey was a roller coaster of emotions. Yet he always had a smile on his face, handled things with class and worked hard. We had him as a five-star from our second ranking until the end. We felt his future could be inside as a defensive tackle after a few years, but his elite pass rushing skills could keep him outside. He reminded me of J.R. Ferguson, who is with the Chicago Bears.

The skinny: Matthews committed to Georgia prior to the start of his junior season and remained firm through National Signing Day. However, after receiving playing time as a true freshman in Athens, Matthews was dismissed from Georgia which eventually led to his transfer to Auburn in the summer of 2014. After sitting out that season due to transfer rules, Matthews turned in a solid 2015 campaign. He has followed that up this fall with his best season to date, totaling 67 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble.

Farrell’s take: I liked Matthews a ton. He would have been a five-star prospect if he were a bit more natural in his coverage instincts. Matthews was big, physical and long and when he arrived at the ball you knew it. He’s taken advantage of his second chance and has started to turn into the player we expected back in 2013.

The skinny: Auburn was considered the leader for Williams when he committed to the Tigers over Oklahoma, Florida State and Alabama. He saw action in nine games as a true freshman last fall, but has flourished in 2016 as he has been given increased playing time and responsibilities. Williams has logged 46 tackles, one forced fumble and two tackles for a loss this season. He should be a key player for the Tigers in 2017.

Farrell’s take: Williams was an interesting prospect because he has the shoulders and upper-body of a kid who would grow into a defensive end but he had the quickness and lower-body of an outside linebacker in coverage. He didn’t arrive at the football as suddenly as you’d like but he had excellent instincts and covered more ground than you expected. Every time you thought he was losing a step he’d make a big play and surprise you. He was a tough eval and his ceiling and smarts kept him in the Rivals100.

The skinny: With offers from Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, Michigan and others, it was a May visit to the Plains that put the Tigers over the top. Soon after returning home to Georgia from his visit, Ruffin committed to Auburn and stayed firm through National Signing Day. After seeing minimal playing time as a true freshman, Ruffin has gradually become an important part of the Auburn defense over the last two seasons. Despite dealing with an injury this fall, he has still accumulated 26 tackles, one tackle for a loss and three pass break-ups from his safety position.

Farrell’s take: Ruffin has good size and was a very fluid with his footwork and technique. He was a pure lockdown cornerback who only needed to improve on his tackling and being a bit more physical. When it came to balance, backpedal, getting his head around and closing on the ball, Ruffin was very good. He rose from a three-star to a four-star and kept pushing up the charts by our final rankings evaluation.

The skinny: Davis was originally committed to Ohio State, but decommitted after taking an official visit to Auburn in late January. He then committed and signed with the Tigers on National Signing Day. Davis had an extremely impressive true freshman season last fall with 56 tackles, three interceptions and eight pass break-ups. He has followed that with another strong showing in 2016, amassing 37 tackles, two tackles for a loss and 10 pass break-ups. Davis has quickly become one of the better young cornerbacks in the SEC.

Farrell’s take: Davis was tall, angular and covered a lot of space as a cornerback. He had good instincts although his technique was slightly awkward as he was growing into his tall frame. Davis was a guy I could see growing into a free safety or staying at cornerback. He needed to work on his run support but made up a lot of ground in the passing game by being so long. He dominated the Semper Fi All-American Bowl week and it would have been interesting to see him in one of the two big all-star games.

The skinny: Roberts originally committed to Alabama during the spring, before flipping to Auburn a few days before that fall’s Iron Bowl. Roberts saw minimal playing time as a true freshman, but then became a late-season starter as a sophomore. This fall he is having his best collegiate season to-date with 41 tackles, two interceptions, 1.5 tackles for a loss and two pass break-ups.

Farrell’s take: Roberts, a rare flip from Alabama to Auburn, wasn’t the biggest corner but he played big and wasn’t afraid of contact. He was a pesky corner who was always in your hip pocket and fearless against the run. We liked his spunk despite the size issues and he’s starting to emerge as the guy we expected.

The skinny: Holsey committed to Auburn in May over schools such as Alabama, Georgia and Florida State. While he received pressure throughout his process from other programs, he signed with the Tigers on National Signing Day. Holsey has dealt with two ACL injuries while at Auburn but has still emerged as a valuable component of the team's defense. He has accounted for 25 tackles, three interceptions and an extremely impressive 10 pass break-ups this season.

Farrell’s take: Another small cornerback with some gusto and bravery, Holsey was excellent in space as a tackler, showed good technique as a turn and run corner and played the ball well in the air. Like Roberts, he almost felt like he had to prove his worth in the physical aspects of the game because people discounted him because of size. He was so good at everything we decided that he was a Rivals250 prospect despite his 5-foot-9 frame.

The skinny: Ford, who was recruited as a running back by a majority of schools, was originally committed to Vanderbilt before an offer from Auburn in December changed everything. An official visit to the Plains in January led to his signing with the Tigers on National Signing Day. After making the move from running back to defensive back before the 2014 season, Ford has become one of the better safeties in the SEC. Coming off of a 118 tackle season in 2015, he currently has 57 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss and seven pass break-ups for the Tigers.

Farrell’s take: Ford was a very talented kid who could have played offense or defense in college. He was powerfully built, was physical as a runner and always sought out contact to finish his runs. On defense he showed good ball skills and wanted to tackle everyone. He was an interesting prospect who was probably under-ranked because of the level of competition he faced in high school. Ford has developed into a great defender and the NFL has been taking notice.

The skinny: Atkinson made a surprise commitment to Auburn over Tennessee and North Carolina State in mid-March, but then took multiple visits to both Knoxville and Georgia in the following months. Despite these visits, he did end up signing with the Tigers. After receiving minimal playing time as a true freshman, Atkinson has been able to showcase his true potential this fall with 24 tackles and 4.5 tackles for a loss.

Farrell’s take: Atkinson was high three-star kid who wasn’t tall or big but showed a lot of athleticism and could cover ground quickly. He was good at read and recognition, didn’t false step at all and always seemed to be in good position to wrap up. His size kept him from that fourth star for the most part. Time will tell if we were wrong.

The skinny: Davis held offers from top programs such as Florida State, Clemson, Tennessee and South Carolina, but it only took him a couple of minutes to commit to Auburn after receiving an offer in April of his junior year. After redshirting in 2014 and then seeing minimal playing time in 2015, this fall was Davis' first substantial opportunity to showcase his abilities. He has done that with 45 tackles, three tackles for a loss and three pass break-ups this season.

Farrell’s take: Davis was a low three-star mainly because he wasn’t a very lateral linebacker and wasn’t a quick-twitch kid. That and a lack of height made him more of an inside plugger with limited upside. However, Davis had good instincts, took proper angles to the football and made plays more by anticipation than by sheer athleticism. He’s showing those smarts, and his ability to get proper depth in his drops, now at Auburn.