AUBURN — Some have it, some don't.
Auburn University football freshman HaMonta Waller seems to think so.
“Talent-wise, this guy is one of the best young pass-rusher guys I've seen,” veteran backup linebacker Jalen McLeod said of Waller on March 12. “He's got pass-rush talent. He's just come out of high school, so he might still be raw, but the way he does it, he hasn't even worked out or anything, he's just like, 'I just spun around like Dwight Freeney,' that's the way it is. Really talented.”
Position coach Josh Aldridge added on March 13, “Jamontah's a good pass rusher. From a pass rush standpoint, he's probably the most prepared of our young guys. It might not necessarily be the run because of his strength and stuff, but if he has the ability to line up and rush, he's going to be able to do that.”
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The Tigers landed the No. 10 recruit in the country in the Class of 2024, per the 247Sports Composite. They have a talented roster, led by receiver duo Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson, both of whom will likely get plenty of opportunities as freshmen.
But Waller, along with fellow pass rushers Amaris Williams and Joe Phillips, were also key players in this class. Williams is the 34th-best prospect to sign with the Tigers in the modern recruiting era with an overall rating of 9,706. Waller (.9532) is 69th, while Phillips (.9405), who is versatile as an off-ball linebacker but focused on chasing down quarterbacks in spring practice, is ranked 90th.
“They're really hungry,” Aldridge said of the freshmen. “I think sometimes when freshmen come in they can be one way or the other. They're either a little too cool for school and just kind of figure things out, or they come in fired up and don't care about failure. I think they're more likely to be the latter.”
“They pay attention to detail. At the same time, one thing I've stressed to them ever since I got here is, 'Don't worry about making mistakes. Just go out there and play fast and you can fix them.' And for the most part, that's what they're trying to do.”
Auburn will have the luxury of not having to rely on a freshman at back linebacker, what the current defensive staff calls a pass rusher from the edge, which is similar to the position previous defensive staffs used to call jack linebacker.
McLeod transferred from Appalachian State last offseason and started strong in his first season in the SEC, recording 48 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. The Tigers once again ventured into the Sun Belt this offseason, acquiring Kieron Crawford, who transferred from Arkansas State in April. While it's not a completely fair comparison given the difference in competition, Crawford (39) had more pressures in 2023 than McLeod (38).
The combination of McLeod and Crawford is expected to play the majority of games in 2024, but there will be a chance for at least one freshman to step in. It's a tough ask for a freshman, but Williams, Waller and Phillips have an advantage by graduating high school early and coming to campus for spring practice.
“I think sometimes we get really excited talking about our new students,” Aldridge said, “and they should be in Algebra 2 in high school by now because they started early.”
Richard Silva is an Auburn University sports reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached by email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter X (formerly Twitter) @rich_silva18.
