New secondary coach Paul Rhoads already had the tough task of replacing three starters from 2007, but now he'll be challenged to find a replacement for a projected starter, who is out for the season.

Entering preseason camp, Rhoads knew depth and experience was a concern for Auburn's secondary. The Tigers graduated three starters, Pat Lee, Jonathan Wilhite and Eric Brock from last year's secondary. Rhoads felt fairly comfortable that the incoming freshmen and returning players from last season could come together to form a quality group. But now that right cornerback Aairon Savage is out for the season with a knee injury and DeRon Furr has left the team, it will be crucial for the incoming freshmen to mature quickly to provide depth in the thin secondary. Newcomers Neiko Thorpe, D’Antoine Hood, Harry Adams and Drew Cole will battle each other to see who gets immediate playing time as a backup at the cornerback positions. Junior Walter McFadden, who would have shared starting duties at right cornerback with Savage, will now be the full-time starter. McFadden has excellent speed and size but lacks experience as a starter. He appeared in every game last season, recording ten tackles and had an interception against Tennessee Tech that was returned 93 yards for a touchdown. Jerraud Powers (Photo courtesy of autigers.com) Returning as the starter at left cornerback, junior Jerraud Powers had a fantastic 2007 season by finishing fourth on the team with 63 tackles to go along with a team-leading four interceptions and four tackles for loss. He will need to have another strong season in 2008 now that the secondary will be without Savage. Sophomore Ryan Williams, who had four tackles in limited action last season, will serve as Powers' backup. Williams has good size and plenty of talent but needs more playing time. At free safety, sophomore Mike McNeil starts after playing mostly on special teams last season. McNeil's big size and physical play should help him grow into an All-SEC star as he becomes a fixture in the secondary. Sophomore Zac Etheridge is back to anchor the strong safety spot after starting 12 of 13 games at strong safety last season. Etheridge was expected to be a reserve at free safety last year but quickly got the chance to play and finished second on the team with 65 tackles along with five broken up passes. The top reserves at safety are redshirt freshman Mike Slade and walk-on senior Jonathan Vickers. Both could provide much needed relief in the thin secondary. Slade could see instant playing time with his size and skills, and after showing much improvement in the offseason. Phil Marion Coming next week: Special Teams Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers Running Backs Offensive Line and Tight Ends Defensive Line Linebackers