Auburn May Have Found Another Breakout Star in Bryce Deas

Heading into the season, there is no doubt that the Auburn Tigers' linebacking core is one of the deepest in the country. 

And Bryce Deas is becoming difficult for the team to ignore. So much so that he is likely going to force DJ Durkin's hand on putting him on the field in multiple different spots this season 

Deas entered fall camp fighting for a role inside a linebacker room that already had plenty of established names. Xavier Atkins is coming off an All-American season and is projected to be one of the top linebackers in the country. Elijah Melendez has continued to develop and is seen to have one of the most upside in all of college football, and De'Marcus Riddick is finally healthy again.

But Deas continues to generate attention.

Alex Golesh specifically mentioned Deas following Auburn's second scrimmage, and linebackers coach Brad Wilson has continued to praise what the sophomore brings to the defense.

Then there was what Melendez had to say.

"He's one of the best athletes I've ever been around," Melendez said.

That's pretty significant considering the athletes Auburn has inside its linebacker room.

But what makes Deas even more interesting isn't necessarily just the athleticism.

It's everything Auburn believes he can do with it.

Deas has worked at multiple linebacker positions throughout fall camp and has enough versatility that Auburn believes he can potentially play all three linebacker spots while also giving the Tigers another option at Buck. 

There has also been a discussion about him potentially playing some sort of nickel. 

For a DJ Durkin defense that wants to move players around and create different looks, that seems pretty important.

And it might be how Deas gets onto the field. If he can play multiple positions, Auburn can find different ways to use him. That's where his versatility becomes valuable.

The Tigers can move him around based on matchups. They can potentially use him as a traditional linebacker on one snap and bring him closer to the line of scrimmage on another.

And considering everything we've heard about Auburn's defensive philosophy throughout fall camp, Deas seems to fit exactly what Durkin wants.

He wants versatility. And enough playable defenders that the defense doesn't have to rely on the same 11 players every snap.

The linebacker room was already expected to be one of the stronger position groups on Auburn's defense entering the season.

The emergence of Deas just makes it that much more deeper. 

There are still a few weeks before Auburn takes the field against the Baylor Bears in Atlanta, but it's clear that Deas has certainly stepped up in a way that could make this Auburn defense even more dangerous to begin the season.