Auburn Football: 5 breakout players to watch for in 2018

3. Deshaun Davis, LB

For Auburn, getting linebacker Deshaun Davis back is like a Christmas present. Many valuable leaders are leaving for the draft and as a result the Tigers need someone to direct the defense. Davis says he is more than ready to take on that responsibility.

“I’m actually the defensive coordinator,” Davis joked during Peach Bowl media days. “He just gets paid.” This is a running joke between the linebacker and his coach, but it stands for so much more. He will be on the field in 2018 ready to make the right calls and lead a strong defensive front into the thick of things in the SEC West.

Despite a grade school teacher who told him that his mother did a terrible job raising him and that he wouldn’t amount to much at all, Davis has made a splash at Auburn and promises to continue that during his senior campaign. As he walked the stage in December as a graduate of Auburn University, he will be returning to the Plains in 2018 to pursue his masters degree.

He is also known for his love of his mother. He requires her to send a picture of where in the stadium she is sitting. This way, before taking his first snap of the game, he can lock eyes with his mom as the smile on her face, he says, gives him all the motivation he needs. NFL Scouts are high on this kid, saying he “plays bigger than his measurements.”