Football fans tuning into this weekend’s LSU-Auburn game may want to keep an eye on the line of scrimmage.
Two of the best defensive linemen in all of college football will be on display Saturday when the No. 6 LSU Tigers (7-0, 4-0) travel to Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., to face the No. 5 Auburn Tigers (7-0, 4-0) in a showdown between undefeated Southeastern Conference Western Division rivals.
LSU senior defensive tackle Drake Nevis and Auburn junior defensive tackle Nick Fairley have caused a lot of headaches for opposing offenses this season and, at times, have been downright unblockable.
In a game surrounded by quarterback storylines, whichever interior lineman can wreak more havoc may ultimately hold the key to victory.
“You can make a case that these two guys are the best defensive tackles in college football right now,” said local NFL draft analyst Mike Detillier. “For the winning team, it’s going to be which one of these guys is most disruptive. How are you going to block either one?”
Both linemen have each earned the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week award three times this season. Fairley and Nevis have each tallied at least 30 tackles and both are among the SEC leaders in sacks and tackles for loss, statistics which Detillier believes have propelled both players into “All-American type performers.”
Nevis, a 6-foot-2-inch, 285-pound Marrero native has been the centerpiece of an LSU defense that leads the SEC in total defense, rushing defense, passing defense and first downs allowed. He has tallied 38 tackles on the season, ranks third in the SEC with 11.5 tackles for loss and is tied with Fairley for second in the conference with five sacks.
LSU coach Les Miles said Nevis is “having the kind of year that would lead to national awards.” Nevis flashed glimpses of brilliance as a top reserve during 13 games in 2009, but he has adopted a new attitude that has taken his game to another level as a starter.
“He’s always played with a great motor. He realizes that this is the back end of a very good career, and he wants to make every game count,” Miles said. “To me, his approach is what is making him a better player.”
Detillier said Nevis “has probably helped himself out as much as anyone” in terms of draft stock as a result of the senior’s ability to make a big play on any given down.
“You’ve seen him consistently make one big play after the other. That’s part of being an upper-echelon player,” Detillier said.
Fairley has also attracted the attention of NFL scouts and postseason award voters.
A 6-foot-5-inch, 298-pound junior college transfer from Mobile, Ala., Fairley ranks fifth nationally with an SEC-leading 13.5 tackles for loss to go along with his five sacks.
Like Nevis, Fairley earned his starting role after appearing in 13 games as a reserve in 2009 and has made the most of his opportunities in the starting lineup. He serves as a catalyst for an Auburn defense that ranks among the top five in the SEC in rushing defense, sacks and third down defense.
Kentucky coach Joker Phillips said Fairley “has been as disruptive as anybody in the league this year,” and compared him to Tracy Rocker, a three-time All-American at Auburn and the 1988 Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award winner, who currently serves as Auburn’s defensive line coach.
Rocker said the comparison isn’t fair.
Detillier said Rocker’s influence has shown in Fairley’s improved technique and his arsenal of pass rushing moves.
“Fairley’s been a guy who’s been so disruptive, you spend a lot of time coming up with something to tie him up, just to slow him down,” Detillier said.
 
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