Tony Fair, Auburn Football News: Draft Scout Player News

08/29/21 - DT Tony Fair, rSr/2022, Auburn

Tony Fair garnered attention before he ever took the field for his first Auburn practice. The UAB grad transfer jumped head-first into the Iron Bowl rivalry when he took to social media this summer and declared that the Tigers were coming to "take the head off the elephant" this season against Alabama. The post drew the ire of Alabama fans, while Fair's new Auburn teammates respected the confidence it exuded. Now Fair is likely to gain even more attention this fall as one of the key newcomers to watch for Auburn, especially after the preseason departure of two-year starting defensive tackle Tyrone Truesdell. That unexpected personnel change at the start of fall camp left Auburn with a massive hole in the middle of its defensive line - one that the 6-foot-1, 330-pound Fair figures to fill in Derek Mason's system.

"Tony's driven," Mason said. "Tony's a father. Tony is a grown man. I mean, when I sit down and talk to Tony, it's like talking to a little brother, so to speak. He's older. He's very, very mature. You know, I'm 52. Talking to Tony, it seems like he's 50. He's a really mature young man...Whenever you get maturity in the room - somebody who is quick and powerful and explosive, and you add some maturity to that, I think what you get is a calming force who can challenge guys to get better." A look at what roles Auburn's offseason pickups will play for the Tigers this fall. Fair arrived at Auburn this summer after spending the prior two seasons at UAB. The massive nose tackle played in 18 games for the Blazers and totaled 57 tackles, with eight for a loss and two sacks. - Birmingham News

rSr/2022