Greenwood’s Jermaine Whitehead is the quarterback of the Auburn defense.
Moving from strong safety to free safety this season in first-year coordinator Ellis Johnson’s defense, Whitehead is not as near to the line of scrimmage as he was last year, but he still ranks third on the team in tackles. And, more importantly, the Amanda Elzy High School product has been much better against the pass through the first four games of the season.
He showed that two weeks ago at LSU on a blitz play, where quarterback Zach Mettenberger went to Jarvis Landry on the hot route — an out pattern. Whitehead arrived at the same time as the ball, getting his hands on it at the same time as Landry.
Whitehead, a 6-foot, 200-pound junior, wrestled the ball away for his first interception since the 2011 season, when he picked off a pass against Florida Atlantic and returned it for a touchdown early into his freshman season at Auburn.
It’s another sign that Whitehead is starting to get even more comfortable in his new position — his third in as many years.
“He’s kind of the quarterback of the secondary,” Ellis Johnson said. “He’s been very consistent for us. He’s a good leader back there.”
At times, like the rest of his fellow defenders, Whitehead struggled to get a hat on LSU running back Jeremy Hill on his breakthrough runs in the first quarter, but overall, he’s become a much better hitter than last season.
Against Mississippi State, the former Elzy star broke up a sure completion over the middle with a big hit on Bulldog tight end Malcolm Johnson, and he had another hit later in that game that left a big impact.
This is Whitehead’s third position to play in three years at Auburn. He played in all 13 games as a true freshman at cornerback with one start and then before last season moved to strong safety, where he started all but one game.
Whitehead was third on the team in tackles last season and ranked 13th in the SEC in tackles per game (7.17).
The next few SEC games will put a lot of pressure on Whitehead and the rest of the secondary, starting with Ole Miss Saturday and then Texas A&M in two weeks.
Both like to test a defense through the air with multiple receivers, and Whitehead will have to keep his level of play high for Auburn’s struggling pass defense to start improving on its numbers.
“I like having the game on the shoulders of the secondary. We’ve been able to get our hands on a lot more passes this season, and we feel good about the direction we’re headed,” Whitehead said.
A win Saturday would put Whitehead at 2-0 this season vs. Ole Miss and Mississippi State after Auburn lost both those games last season.
“I get to come home with my chest poked out if we can get this one too,” he said. “Playing against teams from my home state means a lot to me. My teammates have been getting me pumped for this one. They got my back.”
Whitehead says the key to slowing down the Rebel passing attack is shutting down junior wide receiver Donta Moncrief, a good friend of his. The two became close during the summer before their senior seasons after attending several camps together.
Moncrief and Whitehead were two of the most sought after players in Mississippi’s 2011 recruiting class. Even though they went in opposite directions, the two have remained close.
“We can and talk to each other about every week, but we haven’t talked this week. I am sure we will see each other after the game Saturday night. I hope I am the one smiling.”
nContact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com. Follow on Twitter:@Bill_Burrus.
