Which Auburn players had the highest and lowest Pro Football Focus grades vs. Kentucky?

Auburn finally found a win.

After weeks of being close but failing to finish, Auburn closed one against Kentucky, winning 24-10 on the road. It was Auburn’s first Southeastern Conference win of the season and its first win over a Power 4 team since a 48-10 victory over Arkansas on Nov. 11, 2023.

Pro football focus gave Auburn an overall grade of 77.9, its highest since its Week 1 win over Alabama A&M. PFF also rated every player who appeared in the game.

These are the highest and lowest rated players:

Offence

Top 5

1. RB Jarquez Hunter – 85.1
2. OL Dillon Wade – 72.2
3. WR Camden Brown-71
4. TE Luke Deal- 70.1
5. C Connor Lew – 69

Analysis

When you’re rushing for 278 yards, it’s hard not to get the top grade for the offense. Hunter set a new career high for rushing yards and was undoubtedly Auburn’s player of the game.

Hunter got a lot of help from his offensive line and tight ends, which explained the inclusion of Wade, Deal and Lew on this list. Wade’s run-blocking was good enough to put him in the top five, despite a pass-blocking grade of 28.4.

Brown is the only one in the top five whose grade is slightly skewed, as he has played just eight snaps in the game. He had one catch, but it was a big one, having to fight through a defender for a first down.

Bottom 5

1. TE Rivaldo Fairweather- 49.3
2. WR Cam Coleman- 54.8
3. RB Jeremiah Cobb – 55
4. OL Bradyn Joiner- 57.5
5. WR Perry Thompson – 58.2

Analysis

Cobb and Thompson are unlucky to make this list, having played just six and four offensive snaps, respectively.

The rest of the group’s low grades are all due to low blocking numbers, mostly in the area of ​​pass blocking. Coleman is the exception, as he is not a pass blocker under any circumstances, but had a run blocking grade of 41.4.

Defense

Top 5

1. LB Keyron Crawford – 84.4
2. CB Jay Crawford – 83
3. DL Zykeivous Walker – 75.1
4. LB Eugene Asante – 73.4
5. DL Isaiah Raikes- 73.1

Analysis

Keyron and Jay Crawford’s numbers represent the complete game Auburn’s defense played against Kentucky. Keyron Crawford and the front seven got pressure on Kentucky’s two quarterbacks all game, and Jay Crawford was Auburn’s best player on the back end.

Despite being a true freshman and starting the season as a rotation player, Jay Crawford has become arguably Auburn’s best defensive back.

He is consistently among Auburn’s highest-rated players and against Kentucky he was intercepted for the first time in his career. His coverage grade of 87.9 was the highest an Auburn player has had in a game since Champ Anthony’s grade of 91.8 against Arkansas, with that mark coming on just 12 snaps.

Asante, Walker and Raikes’ numbers all show how well the front played, although it should be noted that Walker only played eight snaps. Another player to mention is Jalen McLeod, who finished just outside the top five at No. 6.

He had the team’s highest pass rush grade: 89.9, good for four pressures. His pass rush grade was the highest an Auburn player has posted in a game this season.

Bottom 5

1. LB Demarcus Riddick – 40.2
2. CB Kensley Louidor-Faustin- 50.2
3. DB Sylvester Smith – 59.6
4. Quientrail Jamison-Travis- 59.7
5. Robert Woodyard Jr.- 61.8

Analysis

The good news about this list is that only one of the five players listed played significant snaps.

Outside of Smith’s 37 snaps, Riddick played 10, Louidor-Faustin played nine, Jamison-Travis played 19 and Woodyard played 15. There wasn’t really a common theme with the low grades, but since many of them played so few snaps, it’s hard to give a fair grade.

Smith’s grade was mainly lowered by his coverage grade of 53.9, but he had the team’s third-highest tackling grade at 77.8.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn Sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X on @peter_rauterkus or email him [email protected]M