08/23 at 10:10 PM

As one of Auburn’s earliest commitments in the class of 2010, safety Demetruce McNeal heard plenty of recruiting experts talk about how college-ready he was and how soon he would make an impact with the Tigers.

The chatter only grew louder throughout 2009, a year that began with a veteran-heavy, deep group and ended with an out-of place Demond Washington trying to fill the void left by the injured Zac Etheridge, Aairon Savage and Mike McNeil.

Then things changed.

Auburn’s signing class got better — by a lot. The room under the spotlight quickly evaporated when high-profile player after high-profile player committed to Auburn, transforming McNeal into a bit of old news.

And then McNeil, Etheridge and Savage collectively beat the odds, making for one of the more heartwarming stories heading into 2010.

Those expectations to play, and maybe even start like Daren Bates did in 2009, have since vanished from above McNeal’s head.

He isn’t missing them, and he certainly hasn’t ruled out living up to them.

“I’m still looking to do that because you never know what’s going to happen throughout the season,” McNeal said. “Anything can happen and your number can just be called.”

Auburn’s coaches are well aware about “anything” just happening. That’s what made the Tigers’ entire starting group of safeties a collection of comeback stories in the first place.

It’s just not something they want to talk about or worry themselves with at this juncture, when seemingly all three are back — or as close as they’ll ever be — to 100 percent.

Etheridge facing contact in Saturday’s scrimmage put to rest the speculation that his miraculous comeback from a severe neck injury had hit a snag.

“I think in the back of your mind somewhere there is (doubt), but we’re not dwelling on it,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “We’ve moved forward with them and that’s how you have to look I think, but at the same time, I think we’ve been smart with them.”

The player wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor calls “Meat Wagon” has made a strong impression thus far, which has softened even the biggest cynic’s worst-case scenario.

All McNeal has done in Auburn’s four scrimmages is make plays, safeties coach Tommy Thigpen said. There was an interception in his first appearance at Jordan-Hare Stadium and big hits have followed in the following three.

“Twelve just keeps showing up,” Thigpen said, referencing McNeal’s jersey number. “All we have to do is amp up his IQ. If we can get him halfway where Zac and (Savage) are at, I think we’d have a pretty decent player.”

Scrimmage by scrimmage, McNeal said the game has slowed down. He’s helped make that happen by speeding things up.

Instead of thinking to himself what Roof or Thigpen will say when he reacts to a play a certain way, McNeal just goes ahead and does it.

“People make mistakes,” McNeal said. “It really, really came down to listening and just trying to get right. Everything is just slowed down for me.”

McNeal has no trouble admitting that he’s had a tough time adjusting to the complexity of a college defense compared to the one his team ran at Banneker High in College Park, Ga.

That’s why McNeal, who already has a summer semester of school under his belt, carries his new playbook in the same stack as his school books and cracks it open late at night when all his homework is completed.

“It’s timing, different speed of the game, knowing what to do, alignment, assignment and most of all effort,” McNeal said. “Just trying to get used to the college experience, how the coaches want this done, how they want that done, and that’s basically what it’s coming down to.”

A best-case scenario would not feature McNeal or fellow freshman Ryan Smith playing outside of special teams for Auburn’s season opener against Arkansas State.

Or, really, any of the Tigers’ games this season, Thigpen said.

“You hope you don’t have to baptize them right away,” he said. “You hope to just ease them in.”

While there are names aplenty in front of him on the depth chart, McNeal carries the confidence of a third-year starter.

There’s a reason why he was once considered an immediate-impact guy, he said.

“They’ve seen me on the field,” he said. “They know it’s a secret what ability I got.

“It just comes down to when I learn the system, and get it like I got my high school system, I’m going to be a great player. That’s just the way I feel.”

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