By the end of last season, Auburn’s defense was getting shredded on a weekly basis.

The Tigers gave up 30-plus points to seven straight FBS opponents, allowing nearly 490 yards and just over 38 points per game in that stretch. Those ugly numbers make it easy to overlook some things about Auburn’s defense. Among those things: cornerback Jonathan Jones became a full-fledged star in 2014.

The rising senior was a big part of Auburn’s big interception total, tying for the team lead with six picks as a junior last season. After dealing with a variety of injuries his first two years on campus, Jones became one of the most dangerous ball-hawking cornerbacks in the SEC last year. Now, with three members of last year’s secondary gone, Jones is set to become a leader and a shutdown corner in 2015.

“You’ve got to lead by example. Every day we all come in as a group and work, challenge each other, compete with each other,” Jones told the Montgomery Adviser early in spring practice. “I see myself able to look over some of the younger guys from my experience and talk to them.”

Jones is one of just two seniors expected to see playing time in Auburn’s secondary. With Will Muschamp now in charge of the defense, and he’ll be counting on Jones to be his top cover guy.

“Jonathan is an experienced player, a very explosive player, he covers well on the top end, he’s got really good ball skills, he can finish on balls down the field,” Muschamp told the media earlier this spring. “In our scheme he’ll probably maybe be in a little more 50-50 ball situations down the field the way we plan on playing.”

For Jones, adapting to a new defensive scheme is nothing new. Muschamp is the third defensive coordinator the Tigers have employed during Jones’ career, following Brian VanGorder, who ran a 4-3/Tampa 2 defense, and Ellis Johnson, who moved to a 4-2-5 look.

Muschamp will move Auburn back to a 4-3 look, and is going to trust the 5-foot-10 Jones to guard receivers without safety help.

Will offenses be willing to throw at Jones this season? Despite being on the shorter side, he can get up with the best of them and, as Muschamp said, he’s proven himself excellent at playing balls in the air. Auburn is still working to figure out who will play opposite Jones, and teams will likely want to go after whoever the less-experienced fill-in ends up being.

Of course, all of Jones’ potential to be one of the SEC’s top cornerbacks will hinge on his health. This spring, he’s dealing with a minor foot injury that’s kept him out of 11-on-11 drills, although it’s not something Muschamp expects to linger.

Auburn has questions elsewhere in the secondary and will be looking to many players, both new and old, to help bring the Tigers defense up to par with the offense. If Muschamp can trust Jones to lock down his man every play, it’ll help clarify a lot of other things for the new DC.