Wesley McGriff echoed the chorus of a song that has been a staple at Jordan-Hare Stadium for more than a decade when he was asked about the goals he has for Auburn’s secondary this spring.

Like DJ Khaled’s 2010 hit single “All I Do Is Win,” the Tigers’ assistant coach has one thing at the forefront when it comes to his position group’s top objective.

“We’ve got three goals: Win, win and win,” McGriff said Tuesday afternoon. “Because in this league, if you don’t win, you know what happens.”

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Of course, the winning can’t come for nearly six more months, when Auburn opens the 2023 season. In the meantime, as McGriff settles in for his third stint as an assistant on the Plains, the veteran coach has more attainable standards for the Tigers’ defensive backs this spring.

“But seriously, our biggest goal going into spring practice is, one: Keep the ball in front of us and take it away,” McGriff said. “If you can take away the perimeter game and stop the deep ball and get the ball in your hands when it’s not intended for you you’ve got an opportunity to be successful in this league.”

McGriff’s group, which he coaches along with returning assistant Zac Etheridge, features a wealth of experience from a unit that was top-25 nationally in pass efficiency defense and yards allowed per pass attempt. The Tigers brought back both starting cornerbacks Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James, safeties Zion Puckett and Jaylin Simpson, and other key pieces like Donovan Kaufman and Keionte Scott, among others.

The Tigers did well keeping things in front of them last season, allowing just three pass plays of 30 yards or more, which was top-20 nationally. They struggled to generate takeaways, though, with just six interceptions on the season (112th nationally) and 13 total turnovers forced (also 112th among FBS teams).

McGriff’s second goal for Auburn’s secondary this spring is minimizing, if not outright eliminating, mental mistakes. In his experience, the fewer mental lapses a defense has, the more often it will come out on top in its matchups.

The third major goal (there are several other minor goals) McGriff has in mind for Auburn’s defensive backs is learning to make in-game adjustments. Obviously, that applies to himself and the defensive staff, but he also wants the defensive backs to understand how to problem-solve in real time when they’re on the field.

“We can get on the grass, and we can show them in the classroom what it will look like, but of course, there are going to be some different wrinkles that we can’t show them,” McGriff said. “They’re going to have to problem-solve during the game. That just leads to communication, being on the same page and having confidence. We want to make sure we’re gauging their confidence every day, because if they’re very confident as a unit and as individuals, then we’ll play at a high level.”

That’s why McGriff, Etheridge and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts are trying to keep things toned down this spring. They don’t want to put too much on their players’ plates, but they want them to have a sound understanding of what Auburn is trying to accomplish this season, believing that this approach will help produce those other goals McGriff has in mind come fall: wins.

“That’s what Coach Freeze is talking about,” McGriff said. “Don’t give them too much to do. Let them play football. If we can do those things and do it with confidence, we’ll play at a high level.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.