AUBURN, Ala. -- When Auburn defensive lineman Montravius Adams sacked San Jose State’s quarterback last Saturday, it didn’t look all that different from a play he made a year ago.

It was the 2013 season opener, and nobody knew what to expect from the Tigers. They led Washington State by one point midway through the second quarter, and the defense desperately needed a spark. Adams came into the game, and on his first collegiate snap, he shook off his block and took down the quarterback.

Auburn defensive lineman Montravius Adams is more comfortable on and off the field in his sophomore year. Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports

Fast-forward to this season and last Saturday’s game. It was once again the second quarter, and Adams was lined up inside at the exact same spot. He made a quick move to his left, blew past the offensive lineman and left the quarterback with no chance. The only difference between the two plays was a salute he added to his celebration.

Take a closer look, though, and you’ll see the player who made the sack Saturday is not the same player he was last season.

“He’s so much further along than where he was, it’s not even funny,” Auburn defensive line coach Rodney Garner said during fall camp. “He wasn’t even on the planet [last season].”

In high school, Adams played Class A football, the smallest classification in the state of Georgia.

He graduated with just 67 students at Dooly County High School, so it was quite an adjustment when he first arrived at Auburn, a school with nearly 25,000 students on its campus.

The football was different, too. Adams was no longer the star player. He couldn’t afford to take plays off or slack off in practice.

“The tough thing last year was learning how to take coaching, being a better practice player and just being a better person in general,” he said.

Added Garner: “Just that every-day, bring-it-to-work, no-matter-how-you-feel, you’ve-got-to-come-practice (mentality), that’s the thing he struggles with the most.”

The immaturity, both on and off the field, showed up during Adams’ freshman year. The sack he made on his first play would be the only sack he made all season long. Despite coming in as a four-star prospect, ranked No. 13 in the ESPN 300, Adams wasn’t ready. He finished with 20 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and that lone sack.

“I think he physically and mentally hit a wall,” Dooly County head coach Jimmy Hughes said. “And I don’t think that’s unusual for a lot of kids that are true freshmen. There’s a lot of true freshmen that don’t play.”

But now that Adams has a year of experience under his belt and a full offseason to work out and get acclimated to college life, there is a noticeable difference in the 6-foot-4, 306-pound defensive lineman. He’s stronger and quicker on the football field. He’s more mature from a mental aspect as well, able to handle the everyday grind.

“Coming out this year, I just feel more comfortable,” Adams said. “I feel like I’m a part of the family.”

The results have been evident. He started the first two games of this season, and he probably played his best game ever wearing an Auburn uniform Saturday against San Jose State. He recorded six tackles, three for a loss and the sack, his first sack in more than a year.

“He’s [grown] big time,” Auburn teammate Trovon Reed said after the game. “He’s more mature. He knows if he keeps doing what he’s doing, he could be something big around here. It’s in his head now. He knows it. We don’t have to tell it to him. He’s just playing with that chip on his shoulder.”

The scary thing is that Adams only turned 19 in July. He’s still learning the game, and he still has plenty of room to improve.

“Everybody’s got to keep working,” he said. “I think I’ve got to do a lot more, too. Coach [Garner] told me after the game that I’ve got to get better. I had a good game, but I have to get better. So when we go to practice, I’ll look at film, work on what I did wrong and just keep doing what he says, get better.”