Locking in predictions for Auburn football’s defensive depth chart ahead of fall camp

AUBURN — Auburn football’s defense will be under new management in 2024.

After former defensive coordinator Ron Roberts left this offseason for a job at Florida, the Tigers replaced him with former Maryland coach DJ Durkin, who has spent the last four seasons as a DC in the SEC.

Ole Miss had the No. 14 and No. 11 defenses in the conference in terms of yards allowed per game under Durkin in 2020 and 2021, respectively, and Texas A&M ranked No. 7 and No. 3 in the two seasons Durkin spent with the Aggies in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Auburn’s defense is down six starters from last season — cornerbacks DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett, safeties Jaylin Simpson and Zion Puckett and defensive linemen Marcus Harris and Justin Rogers — and a few key rotation pieces such as linebacker Larry Nixon III and defensive back Donovan Kaufman have left as well.

With preseason practices beginning Thursday, here are our final predictions for who will start on the defensive side for the Tigers in 2024:

OTHER SIDE: Final prediction for Auburn football’s offensive depth chart before fall camp begins

MONITOR: Hank Brown vs. Holden Geriner among notable Auburn position battles to watch at fall camp

Buck

1. Jalen McLeod

2. Keyron Crawford

3. Jamonta Waller

4. Joseph Phillips

The goal of adding transfer Keyron Crawford (Arkansas State) and a couple of four-star freshmen is so that Jalen McLeod, who averaged 43.7 snaps per game in 2023, doesn’t have to play as much. Keeping his legs fresh and limiting those reps to around 35 per game would be ideal.

Defensive tackle

1. Gage Keys OR Philip Blidi

2. DJ Reed OR Malik Blocton

Rotation will be the name of the game along the defensive line, so expect to see plenty of these players getting reps. Transfers Gage Keys (Kansas) and Philip Blidi (Indiana) appear to be the top two at defensive tackle, though. Keys may get the nod over Blidi early because he was with Auburn for spring practices, but the gap is close.

Nose tackle

1. Isaiah Raikes OR Trill Carter

2. Jayson Jones OR Bobby Jamison-Travis

Transfers Isaiah Raikes (USC) and Trill Carter (Texas) are in a similar position to Keys and Blidi. The difference between the two likely won’t be massive, but Carter has the advantage of having gone through the spring with the Tigers. Jayson Jones and Bobby Jamison-Travis are a couple of veterans who should play in meaningful moments.

Defensive end

1. Keldric Faulk

2. Zykeivous Walker OR Amaris Williams

3. TJ Lindsey

Sophomore Keldric Faulk has as good of a shot as anyone on Auburn’s defensive front to take a leap and become a star. Playing more than expected last year due to injuries, Faulk became the only true freshman at Auburn over the last decade to record 20 or more pressures, per Pro Football Focus.

Linebacker

1. Eugene Asante

2. Dorian Mausi Jr.

3. Demarcus Reddick

4. DJ Barber

Eugene Asante went from a scout teamer to a standout last season, totaling career highs across the board in his first season as a starter. He’s one of the most productive players on the team, and Duke transfer Dorian Mausi Jr. should be able to spell him when needed.

Linebacker

1. Austin Keys

2. Fa’Najae Gotay

3. Robert Woodyard Jr.

It’d be huge for the Tigers to get a healthy season out of Austin Keys, who was sidelined for five games in 2023. An Asante-Keys tandem is more than formidable, though Maryland transfer Fa’Najae Gotay should be similar to Mausi in having the ability to step in when needed. Gotay is entering his seventh season in college.

Cornerback

1. Kayin Lee

2. Antonio Kite OR JC Hart

Redshirt freshman Tyler Scott figured to be in the mix at cornerback, but he went down with a season-ending ACL injury during summer workouts. Depth is thin with Scott out and promising redshirt freshman Colton Hood transferring to Colorado in April. Antonio Kite or JC Hart need to step up.

Cornerback

1. Keionte Scott

2. Jay Crawford OR Jahquez Robinson

3. A’Mon Lane-Ganus

Adding former Alabama and Colorado defensive back Jahquez Robinson through the portal was a must after the news regarding Scott and Hood. Robinson is experienced, a former four-star prospect and has close ties to co-defensive coordinator Charles Kelly. Robinson also looks to have some versatility to play safety or nickel.

Nickel

1. Champ Anthony

2. Kensley Louidor-Faustin

With Keionte Scott moving from the inside to the outside, Auburn needed someone else to set themselves apart at nickel. That someone has proven to be Champ Anthony, who played in a limited fashion last season after transferring in from junior college and now appears to have carved out a starting role for himself.

Safety

1. Jerrin Thompson

2. Laquan Robinson OR Terrance Love

3. CJ Johnson

After experiencing so much turnover in the secondary, bringing in an experienced veteran such as Texas transfer Jerrin Thompson is huge. It’s even better he went through the spring with the Tigers, so he should be more than prepared once the season begins against Alabama A&M on Aug. 31.

Safety

1. Caleb Wooden

2. Sylvester Smith

3. Kaleb Harris

Caleb Wooden has the experience factor over Sylvester Smith, so that’s why he gets the nod here. Both will play, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Smith continues to develop and increases his reps as the season goes on. Kaleb Harris is also someone that could contribute as a true freshman.

Special teams

K: Alex McPherson

P: Oscar Chapman

LS: Reed Hughes (walk-on)

PR: Keionte Scott

KR: Malcolm Simmons | Bryce Cain

It’s not completely clear whether or not Alex McPherson, who is dealing with a gastrointestinal issue, will be ready to kick at the beginning of the season, though coach Hugh Freeze is hopeful. If he’s not, Auburn will turn to true freshman Towns McGough. At kick returner, Auburn could put a couple freshman speedsters back there in Bryce Cain and Malcolm Simmons.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football depth chart: Predicting what defense looks like