Auburn football: The 5 best JUCO transfers in program history

A three-star prospect coming out of Williamson High School in Mobile, Alabama, Fairley was originally recruited to Auburn to play offensive guard. However, Fairley did not qualify academically and was therefore forced to take the JUCO route.

After recording seven sacks in only eight games in 2008 for Copiah-Lincoln, Fairley, now a defensive tackle, once again committed to play for Auburn.

In Fairley’s first season on The Plains, the 6-foot-4, 308-pound DT only recorded 28 tackles and 1.5 sacks. However, in his senior season, Fairley would become arguably the most dominant defensive player in college football that season.

As the leader of the Tigers’ national champion defense, Fairley filled the stat sheet with 60 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks.

Big, ruthless, aggressive and incredibly talented, Fairley was named a consensus All-American in 2010 and won the Lombardi Award which is given annually to college football’s best player.

Fairley went on to get drafted by the Detroit Lions with the 13th overall pick in 2011. Fairley’s NFL career is a bit of a mixed bag that was derailed by off-the-field issues but he did make Second-Team All-Pro in 2013.