With the NCAA extending an extra year of eligibility to athletes due to the COVID-19 circumstances that rocked the college sports world, Auburn football will see two seniors return to the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium in the 2021-22 season.
The first is defensive tackle Tyrone Truesdell. He played in nine games as a true freshman DT in 2017 and earned a starting position at tackle his junior year. In 2020, he played all 10 games on the regular-season schedule and finished up with 22 tackles total.
As a two-year starter for Auburn’s defensive line, Truesdell stands to be a leader under the regime of recently hired defensive coordinator Derek Mason. With the losses of Big Kat Bryant and Daquan Newkirk to the NCAA Transfer Portal, the Tigers will be on the lookout for younger players to prove themselves on the d-line.
Some of those younger players include new signees Lee Hunter and Marquis Robinson. Hunter, a 4-star defensive tackle from Eight Mile, AL is currently Auburn’s top-ranked recruit and is considered to be the #7 recruit out of Alabama, per 247 Sports. Robinson is DT out of Florida, and at 6’3″ and 300 pounds, his size should definitely be of help to the D-line.
Also spending another year on The Plains is backup quarterback Grant Loy. The transfer from Bowling Green spent the 2019 season as starting QB for the Falcons. He passed for 1,137 yards and rushed for 427 yards, according to AuburnTigers.com.
Loy appeared in three games for Auburn football in the 2020 season. He successfully passed to the endzone for a two-point conversion against the Kentucky Wildcats and picked up a few rushing yards against LSU. Loy is joined in the quarterback room by three others–Bo Nix, Chayil Garnett, and Dematrius Davis.
With the return of Bo Nix, who has started for the Tigers in the QB position for the last two seasons, coupled with the high potential of Dematrius Davis, it’s tough to say whether or not Loy will see much action in the 2021 season. However, it is important to note that aside from Nix, Loy will be the only QB on Auburn’s roster with real-time collegiate playing experience.
Tyrone Truesdell and Grant Loy join T.D. Moultry, Chandler Wooten, and Traivon Leonard in using their extra years of eligibility on The Plains.