Auburn football: returning big men named Iron Men of the Week

The Auburn football strength account is back with week five’s Iron Men of the Week, featuring two names who should be very familiar to Tiger fans. Representing the defense is Chandler Wooten, and the offensive honoree is J.J. Pegues.

“Work, hard work does not go unnoticed!” tweeted Auburn Strength, the account which recognizes two players for their standout performances in spring training every week.

Chandler Wooten, who opted out of the 2020 season–his senior year–due to COVID-19 concerns, announced in January that he would be returning to play for the Tigers in 2021. The defensive linebacker recorded 27 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and one interception in 2019.

Wooten chose to redshirt the 2020 season due to the birth of his son, explaining that he did not want to take the risk of playing due to the Coronavirus. The NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility to all seniors in 2020 and said that scholarships would remain intact as well as “good standing with the team” if they chose not to participate.

J.J. Pegues, a rising sophomore tight end, is the offensive Iron Man of the Week. As a true freshman, Pegues played in all 11 Auburn football games on the 2020 schedule. He recorded five rushing attempts on the season for 14 yards and caught seven passes for 57 yards.

Pegues’ big moment came in Jordan-Hare versus the Arkansas Razorbacks. All of a sudden, Auburn’s 300-pound freshman actually lined up at quarterback, and then he went crashing through defenders to pick up the first down in what was a two-point win for the Tigers.

We can only expect to see great things from these two Auburn returners this fall.