A steady presence along the Auburn football DL, Colby Wooden has brought the pain the past two years as a key element of the Tigers’ defensive front. Wooden collected career-highs in both total tackles (61) and sacks (4.5) in 2021 after breaking out during his sophomore season in 2020.
There were talks that Wooden would forego his senior season in hopes of landing a spot on an NFL roster, but those talks were put to bed on Wednesday evening.
Wooden isn’t going anywhere, announcing that he’d be returning to Auburn for his senior year instead of pursuing the pros. In the process, he is going to be sticking around long enough to share a locker room with his younger brother Caleb. The incoming freshman is a safety at Archer High School in Lawrenceville, where the eldest Wooden also attended.
Tiger fans couldn’t be happier about the Wooden brothers linking up in orange and blue for the 2022 season:
Big big big for Auburn https://t.co/zjAAOJ7HEX
— Brant (@brant_daughtry) December 29, 2021
The dline next year is gonna be nasty https://t.co/IxvHM5dW74
— DJ (@PackersFanatic5) December 29, 2021
LET'S RUN IT BACK, COLBY!!! #WDE https://t.co/bkkTUFwVGW
— The War Rapport (@thewarrapport) December 29, 2021
War Eagle let’s go‼️ STATEMENT TIME 🔶🔷🦅 https://t.co/fuXksh2EGe
— Deandre Brown 🅿️ (@DeandreB94) December 29, 2021
Wooden could be joined by Derick Hall, who has yet to announce what his own future would look like as it pertains to the Plains or the NFL.
He will for sure be joined by the #1-ranked JUCO DL Jeffrey M’Ba out of France, as well as J.J. Pegues, and newcomers Enyce Sledge, Caden Story, and Oregon transfer Jayson Jones.
Despite the on-field results being beyond disappointing since Halloween eve, the off-field recruiting victories have given hope for an Auburn football program that finished with a losing record for the first time in close to a decade.
Wooden returning isn’t a recruiting victory per say, but it’s a roster win that could pay serious dividends in 2022.