Although the Auburn football coaching staff is not using an official depth chart during their spring practices this year, there are definitely certain players that are showing out as potential first-teamers throughout the sessions.
When it comes to the Tigers’ linebackers room ahead of the 2023 season, there is plenty of work to be done and plenty of questions to be answered. Of course, the position group lost team caption, leader, and one of the most productive players in Owen Pappoe, who is pursuing a career in the NFL. The room badly needed depth, and that was addressed pretty quickly by the staff.
New linebackers coach Josh Aldridge brought in two transfers during the offseason in DeMario Tolan and Austin Keys, who both previously played at SEC schools, to join up with veteran LBs Wesley Steiner and Cam Riley on the Plains. According to Aldridge, bringing in Keys was definitely a good decision for the Tigers, per AL.com:
"“Austin Keys has been everything I thought he’d be,” Aldridge said this week. “He’s got to clean some detail stuff up. But I think we definitely did not miss on him by any means.”"
The players that have been working in the first rotation for the linebackers during spring have been Keys and returner Cam Riley, who totaled 88 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss in the 2022 season. The guys that have been running in the second rotation are returners Wesley Steiner and Robert Woodyard Jr., who has reportedly taken a big step forward this spring.
As for where Keys can improve ahead of the season, defensive coordinator Ron Roberts noted that he would like the linebacker to have a little more of a vocal presence in the defense, but that it should come naturally as the LB continues to learn the new defense.
The linebacker group is continuing to improve this spring and leading up to the 2023 season, and they should be a strong point in Auburn football’s defense this fall.