Veteran DL lauds highest-ranked incoming Auburn recruit: ‘He’s came on a lot’

Veteran defensive lineman Jayson Jones, who is entering his second season on the Plains after spending his first two with Oregon, had high praise for Highland Home High School star-turned-4-star EDGE Keldric Faulk — the highest-ranked Auburn football recruit of the 2023 class — during an appearance on the Locked On Auburn podcast with Zac Blackerby.

Jones said that Faulk has stood out the most of any newcomer when pressed on the matter by Blackerby.

“I know Darren Reed’s doing a good job of adapting, but I think the biggest one for me, I know he came in and came in January, but it’s Keldric Faulk and I feel like he’s came on a lot,” Jones said (h/t Auburn Daily’s Lance Dawe). “Finally, I think he’s understanding and it’s really good that he’s understanding now rather than later how to be a pro, about stuff like taking care of your body, eating right and working out and conditioning and stuff like that.”

Jayson Jones sends a strong message to former Oregon and Auburn football teammates

Speaking on his experience in two different locker rooms in two different Power Five conferences, Jones had a strong message to former Oregon and Auburn football teammates in answering a question from Blackerby about what the mentality of the Tigers should be.

“Don’t complain, don’t whine, because that’s not attractive,” Jones prefaced before saying, “That makes your teammates start turning on you, for real. Embrace it, we’re getting better today and football is not easy. You’re not always going to have the most fun. Losing’s hard. Getting beat is hard, but how are you going to deal with it later on.”

Given the exodus of players from the Plains to the transfer portal last season coupled with the reported locker room dysfunction in Bryan Harsin’s dying days, Jones was surely referencing someone (or multiple players) from last year’s team. Having been part of Mario Cristobal’s last year at Oregon and the 2020 pandemic-stricken season, Jones assuredly had ex-teammates from his days in Eugene as well.