Auburn football injury news: star DB questionable ahead of Samford matchup

Though the Auburn football offense struggled big time in the Tigers’ West Coast matchup against the Cal Golden Bears, the defense triumphed time and again to help secure a 14-10 victory. Linebacker Eugene Asante, who has led the Tigers in tackles both games of the 2023 season, even won SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week alongside Mississippi State linebacker Jett Johnson.

Unfortunately, a different star member of the defense is questionable ahead of the Tigers’ Week 3 matchup, the homecoming game against the Samford Bulldogs. Donovan Kaufman, a junior safety who was a key player for the Tigers this past weekend, is not guaranteed to play on Saturday.

Kaufman, who recorded a forced fumble in both of this season’s games, was forced to leave the Cal game early, which head coach Hugh Freeze explained was likely for concussion evaluation. According to The Montgomery Advertiser’s Richard Silva, Kaufman was not spotted during the media viewing window at Tuesday’s practice, but Freeze remains optimistic that the safety will play against Samford:

"“We’re optimistic that he’ll be a go,” Freeze said Wednesday on the SEC coaches teleconference. “It’s not final by any means, but we’re optimistic.”"

The safety is entering his third season on the Plains after beginning his football career at Vanderbilt in 2020. He quickly found his way into Auburn football’s starting rotation in 2021, and returned as a third-year starter under Freeze.

In the first two games of the season, Kaufman racked up 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Since arriving on the Plains in 2021, he has recorded 84 total tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, five passes deflected, and six forced fumbles.

It will be a waiting game to see if Kaufman will take the field this Saturday. Auburn football will face off against Samford at 6:00 p.m. central time.