Heading into the 2025 season, depth in the secondary will not be an issue for the Auburn football team. Champ Anthony is back at safety after a gruesome leg injury last season alongside Kaleb Harris, returners Jay Crawford and Kayin Lee are holding things down at cornerback, and Sylvester Smith has been slotted into the safety position.
While those players are certainly names to know, nearly 20 guys will be competing for playtime this fall, including an impressive group of freshmen. Sylvester Smith, a redshirt freshman who is entering his third season with the Tigers, got six starts last season but is expected to have greater playing time this fall.
He is feeling more confident than ever and is using his experience to take some of the younger players under his wing, like AnQuon Fegans and Eric Winters, who he says are coming along well.
“Being more vocal is something I’m definitely working on,” Smith said, per Auburn Sports. “I mean, I initially didn’t have to be vocal because I can just lead by example, but some guys need that vocal presence just to hear it. And being able to talk to younger guys, I gotta be vocal.”
That much depth makes for a competitive camp, but for Smith, the depth and the challenges can only benefit the Tigers as they prepare to take on their SEC opponents this fall.
“We’ve got a group of guys who all can go,” Smith said. “So that’s gonna be really big for us, especially being in the SEC, is having a very deep secondary room. Everybody may not last a whole year. It’s a long season, it’s SEC, it’s a brutal game. So just having that depth plays a big factor.”
Smith and the rest of the Auburn football team will make their 2025 debut on August 29.