DJ Durkin's defense's dominance may be scaled back a bit this year at Auburn. That's what the Opelika-Auburn News' Jacob Waters believes, anyway.
Waters predicts that the NFL losses of 4i-/five-technique Keldric Faulk, BUCK linebacker/EDGE Keyron Crawford, and nose tackle Bobby Jamison-Travis along the defensive line, plus secondary attrition in the losses of safety Jahquez Robinson and boundary corner Kayin Lee, among others, could lead to a step back.
The one strength, as Waters and most will note, is the linebacker room, led by Will linebacker Xavier Atkins.
"There’s plenty of depth and plenty of young players with potential back there, but are they ready for increased roles in 2026? That’s the big question for Auburn’s defensive line and secondary," Waters wrote.
"The linebacker group should be stout. Headlined by All-American Xavier Atkins, that group could be one of the best in the SEC or the country, but there are holes elsewhere – and it could lead to some defensive lulls during the season."
DJ Durkin is paid too much for Auburn's defense to regress
Durkin's program taking a step back would be, in a word, unacceptable. He's paid like a Group of Six head coach at seven figures annually. Hell, he's paid more than a lot of G6 and FCS head coaches. A lot more.
Durkin taking a step back probably ends his tenure with the Tigers. There will likely be head-coaching interest from programs around the country, and if he were to take a job elsewhere, Alex Golesh could bring in his own hire.
Todd Orlando, Golesh's defensive coordinator at USF, is currently at South Alabama. He'd come at a much cheaper price point and is getting acclimated to the state of Alabama down in Mobile. Orlando would even bring a specialty with linebackers like Durkin has.
No one is trying to run Durkin out the door. His unit was one of the few bright spots of the Hugh Freeze era and recruited well. It'd simply be a business decision to part ways if defensive regression takes place this fall.
Auburn needs leaders in the pass rush and secondary
Singular talents can rise among the group-wide effort to get reps together and progress for Auburn in 2026. We know Atkins is going to bring it if he's healthy. Who else is going to help the cause, though?
In the pass rush, defensive end Jared Smith had the best fall camp of any defensive player. Smith had four TFLs, two sacks, and forced a fumble last season. Ole Miss transfer Da'Shawn Womack brings a high ceiling on the other side.
In the secondary, the third level is well-covered by Champ Anthony, Anquon Fegans, Kaleb Harris, and Eric Winters. Anthony and Fegans will rotate at the Star position with Sylvester Smith-Reed. The biggest question is the outside corner spots.
We'll see how those questions are answered. Durkin can't afford a defensive step back for his group. With the offensive line likely limiting Joel Gordon's unit's ceiling, there isn't enough firepower on the other side to cover for the defense. Not enough to win anything meaningful, anyway.
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