Auburn football loses multiple players to transfer portal after spring practice

Auburn Tigers defensive back JC Hart (20) breaks up a pass intended for Auburn Tigers wide receiver Jay Fair (5) during the A-Day spring game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, April 6, 2024.
Auburn Tigers defensive back JC Hart (20) breaks up a pass intended for Auburn Tigers wide receiver Jay Fair (5) during the A-Day spring game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, April 6, 2024. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

Spring practice ended for the Auburn football team on Saturday with the A-Day open practice, and since then, multiple Tigers have elected to part ways with the team and hit the transfer portal.

The first to go was safety Terrance Love, who shared plans to transfer just hours after A-Day was over. Love spent two seasons on the Plains and played in most of the Tigers' games in those two seasons. He recorded 7 total tackles and one pass breakup, and will have two years of eligibilty left at his next stop.

The second to enter the portal was sophomore safety CJ Johnson. He previously entered the transfer portal in December but elected to withdraw his name and return to the Plains. Johnson spent two seasons on the Plains, but did not appear in any games for the Tigers.

Finally, the third defensive back to enter the transfer portal after spring practice was cornerback JC Hart, and his departure is the most impactful of the three. A redshirt sophomore, Hart saw game action in five contests last season and recorded three tackles.

Fortunately, the three departures do not significantly hurt the roster, as Auburn football is loaded up on depth in the secondary. Junior Kayin Lee and sophomore Jay Crawford are set to return as the Tigers' starting cornerbacks while freshman Blake Woodby and Miami (OH) transfer Raion Strader back them up. Junior Champ Anthony will also return, but he is still recovering from a horrific leg injury suffered last season.

At the safety position, the Tigers have plenty of returners: sophomores Sylvester Smith, Kaleb Harris, and Kensley Louidor-Faustin. They will also welcome a pair of impressive freshmen at the position in AnQuon "Newboy" Fegans and Eric Winters.

The Auburn football team will return to action for the 2025 season against the Baylor Bears in Waco, Texas, on August 29.