Auburn will be without BUCK linebacker/hybrid EDGE Jakaleb Faulk for the entire 2026 regular season. Coach Alex Golesh told reporters on Wednesday that Faulk had a procedure on a collarbone injury suffered during fall camp.
Golesh did use the phrase "as of now" and brought up the end of November, which might be a subtle hint that a fast recovery could lead to an Iron Bowl return.
"The hope is that towards the end of the season — end of November, December — we would have him," Golesh said. "As of right now, he would be out for the regular season, which stinks. Feel for him. He's worked hard to put himself in a position to play."
Faulk will now miss most or all of his redshirt freshman season. It's unclear if he'll get it back with the five-in-five rules that Congress is looking to impose. Medical redshirts are about to become nearly impossible under the new rules.
Who starts at BUCK LB for Auburn?
Faulk was expected to be a rotation piece for the Tigers in 2026, ideally taking a step forward after only appearing during the Mercer game in 2025. During that 62-17 win over the Bears last November, Faulk had four solo tackles.
Da'Shawn Womack will be the starter as an on-ball outside linebacker/edge-rusher, which would've been the case had Faulk remained in the rotation. Womack has had a strong camp thus far, getting strong praise from OLB coach Coleman Hutzler.
"He's worked his butt off. He's been through a lot, right? From his third school, he's really jumped into our room and into our defense and been a great guy to provide energy and enthusiasm. He practices the right way, man," Hutzler said of Womack, who's on his third school after stints with LSU and Ole Miss.
Nate Johnson, Chris Murray, Joe Phillips, Jaquez Wilkes and Chris Wells will also get reps at the position. The pace Durkin's defense operates at means everyone will get looks most games. All of these players have an expanded opportunity now.
Keyron Crawford leaves behind big shoes to fill
Auburn's BUCK last season was Keyron Crawford, who's now off to the NFL after being selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the third round of the draft. Crawford had 43 quarterback pressures in 2025, wreaking havoc alongside Keldric Faulk, who had 30 and is now also in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans. Keldric is, of course, J.J.'s brother.
Crawford leaves behind massive shoes for the aforementioned players to fill after two strong years coming to the program as an Arkansas State transfer. If Crawford's success proves anything, it's that Durkin has a talent for developing linebackers.
Hutzler replaces Roc Bellantoni, who did well working for Durkin and developing those LBs. We'll see if the new coaching mix could produce another third-rounder, or at least more future NFL talents. There's plenty of talent to work with, especially when Faulk returns.
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