Auburn Tigers defensive coordinator DJ Durkin does his best work with linebackers, having a long list of high-round NFL draft picks over the years. With the Florida Gators, he produced Dante Fowler Jr. and Jon Bostic at LB, plus several other edge-rushers throughout his career in Gainesville. He developed Keldric Faulk and Jalen McLeod during his two seasons (and counting) on the Plains.
There may be another breakout brewing in East Central Alabama.
CBS Sports' Brad Crawford heard from his sources that sophomore linebacker Bryce Deas, who's in a crowded room alongside Xavier Atkins, Elijah Melendez, and Demarcus Riddick, looked "athletic as hell" this spring.
"The Tigers' scheme thrives on speed at all three levels, and Deas has the athletic profile to help stabilize the middle after pass rusher Amaris Williams transferred to Georgia. With Xavier Atkins alongside him, Deas won't be asked to carry the entire load against the run or in coverage," Crawford wrote. "What he does possess is the trigger to attack downhill, fill gaps before plays develop and play with the swarming mentality Durkin demands at the point of contact."
Deas is a St. Frances Academy product who was part of the DMV's rise to prominence in high school football over the past several seasons. He had offers from the Penn State Nittany Lions, USC Trojans, and Miami Hurricanes. Durkin's hiring helped land the Maryland-area recruit after he established ties in the region from his Terrapins head coaching tenure.
Deas had 12 tackles and two TFLs in 2025 and was a regular special teams contributor, but he's expected to have an expanded role on defense in 2026 after Robert Woodyard Jr.'s departure. To boot, Deas has been taking some first-string snaps this spring.
Clearly, based on Crawford's sources, that role is actively being earned in practice. Transfer EDGE Da'Shawn Womack confirmed as much, telling reporters in March, when asked who stands out, "I would say you have Bryce Deas ... He's a great role model, leader as well."
Demarcus Riddick could be the guy to lose snaps to Bryce Deas
Riddick and Deas both excel on the outside and in coverage. A lot of their skill sets overlap, and from the looks of it, the curiosity factor with Deas has some, like Bleacher Report's David Kenyon, implying that Deas' rise may come at Riddick's expense.
"One particularly intriguing part of Deas' outlook is his versatile skill set. In those limited snaps, he aligned all over the field and caused chaos as a blitzer," Kenyon prefaced before saying, "Demarcus Riddick will be a factor in the rotation, but Auburn coaches may find it difficult to keep Deas off the field."
With Riddick recovering from a season-ending shoulder injury that kept him out of the Iron Bowl last November, Deas had the opening this offseason to become even more indispensable in the LB room. There's still fall camp to get through, but Deas has seemingly grabbed the brass ring.
There's a reputation to uphold on Durkin's side of the ball as Alex Golesh looks to implement a winning offense. Deas is a strong candidate to keep that standard high this fall.
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