For Auburn Tigers safety Champ Anthony, the 2025 season marked a triumphant return to the game of football. After suffering a gruesome broken leg early in the 2024 season, Anthony rehabbed all offseason to return to the field this fall. Unfortunately, he faced a setback in the Tigers' first matchup in which he suffered a broken thumb.
In Anthony's absence, the Tigers' defense struggled in some situations against South Alabama. Although there are a lot of young kids on the defense and head coach Hugh Freeze and his staff have been encouraging them to power through their mistakes, it was a little worrying to watch, knowing that SEC play is right around the corner.
Anthony underwent a successful surgery and returned to practice last week with limited ability while wearing a cast. Though he was technically cleared to play against the Jaguars, the coaching staff chose to rest him to prepare for the Oklahoma game. He is expected to play this weekend, and Freeze believes it will instantly impact the defense.
"It's big," Freeze said of Anthony's likely return this weekend, per Auburn Undercover. "Hopefully some our miscues on alignment and leverage and the different checks we have to make — we feel like we're better with him out there. … He'll be a welcome addition."
Going into the first SEC matchup of the season, Freeze emphasized that the defense has got to tackle better, and that they will be focusing on that in preparation for the Sooners.
"I don't know if it's our youth, but we've got to tackle," Freeze said. "It will be tested this week, for sure."
The Tigers and the Sooners are set for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff from Norman on Saturday.