Alex Golesh has made several smart staffing moves since taking over as the head coach of the Auburn football program, but arguably the most important was the decision to retain DJ Durkin as the Tigers' defensive coordinator.
While there wasn't a lot to be excited about when the Auburn offense hit the field, the defense was among the most dominant defenses in the country and was consistently a factor in keeping the Tigers' in close games when the offense couldn't make anything happen.
With Durkin remaining on board, along with defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams, a lot of the most important defensive players from last year's roster made the decision to run it back under Golesh, setting the Tigers' defense up for success come 2026. Auburn defensive back Champ Anthony put it into words at SEC Media Days earlier this month.
“It was what everybody thinks it was,” Anthony said, per Auburn Tigers on SI. “Coach Durk stayed, so we stayed. Like, Coach Durk, he’s the heartbeat of our defense. He’s a guy who motivates us day in and day out, no matter what. He’s the same person; he’s the same man, and you got to commemorate a man like that in college football. You don’t see a lot of real men like that.”
According to quarterback Byrum Brown, going up against such a formidable defense in practices has been a big help in preparing for his first season in the SEC, and he made a bold claim about the unit ahead of the 2026 season.
“Truly a blessing,” he said, per AuburnTigers.com. “I think going against the best defense in the country helps you build confidence every single day.”
Alongside Anthony, the Tigers are set to return First-Team All-SEC linebacker Xavier Atkins, rising star linebacker Demarcus Riddick and veteran safety Sylvester Smith. Also running it back are young contributors like linebackers Elijah Melendez and Bryce Deas and safety AnQuon "Newboy" Fegans. Key pieces of the defensive line like Malik Autry, Jourdin Crawford and Dallas Walker IV are returning, as well.
Whereas former head coach Hugh Freeze's strategy was to build confidence in his quarterback by having the defense take it easy on him in preparation for the season, it seems that Golesh is taking the opposite approach and sending the defense on Brown at full speed.
The Tigers will kick off their season from Atlanta on September 5 when they face the Baylor Bears in the Aflac Kickoff Game in Mercedes-Benz.
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