In today's edition of Auburn Tigers news, DJ Durkin is set to be Auburn football's co-defensive coordinator alongside Charles Kelly, and a 5-star WR in the class of 2025 puts Auburn in his top 12
Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze's second-year staff is finally complete. After several staffers were fired or parted ways with the team during the offseason, all the gaps have now been filled with the hire of DJ Durkin as the Tigers' co-defensive coordinator alongside another new hire, Charles Kelly.
Durkin spent the last two seasons as Texas A&M's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach under Jimbo Fisher, and he spent the previous two years working under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. In 2016 and 2017 Durkin was the head coach of the Maryland football program, but his time in College Park ended in controversy after the death of an offensive lineman.
Durkin was suspended pending investigation, but was ultimately reinstated. However, public outcry led to his firing the next day, per AL.com.
2025 5-star WR puts Auburn in his top 12
5-star Caleb Cunningham is ranked as the #2 WR in the recruiting class of 2025 and the #1 recruit out of the state of Mississippi. He is the #11 overall recruit in the 2025 class, and is wanted by plenty of programs across the country, including Auburn football.
Cunningham took his second visit to the Plains in late January, and raved about his time on Auburn's campus. He's a priority target for the Tigers, and put them in his top 12 programs alongside Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Florida, Georgia Tech, LSU, Tennesse, South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma. It's clear that his primary interest is around the SEC, and here is what he had to say about the Auburn football program, per On3:
“When I went to Auburn for a visit they talked about God a lot before football. It feels like family there and they have faith. I love the new offensive coordinator (Derrick Nix) they have. And I love their coaching staff. It’s a great place.”