There are multiple position groups that have shown they have depth and talent to raise the bar for what they could do on the field in 2026. That statement is especially true for the Auburn secondary with the amount of players it has returning to don the orange and blue.
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Talent is evident on the field, and co-Defensive Coordinator and safeties coach Tim Banks got to speak on that following Tuesday’s practice, being excited about the mixture of guys the secondary is fielding.
“It’s been good,” Banks said. “We’ve got a good group, a good mixture of experience and obviously some young guys there. The guys have been competing, which is what you’re looking for. It’s been fun, it really has been. Guys are working. I’m really excited about it.”
Specifically for Banks’ room with the secondary, guys like Sylvester Smith-Reed, Champ Anthony, Kaleb Harris, Newboy Fegans and Jacoby Matthews are all returning to the roster after being in the system last year.
Banks said every single player is working hard to be the best they can be, and while nobody has truly separated themselves from the pack yet, that is not the biggest thing the secondary is focused on right now.
“I don’t know about separating, but Eric Winters has done a tremendous job,” Banks said. “We’re playing him all over the field; he’s been awesome. Champ Anthony has been really good. Every one of those guys have had their spots, that’s what you would expect. You’ve got some guys that have played some football and we pride ourselves in being able to be interchangeable. We’re moving some guys around to a lot of different spots. Those guys have handled it extremely well.”
As riddled with talent as the room is, the depth chart is still working itself out on who will play where and at what time.
For Banks, it is seemingly a great issue to have to have the experience that is there. Finding the roles each athlete will play at a given moment is now the next course of action the staff is observing.
“You’d like to be able to play six guys—four on the hash and two at the STAR position,” Banks said. “I think that’s important in this day and age of football. We talk a lot about getting what you deserve, and if you’ve got a bunch of good players that can play, we’ll find roles for them. We’re going to play as many as we can. That is the plan.”
The team will be going full pads on Wednesday as it continues to ramp up the intensity and work towards the violent style of play that has been preached by Alex Golesh.
Banks is excited for that with the safeties and the drills that will be going on, knowing the room will continue to move forward as the days continue.
“It’s ball. That’s what it is, particularly at the safety position,” Banks said. “We’ve got to quarterback the defense obviously, get guys lined up. But I tell them all the time it’s up to us to get guys on the ground. Nobody notices when the d-line is wrong with linebackers, but they know where those safeties are at. It’ll be fun tomorrow and the guys are excited for it.”
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
