Auburn Defensive Coordinator DJ Durkin was assuredly disappointed when he did not receive the call to be Auburn’s Head Football Coach, after last year’s Iron Bowl. As he addressed reporters at the beginning of preseason camp for his third season as the Tigers Defensive Coordinator, however, it was clear that the veteran coach was fully onboard with first-year Head Coach Alex Golesh’s program.
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“AG has been awesome. He has a clear vision of how he wants things. He does an elite job of communicating that to the coaches and players,” Durkin said. Golesh’s decision to retain Durkin and win him over may be his most important accomplishment of the offseason.
Unlike the offensive side of the ball, Durkin will have a lot of returning players, both young and old, to mold and refine his defense for the Tigers this season. Auburn has been more than solid defensively under Durkin’s guidance. If that is to continue, a group of talented sophomores along the line of scrimmage will need to step up from their reserve roles in 2025, including edge rusher Jared Smith.
“They are grasping that new role of I was a situational or rotational guy that goes in and gets snaps. Now it’s becoming a lead guy whether that’s a starter or play a much bigger role in the game,” Durkin said. “Jared was very situational for us last year. He’s now coming into being an every down player. That’s the challenge to him. He’s done a good job of that as we are pushing him throughout training camp,” Durkin added.
One position group that figures to be a strength of this year’s unit is the linebackers. Returning All-American Xavier Atkins led the team in tackles last year with 84. Junior De’marcus Riddick and sophomore Elijah Melendez are hoping to rack up their tackling numbers as well this year. Durkin even said there’s a chance all three could be on the field at the same time.
“They all compete for reps in a game. We like to think outside the box on defense. That means a lot of different packages. We could be utilizing dudes and getting several guys on the field at once.”
Golesh also spoke about the linebackers yesterday. “You want him (Elijah), Xavier, Bryce, Riddick that crew to lead in every imaginable way. It’s got to come from the middle of your defense. You’re communicating to the guys in the front and the guys in the back and everything goes through you.”
Coach Durkin also feels a big benefit to his defense is in a veteran and talented secondary. Auburn picked off 11 passes last year, which ranked 10th nationally. Durkin said the experience at the STAR and safety position is crucial, adding
that’s where most of their communication happens. One player to watch will be a healthy Champ Anthony.
“Champ is a major part of our formula. He will play more than one spot. He has great versatility. As a coach that’s one of the things you look for.” Coach Durkin stated.
Only 30 days remain until Auburn and Baylor square off inside Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta. Kickoff is set for 2:30 central.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
