Throughout preseason camp and the early goings before the 2026 season begins, the defensive line for the Auburn Tigers has received high praise about the potential it can reach.
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Until the season begins, nobody knows if that potential will truly come to fruition, but there is optimism from the players, especially senior Cody Sigler.
It’s been a fun last few weeks for Sigler, but there is one thing the New Hope native and Arkansas State transfer has not exactly missed.
“It’s been great,” Sigler said. “It’s been fun. It’s been hot down here. That’s one thing I have not missed about Alabama is the humid weather down here.”
Despite the heat, Sigler has been able to power through and do his job, as well as notice some things too.
It’s a new set of teammates for the senior, meaning a lot of new things he has had to learn about how the players operate.
However, over the time since he’s arrived on the Plains, he’s seen a lot of growth in the line that makes him optimistic about what is to come.
“(Malik Autry’s) body has changed so much ever since I got here since the beginning. He looks like a different person,” Sigler said. “Jourdin Crawford, everybody knows Jourdin. He’s a different breed. Darrion Smith, nobody’s really talked about him, he’s been dominant in practice, he’s been everywhere, all over the ball. Dallas Walker, I’ve been trying to learn from him. He’s played in this league longer than almost everybody. He’s got the most experience and this group is special.”
Sigler started in all 11 games that he appeared in at Arkansas State in 2025, racking up 35 total tackles with seven tackles for loss, five sacks and one fumble recovery.
He has sought to grow in every facet of his game in the offseason, but to him, growth has also meant growing in places that are bigger than the game itself.
“Remembering where you came from—that’s where I try to take every practice,” Sigler said. “I was doing this, I was paying to go to school. Now I’m getting blessed with an opportunity to be here. The key thing I’ve been focusing on is these people are much bigger, much stronger, much faster and I’ve just got to be perfect on every rep.”
When it comes to his personal expectation for him and the team though, one thing is for sure—he wants to own every moment.
“Just dominate every game,” Sigler said. “You can sit there and say All-SEC, but if I bring to the table what I can every game, I feel like I can get any accolade I want. I’m just trying to dominate every game.”
All of his progression, in his mind, has been thanks to the work of his position coach Vontrell King-Williams.
King-Williams has brought the intensity to Sigler, and for that, he thinks he is going to be better off come the opener against Baylor.
“I feel like the reason why I’ve been able to perform in practice is because of him. He’s strict on everything. He’s taught me so much with my body, using leverage. Vontrell has really changed my game up a lot and I give a lot of credit to him.”
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
