While its offense saw a slew of transfers come into the program this offseason, the Auburn Tiger defense is looking largely to a talented group of returning players for success as the 2026 football season kicks off this weekend. Third-year Auburn defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin is glad to have veterans across the defense, particularly at linebacker and safety, which he feels are the two most important positions on the field in terms of communication for a defense.
“Those are the guys kind of everything goes through on the field in terms of you know checking formations right and getting guys lined up. To have those guys returning for the most part…I think it really helped our install.”
Durkin feels another strength of his unit is versatility. The 2026 depth chart is a reflection of that.“We are going to play several guys in several spots. That helps us to be multiple in what we do,” Durkin said on Monday.
Senior Champ Anthony, for example, is listed on the Tiger’s depth chart at corner, safety and STAR. Another player listed at multiple positions is sophomore linebacker Bryce Deas.
About Deas, specifically, Durkin said, “He’s a guy who played as a freshman for us last year in some critical moments. Played really well. He’s certainly in that mix.”
The linebacker position is loaded with talent, including All-American Xavier Atkins, Elijah Melendez, Deas, and De’marcus Riddick all figuring prominently in the playing rotation. This group has high expectations heading into Saturday and this season.
“They practice at a really high level. They push each other. It’s a healthy competition in that room,” Durkin said. Durkin went on to highlight the versatility of that position group. “We’ll utilize those guys at many different positions. Anytime you are multiple, we can present different looks to the offense and it gives them issues we’ll use those guys in that way.”
The Auburn defense will be facing a dual-threat quarterback on Saturday, in Florida transfer DJ Lagway. Durkin spoke about how competing again Byrum Brown on a daily basis has helped in their preparation for Lagway.
“Byrum has been tremendous. He’s a tremendous player and tremendous leader for our team. It’s been great going against him and bouncing ideas off each other too. What he struggles with and us you know getting some advanced info.”
Durkin’s unit held Baylor’s high powered offense to 24 points last year on its home field. If they can improve upon that number on Saturday afternoon, Auburn will be in good position to win its 10th opener in a row.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
