Overview
- Starting linebacker Robert Woodyard Jr. announced plans to enter the portal after a breakout 2025 season with 67 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks, earning a top SEC run-defense grade from PFF.
- AL.com reports nine defensive players have declared portal intentions, including three starters, with roughly 22 Auburn players expected to enter when the window opens.
- Cornerback depth is in flux as four corners are expected to leave, including starters Jay Crawford and Kayin Lee, with only Rayshawn Pleasant, Blake Woodby and Donovan Starr currently slated to return.
- Auburn retained defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin and still has standout linebacker Xavier Atkins, yet departures continue ahead of the two-week transfer period.
- With new cornerbacks coach DeMarcus Van Dyke arriving from USF, potential targets such as USF defensive backs Fred Gaskin and Jarvis Lee have been flagged in reporting as options to reinforce the secondary.