A former Auburn football staff member has been arrested after police say he stole recruiting evaluations and sent them to other schools, a case that brings an unusual kind of recruiting scandal to the Tigers.
David Jenrath, 24, turned himself in Monday in Auburn, Alabama, and faces two charges: theft of trade secrets and computer tampering. He was still being held in custody as of Tuesday.
According to ESPN, Jenrath allegedly took Auburn’s recruiting evaluations on July 19 and passed the information along to other schools. In one instance, he reportedly identified himself as “Don Julio.”
The charging documents say Jenrath “obtained and/or retained confidential, proprietary information consisting of Auburn University Athletics' information, and/or knowingly made a copy or reproduction of Auburn University Athletics' trade secrets and communicate or transmit a secret without the owners' consent.”
The case does not accuse him of sending Auburn’s NIL spending or playbooks. Even so, prosecutors moved forward based on what was allegedly taken and how it was accessed.
Auburn police said Tuesday that a “business reported that sensitive information was stolen from the business and distributed to their competitors.”
Jenrath was not a full-time Auburn employee, ESPN reported. His now-deleted LinkedIn page listed him as a player personnel scouting assistant for the football program from January through June of this year, with a focus on running backs and safeties.
He is originally from Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee for college. It is not clear whether any of the information was sent to Tennessee’s football program.
In Other News...
Kalen DeBoers Starkville Travel Plan Says A Lot About Alabama Prep
Kalen DeBoers travel plan for Alabamas trip to Mississippi State says plenty about how the staff is handling this week. Rather than bus to Starkville on Friday and spend the night there, the Crimson Tide will remain in Tuscaloosa and leave Saturday morning, a setup DeBoer tied to past practice and the availability of the teams preferred accommodations at home.
It also gives a small window into the rhythm Alabama wants heading into the game. The team is set to depart early Saturday and begin practice at 9 a.m. CT, with players typically checking in at 6:45 a.m. CT, a schedule that keeps the focus on routine and preparation right up to kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces An O-Line Concern Heading Into Mississippi State
The SECs new injury reporting policy is already putting a little more light on Alabamas health picture as the Crimson Tide head into its conference game against Mississippi State. This weeks report lists right tackle Jayvin James as questionable, a note that matters on a front line where availability can shape everything from protection to play-calling, while other names around the roster are trending toward being available.
Alabamas overall injury list still has some longer-term concerns attached to it, too, with Jeremiah Beaman and Cayden Jones among the players confirmed to miss the 2026 season because of injuries. For a team navigating the grind of SEC play, the immediate question is less about the long view and more about how the Tide lines up at a spot that can change the tone of a game before it even settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Just Took Another Hard Line In The Pay Fight
Nick Saban used a recent appearance on ESPNs First Take to weigh in on the Protect College Sports Act, and the longtime Alabama coach made clear he sees the issue of athlete compensation through a different lens than many of the sports most vocal advocates. The proposal is designed to boost pay for student-athletes while also protecting womens and Olympic sports, and it would add more structure around topics such as transfer rules, eligibility limits and agent fees.
Sabans argument was rooted in the idea that player pay and coach pay operate in separate markets, with him comparing a students scholarship to a professors salary as part of his broader case. The legislation also includes a retention fund for athlete compensation, which puts the debate squarely at the intersection of fairness, roster stability and the future shape of college sports, the same terrain Saban has been challenging for years. [Read more 🡒]