Auburn’s linebacker room already looks loaded, but Bryce Deas is making sure he’s part of the conversation.
Xavier Atkins still gets most of the spotlight, and for good reason. He’s the headliner in a group that already has serious talent.
But Deas, heading into his sophomore season, has quietly become one of the more intriguing pieces in the mix after showing he can help last year as a freshman. In limited action, he posted 12 tackles, two tackles for loss and two pass breakups.
Now he’s positioned to be a key rotational linebacker for the Tigers, and what makes him stand out is how Auburn is using him. Deas has been working at all three linebacker spots, and according to head coach Alex Golesh, the results in camp have been strong.
“His best days are ahead of him, and hopefully that's in, like, 18 days,” Auburn head coach Alex Golesh said on Wednesday. “He's had a really, really, really good camp. We feel really good with him.”
Golesh was off by a day on the timeline - it was 17 days from kickoff with Baylor at the time - but the larger point is clear: Auburn believes Deas can take a real step this season.
And he’d be joining a group that already has plenty going on. Atkins is coming off a season with 84 tackles, 60 solo tackles, a host of sacks, forced fumbles and even an interception.
Demarcus Riddick is back healthy after missing time and was an All-SEC Freshman in his only healthy year so far. Elijah Melendez is also in the rotation conversation after putting up 29 tackles, 19 tolo tackles, a sack and two interceptions as a true freshman.
That gives Auburn a deep, versatile core at linebacker, and there’s more behind it too. DJ Durkin has shown he’s willing to play younger linebackers early, which keeps Adam Balogoun-Ali, Jaquez Wilkes and Chris Wells in the picture as possible contributors this season.
For now, though, Deas is one of the names to watch. Auburn likes the camp he’s putting together, and if that carries into the season, the Tigers may have yet another linebacker ready to make life miserable for opposing offenses.
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The latest wrinkle came when the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals granted the NCAA a stay against a prior injunction in the Wisne v. NCAA case, a decision that tightens the screws on players seeking an extra year. Taylor and Hall are seeking temporary restraining orders against the NCAA, while the association continues to fight court rulings that would extend college careers, setting up more lawsuits and more requests for relief in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
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The associate director of bands and director of choir joined the session to teach the fight song, and the day included speeches along with performances from the band and choir. Players sang along as Golesh worked to build the kind of culture he wants in place ahead of the upcoming season, blending football with the pageantry and pride that come with being at Auburn. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Progress Feels Real But Two Roster Questions Loom Before Baylor
Auburns fall camp has given Alex Golesh something every new coach wants before a season opener: signs that the operation is moving in the right direction. The Tigers have looked sharper as camp has unfolded, and analysts around the program have singled out Deshawn Spencer and Bryce Deas as players who stood out while Auburn tried to sort out its depth and identity before Baylor arrives.
Still, the optimism is tempered by two roster questions that could shape the early part of the season. JJ Faulk is potentially out for the year, which would leave a hole in the pass rush rotation, while Bryce Cain has been shifted to cornerback as the staff looks for the best fit on defense. Those moves may prove routine by September, but for now they are the kind of details that can tell a lot about how much Auburn still has to settle before the opener. [Read more 🡒]