Cody Sigler is already drawing national attention before he’s even taken a snap for Auburn, and the numbers behind it are eye-catching. Pro Football Focus graded the Tigers transfer as the highest-rated returning SEC defensive tackle in the conference, giving him an 85.7. Kentucky’s Tavion Gadsen is next at 80.4.
That kind of recognition fits the path Sigler has taken to get to the Plains. The 6-foot-2, 308-pound tackle arrived from Arkansas State this offseason, but his climb to the SEC has been anything but ordinary. He started out as a zero-star recruit and walked on at West Alabama, a Division Two program, before moving up to Arkansas State in 2025.
Now listed as a four-star transfer, Sigler comes to Auburn after a productive season in which he finished with 17 tackles and five sacks.
“I want to come in and not just be the most dominant in the country, but I also want to come in and help the younger guys be able to grow and be able to get a chance whenever it's their turn,” Sigler said on Monday. “There's no drop-off or anything.
I feel like that's how it's been ever since I got here. Every day is competing no matter who it is.
I also just want to be the guy that, whenever stuff's going south, I want to be able to go in there and get this team back to where it needs to be.”
Auburn’s defensive line is one of the spots the Tigers had to rebuild with transfers, and Sigler is expected to be the centerpiece of that group. He’ll be paired with former five-star edge rusher Da’Shawn Womack, who is still chasing his breakout year.
The Tigers are leaning heavily on transfers on offense this season, with only one starter from last year returning to a starting role in 2026. On defense, the personnel has stayed mostly intact, but Sigler is one of the new additions who could change the ceiling of the unit.
If he plays anywhere close to the level PFF believes he can reach, Auburn gets more than just a disruptive interior lineman. It gets a tone-setter who could help lift the defense and, with a high-efficiency offense alongside it, make the Tigers a tougher matchup in some of the year’s most difficult games.
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Auburns First Full-Pad Practice Raised One Big Question On Offense
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Bryson Washington Is Giving Auburn A Camp Decision To Make
Bryson Washington has steadily worked his way back into the mix since arriving from Baylor, and Auburns preseason camp has given the Tigers a clearer look at what the transfer running back can offer. An injury kept him from doing much in the spring, but he has started to show more of the experience and production that made him an intriguing addition, and running backs coach Larry Porter has pointed to both as reasons Washington could keep climbing as camp goes on.
For now, Auburn is still sorting out its backfield pecking order, with Jeremiah Cobb and Omar Mabson getting the first crack ahead of him. Washingtons challenge is to turn a late start into a real push before the season begins, especially with camp reps being the main proving ground for a player trying to force his way into the rotation. [Read more 🡒]