Auburn’s pass-rush depth took another hit this week, with head coach Alex Golesh saying sophomore linebacker J.J. Faulk is likely out for the regular season after collarbone surgery.
“J.J. Faulk had surgery today,” Golesh said on Wednesday.
“The hope is that towards the end of the season, end of November or December, we would have him. So as of right now, he would be out for the regular season, which stinks, but I feel for him and he has worked hard to put himself in a position to play.
Other than that, in terms of anything serious, there is not anything, other than what we have already announced.”
That leaves Auburn without one half of the Faulk family on the field for now. Keldric Faulk, J.J.’s older brother, is off to the NFL after a standout run with the Tigers, while J.J. may have to wait until late in the year to get back into the mix.
J.J. Faulk appeared in only three games last season and finished with four tackles. He and his brother both spent the year at edge rusher, while Keldric piled up 29 tackles, 23 solo tackles and two sacks before being taken in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The timing makes Auburn’s offseason turnover even more noticeable. The Tigers already lost a major chunk of edge-rushing production when Keldric Faulk and Keyron Crawford were both drafted, and now the younger Faulk’s injury thins that group even further.
That means more will be asked of Da’Shawn Womack, the former five-star who transferred from Ole Miss this offseason and is expected to be the main name to watch off the edge. Nate Johnson and Darrion Smith are also in line for snaps as Auburn pieces together the rotation.
Even with those losses, Auburn’s defense is still projected to be one of the SEC’s better units this season, helped by the return of several key players from last year. But for DJ Durkin’s group, losing both Faulks - even temporarily in J.J.’s case - is a real setback up front.
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