Maryland’s decision to move on from Mike Locksley could ripple farther than it first appears, and Auburn is one of the places where the effects could be felt.
The two programs already crossed paths in the Music City Bowl to finish the 2023 season, but the connection runs deeper than that one meeting in Nashville. Auburn has been making inroads in Maryland recruiting, even if the Terrapins have taken a different approach to building their roster.
That work has already paid off in Auburn’s 2027 class. The Tigers have commitments from three Maryland prospects: 4-star DeMatha Catholic EDGE James Pace III, 4-star Henry E.
Lackey defensive lineman Tyzon Swann and St. Frances Academy safety James Branch.
A major reason for that is DJ Durkin. Auburn’s defensive coordinator spent 2016 through 2018 at Maryland, and those ties still matter. Durkin has roots in College Park and the surrounding area, and he has carried those relationships to Auburn.
That is why a Maryland return for Durkin is at least worth watching. Could he turn his time as Auburn’s defensive coordinator into another shot at being a head coach with the Terrapins?
It would be his only full-time head coaching opportunity so far. He also likely makes too much money now to simply step back into a coordinator role.
If Maryland came calling, it would not be a stretch to think Pace, Swann and Branch could follow him out of Auburn. Their connections to Durkin are obvious, and the fit would make sense from Maryland’s side too.
The challenge, of course, is that the state’s top recruits have not had much reason to stay home recently. Durkin could try to change that by leaning on Auburn’s 2024 and 2025 defensive results and selling those players on keeping their talent in the Old Line State.
Locksley’s run at Maryland was more successful than Durkin’s, and it also came after Matt Canada’s difficult one-year stint as interim head coach. Durkin may be better equipped for a second pass at the job, but his first tenure also comes with major controversies that could complicate any return.
Locksley, meanwhile, brings his own appeal for Auburn if the Tigers need to reshuffle their staff. He has deep roots in Maryland recruiting, and he also spent three years on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff, along with a stint in Florida in the early aughts.
If Auburn coach Alex Golesh needs to replace either Kodi Burns or Larry Porter during the next coaching cycle, Locksley would be a name to keep in mind. Burns has done strong work with the wide receivers, especially the USF transfers, in his third stint at Auburn, while Porter has handled the running backs well in his second go-round with the Tigers.
Should one of them leave for another job, Locksley would be an interesting option because of the recruiting path he has already built.
In Other News...
LSU Faces A Dangerous Road Test Auburn Is Built To Exploit
LSU heads to Auburn for an SEC matchup that already has the feel of a stress test for both sides. The Tigers are still carrying the energy from Auburns upset over Georgia, and both coaching staffs have acknowledged how hard it can be to keep that emotional edge once the next week arrives. For LSU, the setting matters almost as much as the opponent, because recent SEC road trips have been a problem and this one lands in a place where Auburn should have a crowd fully behind it.
The numbers point to LSU as the steadier team on paper, with advantages in several offensive and defensive categories, but the trip to Jordan-Hare has a way of shrinking those edges. Auburn does not need to be perfect at home to make life uncomfortable, especially when the atmosphere is already primed after a signature win. For LSU, the challenge is turning statistical superiority into a road performance, and for Auburn, it is about using the home-field surge before the emotional letdown has a chance to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Still Waiting On Key Signee As Eligibility Fight Drags On
Auburns exhibition matchup with Alabama in Birmingham is already feeling the effects of a legal fight that has pushed back the arrival of international signee Mantas Rubtaviius. The delay in the lawsuit between Rubtaviius and the NCAA means he remains unavailable for the game, leaving Auburn to move forward without one of the newcomers it was counting on this fall.
Rubtaviius situation has become a reminder that roster building does not always move on a clean timetable, especially when eligibility questions are still tied up in court. For Auburn, the bigger concern is simple: a player expected to be part of the mix is still stuck in limbo, and there is no clear resolution yet as the Tigers prepare for the next step of their preseason schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Is Giving Jordan-Hare An Extra Edge For LSU
Jordan-Hare Stadium is set to sound a little different for Auburns next home test. The university plans to amplify the crowd atmosphere for Saturdays matchup with No. 18 LSU by using microphones for the marching band and field-level speakers, a move aimed at turning an already charged setting into something even more difficult for the visitors to navigate.
It comes on the heels of Auburns upset of No. 1 Georgia, which only sharpened the anticipation around another major home stage. The LSU game is set for 11 a.m. Central on ABC, and with kickoff coming early in the day, Auburn is clearly looking for every possible edge to make Jordan-Hare feel as loud as it can from the start. [Read more 🡒]