Auburn’s defense is leaning hard into flexibility, and the message from inside the program is clear: the more jobs a player can handle, the more ways the staff can get him on the field.
That approach starts with defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, according to linebackers coach Brad Wilson, who said the staff’s priority is not simply moving players around for the sake of it. The goal is to place them where they can succeed while also stressing the offense.
“Coach Durkin has done a phenomenal job of not just getting guys on the field in all these different packages but making sure they’re in the right spots,” Wilson said after the practice on Friday. “It’s always about putting guys in position to have success based on what they do well and/or what we’re trying to take advantage of from the offensive standpoint.
“They know that the more value that they bring, the more value that they create for themselves with the multiplicity in terms of the positions that they play the more opportunities that they’ll be given.”
That philosophy shows up most clearly with linebacker Bryce Deas. Officially listed as a linebacker, Deas has been deployed in a hybrid role and has lined up all over the defensive front. As a freshman in 2025, he posted 12 tackles and two tackles for loss, and he also showed he could handle coverage responsibilities against slot receivers and tight ends.
“They got me playing at SAM, MIKE, WILL and BUCK on third downs,” Deas said. “It’s pretty similar for all of them.
It’s not too bad, but I like buck, because you’re just able to pass rush. That really brings out the versatility, and it’s just so different.”
The same theme applies in the secondary with cornerback Blake Woodby, who has worked at corner, nickel and even some safety during preseason camp. Woodby, part of Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class, said he’s willing to fill whatever role the staff needs.
“It’s been great. I’m a football guy.
I’ll do anything to help the team win, and I would like to think I’m one of the best man coverage guys on the team,” Woodby said. “So, I’ve definitely been put in a position where they feel like star is good for me and outside is good for me, and whatever they need me to do, I’m going to do it.
“At star, I get to blitz. I get to play some man, also play some zone and stuff like that. Kind of always around the ball, so anything to make plays and help the team win.”
Auburn has two more weeks to settle its depth chart before the 2026 season opens against Baylor in the Aflac Kickoff game in Atlanta on Sept. 5.
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