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One player who could have the biggest opportunity in the wake of Truesdell's departure is one of the newest members of the defense-but also one of the most experienced ones. UAB transfer Tony Fair is 25 years old, making him the oldest member of Auburn's defense, and the 6-foot-1, 330-pounder has his share of experience from the last several seasons. His college career started at Indiana State in 2015, but an injury forced him out until the 2017 season, when he reemerged at Pima Community College in Arizona. There, Fair racked up 144 tackles in two seasons before transferring to UAB, where he spent the last two seasons and played in 23 games, with 57 total tackles, eight for a loss and a pair of sacks. "Tony came in, I was like, everybody said he was good, but when I looked at him, he's pretty big," Hall said. "Not trying to be funny, but it's just his size. I didn't think he could move as well as he does. He's quick, he's got tremendous speed for his size. So just the way he moves and just his ability to shed blocks and move tackles and just the way he conducts himself on the field, he definitely knows how to play football."

Given that size and experience, Fair seems like a natural fit to slot into the nose tackle spot in Auburn's defense, as defensive lineman Colby Wooden described him as a "big nose-plugger" who can create knock-back at the point of attack and is "guaranteed" to take on two blockers. "He moves better than what he looks like, which was a surprise to me," Wooden said. "He doesn't ask for much. He's going to give you his all. Plus, he's very good at the point of attack as well as defeating a block and rushing the quarterback." - Birmingham News

(DS#70 DT) rSr/2022

DT Tony Fair, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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08/16/21 - Marcus Harris, rSr/2024, Auburn, 6-2, 304 (DS#18 DT) + More +

Derek Mason knew what to expect from defensive lineman Marcus Harris. All he had to do was turn on the tape. The former Kansas standout, through the first three practices of fall camp, has been everything Mason and the rest of Auburn's defensive staff hoped for up front, and the Montgomery native has been one of the early standouts of the preseason for the Tigers' defense. "Marcus has been as advertised," Mason said. "He's a young man from Montgomery who is quick, explosive, strong. His motor runs." Harris was one of 10 transfer portal additions for Auburn this offseason and one of seven to join the Tigers on the defensive side of the ball. A former three-star prospect, Harris signed with Kansas in 2019 and appeared in two games that season while taking a redshirt.

Fast forward a year, and Harris emerged as Kansas' most disruptive defensive lineman. He appeared in eight of the Jayhawks' nine games, making five starts up front and totaling 32 tackles, including a team-high 7.5 for a loss and a forced fumble before hitting the transfer portal in mid-May. He committed to Auburn less than two weeks later, bringing some versatile depth to the team's defensive line. He's one of three defensive line transfers for Auburn, along with defensive tackle Tony Fair and edge defender Eku Leota. - Birmingham News

(DS#18 DT) rSr/2024

DT Marcus Harris, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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08/13/21 - *Tank Bigsby, Jr/2023, Auburn, 6-0, 215 (DS#8 RB) + More +

Tank Bigsby's first season of college football was one for the books. The gem of Auburn's 2020 signing class put together a masterful debut campaign, rushing for 834 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games, averaging 6.01 yards per carry. It was one of the best freshman seasons for a running back in Auburn history, trailing only Michael Dyer's 1,093-yard season in 2010. The accolades rolled in for Bigsby last season. He was the SEC Freshman of the Year and made first-team SEC All-Freshman team. He made second-team All-SEC, and some outlets offered him a nod on their All-America teams.

The expectation is that Bigsby is just getting started. "Tank, he's a really, really good football player, and he has improved way - like, what y'all seen last year, he was still a freshman," fellow running back Shaun Shivers said. "But now, he grew up. He's looking way better than he looked last year." Bigsby enters his sophomore season regarded as one of the top running backs in all of college football. He was named to the preseason All-SEC first team, and he landed on the preseason watch lists for four different national awards: the Doak Walker Award, which goes to the nation's top running back; the Paul Hornung Away, which goes to the most versatile player in college football; and the Walter Camp Award and Maxwell Award, both of which go to the best player in the country. - Birmingham News

(DS#8 RB) Jr/2023

RB *Tank Bigsby, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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08/09/21 - Smoke Monday, rSr/2022, Auburn, 6-2, 207 (DS#7 FS) + More +

It seems like Auburn safety Smoke Monday's college career has nearly gone by in the blink of an eye. Monday told reporters on Friday it seemed like just yesterday he was one of the newcomers trying to fit in as a true freshman in 2018. Now, Monday finds himself as the most-experienced member of the Auburn secondary and among the true leaders on either side of the ball. That transition may have come quickly for Monday, but the senior is embracing his new role with open arms. "It feels weird because I had a lot of guys here when I first got here that taught me a lot. I didn't think I would be in this position so quickly, but by learning so much from the other guys who were here - that were older than me and taught me so much - it just feels good to be that older guy in the room," Monday said. "My goal is just to basically teach them everything that I've learned since I've been here and just play my ball. Just do my job. By doing my job, I can help a lot of guys do their job."

Monday's status as one of the examples Auburn's new coaches want others to follow is a hard-earned one. Monday stood out in the back end of the Tigers' defense in 2020 and earned second team All-SEC honors after racking up 73 tackles, five defended passes, one interception and one forced fumble. He delivered his share of big plays last fall, which included a game-changing 100-yard pick-six against Tennessee on Nov. 21. A lot has changed around the Auburn program since last December when Gus Malzahn and his staff were fired, but Monday explained he did his part to keep a level head throughout it all. He pointed out his coaches since rec ball have taught him that change is inevitable; besides, he had teammates watching how he navigated the situation. - Opelika-Auburn News

(DS#7 FS) rSr/2022

FS Smoke Monday, Auburn
News Source: Opelika-Auburn News
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08/09/21 - Brandon Council, rSr/2023, Auburn, 6-3, 302 (DS#53 OG) + More +

The start of Auburn's highly-anticipated fall camp finally arrived Friday morning with the first of two practice sessions. The Tigers are splitting up the work between the veterans and the newcomers to open the 25-practice camp in preparation for their season opener on Sept. 4. The media was allowed to watch roughly 20 minutes of Friday's opening session. Here were the biggest takeaways from what we saw: The Tigers' sported an interesting front five on the offensive line Friday. Auburn's first-team offensive line consisted of left tackle Austin Troxell, left guard Tashawn Manning, center Nick Brahms, right guard Brandon Council and right tackle Brodarius Hamm. There was plenty of movement among those players as practice continued, as Hamm and Manning also ran with the second teamers alongside right guard Kameron Stutts, center Avery Jernigan and left tackle Kilian Zierer.

Council's status entering fall camp was one of the major questions surrounding the Tigers. A transfer from Akron, Council worked his way into a starting role in 2020 before suffering a season-ending knee injury against Ole Miss on Oct. 24. Council's offseason later included shoulder surgery. Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin spoke about Council's availability on Thursday. "He's not limited out there at practice. I think we understand that he hasn't had the amount of practice time that other guys have, so he's going to go. He's going to be able to go out there and cut loose," Harsin said. "We're going to have to do a good job of allowing him to build into a few things that he hasn't done in a while. Other than that, it's really kind of based on how he feels and how he looks, how he responds after each practice." - Opelika-Auburn News

(DS#53 OG) rSr/2023

OG Brandon Council, Auburn
News Source: Opelika-Auburn News
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08/09/21 - Brandon Council, rSr/2023, Auburn, 6-3, 302 (DS#53 OG) + More +

One of Auburn's most experienced and consistent offensive linemen will have no limitations in practice when the team opens fall camp Friday. Brandon Council has been fully cleared to practice this fall, according to head coach Bryan Harsin. Council was sidelined this spring while recovering from a tore ACL he sustained midway through last season, as well as an offseason shoulder issue. "As far as Council goes, he's not limited out there at practice," Harsin said. "… He's going to be able to go out there and cut loose. We're going to have to do a good job of allowing him to build into a few things that he hasn't done in a while. Other than that, it's really kind of based on how he feels and how he looks, how he responds after each practice, what his recovery time is." Council's return without limitations is promising news for Auburn up front, and how quickly he returns to form could hold the key to unlocking the Tigers' best five-man lineup along the offensive line. - Birmingham News

(DS#53 OG) rSr/2023

OG Brandon Council, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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08/08/21 - Elijah McAllister, rSr/2024, Auburn, 6-7, 271 (DS#74 DE) + More +

Senior linebacker Elijah McAllister showed promise during his sophomore year in 2019. He was second on the team with 2.5 sacks and fifth with 4.5 tackles for loss (with 34 yards of lost yardage, second on the team). But he missed the entire 2020 season with an injury. If he can stay healthy, he has the ability to wreak havoc on the edge. - Tennessean

(DS#74 DE) rSr/2024

DE Elijah McAllister, Auburn
News Source: Tennessean
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08/07/21 - Demetris Robertson, rSr/2022, Auburn, 6-0, 183 (DS#47 WR) + More +

Auburn added 10 players through the transfer portal this offseason, but one of those additions has yet to arrive on campus as the team reports for the start of fall camp. Former Georgia wide receiver Demetris Robertson has not yet joined the team, Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said Thursday, but that is expected to change imminently. According to Harsin, Robertson is still wrapping up a few thing from an academic standpoint to finish up his undergraduate degree at Georgia. Harsin said the former five-star prospect could arrive on the Plains as early as Friday when the Tigers hit the field for their first of 25 fall practices. That means that, while he has yet to report to the team, Robertson could still conceivably not miss a practice with his new team.

"In his situation, he will (be at Auburn)," Harsin said. "He's right there. No, he's going to be here today, but he's very close, I'll just say that.... Just from an academic standpoint, making sure we have everything all buttoned up and good to go once he gets here. We anticipate that to be very soon, hopefully tomorrow, and have him out there for practice. If not, the next couple days. "But he's close, he's been working hard, he's staying on top of it. I appreciate that about him. It's very important to him. He's an older player, he's mature. So those things - we all feel very good. But like everybody, we just want to get him here and get him started as fast as possible. We're hoping that tomorrow we'll get a chance to do that." - Birmingham News

(DS#47 WR) rSr/2022

WR Demetris Robertson, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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08/05/21 - Jaylin Simpson, rSr/2024, Auburn, 6-0, 179 (DS#7 FS) + More +

Auburn's secondary could be the toughest group to project from a personnel standpoint just because of what the team brings back in terms of returning production and what it added this offseason. Senior Smoke Monday is all but assured of locking down one of the starting safety spots, while the same can be said for senior Roger McCreary at corner. The other three main positions at safety, corner and nickel should be up for grabs in fall camp, and there is no shortage of options for the Tigers at each spot.

Nehemiah Pritchett and Jaylin Simpson both saw ample playing time at corner last season, with Simpson earning the starting job in fall camp but Pritchett starting every game but the season opener opposite McCreary due to an early-season injury sustained by Simpson. Those two will be competing for the job with West Virginia transfer Dreshun Miller, who led the Mountainers' top-ranked pass defense with eight pass breakups last season. JUCO transfer Ro Torrence, another one of Auburn's offseason additions, could work his way into the rotation as well. Simpson ended spring practices as the projected starter at corner, but that was before Miller arrived on campus. Pritchett can also move inside and play nickel, and if he doesn't lock down a spot at corner, he could be one of several options in the slot for Auburn, as Zion Puckett and Ladarius Tennison - who spent the spring working mostly at safety - as well as JUCO transfer Bydarrius Knighten are all capable of competing for reps there. - Birmingham News

(DS#7 FS) rSr/2024

FS Jaylin Simpson, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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08/04/21 - Demetris Robertson, rSr/2022, Auburn, 6-0, 183 (DS#47 WR) + More +

Auburn added three transfers from SEC schools this offseason, but Robertson is the one who likely has the best chance to play a significant role this season. Robertson showed flashes during his three years at Georgia but never lived up to the hype created by his freshman season at California in 2016, when he earned Freshman All-American honors after reeling in 50 passes for 767 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He left the Bulldogs this offseason after recording 42 receptions for 443 yards and three touchdowns over three seasons.

Robertson joins an Auburn receiving corps totally lacking experience; the returning leaders in receptions from last fall are Kobe Hudson and Ze'Vian Capers, who each had seven over 11 games as true freshmen. The Tigers do have talent at the position, but there's a clear window for Robertson to step in and use his standout speed to earn considerable playing time. - Opelika-Auburn News

(DS#47 WR) rSr/2022

WR Demetris Robertson, Auburn
News Source: Opelika-Auburn News
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08/03/21 - John Samuel Shenker, rSr/2023, Auburn, 6-3, 242 (DS#39 TE) + More +

Production from the tight end position has been scant at Auburn in recent years, as the Tigers haven't had a tight end finish the season with at least 10 receptions since 2014, when C.J. Uzomah had 11 catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns. Shenker came closest to that mark last year, when he had nine catches for 97 yards-but that production paled in comparison to what tight ends have done in Harsin's offenses.

In each of Harsin's seven seasons as head coach at Boise State, the Broncos had two tight ends finish with double-digit receptions. During his tenure, the Broncos also produced four tight ends who finished a season with at least 20 catches, three of whom eclipsed the 30-catch mark in a season. That's the kind of involvement Auburn could expect to see from the position this fall. It's just a matter of who will be the biggest beneficiary of it. Shenker returns as the Tigers' most experienced player at the position, with 36 games and 14 starts under his belt. He spent the spring focusing most of his time on baseball, but he will factor into the starting role for the Tigers this fall. - Birmingham News

(DS#39 TE) rSr/2023

TE John Samuel Shenker, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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08/01/21 - *Tank Bigsby, Jr/2023, Auburn, 6-0, 215 (DS#8 RB) + More +

Seven Auburn players were named to preseason watch lists for 13 different national college football awards over the last 12 days as the 2021 season inches closer and closer. Leading the way among preseason nominees was running back Tank Bigsby, who landed on four different watch lists. The sophomore, who last week picked up preseason first-team All-SEC honors, was named to the watch lists for the Doak Walker Award for nation's top running back, the Hornung Award for nation's most versatile player, Walter Camp Award for player of the year and Maxwell Award for player of the year. Auburn quarterback Bo Nix was also named to the Maxwell Award watch list. Bigsby is coming off an impressive freshman campaign in which he rushed for 834 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 6.04 yards per carry and added another 306 yards on kickoff returns. He is widely regarded as one of the top running backs in college football entering his sophomore season. - Birmingham News

(DS#8 RB) Jr/2023

RB *Tank Bigsby, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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07/28/21 - Jay Hardy, rSr/2026, Auburn, 6-3, 301 (DS#197 DT) + More +

Former Auburn defensive lineman Jay Hardy is heading to Liberty. The former four-star prospect, who entered the transfer portal May 3, announced on his Instagram account that he will be transferring to Liberty. Hardy appeared in just one game last season -- Auburn's season-ending loss to Northwestern in the Citrus Bowl -- and while he went through spring practices with the Tigers, he was one of several players who did not participate in A-Day. Hardy, originally from Chattanooga, Tenn., was rated as the No. 101 overall prospect in the 2020 class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. The 6-foot-4, 299-pounder was considered the No. 13 defensive tackle in the nation coming out of high school and the third-best player from Tennessee. - Birmingham News

(DS#197 DT) rSr/2026

DT Jay Hardy, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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07/28/21 - Morris Joseph Jr., rSr/2023, Auburn, 6-1, 280 (DS#88 DT) + More +

How good can Morris Joseph be for Memphis this season? Ask coach Ryan Silverfield and there's a high ceiling for Joseph's potential. "I truly believe Morris Joseph has a chance to be the best defensive linemen in this conference," Silverfield said in March. The praise was well earned after Joseph had seven sacks last season, tied for the most of any returning AAC player. It was a breakout season for the junior, who finished with 10 1/2 tackles for loss. He didn't practice in the spring due to a shoulder injury. Now that he's healthy, he'll need to meet Silverfield's lofty expectations after Memphis lost two longtime stalwarts on the defensive line. - Memphis Commercial Appeal

(DS#88 DT) rSr/2023

DT Morris Joseph Jr., Auburn
News Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal
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07/26/21 - *Tank Bigsby, Jr/2023, Auburn, 6-0, 215 (DS#8 RB) + More +

Auburn fans know Tank Bigsby has the potential to be a star. The word's getting out among the SEC media. Bigsby and veteran center Nick Brahms both earned first-team honors among the preseason All-SEC picks made by the media this week at SEC Media Days, leading the 10 Auburn selections. Linebacker Zakoby McClain and defensive back Smoke Monday were both named second-team picks. Bigsby was also listed as a second-team all-purpose pick. Auburn landed five third-team selections, namely Bo Nix on offense, Derick Hall, Owen Pappoe and Roger McCreary on defense, and kicker Anders Carlson on special teams. Rival Alabama led the way in preseason All-SEC voting with 16 representatives making the team, including eight on the first-team. Auburn tied Georgia for the second-most total selections with 10. Texas A&M had seven. - Opelika-Auburn News

(DS#8 RB) Jr/2023

RB *Tank Bigsby, Auburn
News Source: Opelika-Auburn News
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