One of the few problems holding Auburn football back in 2025 was turnovers.
Last season, the defense ranked 104th in turnovers forced with 13, while the Tigers had a minus-nine turnover margin, placing them 120th out of 134 FBS teams.
DJ Durkin, the defensive coordinator, is still emphasizing playing more aggressively this season, even if Auburn’s offense played a significant role in destroying the team’s turnover margin.
Durkin told reporters last Wednesday, “I felt we did emphasize it, but we didn’t emphasize it enough, didn’t do a good job with it.” Since it has the closest correlation to victories and losses of anything, we must do our part to take the ball away.
Declaring that you wish to increase turnovers is only one aspect of the situation. How will Auburn carry that out on the field?
Pressuring the quarterback is one tactic that Durkin and senior safety Jahquez Robinson highlighted. Auburn was already proficient in that area the previous season, but throughout preseason camp, they appeared to be at the top of their game.
“The quarterbacks don’t have a lot of time to just look off and stuff like that because we have a very good D-line,” Robinson said. We can take the ball away much more if we just apply pressure.
Keldric Faulk, a junior defensive end, is probably going to spearhead that endeavor. According to Pro Football Focus, his 45 pressures in 2024 placed him eighth in the SEC, and he is expected to be selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Auburn’s defense benefited from having a strong pass rusher opposite Faulk last season. In 2024, Jalen McLeod finished tied with Faulk in sacks with seven, despite recording 32 pressures.
Since McLeod is currently a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, someone else will need to provide that output. Chris Murray and Keyron Crawford appear to be the best candidates for that position; Crawford was an excellent pass-rushing choice for Auburn the previous season.
On the plus side, Auburn’s pass rush has performed admirably during preseason training. There is assurance that the defense can fulfill at least one of the requirements to cause more turnovers this season when there is consistent performance from the ends and a steady rotation of new players inside.
The downfield coverage is an additional box to check. Auburn will be strong in that area in 2025, according to Camp’s explanations. Throughout the preseason, the secondary, anchored by corners Jay Crawford and Kayin Lee, has been perhaps the team’s strongest unit.
Their ball skills have also shown themselves, in addition to the excellent coverage. Interceptions should increase if you combine strong ball skills from your corners with the need for opposition quarterbacks to accelerate throws.
The corners are playing with an aggressive mindset and attempting to force turnovers, which is something cornerbacks coach Wesley McGriff is attempting to inculcate in the group, in addition to their skills on the field.
McGriff stated that it’s one of those situations where you need to take a break from the plan in order to concentrate on shots on the ball and taking the ball away. In my opinion, we do a fantastic job of highlighting in a variety of ways, and we never allow a day pass without discussing takeaways.
McGriff also explained how he uses meetings, practice, and film to highlight key insights with the group.
McGriff said, “You drill it.” You highlight it in a meeting once they understand it in practice. You show them NFL takeaways in the form of clips. Show them the chances that were lost. Instead of beating them up, you coach them.
Nine days remain until Auburn’s first opportunity to demonstrate whether or not it can increase its turnover margin. Next Friday, the Tigers will play Baylor in Waco to kick off the 2025 season. The game will air on FOX and is set to start at 7 p.m. CT.
For AL.com, Peter Rauterkus writes about Auburn athletics. You may email him at [email protected] or follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus.
