With any rebuilding project, there have been a lot of moving parts on the Auburn football roster, and that will continue until the Tigers take the first snap on September 2 against UMass.
Hugh Freeze and his coaching staff hit the transfer portal and recruiting trail from the very first week on the job, noticing that a big upgrade in talent is necessary if the Tigers want to compete with the top of the SEC. As a result, Auburn brought in a slew of new offensive linemen, hoping to shore up a position that has been mediocre at best in the last few seasons. And, while everyone is waiting for a possible quarterback to come out of the transfer portal before fall camp begins, the Tigers also upgraded at other positions on the field.
Here are the top five defensive newcomers (in no particular order) that Freeze and his staff have added to the Tigers since taking over the program in December.
Justin Rogers
The former 5-star recruit and player at Kentucky represents everything you want and need from a nose tackle: he takes up a lot of space, fills holes and allows his teammates to get free to make tackles. He's a crucial addition to a defensive line that lost significant production in the offseason.
"Justin Rogers is a football player," Freeze said during spring practice. "He's a handful. He's gonna be somebody that, lord willing, stays healthy, and we depend upon to be a factor in the middle."
Kayin Lee
Much like Lew, Lee has come into his first spring practice and made an argument he should receive playing time immediately. As his position coach Wesley McGriff points out, the Ellenwood, Ga., native should be getting ready for his senior prom, not catching eyes on an SEC practice field so quickly. Lee continued to make plays repeatedly in practice and, when given the opportunity on A-Day, proved he could be a shutdown cornerback.
Keldric Faulk
The last of the vaunted freshman that Freeze complimented following A-Day, Faulk is yet another newcomer that should see the field early and often.
"He's going to be a great player here," Freeze said. "Like I said earlier, it can happen as fast as he wants it."
If Faulk wants it, playing time could be his, as the Tigers lack depth at the Jack position. At 6-foot-6 and 275 lbs., he has the body of an SEC player, but getting used to the game's speed and learning the position will be essential. He can be a force in his first season if he picks up everything quickly.
Austin Keys
The Ole Miss transfer brings SEC experience to a position where the Tigers need it, as only Cam Riley and Wesley Steiner played enough in the past to consider them veterans. Another big body – 6-foot-2 and 235 lbs. – Keys is ready to step in and contribute immediately.
"Austin Keys has been everything I thought he'd be," linebackers coach Josh Aldridge said. "He's got to clean some detail stuff up. But I think we definitely did not miss on him by any means."
Mosiah Nasili-Kite
An honorable mention All-Big Ten during his time at Maryland, Nasili-Kite, like Rogers, will be counted on immediately to be a presence along the defensive line. Considered by Freeze as the one player on the line that improved the most from the start of spring practice to the end, Nasili-Kite was disruptive and, as the head coach said, "plays the game extremely passionately and hard."
