While previewing the 2024 NCAA Men's Golf Tournament, the commentators on The Golf Channel mentioned Auburn as one of the most underrated No. 1 overall seeds that there has ever been.

That's just fine with Jackson Koivun, the Auburn freshman and SEC individual champion.

"They say we're a little flying under the radar, and I think we are," he said. "I think Vanderbilt and UNC get talked about a lot, even if they're ranked number two and three, and obviously, they're great teams, but I think we still have to earn that number one spot."

The Tigers enter the tournament on a roll, winners of five straight tournaments, including this past weekend's SEC Tournament, where they defeated the Commodores 3-2 on Sunday. For head coach Nick Clinard, the message to the team will be about keeping that edge despite a long layoff before tourney play begins on May 13th. The coach knows where the strength of his team lies.

"We got incredible depth," Clinard said. "We have some guys that can flat-out play, and they could play in a lot of different places throughout the country. I believe iron sharpens iron, and they push each other. They've challenged each other, they've encouraged each other, they've supported each other, and it's really, really helped us, I think, as we've evolved as a team throughout the year. Their connectivity is phenomenal as well, which I think the more connected you are, the more committed you are."

Koivun isn't the only freshman who has made an impact for the Tigers. Josiah Gilbert, originally from Australia, took down Vanderbilt's Gordon Sargent, an NCAA medalist last season, 4-up to clinch the conference title for the Tigers on Sunday. It's a far cry from where he was when he arrived at Auburn.

"I think he's just kind of figured out who he is as a typical freshman, and he's figured out who he is, becoming his own man," Clinard said of Gilbert. "He's learning how to practice, learning how to prepare, just everything, being a student athlete, being an 18-year-old kid and he's really kind coming into his own."

The Tigers travel to Baton Rouge, where they will compete against 13 other teams at the University Club looking for a spot in the national championships in Carlsbad, Calif., on May 24th. The other teams in the regional are Virginia, Texas Tech, Oregon, Duke, Ohio State, LSU, Louisville, Houston, South Carolina, Lipscomb, Yale, Loyola Maryland and Arkansas Pine-Bluff.