AUBURN | Eku Leota had 23 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks as a junior last fall.

Not bad for a backup that referred to himself as a finesse rusher. He doesn’t feel that way anymore.

“Coach Roc (Bellantoni) has been helping me hone in using my speed to create power,” said Leota. “He wanted me to work on my power moves because if they don't respect your power, it's much harder to use the other moves.”

Leota, who transferred from Northwestern in 2021, worked hard in the offseason to add size and strength to his frame. Nearly 20 pounds heavier, he’s close to 260 going into Auburn’s opening game against Mercer Saturday.

He's also listed as a starter at the Stud position on AU's depth chart.

“I'm playing a lot faster and I'm just seeing things a lot faster than I did last year. And just, I feel like I really got to build some chemistry with my teammates and that was really big for me,” Leota said.

“I feel like just adding more pass rush moves to my tool belt. I feel like coach Roc has really helped me with that as well. Adding more counters. I feel like my swipe is good, but I need more counters to get to the quarterback.”

Leota is part of a veteran defense that includes All-SEC players Derick Hall, Colby Wooden and Owen Pappoe.

“My expectation is that we're going to have a lot of sacks and a lot of pressures,” said Leota. “We have a lot of pass rushers on this team. We have a secondary that can lock people up, which gives us more time to get to the quarterback. I feel like this year; we are building a lot of chemistry on the defense since the start of preseason practice.

“Getting to know your teammates is a big thing that we focused on this year. It allows us to play faster knowing that we have guys who push the pocket up front and Derick Hall on the other side rushing the quarterback. I feel like we are going to get a lot of sacks.”

Kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+/SECN+.