Five seniors who will be crucial for Auburn

Auburn's senior class is filled with talented, veteran players who are key figures on this Auburn football team, on and off the field. Taking a look at five (six) who will end up being crucial for Auburn this fall:

NOTE: This is part four of a series looking at players in each class (Freshman, Sophomore, etc.). Players class is determined by what Auburn lists them as on the athletics website, not how long they've been on campus. I.e. Jayson Jones, who transferred in and is listed as a sophomore by Auburn is treated as a sophomore in this piece.

Derick Hall and Eku Leota — EDGE

Getting both EDGE rushers Derick Hall and Eku Leota back is a problem... for opposing defenses. Hall took a step forward last year and Leota transferred in and the two quickly built chemistry attacking the quarterback.

Hall racked up 52 tackles, nine sacks and two forced fumbles. Had he gone to the NFL Draft he probably could've been selected, but instead, he opted to return and has stepped up as the leader of not just the EDGE group or the defense, but the team as a whole. He's a passionate, vocal character in the locker room and on the field.

Opposite him is Leota, who had 23 tackles, seven sacks and a forced fumble. The two back for another year, with a more aggressive defensive coordinator in Jeff Schmedding should prove to be fun to watch this fall.

"Those two guys, they played for us, and I think those two guys have had a really good spring," Bryan Harsin said. "From the standpoint of coaching both those players, they're going to give you great effort. They're always going to work hard. I think they feed off each other.

"Derick's a tremendous leader. Eku is a guy that has really done a great job. So those two guys in particular are showing up every single day — weight room, football field, you name it."

Shedrick Jackson — WR

After a combined 10 career catches in his first three seasons on the Plains, Jackson broke out and was second on the team in both receptions and yardage with 40 and 527, respectively.

In a young wide receiver room, getting Jackson back for a fifth year to help lead the room was a major boost for Auburn.

Jackson isn't the fastest receiver out there, but is a plus blocker who's shown improvement in his route running and catching abilities to go alongside his 6-foot-2 frame.

Offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau described him as the "glue guy" of the WR room, and Auburn will be counting on him to do that and make some big plays this fall.

Nehemiah Pritchett — CB

Another CB who's being counted on to help replace the Roger McCreary void, Nehemiah Pritchett played a little nickel and on the outside last year as Auburn tried to find any way to get him, McCreary and Jaylin Simpson on the field all at once.

Now Pritchett should be able to play mostly on the outside and have a chance to establish himself as Auburn's next top corner.

In 2020 Pritchett had 25 tackles, 10 passes deflected and an interception. He was working his way onto mock drafts before the 2021 season started. His stock dipped a little in 2021, though, but he still put up 27 tackles, five passes deflected and an interception.

There's no reason that with a season as Auburn's CB1 he can't work his way back up and become the next Auburn corner to be drafted.

John Samuel Shenker — TE

Auburn got a double dose of good news this spring when John Samuel Shenker announced his plan to return for a fifth year and that he'd be playing football this spring, rather than playing baseball like he had the past two years.

It's not like the record-breaking tight end really needed to go through spring practice, but that added time and work with the offense certainly can't hurt him as he looks to one-up his 2021 campaign.

Shenker caught a combined 15 passes his first three years at Auburn and promptly blew that out of the water last year with 33 receptions for 413 yards.

The tight end room is extremely deep so there's not a ton of pressure on Shenker, but "'Ole Reliable" should be on the field plenty this fall to help compliment the offense.

Owen Pappoe — LB

Zakoby McClain and Chandler Wooten are gone, so all the pressure falls to Owen Pappoe to lead the linebacker room this fall.

Pappoe was a standout as a freshman and racked up 93 tackles in 2020, but injuries derailed his 2021 season and he wasn't the same player when he tried to return before being shut down for the season.

To clear things up and try and get him back to full health, Pappoe opted to have an offseason procedure done and missed spring practice. Getting him back and healthy will end up being a key part of Auburn's defense this fall.

Cam Riley and Wesley Steiner have shown improvements, plus you add in transfer Eugene Asante, but Auburn needs Pappoe to command that room.