AUBURN | Jalen McLeod quickly became Auburn’s top pass rusher after transferring from Appalachian State last year.

He’s determined to be even better this season and set himself up for a career in the NFL.

“Every day I wake, my mindset is on pro,” said McLeod. “How can I become a better player every day? That’s definitely the end goal after Auburn.”

McLeod, 6-foot-1 and 236 pounds, had 50 tackles, 10.5 tackles-for-loss and 5.5 sacks last season.

Auburn outside linebacker coach Josh Aldridge is convinced he can take a big step forward this fall, especially under the attacking-style of new defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin.

“I don’t think people understand how banged up he was the entire season. You watch him play against Georgia and he looked awesome, and they’ve got the best O-line in the country. As the year went on, he got more healthy and made more plays,” said Aldridge.

"I think he has an opportunity to be a featured guy in our defense and make a lot of plays. You look at Coach Durkin, he led the SEC in sacks last year and was up there in TFL’s in the country. Those edge pieces were a huge part of that. So I’m really excited for Jalen.”

One of McLeod’s biggest goals during the offseason was to add to his pass-rushing repertoire.

“Counter rushing because everybody knows I’m a speed rusher,” said McLeod. So I’ve got to work on speed to power. Counter when my speed doesn’t work — that’s the main goal. And getting sacks on first and second down. A lot of people get sacks on third down. But when you want the big numbers, you’ve got to get sacks on first and second down.”

McLeod is also excited about the defensive line and pass-rushing additions Auburn made in the offseason that should benefit him and the entire defense.

“Definitely more talented,” said McLeod. “This class is so talented. They’re young, but I haven’t been in a room with so much talent in all my years of playing college football. I wish I had more years to play with them."

Auburn opens the season against Alabama A&M Aug. 31. Kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+/SECN+.