AUBURN | Just halfway through spring practice and JD Rhym is already turning heads.

The true freshman cornerback was singled out by head coach Bryan Harsin and veteran defensive lineman Marcus Harris following a big hit during an 11-on-11 drill last week.

“The other day we had a little bit of a live period, a goal-line period, and he came up and was really physical,” said Harsin. “He went in there and stuck his shoulder on the ball and caused a fumble and made a big play.”

What’s surprised Harsin and Auburn’s players the most about Rhym is his toughness. Most true freshmen aren’t ready to jump right in and mix it up physically with SEC veterans.

“He just came up and stuck the running back,” said defensive lineman Marcus Harris. “I was like, 'Dang, he made him fumble.' I wasn't expecting that from a cornerback, especially a freshman cornerback coming in. He wasn't afraid of the moment.

“We were in goal line, and he knows how we are on goal line — we don't let the offense in on goal line. And he stepped up and made a tremendous play.”

It’s a little unusual for a defensive lineman to notice what a defensive back, especially a true freshman, is doing in practice. But Harris can’t help but also be impressed by Rhym's cover skills.

“And just, his ball-hawk skills — we see him picking plays off during team period,” Harris said. “I'm so amazed, because, like, I just think about me coming as a freshman and how nervous I would be. It seems like he's just ready for the moment.”

But not everyone on the practice field has been surprised by Rhym. Defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge knew exactly what he was getting from the January enrollee as soon as he saw his high school tape.

“He kind of understands the game of football. He's well coached down in south Georgia, and done a lot of good things down there. So when you saw it on tape, what he's done from a physicality standpoint, you knew what you was getting from him,” said Etheridge.

“Now I'm just fine-tuning his craft and making sure he understands the importance of the small details and why that's important on the backend, that you can't get away with what you did in high school. So him moving around, he's swimming a little bit, but we're just trying to train him as much as we can to be effective, to be able to help us this fall."

In addition to playing cornerback, Rhym is also getting reps at nickel.

Auburn held its eighth of 15 practices Monday. The A-Day game is Saturday, April 9 at 1 p.m. on SECN+/ESPN+.