Faulk 'gonna be special’

AUBURN | Jeremy Garrett isn’t Keldric Faulk’s position coach, but he can’t help noticing the true freshman Jack linebacker.

Faulk, an early enrollee, has being turning heads during the first half of Auburn's spring drills.

“I don't think he realizes how good he can actually be. He's just coming in to work,” said Garrett, AU’s defensive line coach. “He's not listening to anybody telling him how good he is or anything like that.

“He's coming in, he's studying. He's working hard. He's trying to learn. He's out there early walking through techniques. I just think the kid's gonna be special, has a bright future as he keeps progressing.”

The first thing you notice about Faulk when he steps out on the practice field is his size at 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds.

“He's just a young kid right now, but he's what they're supposed to look like,” said AU coach Hugh Freeze.

But it’s when Faulk starts competing in drills against veteran offensive linemen that he really stands out.

“He's special. He's special,” said defensive end Jeffrey M’Ba. “I watch him. The way he plays, he plays hard. He gives everything he's got every single time.

“I don't even think he's lost one 1-on-1. No, he hasn't lost. No 1-on-1. That tells you how good he is. He's not afraid to line up against anybody. All he thinks about is being great. Being around a kid like this is cool.”

Faulk is making a strong push to be Auburn’s starting Jack linebacker coming out of spring. The position also includes Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister, true freshman Brenton Williams and sophomore Dylan Brooks.

It’s an area Auburn could look to firm up via the transfer portal in May.

"We need to recruit more. We're not where we need to be in rushing the passer,” said Freeze. “We certainly will improve our guys, but we've got to get better at that spot, for sure.”

Auburn will hold its second scrimmage of the spring Friday afternoon. The A-Day game is April 8.