Auburn's Most Underrated Player at Each Defensive Position

The Auburn Tigers are getting ready for spring practices, with the annual A-Day game just over a month away on April 18. Spring ball is always a good chance for coaches to see their new roster in earnest for the first time and gauge who the true difference makers could be. However, there will always be players who slip through the cracks. 

Here is the most underrated player at each defensive position for the Auburn Tigers as they get ready to begin spring practices.

Defensive Line – Cody Sigler

Sigler transferred to Auburn from Arkansas State this offseason as a three-star portal player, a far cry from his initial star rating. Sigler was a zero-star recruit who committed to West Alabama, where he played for three seasons. He arrives at Auburn having started in 22 games, including 11 in his one season at Arkansas State.

Sigler is a talented run-stuffing defensive lineman who can also boast some pass rush upside, as evidenced by his 5 sacks in 2025 to go along with 35 tackles and 7 for loss. His season was strong enough to earn him a Second Team All-Sun Belt nod. In a room that lost a lot of its experienced leaders to graduation in the portal, Sigler could provide a steadying presence both on and off the field. 

Edge – Jared Smith

Smith is a former 4-Star recruit from Birmingham who appeared in 11 games for the Tigers last season, including time in SEC play against Oklahoma. He has great size for the position at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, as well as high-level athleticism and finished his freshman season with 2 sacks, tied for fourth among Auburn players in 2025.

The top players off the edge for Auburn this season are expected to be Ole Miss transfer DaShawn Womack and Missouri transfer Nate Johnson, but every team needs more than two players at the position to be successful. With a full offseason of development, Smith is primed to be a high-end rotational option with the potential to develop into a true starter if either Womack or Johnson disappoints.

Linebacker – Bryce Deas

Auburn’s linebacker room for 2026 will be headlined by the returning Xavier Atkins, Demarcus Riddick, and Elijah Melendez. However, Deas is right on the edge of competing for a role as well. He appeared in 11 games for the Tigers in 2025, including a start at Vanderbilt.

The highlight of Deas’ game is his athleticism, not shocking for the high school track letterman. However, he also improved as a true linebacker as the season progressed, getting better with more on-field reps at identifying plays and reacting. If Deas has a strong spring, I could easily see him solidifying himself at a fixture of the Tigers’ linebacker rotation for 2026.

Cornerback – Kamari Todd

If I were ordering this list based on which players I am most excited about, Todd would easily top the chart, even if I expanded to the offensive side of the ball. A 3-star portal player, the Chattanooga transfer was one of the final additions to Auburn’s transfer class. However, last certainly does not mean least.

He has smooth coverage skills and is a heat-seeking missile in pursuit thanks to his time spent playing safety. With Auburn’s immense depth at safety and a more questionable corner situation, it should not be a surprise that Todd is listed where he is. However, I think he could thrive as the Tigers’ nickel corner.

He has more than enough athleticism to play from that alignment effectively, and can hit with bad intentions exactly the way any coach wants their box defensive back to. Todd is at his best when he can mix his coverage ability with an opportunity to play downhill, which is why I believe the slot would fit him best. Though, regardless of where he plays, I am excited to see the sophomore get onto the field.

Safety – Jacoby Matthews

Matthews has had quite an interesting collegiate career. He originally signed with Texas A&M as a 5-Star, one of eight that the Aggies signed in their record-breaking 2022 class. However, he transferred out in the spring of 2024, dropping down to JUCO to focus on his academics. He transferred to Auburn before the 2025 season and played in just one game for the Tigers.

Despite that, Matthews still has some very intriguing upside. He improved each season he was on the field with Texas A&M, both in coverage and run support. Some rust could be easily understood following his time off, and Auburn’s safety room is incredibly competitive, making playing time hard to come by.

The 5-Star talent is still in there, it just has not been fully re-unlocked to this point. If it can be, Matthews could take the Tigers’ secondary to another level in 2026 when combined with established players at the position like Kaleb Harris and Eric Winters.