DJ Durkin Praises Leadership of Two Auburn Defenders

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn Tigers interim head coach DJ Durkin knows his situation isn’t ideal. He is taking over a team that has lost five of its last six games due to offensive struggles. However, he knows he has players in the locker room who have his back and will continue to lead the team no matter what Auburn’s record is, namely Keldrick Faulk and Champ Anthony. 

“Leadership is one of those words, it’s hard to really, we’ve all heard it, we use it, but how do you really describe it? What does it really mean?” Durkin explained. “I think two ways I’ll explain how those guys lead. They lead by example, first and foremost. Anytime you have someone like Keldric Faulk. He’s one of the best players in the country, so that’s a guy that legitimately could probably cut some corners if he wanted to, take advantage of the fact that no matter what Keldric does, he’s probably going to be out there starting for us, right? He’s one of the best players in the country, but he’s our hardest worker.”

Faulk is predicted to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, even reaching the heights of being the No.1 overall player in Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice’s midseason draft board. 

So far this season, Faulk has 25 total tackles, two sacks, and three passes defended. The numbers may not jump off the page, but Faulk is a force to be reckoned with, being double-teamed almost every play and disrupting the opposing offense’s run game. 

“He leads by example in everything he does,” Durkin continued. “He’s one of the best teammates, or probably our best teammate, on the field. He values every relationship he has with his teammates. So, leading by example, and then being servant leaders. They’re not too big for anything. They're not too big for their teammates. They’re not going to ask their teammates to do anything they wouldn’t do themselves. Again, when you have that, it makes things a lot easier, and guys fall in line. Certainly, you can see already the way that has trickled down to some of the younger guys on the roster and especially in their position group.”

Auburn has three games remaining on its regular season schedule, and winning two of those games will give Auburn its first bowl game berth since it played against the Houston Cougars in the 2021 Birmingham Bowl.

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