New Transfer LB Could Be Strong Influence on Auburn’s Young Defense

The Auburn Tigers finished with their 2025 recruiting and their 2025 transfer classes ranked in the top 10 out of all of the FBS programs (which has 134 football teams currently in it). Both of their classes ranked seventh in each rank. A highlight of the Auburn transfer portal was former Maryland transfer linebacker Caleb Wheatland, whom defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin spoke very highly of. 

“We have some talent, some young talent,” Durkin said. “To me, (the key) was finding an experienced guy. Wheatland is a two-year starter, and really almost a three-year starter from where he was playing in the Big Ten. That guy’s played a lot of football, and I think there’s a calming influence when you have a veteran guy in that room, especially a middle linebacker.” 

Durkin also highlighted the fact that when you have someone like that as your middle linebacker, it is similar to having a quarterback on defense. 

“Having someone that’s been in the fire before, can communicate, help other guys get lined up, it provides a sense of calm to the rest of the defense when you have a guy that can do that,” Durkin said. “So I think that’s where it’ll really help us.”

Wheatland has played in 35 games, all for the Terps. In those games, he tallied 100 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, three passes deflected and a fumble recovered in his time with Maryland. The Tigers desperately needed help at linebacker. With only Demarcus Riddick having been someone with regular game time from 2024, the Tigers now find another player to fill the shoes of Dorian Mausi, Eugene Asante and Jalen McLeod, all of whom were leading tacklers and are all now in the NFL. 

With the experience of Wheatland, the Tigers can feel a bit more comfortable about the fact that they still have a fairly young defense, one that Wheatland will likely lead in 2025. 

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