Auburn Tigers 2nd-Year DB Ready to Explode

After all the offseason work, Auburn Tigers defensive back Champ Anthony is "like a volcano about to erupt"

Auburn Tigers Defensive Back Champ Anthony during a fall camp practice / Austin Perryman, Auburn University Athletics

Former junior college transfer, Champ Anthony will be looking to build on the full-season he spent proving himself against the best the brutal SEC had to offer last year.

Anthony appeared in every game last season after transferring from Tyler Junior College in Forth Worth, Texas. He finished the season with five tackles, including a tackle for loss.

Defensive backs tend to thrive on energy, and Anthony is riding a bullet train of positivity heading into the Auburn Tigers opening fixture on Saturday night against Alabama A&M.

"It's like a volcano about to erupt," Anthony declared at media availability on Tuesday. "I can't hold [in] my excitement. I'm in class thinking about football, walking to the facility thinking about football. Thinking about running out there in Jordan-Hare, I'm just real excited man. It's hard to contain the energy."

Sure, all Tigers fans will be looking for a tsunami of points to flow from the volcanic eruption Anthony is anticipating, but laying the first foundation stone is always equally as important.

We must be cautious up to a point, after all, five home games to kick-start the campaign must be seen to tangibly pay off for the Tigers in terms of stacking wins.

Quite soberingly, Auburn will spend the entirety of the month of October on their travels, a stark reality which will severely test the mettle of a young squad.

Anthony has bulked up some 20 plus pounds from last year's playing weight of 160 lbs, he also has been challenging himself by locking horns with freshman phenom Cam Coleman frequently at practice for weeks now.

Consequently, the young cornerback feels in a good spot to tackle the competitive and grueling travel itinerary that will get thrown at him moving forward.

"I feel real different body-wise and mentally," Anthony explained to reporters. "I understand what's going on. I kind of understand how gameday is going to go, so I don't have to worry about how we're going to travel and stuff like that. I really understand how things are going so I can focus on football."

Head coach Hugh Freeze has very wisely opted to not dampen any of the enthusiasm of his particularly young group - high-octane energy that has been so graphically presented by Anthony.

The Tigers boss is savvy enough to know that with youth, also comes exuberance and excitement. Therefore, it's time to plug into the batteries and press the go button.

"I want us to play with a passion in Jordan-Hare that is one that will be consistent all year long, and a confident football team that looks like they love one another, that they love being together that shows in the way we play " Freeze insisted.

Certainly there's no shortage of excitement, so unleash the Tigers. The volcano may be ready to erupt, but the 2024 Auburn Tigers are hoping for a slow-burn of success all year.