Auburn Tigers Malik Blocton Exceeding Expectations in Freshman Campaign

The Auburn Tigers freshman defensive lineman is excelling beyond what the scouts forsaw

The Auburn Tigers freshman is making the most of his first season of his college career / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

Malik Blocton has been a pleasant surprise for the Auburn Tigers this season.

The freshman defensive lineman from Pike Road, Ala. has appeared in each game for the Tigers this season and has made a difference on their defensive line with 1.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry.

Blocton was not one of the highest-rated prospects in Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class, placing 13th in Auburn’s haul according to 247Sports. He was the 432nd-ranked player nationally and the 24th-ranked player in the state of Alabama.

Blocton has an edge that not many players do. His brother is Marcus Harris, a former Auburn defensive lineman who was drafted in the seventh round by the Houston Texans in April.

Harris played the first two seasons of his college career at Kansas before transferring to Auburn ahead of the 2021 season. He started in all but two games for Auburn during his three seasons with the program and made 97 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks during his time with the Tigers.

Blocton regularly seeks advice from his brother, something that he believes gives him an advantage when preparing for games.

“Having my brother to help me, to guide me through it, watch film with me (helps),” Blocton said. “We were just talking last night, like he was telling me about Kentucky while watching film. We did that before the Georgia game. We didn't really do it much before the Missouri game, because he was in London. But he really guides me through it, like helping me find tendencies and stuff like that.”

In addition to watching film together, Harris coaches Blocton on the tendencies of the opposing offensive lineman he will be facing.

“It's a really big edge, especially playing against teams that he played against last year,” Blocton said. “Some of the same players, he'll tell me some of the terminology they use. Like, if they play, like, nose over toes, if they put their hand down, they lock down on three techniques, like, stuff like that.”

Blocton has shown the potential to be an impactful piece of Auburn’s defense for years to come. The help he receives from Harris will continue to help him become the best player he can be.