Will Transfer Portal Help Auburn’s 3rd Down Defense?

The Auburn Tigers are hitting the Transfer Portal to help a talented, but inconsistent defense.

Auburn Tigers defensive end Keldric Faulk could use Transfer Portal help along the defensive line. / David Gray, Auburn Tigers

Auburn’s 2024 third down defense came up short. While bright spots were there, utilizing the Transfer Portal to improve the Tigers’ defensive efforts must happen.

There were reasons to consider Auburn’s 2024 defense an overall success such as sophomore Keldric Faulk accounting for 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks. Plus, of the four All-SEC freshmen the Tigers’ produced, two were linebacker Demarcus Riddick and cornerback Jay Crawford. The Tigers still struggled during football’s most important play, third down.

While the Tigers finished as college football’s 31st total defense by allowing 330.8 yards per game, the third down defense left much to be desired.

The #Auburn Tigers need a defensive home run with the #TransferPortal. They finished 75th in third down conversion stops and 11th in the #SEC. Source: CFB Stats.

4) Missouri 28.8
5) Tennessee 29.5
6) Texas 30.6
11) Ole Miss 31.6
22) Alabama 33
24) Georgia 33.2
25) South Carolina…

— Brian Smith (@fbscout_florida) December 14, 2024

Having allowed 39.7% of third downs to be converted, too many Auburn opponents kept drives alive and the Auburn offense on the sidelines. This was certainly the case during the losses. Auburn allowed 51 of 112 third downs to be converted during its seven losses, equating to 45.5%. 

Auburn’s final two 2024 games were worse. Texas A&M’s offense won 10 of 19 third down battles for 52.6%, and Alabama came away victorious 12 of 18 times for 66.7%. Looking at Pro Football Focus helped define a primary issue.

With a coverage grade of 75.3, the Tigers were No. 79 in college football. Auburn’s pass defense should have never been that low and now it needs to be improved. While it would have been easy to point a finger at the secondary alone, other areas were also problematic.

READ MORE: Auburn Signs Former SEC Quarterback from Transfer Portal

Auburn lacked upper-echelon SEC speed at linebacker. Opponents like California and Vanderbilt utilized their tight ends and running backs to defeat Auburn’s linebackers one-on-one. The defensive front did not live up to expectations either. 

Faulk and fellow defensive end Jalen McLeod combined for 15 sacks, but the rest of the defensive line accounted for only 4 sacks. That statistic proved unfortunate considering how much Auburn invested NIL funding into the defensive line. 

Further, the poor results also probably meant the Tigers will need to pay the 2025 Transfer Portal defensive line haul with even more money if they want better results. After looking at the issues, here were three questions about how Auburn can improve its third down defense.

First, how will Auburn attack their defensive line spending in the Transfer Portal? If Auburn has signed two elite defensive tackles with proven pass rushing ability it could be an answer. That’s still hard to accomplish even with a large NIL budget, and there’s the question of depth.

Auburn lacked defensive tackle depth this past season and has for several years. Thus, it would not be surprising if the Tigers attempted to land one big-time defensive tackle and at least two reserves proven to be good role players.

Second, how much will Auburn spend to find a replacement for McLeod? Elite Transfer Portal pass rushers have proven to be expensive. Without a pass rusher opposing quarterbacks fear, the Tigers could struggle with its difficult 2025 schedule. For instance, Auburn plays home games against Alabama and Georgia, and road games at Texas A&M and Oklahoma. 

Hopefully, defensive ends Keyron Crawford, Jamonta Waller, and Amaris Williams continually improve. Even if they all do, there’s not enough depth beyond Faulk. That means Auburn should be seeking at least one more defensive end who’s a proven pass rusher.

Third, do the Tigers spend big on secondary talent? Jerrin Thompson departed and their schedule will see several talented signal-callers next season. It will be hard to imagine Auburn’s coaching staff not signing at least two if not three secondary players because there’s also the issue of a lack of safety and cornerback experience.

The Tigers may not start a senior at any of the five secondary spots. History will tell SEC football fans that a lack of secondary experience does not usually bode well for a team’s final win-loss record. Auburn must choose wisely.

Like with the defensive linemen, Auburn could go all-in and add a big-time Transfer Portal addition at cornerback, safety, or both. The need for quality competition and depth has also been evident so the Tigers could spread the NIL money more evenly and sign three defensive backs.

Whatever Auburn’s coaching staff decides to do with its NIL allotment, the defense needs a major influx of talent to help improve the lackluster third down defense.