Auburn Daily

Surprise Pair of Auburn Tigers Freshman Make Mid-Season All-American

A pair of Auburn players made the On3 Midseason True Freshman All-American Team, and neither of them were among the highly-regarded blue-chips prospects of Auburn’s Top 10 recruiting class.

Stephen Atkinson

Auburn Defensive Lineman Malik Blocton has been named On3 True Freshman All-American
Auburn Defensive Lineman Malik Blocton has been named On3 True Freshman All-American / Photo by Austin Perryman, Auburn Tigers
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A pair of Auburn Tigers players made the On3 Midseason True Freshman All-American Team, and neither of them were among the highly-regarded blue-chips prospects of Auburn’s Top 10 recruiting class.

Defensive lineman Malik Blocton and safety Kaleb Harris have earned their way into the lineup early in their careers, and are playing at a high level for the Auburn defense.

Out of 20 players in the 2024 signing class (excluding transfers), Blocton was the 14th-highest rated player while Harris was 18th according to the 247 Sports Composite, which factors in rankings from four recruiting services.

Blocton was one of six defensive tackle/edge prospects signed by Hugh Freeze over the off season, and thus far he is the only one to make an impact in game action. On opening night he recorded a pair of tackles for loss and a sack versus Alabama A&M. For the year he has eight tackles, 2.5 for a loss, with a sack.

Blocton, at 6-3 291, is playing at defensive end primarily when Auburn runs its base look of a 3-3-5, and he’s also playing inside at tackle in a four-man front.

Harris has also been quick to make an impact. He had four tackles on opening night, and after six games he’s up to 17 tackles – 12 solo and 5 assists – with a tackle for loss and a pair of pass breakups.

DJ Durkin’s defense regularly plays with a three-safety lineup, with the rotation split between Harris, Jerrin Thompson, Caleb Wooden and Sylvester Smith. Harris is eighth on the team in tackles and second among the safeties.

Freeze signed four defensive backs and the class, and Harris along with corner Jay Crawford are the two fixtures in the secondary so far this season.

According to the 247 Composite, Harris was the 661st-rated prospect in the country, the No. 64 safety, and the 33rd-best player in the state of Alabama.

In the same rankings, Blocton came in at No. 432 nationally, the 48th-rated defensive lineman, and the No. 24 player in Alabama.

When factoring in that Auburn has played Power 4 opponents in four of six contests, the Tigers defense is putting up decent numbers defensively compared to national stats – and certainly numbers worth better than a 2-4 record.

Durkin’s unit is 46th in the country allowing 20.83 points per game, 51st in rush defense at 124.3 yards per game, 44th in passer-rating allowed at a 122.22 mark, and 52nd in total defense at 337.7 yards per game.

Blocton and Harris have been welcome additions to the defense. When blue-chip prospects like Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson, Amaris Williams, Demarcus Riddick and Jamonta Waller match their production with their potential the 2024 class could turn into the one that changed the narrative for Freeze and the Tigers.

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Stephen Atkinson
STEPHEN ATKINSON