Auburn lands veteran defensive tackle Philip Blidi adding much needed depth

Auburn lands talented defensive lineman in the transfer portal.

Oct 21, 2023; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman Philip Blidi (96) and / Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

After the spring game, the Auburn coaching staff made it very clear they needed to go get depth across the defensive line in the transfer portal. 

The top dogs like Trill Carter, Gage Keys, Keldric Faulk, and Jayson Jones are solid players, and the Tigers have a ton of young guys, but they needed to get another veteran in the portal, and Coach Freeze just got the job done. 

Former Indiana defensive lineman Philip Blidi just committed to the Auburn Tigers, adding the much needed depth Coach Freeze was looking for. 

Last season for the Hoosiers, Blidi had 30 tackles, 15 quarterback pressures, and 11 quarterback hurries. He graded out really well on PFF with a 72.9 season grade. His run defense grade was 70.8, and his pass-rush grade was 70.5. 

The 6'3 295 pound defensive lineman from New Jersey played for Texas Tech from 2020-2022, where he racked up 2.5 sacks in three seasons. He then made the move to Bloomington and had a really good year. 

After Blidi took a visit to Auburn, he made it official that he will be a Tiger next season. 

This was a really big get for Auburn, as it will make Coach DJ Durkin feel much better about the depth up front. 

This likely won't be the last addition Auburn makes in the defensive line room. More than likely the coaching staff will go get another veteran up front.

In the A-Day scrimmage, Auburn's defense did a lot well, and adding a key piece like Blidi is a step in the right direction for the 2024 season.