Depth is a luxury in college football.

That’s especially true at a position like corner, a group Auburn added to in the offseason despite returning its two starters. The Tigers did suffer attrition behind those two starters, though, and Hugh Freeze responded by signing two more starting caliber corners out of the transfer portal.

The sudden stockpile of talent at the position makes cornerback arguably the most intriguing position battle to watch during fall camp. Four players — and potentially more — have a realistic chance at winning the two starting jobs on the boundary, and all four seem capable of helping Auburn’s pass defense.

“You can’t have enough corners in this league,” Freeze said at an AMBUSH event prior to SEC Media Days. “I don’t think there’s any better motivator for a coach than competition, period.”

With that competition in mind, here’s a closer a look at Auburn’s cornerback room going into the 2025 season.

Players

*Kayin Lee — Junior

Raion Strader — Junior, Miami (OH) transfer

Rayshawn Pleasant — Junior, Tulane transfer

*Jay Crawford — Sophomore

Blake Woodby — Freshman

Donovan Starr — Freshman

Devin Williams — Freshman

What to know

After a solid year manning the boundaries in 2024, Lee and Crawford return for another season in 2025 as the early favorites to win the two starting jobs.

It was both players’ first year starting, with Crawford turning in one of the best seasons by a freshman corner in the country. He had the fourth-highest coverage grade among freshman corners with 100 or more snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Crawford didn’t become a regular starter until Auburn’s Week 5 loss against Oklahoma, but became one of the most consistent players on the defense once he was in the lineup. Despite Auburn adding two starting caliber corners out of the portal, Crawford’s success in 2024 makes him a favorite to win one of the starting jobs going into camp.

You can make the same argument for Lee, who was Crawford’s roommate during the 2024 season and started 10 games for the Tigers last year. He had similar success to Crawford, with 32 tackles, seven pass breakups and two interceptions, along with a passer rating allowed of 58, according to PFF.

Going into his third full season with the program, he has more experience than anyone else in the room, giving him a chance to step into a leadership role in 2025. With Pleasant and Strader behind him, maintaining the starting job won’t be easy, but last season proved that he’s capable.

Pleasant and Strader are the two wildcards in the room and make the competition worth following during camp. Both players transferred from Group of Five programs, but both impressed at their former schools.

Strader was the 2024 MAC cornerback of the year, totaling 57 tackles with 17 pass deflections and two interceptions last season. He transferred during the winter window and participated in spring practice with Auburn, but repped mainly with the second team.

Pleasant was a starter for Tulane in 2024, totaling 35 tackles, three pass deflections, one interception and one touchdown last year, and affected the game in multiple ways. He was named a Walter Camp preseason All-American as a kick returner after taking two kicks back for touchdowns last season and averaging 34.5 yards per return.

“No question Pleasant brings some length and quick twitch, as does Strader,” Freeze said.

The three freshmen behind those four all have promise, but Williams is expected to miss the 2025 season after suffering an ACL injury during spring practice.

Woodby and Starr, though, are both players Freeze seemed to be optimistic about when talking about the corners before SEC Media Days. Neither player spent much time with the first team during spring practice, but both were blue-chip recruits out of high school.

Woodby was one of the freshman standouts during the spring and is part of the growing pipeline between Auburn and St. Frances Academy in Maryland.

While neither player seems like a realistic candidate for a starting job now, things can always change during the season. Crawford was buried on the depth chart going into last season, but injuries and inconsistent play ahead of him created an opportunity, and he took advantage of it.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m