The second spring camp of the Hugh Freeze era at Auburn is just around the corner as it’s set to get underway Feb. 27.

The Tigers will then proceed to hold 13 spring practices in preparation of Auburn’s spring game — also known as A-Day — which is set to be played on April 6 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Before spring practices get underway, AL.com will take a position-by-position look at the Tigers’ roster, starting with Auburn’s room of safeties.

Who did the Tigers lose from the safety room?

Auburn will be without five safeties from the 2023 season when the Tigers take the field in 2024.

The biggest losses come in Jaylin Simpson and Zion Puckett — two guys who are bound for the NFL Draft. Together, Simpson and Puckett combined for 72 total tackles, six interceptions and five pass breakups in 2023.

Meanwhile, the Tigers saw three other safeties hit the portal as Marquise Gilbert, Austin Ausberry and Donovan Kaufman all made the decision to transfer with Kaufman being the biggest loss of the three.

Kaufman appeared in 12 games, tallied 37 total tackles and an interception before deciding to take his talents to NC State.

Who are the Tigers returning in the safety room?

Auburn is set to return four safeties who were a part of the Tigers’ 2023 season in junior Caleb Wooden, sophomore Terrance Love, redshirt freshman Sylvester Smith and redshirt freshman CJ Johnson.

Wooden returns as the most experienced after appearing in 12 games last season, which saw him tally 15 total tackles and an interception as a reserve. Wooden also has a big fan in Simpson, who gushed about the rising junior during an interview at the Senior Bowl in January.

“You know, I text(ed) Caleb the other day because I had a dream – a weird dream,” Simpson said. “I dreamed about him that he caught like two interceptions in one game. And I had to tell him.”

Simpson went on to say he’s confident in what the Tigers are returning to the position, despite many of them still being “rookies.”

In 2023, Love appeared in 10 games and logged six tackles, Smith appeared in five games and logged three tackles. Meanwhile, Johnson didn’t see action last fall.

“I think they’ll get the job done,” Simpson said. “All them guys, man. They’re going to be just fine.”

Who did the Tigers add to the safety room?

In addition to the four returners, Auburn also added four bodies to the safety room with senior Texas transfer Jerrin Thompson, junior JUCO transfer Laquan Robinson and freshmen Kensley Louidor-Faustin and Kaleb Harris joining the group.

In adding Thompson, the Tigers are getting a seasoned player who tallied 38 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass breakups with the Longhorns in 2023. Off the field, the Tigers are adding a guy who can help take on the leadership role that guys like Simpson and Puckett once held.

“Leadership comes from guys doing what they’re supposed to do and having the other guys trusting them,” Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski said at the start of fall camp last season. “(Jerrin Thompson) and those other guys are being selfless and pulling guys along with them through the grind.”

Meanwhile, in signing Robinson, the Tigers added the No. 1 safety out of the JUCO ranks this cycle.

During his time at Holmes Community College in 2023, Robinson appeared in nine games, tallied 49 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, a fumble recovery and an interception.

In the signings of Louidor-Faustin and Harris, Auburn added a 4-star and 3-star safety, respectively.

And Freeze is excited to have all of the in the fold.

“I’m also excited about our DBs, with Faustin and (cornerback) Amon Lane, and (cornerback) Jalyn Crawford and Laquon Robinson… and Kaleb Harris, who’s really physical. And we need that,” Freeze said during his national signing day press conference on Dec. 20.