Spring football in Auburn: Notes and quotes on the edge rusher room ahead of spring camp

Spring football in Auburn: Notes and quotes on the edge rusher room ahead of spring camp

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, this time diving into Auburn’s room of edge rushers — sometimes referred to as the Tigers’ jack linebackers.

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Who did the Tigers lose in their edge rusher room?

Departing Auburn’s room of edge rushers after the 2023 season are Elijah McAllister, who ran out of eligibility, and Stephen Sings V, who entered the transfer portal in early December.

Together, McAllister and Sings combined for 33 tackles in 2023 with McAllister tallying 28 on his own as he appeared in all 13 of Auburn’s games. Meanwhile, Sings logged appearances in just six games during his junior campaign last fall.

Who are the Tigers returning to their edge rusher room?

While Auburn might be losing a pair of edge rushers in McAllister and Sings, the Tigers are also returning a pair as Jalen McLeod and Brenton Williams are both set for their second year on The Plains.

McLeod’s second year at Auburn comes after he transferred from Appalachian State ahead of last season, while Williams will be a redshirt freshman in 2024.

At the conclusion of the 2023 season, McLeod finished as Auburn’s third-leading tackler with 48 total tackles, of which 10.5 came from behind the line of scrimmage. McLeod also tallied 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery during his first season of SEC ball.

“He plays hard. He’s having to play too many snaps. We still don’t have the depth at pass rushing that we need,” Freeze said of McLeod midway through last season. “Jalen is definitely the biggest threat we have, and that’s good for us.”

Meanwhile, Williams is set to see his role increase in 2024 after appearing in just two games last fall.

“Brenton’s definitely stepping up, because he knows that it’s just me and him right now, and it’s going to be Jamonta when he comes,” McLeod said of Williams in December. “So, he knows that he’s got to compete, he’s got to keep competing, come to practice ready to work and that’s what he’s been doing. So he’s stepping up, too.”

Who did the Tigers add to their edge rusher room?

Auburn’s 4-star signee in Jamonta Waller stands as the only current addition to Auburn’s room of edge rushers.

Waller was a big flip for Freeze and Co. as the 4-star Mississippi native flipped his commitment from Florida to Auburn in the middle of November and never looked back. During his senior season of high school, Waller logged 69 total tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, nine sacks, 21 quarterback hurries and two caused fumbles.

Measuring 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Waller ranked as the 10th-best edge rusher out of the 2024 recruiting class and the second-ranked recruit — regardless of position — to come out of the state of Mississippi.

“You have Jamonta — he’s coming in, the five-star. I talked to him. He’s hungry, too. You’ve seen his tape,” McLeod said of Waller. “So, we’ve got a lot of people coming in that’s hungry and ready to go, and they know what they bring to the table. They’ve just got to believe in themself, that’s where they at.”