In Auburn’s first practice of spring camp on Feb. 27, eyes were quickly drawn to the new faces on Auburn’s offense — guys like 5-star wide receiver Cam Coleman and 4-star quarterback Walker White.

Meanwhile, on the far field, where Auburn’s defense practices, ears were quickly drawn to something else.

If there was an award for being the loudest coach on the field, the Tigers’ defensive tackles coach Vontrell King-Williams was winning it by a landslide as he left little to be desired in terms of energy.

The elevation of King-Williams from defensive analyst to defensive tackles coach was made possible after the Jacksonville Jaguars hired away Auburn’s former defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett in early February.

“Defensively, hated to lose J.G., truthfully,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said Feb. 29. “You know, kind of raised him and he played for me and to see his growth. But I totally understand it.”

Garrett played for Ole Miss from 2004-07, meaning he and Freeze were both in Oxford at the same time as Freeze served as the Rebels’ tight ends coach from 2006-07. The two reunited in 2022 as Freeze hired Garrett to coach the defensive line at Liberty before Freeze asked him to follow him down to Auburn in 2023.

But now Garrett has moved onto the NFL.

And fortunately for Freeze, unlike other staff changes from the offseason, he didn’t need to look far and wide for Garrett’s replacement.

“So excited about his energy that he brings,” Freeze said of King-Williams. “And he’s who the kids really wanted, too, so it’s good that we were kind of in alignment there.”

During last week’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis, former Auburn defensive tackle Marcus Harris was asked what he thought about the elevation of King-Williams, who will help coach Harris’ younger brother, freshman defensive lineman Malik Blocton.

“He loves the new coaching staff, especially with Coach Vontrell stepped in for Coach Garrett,” Harris said in an interview with AL.com. “He feels like it’s not a step off of Coach Garrett. He loves him.”

And considering Harris had an opportunity to get to know King-Williams during his senior season last fall, his younger brother’s initial review didn’t come as a shock.

“He’s a great coach,” Harris said of King-Williams. “Great energy. Great leader. Just the best coach, I feel like, for the job because a lot of players knew him, a lot of players respected him and he was a great coach while I was there.”

One of those players who really respects King-Williams and wanted to see him be elevated as Garrett’s replacement is senior nose tackle Jayson Jones, who Freeze is expecting to be “the guy” along the defensive front in 2024.

“I know him and I love him,” Jones said of King-Williams. “You can go ask anybody, even outside of the position, everybody loves Vontrell and the energy he brings. Everyone wanted him and I wanted him. I expressed that. We’ve got him now, and I’m excited to be coached by him.”

In 2024, King-Williams will work in tandem with Josh Aldridge, who is set to oversee Auburn’s defensive edge room.

“Really excited to give Vontrell a shot,” Freeze said. “He falls in the mold of the other guys that I’ve hired through the years from Chris Kiffin to Trey Scott to Freddie Roach to J.G. and they’ve all done really, really well. And I expect Vontrell to do the same.”