Auburn’s first casualty of the post-spring transfer window is a bit of a surprise.

Defensive end Jeffrey M’ba, the former No. 1 overall junior college prospect in the 2022 class, announced Thursday evening his plans to enter the transfer portal when the post-spring window opens this weekend.

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“I am grateful to have been a part of the Auburn Tigers community,” M’ba wrote in a graphic posted to his social media accounts. “My time in Auburn has taught me lessons that extend far beyond the football field. I want to give a heartfelt thank you to Coach (Bryan) Harsin for recruiting and giving me the opportunity to play at Auburn. Additionally, I want to thank the entire new Auburn staff for giving me the opportunity to play under their leadership.

“To my teammates, thank you for always being by my side; you guys have become family to me on and off the field. Without you, I don’t think I will be able to make it this far. A huge thanks to Dom (Studzinski) and the entire strength coaching staff for helping me reach a new level on the field. Most importantly, I would like to thank the Auburn community for embracing and supporting me throughout my time here. I never felt anything but real love from you since day 1. You are all a big family and made me a part of it. I will always remember and appreciate you.

“The time has come for me to enter the transfer portal and take the next step as a football player. It’s time for me to start my next chapter in life!”

M’ba is the third player to exit the program since the start of spring practice, joining reserve linebackers Kameron Brown and Desmond Tisdol, and the first to depart since A-Day.

Unlike those two reserve linebackers, M’ba was expected to be a key piece in Auburn’s defense this season after settling in at defensive end this spring. The 6-foot-6, 307-pounder saw limited playing time in his first season on the Plains, moving around at various spots along the defensive line. Following the coaching change this offseason, however, M’ba moved full-time to defensive end and was repping behind returning starter Marcus Harris throughout the spring.

Though he did not appear in line for a starting role, M’ba was still expected to see ample playing time under new defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett, who said he wanted to rotate at least eight players regularly for the three defensive line spots in defensive coordinator Ron Roberts’ defense.

M’ba, a former four-star prospect who started his career at Independence Community College in Kansas, appeared in 10 games for Auburn last season and totaled seven tackles in limited action. This spring, he appeared set to take a considerably step forward in his development, speaking highly of the new coaching staff, their trust in him as a player and his own comfort and progress at defensive end.

With a renewed sense of identity, M’ba said his plan for the upcoming season was to “try to destroy people” in his new role at defensive end.

“I feel like I’m something you don’t see often,” M’ba said last month. “I’m a guy that is huge, but can move. I feel like D-end is for me. Every D-end you see is smaller than me. When you think about D-end in your head you think about Myles Garrett or Rashan Gary. They are 280 (pounds), but I’m 310. I feel like at 310 I can be something we haven’t seen and really great. That’s what I’m trying to be.”

Now he’ll try to be that elsewhere as he enters the transfer portal in search of a new opportunity.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.