Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze seems confident the Tigers could return a dinged up defensive lineman for Saturday’s game vs. Cal, though the status of a staple in Auburn’s secondary is in question.

Defensive lineman Isaiah Raikes, who transferred in over the offseason, was held back and didn’t log a snap during Auburn’s season-opener against Alabama A&M in an effort to get his ankle “some more rest,” Freeze said after Saturday’s win.

However, come Week 2′s game against Cal, Raikes is expected to make his Auburn debut after starting his career at Texas A&M and then briefly transferring to USC.

“I do expect Isaiah to be ready,” Freeze said of Raikes during his Monday morning press conference.

Meanwhile, Auburn junior cornerback Champ Anthony saw limited action in the season-opener, though Freeze made it sound as though it’s more of a precaution than anything.

“Champ is struggling with a calf strain,” Freeze said of Anthony. “He really could’ve played more snaps but we just want to make sure were trying to get him as healthy as possible.”

Freeze also briefly mentioned veteran defensive back Keionte Scott, who dealt with a nagging hamstring issue through much of fall camp and appeared in just 13 snaps on defense, while also lining up at punt returner four times against Alabama A&M.

“We want to keep him as healthy as possible,” Freeze said in response to a question about Scott being Auburn’s go-to punt returner. “But we need him back there for sure.”

Freeze and the Tigers are set to play their second game of the 2024 season on Saturday afternoon as they play host to the Cal Golden Bears, who could have some major injury news of their own as starting running back Jaydn Ott left Cal’s game vs. UC-Davis in the third quarter with an apparent ankle injury but never returned.

Following the game, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox didn’t have an update on Ott’s injury.