Auburn will retain a key piece of its 2023 offensive line as starting left tackle Dillon Wade confirmed he will return to Auburn for 2024.

The decision does not come as a large surprise, though Wade did make a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Monday morning seeming to imply he may be on his way out before a reply in the afternoon announcing he is staying on the Plains.

Wade played in all 13 games this season and was one of the few pieces of stability on an offensive line that frequently dealt with injuries and rotations during the year.

He transferred to Auburn from Tulsa last offseason, following Philip Montgomery, the former Tulsa head coach who was hired as Hugh Freeze’s first offensive coordinator at Auburn.

Montgomery was fired Friday.

Pro Football Focus graded Wade as a very good pass protector, but his run-blocking grades significantly lagged behind.

There have been reports Auburn plans to shift Wade to a guard position next season while it continues to pursue a future left tackle with college experience in the transfer portal. So far, Auburn has not landed any of the FBS offensive line transfers it has pursued.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]