Ron Roberts’ tenure as Auburn’s defensive coordinator became smoother on Saturday once cornerback D.J. James announced on Twitter that he is returning for another season on the Plains. The Oregon transfer was a key contributor to the Tigers’ secondary that would also return Nehemiah Pritchett, Zion Puckett, JD Rhym, Donovan Kaufman, Keionte Scott, and Jaylin Simpson.

James won All-SEC second-team honors from the Associated Press and the coaches. He led the team in pass breakups, had a pivotal interception return for a touchdown against Western Kentucky, and posted 25 solo tackles in his first season playing for the Tigers.

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Pritchett is returning for a fifth season on the Plains. His teammates and the coaching staff voted him as the team’s best defensive back this season.

Getting James, Pritchett, and the rest of the crew back will give the Tigers one of the most experienced secondary rooms in the nation.

Roberts has 31 years of coaching experience, including 11 years as a head coach at Delta State and Southeastern Louisiana. Roberts comes to Auburn after spending the past three seasons as defensive coordinator at Baylor. He’s sent nine players to the NFL during his coaching career. A compelling aspect for Tiger defensive backs is seven of those nine players are defensive backs.

“Ron has been a very successful defensive coach spanning three decades, and multiple stops,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said in a press release. “His defenses have always been aggressive and put a lot of pressure on opposing offenses. Ron is a great fit for what we are wanting to do on both sides of the ball, and we are excited to have his experience and expertise leading our defensive unit.”

Baylor’s defense in 2021 led the team to a Big 12 title. The Bears’ defense had 19 interceptions and 44 sacks during the 2021 season. Roberts preaches a defense that’s balanced in pass defense and stopping the run. He seems to have enough depth with the defensive backs to succeed quickly.

Auburn’s depth in the defensive backfield is a stark comparison to what the team is losing with EDGE rushers Derick Hall and Eku Leota leaving for the NFL. Hall was an all-conference first-team selection. Leota’s presence was missed once he suffered a season-ending injury. Losing linebacker and two-time team captain Owen Pappoe adds to the tasks for Roberts.

Quientrail Jamison-Travis was one of the six defensive linemen the Tigers signed during December’s early National Signing Day. Jamison-Travis is 6-4′ 280 and played junior college football at Iowa Western. He could see lots of playing time as the team seeks options to replace Hall and Leota.

Elijah McAllister is a two-time team captain at Vanderbilt who committed to the transfer to Auburn during the early signing period. McAllister had 65 tackles during his career with the Commodores. There’s still time for recruiting with February’s traditional signing day approaching. Freeze expects to continue working on the defensive line over the next few weeks.

“I think this is a big man league,” Freeze said. “If you don’t have guys on both sides up front, then it’s very difficult for these athletic receivers, running backs, and quarterbacks. Those DBs get alot better if you’ve got an EDGE rusher that can shorten the time a quarterback has. Our emphasis will always be on making sure those rooms are correct.”

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group