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5 breakout candidates for Auburn football in 2024, including two young DBs and a TE

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5 breakout candidates for Auburn football in 2024, including two young DBs and a TE

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — There wasn’t a player on Auburn football’s roster who benefited more from coach Hugh Freeze’s hire than linebacker Eugene Asante.

Asante, who began his career with three years at North Carolina before he transferred, was coming off a 2022 season at Auburn in which he appeared in four games and spent time on the scout team at practice. The former four-star recruit then burst onto the scene in 2023, totaling career-high marks in tackles (86), tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks (5).

What Asante was able to do was the definition of breaking out — going from someone with a minor role to becoming one of the most important players on the team.

Below are a handful of players we think have the potential to follow in Asante’s footsteps and make themselves more of a household name in 2024. Players are listed in alphabetical order.

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RB Jeremiah Cobb

This one feels the most natural. Former four-star recruit Jeremiah Cobb arrived at Auburn ahead of the 2023 season and immediately joined a packed position group at running back. Three other RBs logged more rushing attempts than Cobb last season, including Jarquez Hunter. The starting job will be Hunter’s again in 2024, but Cobb’s role will likely increase. He showed what he could do with minimal snaps last season, averaging 5.2 yards per carry and finding the end zone four times in limited opportunity.

DE Keldric Faulk

Auburn fans already know all about defensive end Keldric Faulk, but the rest of the SEC may not know his name yet. Faulk impressed as a true freshman in 2023, totaling 35 tackles and a sack in 441 reps. Faulk’s run defense grade of 71.4 from Pro Football Focus ranked No. 4 among Auburn defensive linemen, and he played the second most snaps out of that group behind only Marcus Harris.

DB Terrance Love

With four starters in the secondary leaving from last season — cornerbacks DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett and safeties Jaylin Simpson and Zion Puckett — Auburn needs some of its talented youth to step up. The Tigers went out and added transfers such as Jerrin Thompson (Texas) and Antonio Kite (Alabama), but at the very least, the defensive backs entering their second years must provide depth. Terrance Love is a prime candidate, as he competed for reps at safety throughout spring practice and positioned himself to be in the two-deep rotation.

TE Micah Riley

Rivaldo Fairweather is going to be the star at tight end for the Tigers in 2024. There are good blocking options behind him in Luke Deal and Brandon Frazier, but another athletic piece who could potentially make some noise through the air is Micah Riley. Riley caught two passes for 40 yards last season, including a 32-yard touchdown against Samford on Sept. 16.

DB Sylvester Smith

Another young DB who could rise, Sylvester Smith showed some versatility throughout spring practice by moving around from nickel cornerback to safety. There likely won’t be a starting role for him to take — Champ Anthony is set to start in the slot and Thompson and Caleb Wooden are in position to be the first two safeties — but there will absolutely be opportunity for him to take advantage of. His ability to play multiple positions will only serve him well and get him on the field faster.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

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