Auburn’s Eric Winters Named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week After Stellar Baylor Performance

The Auburn Tigers wouldn't be 1-0 without the sophomore safety, who made a game-saving tackle on the final defensive play of the game.

Auburn Tigers safety Eric Winters (5) celebrates his game winning tackle as Auburn Tigers take on Baylor Bears in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

An Auburn Tiger sophomore is receiving national honors for his efforts this past weekend, as on Monday the SEC announced that Auburn safety Eric Winters had been named Co-SEC Player of the Week for his performance in the Tigers’ season opener against Baylor.

Winters will share this weekly honor with Texas’ Rasheem Biles, a senior linebacker who forced a punchout fumble and intercepted a pass in the Longhorns’ season opener against Texas State. 

Winters’ tackle on Baylor tight end Matthew Klopfenstein to save the game for the Tigers may have been the highlight moment of the game, but it was far from the only impact the sophomore had on the game. In fact, Winters ranked second among the Tigers in tackles with 11, just one behind his fellow sophomore Elijah Melendez. 

Additionally, Winters turned in two tackles for loss throughout the game, the most of any Tiger, and forced a fumble from Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway on the Bears’ opening drive, a crucial momentum-setter in a game that was decided by just one point. 

“He's special,” Auburn head coach Alex Golesh said after the game. “He really is. But he works like that. That's how he practices... We gave him the game ball, career high in tackles and finishing the way he finished, a little bit -- inside that locker room a little bit ironic because we literally just talked about it last night. I said, ‘You're going to make a play that makes a difference in this game. I just sense it.’ He certainly did.”

Just about every season, there is typically one young defensive Tiger who steps into the limelight and dominates throughout the season–in 2024, it was true freshman Demarcus Riddick, in 2025, it was sophomore Xavier Atkins and now, Winters could be the name to watch for the Tigers in 2026.

Of course, the Tigers are just one game into the season, so Winters has quite a bit of work to do if he is looking to join a very exclusive club of standout Tigers. However, if he keeps at this rate, he should not have much trouble making his name a household one among the Auburn faithful–that is, if his name isn’t known by every Auburn fan already.

Winters will be back in action this weekend, coming back home to Jordan-Hare Stadium to face Southern Miss on Saturday evening.

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