Auburn’s 2023 Position Battles: 2nd Team Safeties

Back once more with another installment of our Auburn football position battles series, we look this time to the defensive back room, specifically targeting the safety position group. With the Tigers touting the reputation and moniker of “DB University” the Auburn fanbase has come to expect loaded out defensive back recruitment year over year. Coach Hugh Freeze & Co. haven’t disappointed this year picking up some serious talent on the high school recruiting trail, crediting most of the 2023 recruiting class to this current coaching staff.

In echoing the majority opinion of other major media outlets who have been touting that returning seniors Jaylen Simpson and Zion Puckett will likely be the starters this upcoming 2023 season, thus the battle for starting safety reps is presumably over. That being said, this position battle poses the question as to who on the Auburn roster could earn valuable developmental reps as the 2nd team safeties this upcoming 2023 season?

We make the case for six talented young men to earn 2nd team reps for Auburn football this upcoming 2023 season. Whom under the watchful eyes of Coaches Zac Ethridge and Wesley McGriff will hopefully develop into quality starting and possibly NFL draftable talent in the coming years.

The Case for Marquise Gilbert:

Kicking off our list is returning junior Marquise Gilbert. The 6-foot-2 186-pound Daytona Beach, Florida native has had an eventful career up to this point, playing for his third team thus far in his collegiate career. Gilbert committed to the Auburn Tigers in December of 2021 as a highly rated JUCO transfer from Hutchinson Community College where he had played two seasons.

Marquise has appeared in a total of 24 games throughout his college career boasting 41 total tackles and 2 interceptions. This young man has great field vision and discipline, knowing when to put the brakes on and be patient. Gilbert also has some explosive speed during his pursuit and attack on the ball carrier. These traits alongside additional development over the fall could place Gilbert in prime position to compete for meaningful reps this upcoming 2023 season.

The Case for Caleb Wooden:

The next young man on our list is returning sophomore Caleb Wooden. A 6-foot-1 188-pound Lawrenceville, Georgia native committed to Auburn in July of 2021. Wooden appeared in 5 games during the 2022 season, boasting respectable numbers as true freshman, putting 9 total tackles during his time on the field. As a high school recruit Caleb presented with great speed ability as he was often utilized as a punt returner.

Caleb is also a decent tackler in the open field, making sure to wrap up his opponent to secure the stop. Although Wooden may not have the reps that some of his other peers may have, he has the size intangibles that the current coaching staff is looking for in the safety position. I imagine with some special attention being paid to this young man’s development will prove to be a solid investment for the Auburn Tigers, helping to produce a dangerous talent within the secondary in the near future.

The Case for Donovan Kaufman:

Continuing with yet another familiar face on the plains is returning junior Donovan Kaufman. Donovan came to the plains via the transfer portal in May of 2021 after putting in one season of play with Vanderbilt in 2020. The 5-foot-10 204-pound safety has appeared in 22 total games his collegiate career, boasting a total of 87 tackles and 3 forced fumbles.

Kaufman is a physical safety and is a violent and smart tackler in the open field as he frequently attempts to strip the ball during his tackles. Donovan also has great speed off the snap with decent hands and excellent ball pursuit skills. Arguably Kaufman possesses starting quality skills, yet he will likely be battling for 2nd team reps this fall. Donovan makes a strong case for himself being first off the bench when the ones need a rest.

The Case for Terrance Love:

Rounding out the top four contenders is the newly minted freshman plainsmen, Terrance Love. The 6-foot-2 211-pound Fairburn, Georgia native played his senior season with Langston Hughes High School. Love committed to the Auburn 2023 recruiting class earlier than most of his fellow 2023 teammates, closing down his recruitment in April of 2022.

Love fits the size profile that the current coaching staff is looking for in the safety position, lengthy and ranged on the defensive field. Terrance has decent speed and solid field vision; however, he could look to be more consistently explosive off the ball. With essentially five years of eligibility remaining this young man could develop into a top tier SEC safety under the watchful and skillful eyes of both Coach Etheridge and Coach McGriff. He is definitely a player to look out for this upcoming fall camp to make his mark on this retooled Auburn football roster.

The Case for anyone else on the roster:

Touching once more on the reputation the Auburn football program has for producing quality defensive backs, it is often easy to overlook some solid talent coming in to such a loaded room. In an effort to highlight some additional players on Coach Hugh Freeze & Co.’s inaugural roster and high school recruiting class, both Sylvester Smith and C.J. Johnson have earned mentions.

Sylvester Smith comes to the plains out of Munford, Alabama having played his senior season with Munford High School. The 5-foot-11 186-pound safety joined the plains with a bang on National Signing Day having flipped from his Tennessee Volunteer commitment. This young man has decent field vision and is likely one of the most violent open field tacklers out of this year’s freshman defensive back class.

C.J. Johnson comes to the plains hailing from the Lone Star state where he calls Katy, Texas home. The 6-foot-2 202-pound safety played his senior season with Paetow High School and helped lead them to a state title as a parting gift. Johnson is a physical safety with decent hands and solid first step off the ball. He could be more explosive in his pursuit of the ball carrier; however, this is a skill set he can learn with time. It is important to note that it is unsure whether Johnson will take the field as a safety or as a corner back. This question will assuredly be answered with the progression of fall camp.

All in all, the Auburn coaching staff have done a remarkable job thus far in maintaining the “DB University” reputation, adding some quality talent to the room this recruiting cycle. The Auburn fanbase should be in for some exciting performances this 2023 season from the secondary, hopefully living up to the standard we fans have come to expect.

The Case for Marquise Gilbert:

The Case for Caleb Wooden:

The Case for Donovan Kaufman:

The Case for Terrance Love:

The Case for anyone else on the roster:

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