The Auburn Tigers are getting a "competitive" and "talented" linebacker in DeMario Tolan
One of Auburn's biggest needs via the transfer portal this offseason was linebacker, so when DeMario Tolan chose the Tigers, it set the fan base into a frenzy of excitement.
Getting a transfer from a power five school is always exciting, but it brings just a little bit more joy when the school is your SEC West foe, the LSU Tigers.
Tolan was a top 200 recruit out of high school and was likely going to be a starter for LSU before deciding to transfer to Auburn.
Host of Locked on LSU Caroline Fenton joined the Locked on Auburn Podcast to give her thoughts on Tolan.
Host of Locked on Auburn Zac Blackerby asked Fenton about her initial reaction to the Tolan news and what he will bring to the table for this Auburn team.
Here was her response:
"I was surprised and also kind of bummed. I felt like throughout this transfer portal opening, LSU had a handful of guys leave, but it really wasn't franchise-altering, just totally soul-crushing moves that were made. It was guys that were good but just didn't really find their way into the starting rotation, and it really wasn't guys that I thought, how in the world is LSU going to replace these guys."
"There were two of them that I thought, man, that really is a bummer. One being wide receiver Jack Bech transferring into TCU. Second, being DeMario Tolan. Because all season long, Brian Kelly really made it a priority of his to call out DeMario Tolan. I remember after the LSU-Arkansas game; it was a gross defensive battles 13-10 final score. That was a game that LSU's defensive line and linebacking core single hand-idly won. A reporter asked Brian Kelly about Greg Penn, another linebacker on the depth chart. Kelly said Penn had his best game of the season but don't forget about DeMario Tolan because he has made Greg Penn's job so much more difficult in practice. He was pushing all the other linebackers, and he was making so much progress just in his first year that he was making veterans feel uncomfortable in their starting jobs."
"I was really looking forward to DeMario Tolan and this next step forward that I thought he would inevitably take in year two. He played in all but one game this season. He sat out against Florida State in week one because he was recovering from surgery from over the summer. But he made his impact known in almost every single game this season. I thought next year, if Brian Kelly is already calling him out already, saying he's making things competitive in practice well, then in year two, there is probably a starting role cut out for him. So I'm bummed to see a really talented guy leave. A guy who was competitive and pushed all the other linebackers in practice. He's just a good talented player that has experience. I think that is also good for Auburn as well."
This is clearly a massive addition for Auburn. Tolan has a really good shot to transfer in and immediately start at linebacker.
Hugh Freeze has been doing a tremendous job bringing in transfer portal guys who could make Auburn a team to watch out for in 2023.
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