Auburn Freshman DL, Former Top-150 Player Set to Return in 2026

The Auburn Tigers are continuing to see an increasing number of players announce their intention to return in 2026.

Freshman defensive tackle Jourdin Crawford is set to stay on the Plains next season, he announced via Instagram on Thursday afternoon. Crawford was one of Auburn’s top signees of its 2025 recruiting class.

Crawford is the fifth Tiger to declare their intention not to enter the portal, joining linebacker Xavier Atkins, linebacker Demarcus Riddick, defensive lineman Malik Autry, and linebacker Bryce Deas. Interestingly, every player who has made it public is on the defensive side of the football.

This is a massive win for Alex Golesh and company, as Crawford was one of the most talented defensive tackles in the class of 2025. The Birmingham, Ala., native was a four-star out of high school, ranking as the No. 14 defensive lineman and No. 116 player in the 2025 cycle, per 247Sports.

Despite being listed as the sixth-highest-rated signee in Auburn’s 2025 class, which ranked No. 6 nationally, Crawford didn’t see much action in his freshman campaign.

The 6-foot, 337-pounder saw 40 total snaps across seven games this past season, per Pro Football Focus, with his best game coming against Mercer in late November. Crawford recorded two tackles on the year, according to ESPN, including one in Auburn’s loss at Texas A&M and the other versus Mercer.

This is certainly a refreshing change of news for Auburn, as the program has seen a mass exodus to the transfer portal over the last few weeks. The Tigers are expected to lose over 30 players to the portal, but trends have started to shift with four players announcing their intention to stay on Thursday.

This is even more important for Auburn’s defensive line room, as the Tigers’ defensive front looks a little scarce at the moment. Accounting for both interior defensive linemen and edge rushers, D.J. Durkin’s unit is set to lose 12 contributors due to various reasons. Stars like Keldric Faulk and Keyron Crawford have declared for the NFL Draft, while younger players such as Malik Blocton, Amaris Williams, and Jamonta Waller are expected to enter the transfer portal.

Additionally, the Tigers’ defensive line is seeing a plethora of seniors graduate, including James Ash, Bobby Jamison-Travis, Dallas Walker, Zykevious Walker, and Jay Hardy.

Auburn will undoubtedly need to hit the portal hard for defensive linemen who can contribute immediately, as the position will be an area of need and emphasis. Redshirt freshman buck Joe Frazier, freshman defensive end Jared Smith, freshman defensive end J.J. Faulk, freshman defensive tackle Darrion Williams, Autry, and Crawford are the only notable players in the defensive line room who are still on the roster.