Auburn Lands Former Arizona Safety from Transfer Portal

The former Arizona safety has previous experience playing in the SEC, spending his first year of college with Tennessee

Arizona Wildcats defensive back Jack Luttrell returns to the SEC, signing on with Auburn | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Even though the NCAA Transfer Portal closed on Friday for new applicants, the Auburn Tigers, led by Alex Golesh and company, are far from done recruiting players that are already in the portal. The Tigers’ latest pickup goes by the name of Jack Luttrell, and he’s set to have some significant upside.

COMMITMENT: Arizona transfer safety Jack Luttrell has committed to Auburn, he announced Sunday on social media.https://t.co/Avi1zJ69lR pic.twitter.com/ZutcuaLLHe

— Jeffrey Lee (@JLeeAUSports) January 18, 2026

Luttrell is a safety who just finished up his redshirt sophomore season at Arizona, so he’ll have at least two more seasons of eligibility to offer the Tigers. He originally committed to Tennessee and spent a season in Knoxville, but he only saw action in three games before he transferred to Arizona. 

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With the Wildcats, though, Luttrell has proven to be quite a competent option when he’s able to stay healthy. In his redshirt freshman season with the Wildcats, he racked up 39 total tackles and 24 solo tackles, with three interceptions added on for good measure.

In 2025, his redshirt sophomore season, Luttrell was limited to just three games due to a series of injuries, but he still managed to make the most of his available time. In fact, he logged the fourth interception of his career in the Wildcats’ season opener against Hawai’i. 

Out of high school in Georgia, Luttrell was classified as a three-star prospect and the 97th-best player in the state, earning honors as an All-Region 1-7A Utility Player of the Year, particularly due to his success as a kick and punt returner.

Though the Tigers have lost nearly 40 pieces to the transfer portal in 2026, Luttrell will still join a loaded secondary, including key pieces like Blake Woodby and Anquon Fegans at defensive back, while Sylvester Smith will join him at the safety position.

DJ Durkin has built a reputation for strong defenses, and his efforts clearly shone through in 2025, wherein the Tigers limited their opponents to 24 points or less in all but two games. Since he’s been able to retain top talent all across his defense while adding new talent like Luttrell, the future looks bright for Durkin’s defense.