Auburn’s Linebacker Group Will Be Complete with This Player Involved

In an era in which there have not been many positive things to say about the Auburn Tigers, DJ Durkin’s linebackers have consistently proven to be the exception.

Retaining key players like Xavier Atkins certainly bolstered the Tigers’ defense, even to the point where the unit has now been ranked as the third-best in the country, per Greg McElroy on ESPN.

McElroy is high on the Tigers’ linebackers for a variety of reasons, but he believes there is one player that, if he is able to return to form, could be a massive difference-maker on defense this year.

That player? Junior linebacker Demarcus Riddick.

“Riddick was a little banged up [in 2025],” McElroy said, “A couple years ago, he gave tremendous effort, really forced his way into the rotation. If Riddick is healthy and playing the way he was two years ago, you have two proven starters, a couple really highly intriguing developmental contributors, which creates a bit of a four-player rotation.”

In the season that McElroy is referring to, Riddick was just a true freshman, and yet he wasted no time in making his presence known on the Plains. He started nine of 12 games the Tigers played that season, recording an impressive 27 tackles, 17 solo tackles, three sacks and even deflected a pass in a crucial matchup against Texas A&M, earning All-SEC Freshman Team honors for his efforts.

However, in his sophomore season, Riddick dealt with a shoulder injury that lingered throughout the year and ultimately kept him off the field for the Iron Bowl, as he underwent major surgery for it. Despite having to battle through injury, though, Riddick still managed to put up eight solo tackles and a sack throughout the season.

Riddick was a four-star prospect out of high school in Clanton, Ala., right in Auburn’s backyard, and he was rated as the fifth-best linebacker in the 2024 class. He committed as part of a Hugh Freeze class that also included Cam Coleman, Walker White and Amaris Williams, none of whom are still with the Tigers, which stands as a testament to Riddick’s commitment to the Plains.

Riddick, now nearly seven months removed from his shoulder injury, is expected to be a top contributor to the Tigers’ defense in 2026, provided he is able to get back to the form that made him an All-SEC Freshman in 2024. If he is able to do that, he and Xavier Atkins may be the deadliest one-two punch in the SEC.

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