Breakout Freshman Auburn Linebacker Nets Honors for Standout Collegiate Debut

There were quite a few standout aspects of the Auburn Tigers’ recent win over the Arkansas Razorbacks, but the one that stood out arguably the most was the emergence of true freshman linebacker Shadarius Toodle, who made his Auburn debut against the Hogs, quickly establishing himself as one of the Plains’ brightest young prospects.

In fact, Toodle’s performance against Arkansas was so strong that on Sunday, 247Sports named him True Freshman of the Week, rounding off a fantastic start to an Auburn career for Toodle. It’s not hard to see why he earned the honor– despite not starting the game and coming in late as a replacement for an injured De’Marcus Riddick, Toodle managed 11 total tackles, 10 solo tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, with a pass breakup for good measure.

Auburn LB Shadarius Toodle is the 247Sports True Freshman of the Week following a breakout collegiate debut in the Tigers’ 26-23 win over Arkansas 🐅

Toodle’s three sacks were the most by a true freshman in a single game in program history.https://t.co/2gMJo7ul91 pic.twitter.com/Wk44sI2dMz
— 247Sports (@247Sports) November 8, 2026

The magnitude of these stats really can’t be understated, as Toodle is just the sixth Tiger since 1995 and the first true freshman Tiger to record three sacks in a single game, and was, needless to say, the first Tiger to record three sacks in his collegiate debut.

“For a guy that was on the practice squad three weeks ago, we intentionally moved him so that we felt like he was getting close to ready at this point and for him to go have the game that he did,” Auburn head coach Alex Golesh said after the game. “Three sacks, TFLs all over the place, did not look like a freshman. Maybe waited too long to play him but sometimes that’s how it shakes.”

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A four-star prospect out of Mobile, Alabama, Toodle first committed to the Tigers in July of 2024, but flipped his commitment to Georgia on June 22, 2025. Then, on October 14, the Tigers had the last laugh in Toodle’s recruitment, landing and keeping the highly sought-after prospect.

Toodle’s arrival on the playing field couldn’t have come at a better time for the Tigers, who are running a bit thin on linebacker depth after dismissing Xavier Atkins before the Georgia game and losing Bryce Deas to a season-ending injury.

Against Arkansas, both De’Marcus Riddick and Elijah Melendez, the Tigers’ top two remaining options, went down with injuries for periods of time, with Riddick even taking a trip to the locker room, opening the door for Toodle’s debut.

It is worth noting, however, that though both Riddick and Melendez were able to re-enter the game, once Toodle had made his mark on the game, he was not removed for any significant period of time throughout the rest of the matchup.

So, with Deas still sidelined, Atkins still dismissed, and the rest of the group a bit battered, Toodle could become a cornerstone for the Tigers’ defense throughout their last three games of the season. After all, if he keeps at this pace, he could be one of the best young linebackers in football.

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