Key Auburn Defensive Player Granted Seventh Year of Eligibility

The Auburn Tigers will have a veteran presence sticking around for the first season of the Alex Golesh era

An Auburn player gets the greenlight to stick around | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

As the transfer portal winds down and the Auburn Tigers begin to figure out what their lineup will look like in 2026, returning veterans are always a key piece of the puzzle. One such veteran, Dallas Walker IV, was granted an extra year of eligibility for the 2026 season, meaning Alex Golesh will have him on his inaugural Auburn roster.

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Justin Hokanson of On3 Sports reported the news on Tuesday. 

For a team that’s seeing a host of new players in 2026, veteran players are a key piece in order to achieve success. Walker, a former three-star, has no shortage of experience in his seven-year career thus far, as he began his career at a fellow SEC school, Texas A&M, back in 2020. 

Walker didn’t record a snap in his freshman season, instead beginning his playing career in 2021 with the Aggies, where he recorded three tackles and a pass defended. He then transferred to Western Kentucky, where he accumulated 59 tackles, 23 solo tackles and an interception over two years.

Finally, Walker transferred to the Plains, where he put up 10 tackles and a forced fumble in his first season with the Tigers, where he’ll now spend his final year. 

Though Walker’s stats don’t exactly jump off the page in terms of key players, especially on a team boasting talent like that of Xavier Atkins, one must consider the role of the nose tackle on a football roster. Ideally, the nose tackle should be picking up as many offensive linemen as possible, allowing linebackers like Xavier Atkins to have easier access to the quarterback or running back.

Walker’s done this job with impressive success, especially under DJ Durkin, and he’ll return to a Durkin-coached squad in his final year. He’ll also be able to impart some veteran wisdom on Jourdin Crawford, a former four-star nose tackle who’ll be in his sophomore season with the Tigers in 2026.

Since the Tigers were able to retain Walker, Atkins and other key defensive pieces like Malik Autry and Crawford, Durkin appears set for another dominant defense in 2026.