Surprise Auburn Tigers Freshman Preps for Encore Sophomore Season

The Auburn Tigers found a hidden gem last season in true freshman corner Jay Crawford, a three-star recruit from Lilburn, Ga. The youngster saw significant time for the Tigers and secured a spot on both the Freshman All-SEC team and PFF’s College All-Freshman Team in 2024

However, Crawford isn’t done yet, and spoke to the media on Monday about his offseason and how he’s been improving.

“Last year I felt like I was spreading my feet a lot, so this year I’ve been trying to work on my feet,” Crawford said. “And then, just the weaknesses I’ve found in my game, I’ve been trying to better my craft and get better at those things.”

Crawford recorded 15 tackles, 1 interception, and 7 pass deflections last season for the Tigers. However, corner is a position that can never be remotely evaluated by just a season box score. Opposing quarterbacks early in the season frequently tested the true freshman, and quickly found out that it was a terrible idea.

Receivers being covered by Crawford caught just 13 passes in 32 opportunities for 179 yards in two touchdowns. If that statline were a quarterback’s game line, the quarterback’s NFL passer rating would be just 64.45. That mark would be the second-worst mark of all quarterbacks, ahead of only Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.

This season, Crawford is poised to be part of an immensely talented Auburn cornerback room. Veteran and multiyear starter Kayin Lee returns, and Champ Anthony is medically cleared following a gruesome leg injury suffered against Arkansas in 2024.

Additionally, the Auburn coaching staff took to the portal, securing two big impact transfers at the position. The headliner is Raion Strader, a four-star transfer from Miami of Ohio who was First-Team All-MAC in 2024.

Joining Strader is Tulane transfer Rayshawn Pleasant, a three-star transfer who was blocked on the depth chart in 2024 by a duo of All-AAC corners and current NFL players in Micah Robinson and Caleb Ransaw. The infusion of experience should be invaluable to the younger Crawford, who has already been learning from his new teammates.

“I’d say it’s been going very good,” Crawford said. “I’ve been using more of my feet, trying to use more of my technique. The other guys [have been] helping me and pushing me like, ‘You’ve got to do this, you’ve got to do that. You’ve gotta win with your feet, use your hands.’ Just little small technique things to help get me better and the whole team in our room.”

Of course, the chance to practice against the best doesn’t hurt, either. Each of the Auburn corners spends their camp time taking reps against stars like Eric Singleton Jr and Cam Coleman, so the group will definitely be prepared for the very best the SEC has to offer at the position.

“It feel good, knowing the offense is gonna have our back, and we’re gonna have their back,” Crawford said of the improvements on the other side of the ball in 2025.

If Straider, Lee, Crawford, and Pleasant can all improve on their 2024 play, the Auburn secondary will be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, especially when combined with electric box safety Kaleb Harris.

A better secondary will be music to the ears of Keldric Faulk and the rest of the Tiger defensive line, as fewer open receivers means more time for the pass rush to get home. Ideally, the combination of a lockdown secondary and an electric defensive line would mean that Auburn could make its opponents one-dimensional, forcing them to rely on the running game.

And, with how the linebacking corps has been in camp so far, that doesn’t seem like a strong option either.

As for Crawford, this season will be an excellent opportunity to both learn from experienced players with skill at the position and compete for playing time with those same players. If the sophomore is good enough to see significant time over Strader and Lee, the Tigers might have a true star on their hands.