Where Does Auburn Stand Statistically After Loss to Vanderbilt?

Despite a rough season, the Auburn Tigers have multiple players near the top of multiple stat categories in the SEC.

Auburn running back Jeremiah Cobb is one of the SEC's top rushers. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There’s simply no other way to put it: the Auburn Tigers have had a disappointing season.

Despite high preseason expectations and a talented roster, the Tigers are 4-6 with just one SEC win. They’ve fired their head coach, Hugh Freeze, and have been rolling with an interim in the form of defensive coordinator DJ Durkin. 

Despite all that’s playing against the Tigers, whether poor coaching, officiating or otherwise, many Auburn athletes still find themselves ranked highly in individual stats, while others surprise by being off the board entirely. 

Here’s a look at where individual Tigers stand in the wake of a disappointing season.

Offense

Jeremiah Cobb’s usage, or lack thereof, has been a hotly debated topic on the Plains this season. Many felt that Freeze hadn’t been using him enough, but he’s still the third-best running back in the SEC by total rushing yards.

Cobb has 904 rushing yards on the season, ranking third in the SEC. He iseclipsed by Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy and Ole Miss’ Kewan Lacy, though Lacy was behind Cobb until this past week. Despite a multitude of yards, though, Cobb doesn’t even rank in the SEC top-10 for rushing touchdowns, a testament to Auburn’s struggles to score.

Auburn running back Jeremiah Cobb's 904 rushing yards ranks third in the SEC. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It’s no surprise that Auburn doesn’t have a passer ranked in the top 10, as they’ve juggled quarterbacks over the past two games in the wake of Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold’s struggles. More surprising, though, is that the Tigers don’t have a single receiver on the SEC’s top-10, which is sorted by yards per game.

With talent like Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton, Jr. out wide for the Tigers, many would expect at least one to rank, but that’s not the case. Coleman ranks just outside of the top-10 in total receiving yards with 617, while Singleton follows below with 481.

Defense

This is, of course, where Auburn would be expected to dominate the charts. The Tigers were the only team in the SEC to allow 24 points or less per game for nine games, after all.

Key players like Xavier Atkins, Rayshawn Pleasant, and Keyron Crawford have been electric all season, keeping the Tigers’ struggling offense within striking distance.

Accordingly, Atkins leads the SEC in total tackles and solo tackles with 78 and 57, respectively. He also ranks second among linebackers in sacks with 7.5, ranks third in tackles per game with 7.8 and has the fourth-longest interception return this season at 73 yards.

Auburn Tigers linebacker Xavier Atkins is the SEC's leading tackler. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pleasant is tied for fourth in total interceptions with two, has the sixth-longest return at 66 yards and is tied for first in defensive touchdowns with one.

Other names to keep an eye on include Crawford, who’s tied for eighth in the SEC in total sacks with five, Robert Woodyard Jr., who’s tied for third in solo tackles with 38 and Kaleb Harris, who just barely cracks the top-10 in solo tackles with 31.

Special Teams

Alex McPherson’s comeback has certainly been the feel-good story of the season on the Plains, but even when struggling with ulcerative colitis, McPherson’s production is hard to match. He ranks sixth in the SEC in total points with 73, sixth in accuracy at 84.2 percent and has yet to miss an extra-point kick this season, tying him for first. 

On the returning side, the Tigers have looked strong. Bryce Cain is the SEC’s leading kick returner with an average of 31 yards per return, while Pleasant ranks third in total kick return yards with 314.

Auburn Tigers kicker Alex McPherson's comeback has been one of the best feel-good stories of 2025. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pleasant’s 98-yard kickoff return against the Baylor Bears stands alone at the top of the charts this season, as he’s the only SEC returner with a kickoff return touchdown this season. The next-longest SEC kickoff return is Missouri freshman DaMarion Fowlkes’s 55-yarder.

Auburn has a bye week this week, during which significant decisions will have to be made, before taking on Mercer back home next week and Alabama the week after while being one loss away from missing a bowl game.