Why Auburn Co-DC Tim Banks Believes This Key Player Is ‘A True Leader’

The Auburn Tigers have boasted some of the best defenses in the country over the past few years, but one key player has been notably absent from much of the Tigers’ defensive dominance: Champ Anthony. The senior, who was a junior college transfer for the Tigers back in 2024, has missed large parts of both of his first two seasons with the Tigers due to injury.

However, Anthony is now back to full strength and is practicing with the team, and his impact has not been missed by Auburn co-defensive coordinator Tim Banks.

“It’s been awesome,” Banks said. “He’s a true leader. He’s a passionate kid. Football is extremely important to him, brotherhood is extremely important to him, and he’s not just a guy who talks about it. He’s a guy who lives it, and that’s refreshing. You get a lot of people who talk a lot and don’t really have any substance about it. He’s not that type of guy.”

Anthony has been the subject of a few famous Auburn moments over the past few years despite how limited he has been, though perhaps the best example of a Champ Anthony moment (as well as a perfect illustration of how he plays) was a hit he put down on an Arkansas receiver back in 2024.

Champ Anthony absolutely folded this Arkansas WR..... 😤👀💯 pic.twitter.com/E9eG4zjG7Y
— OutOfSightSports🚀™️ (@OOSSports) September 21, 2024

Even beyond the amazing call from the booth (seriously, if you didn’t have audio on, go listen to that call), this hit perfectly encapsulates Anthony as a player: he is aggressive, he does not fear contact and he is willing to hit as hard as he needs to–or harder–for his team to gain even the slightest edge in a tight competition.

However, Banks was not just impressed with Anthony’s leadership, poise or even his effort in practice; in fact, he is already open to the idea of using Anthony at multiple positions in 2026.

“I talked about the safety spot,” Banks said, “[but Anthony] could easily slide out at corner, and bring us some versatility there as well. You guys know his story; he’s been banged up a ton, so to finally see him healthy, hitting on all cylinders, it’s been awesome to see.”

Anthony, despite a few highlights, is still looking for his first full season in an Auburn uniform, and he seems to have the perfect coaching staff for his tendencies. If he is able to stay healthy despite all that aggression, the Tigers’ secondary could be among the most feared in the SEC in 2026.

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