Auburn’s Eric Winters Leads this SEC In Crucial Stat

Though the Auburn Tigers struggled immensely under Hugh Freeze in 2025, DJ Durkin’s defense consistently proved to be a bright spot. The Tigers’ defense boasted several top-level players that made a massive difference throughout the year, but one player slipped under the radar of many people: Eric Winters.

Winters, who was a true freshman in 2025, was the highest-graded run defender in the SEC, per Pro Football Focus. Despite his youth, Winters played in all 12 games and recorded multiple tackles in all but one game.

Eric Winters: Highest Graded Run Defender in the SEC Last Season (92.0)

Reminder: He was only a True Freshman🦅@AuburnFootball pic.twitter.com/kj5ivvk7w2
— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 19, 2026

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Throughout the 2025 season, Winters managed to accumulate 33 total tackles, 24 solo tackles and a pass defended. His best game came against Mercer, in which he managed four total tackles, three of which were solo tackles.

He was quite solid in SEC play, too, as 19 of his 33 tackles came in the Tigers’ matchups with fellow SEC opponents, despite Auburn’s 1-7 record in conference play.

As a prospect, Winters was a four-star who was rated as the 11th-best safety in the country as well as the ninth-best player in his home state of Alabama. Interestingly, Winters played just about everywhere on the field in high school, recording significant production as a quarterback, running back and wide receiver, all while forcing fumbles and making interceptions on defense.

The two-way star had several Power Four offers last year, including Miami, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Clemson and a host of others, though Winters only chose to officially visit Auburn, Miami and Georgia.

Winters will return to the Plains in 2026, which is a hopeful sight for an Auburn team that will return less than five defensive starters in Alex Golesh’s inaugural year. That does not mean that Winters will not have support on defense, though; Xavier Atkins, Demarcus Riddick and a host of other young talent will join Winters on the Tigers’ 2026 defensive front.

DJ Durkin’s defenses have been quite impressive in recent years, with Atkins, Riddick and now Winters all garnering national recognition for their efforts under Durkin’s defensive scheming. Though much is uncertain for the Tigers in 2026, the squad’s defense seems like it will continue to be the terrifying sight it has been over recent years.

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