AUBURN — Auburn University football coach Hugh Freeze only got half his wish.
During a “Tiger Talk” broadcast at Baumhower's Victory Grill in November, Freese led the crowd in a chant to try to convince tight end Luke Diehl and defensive lineman Marcus Harris to return for one final season at Auburn University.
“One more year!” the crowd pleaded with Deal and Harris, under Freeze's direction. The players were on hand as special guests on the show.
Andy Burcham, the voice of the Tigers, took the moment to praise Freese's recruiting abilities.
“Those are just two big-time recruits,” Freeze responded.
Deal agreed, opting to spend his sixth and final season on the Plains, but Harris went on to the NFL and was selected 247th overall by the Houston Texans in the 2024 NFL Draft. He made the pro leap after a standout 2023 season in which he set career highs in tackles (40), tackles for loss (11.5) and sacks (7.5).
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Harris earned an 82.1 overall defensive grade and an 87.4 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus last season. Those numbers ranked 19th and 11th, respectively, among defensive linemen in the nation and first both among linemen in the SEC.
Auburn also lost other rotation players on the defensive line when Lawrence Johnson became ineligible and the Dallas Cowboys selected Justin Rodgers with the 244th overall pick.
Overall, more than half of the 2023 defensive line snaps played left the Tigers this offseason, with 43.6% returning to the team, led by Keldrick Faulk (441), Jason Jones (347) and Zaikeivus Walker (237).
Auburn released a number of players and hit the portal, and the defensive line is largely made up of players who weren't on last season's roster, including transfers Gage Keys (Kansas), Phillip Bridi (Indiana), Isaiah Lakes (USC/Texas A&M) and Trill Carter (Texas).
Keys and Bridi are leaning toward the defensive tackle position, which can easily be described as a cross between a nose tackle and a defensive end. They will be tasked with one-on-one blocking and applying pressure as pass rushers, but will also be expected to hold up points in the run game when needed.
Nose tackle is a bit more stout, with Lakes and Carter leading the charge along with Jones and Bobby Jamison-Travis, and the duties here include filling gaps and not getting pushed off the line of scrimmage.
On the defensive end, Faulk will serve as captain. A true freshman in 2023, Faulk had to play more than expected after Maryland transfer Mosiah Nasiri-Kite suffered a season-ending biceps injury in Week 5 against Georgia. Faulk had a stellar performance, recording 35 tackles and one sack.
Auburn doesn't have a star player like Harris to rely on, so it's prepared to rely on the depth it acquired this offseason. With redshirt freshman DJ Reed and freshmen Malik Brockton and TJ Lindsay, the Tigers could have as many as 11 players rotating through the three defensive line positions.
Freeze was hoping Harris would stay for another season, but the plan is clear to add depth, and if a player like Faulk can make a big leap in Year 2, the Tigers would be in big shape.
Richard Silva is an Auburn University sports reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached by email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter X (formerly Twitter) @rich_silva18.
