Going into the 2023 football season, Auburn Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Tigers’ roster.
Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] in his first season on the Plains.
Up next is transfer linebacker [autotag]Larry Nixon III[/autotag]. The veteran from North Texas brings a wealth of experience and production to the room and will look to make an impact in his one season on the Plains.
Preseason Player Profile
Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas
Height: 6-1
Weight: 231
Previous School: North Texas
Class in 2023: Senior
247Sports Composite Ranking
Two-Star / No. 358 in Texas / No. 160 LB
Career Stats
| Year | G | Tackles | TFLs | Sacks | PDs | FFs |
| 2018 (North Texas) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2019 (North Texas) | 10 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 (North Texas) | 8 | 53 | 6.5 | 3.0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 (North Texas) | 10 | 70 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 (North Texas) | 12 | 105 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
PFF Grades
| Year | Defense | Tackling | Run Defense | Pass Rush | Coverage | Special Teams |
| 2019 | 81.7 | 71.9 | 71.5 | 53.8 | 87.7 | 85.7 |
| 2020 | 58.6 | 39.1 | 61.0 | 69.8 | 54.3 | 64.2 |
| 2021 | 58.8 | 50.0 | 58.2 | 81.0 | 51.9 | 72.2 |
| 2022 | 67.1 | 64.2 | 73.7 | 78.9 | 55.8 | 62.6 |
Depth Chart Overview
Nixon appeared in 40 games over the past four seasons for the Mean Green and was named to the Conference USA First-Team last season before entering the transfer portal and that experience will be invaluable to have in the heart of the defense which will feature several newcomers.
He is battling [autotag]Cam Riley[/autotag] for the starting Will spot and regardless of who wins, they should both play plenty of snaps and be key contributors. Auburn was looking to improve its depth at line linebacker, allowing the Tigers to rotate and keep their players fresh and Nixon will let them do just that.