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 senior cornerback [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag]. The former Oregon Duck is entering his second season on the Plains and is expected to be one of the leaders in the secondary, a position group that could be the strength of the defense.
Preseason Player Profile
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama
Height: 6-1
Weight: 164
Previous School: Oregon
Class in 2023: Senior
247Sports Composite Ranking
Three-Star // No. 24 in Alabama // No. 61 CB
Career Stats
| Year | G | Tackles | TFLs | INTs | PDs | TDs |
| 2019 (Oregon) | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 (Oregon) | 6 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 (Oregon) | 12 | 46 | .5 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2022 | 12 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 01 |
PFF Grades
| Year | Defense | Coverage | Run Defense | Tackling | Pass Rush |
| 2019 | 48.1 | 46.4 | 72.9 | 74.1 | – |
| 2020 | 66.2 | 64.0 | 71.1 | 57.9 | – |
| 2021 | 70.7 | 67.8 | 77.9 | 75.1 | 70.4 |
| 2022 | 82.3 | 85.7 | 63.3 | 74.6 | 55.9 |
Depth Chart Overview
Last season Auburn had to replace its top corner, this year they return both James and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] and that will be big for the defense which will have lots of new contributors. Both of them have the starting jobs locked down and are looking to boost their stock ahead of their NFL careers.
James had a great debut season for the Tigers, earning Second-Team All-SEC honors and is the second-highest graded defender on Auburn’s roster according to PFF.
After breaking out last season he is now counted on to help lead a group that is talented but will be relying on some unproven players to provide depth.