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 veteran safety [autotag]Donovan Kaufman[/autotag]. He entered the spring in a battle with [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] for the starting Star spot but has the option to play multiple roles in Auburn’s loaded secondary.
Preseason Player Profile
Hometown: New Orleans, Louisianna
Height: 5-10
Weight: 204
Previous School: Vanderbilt
Class in 2023: Junior
247Sports Composite Ranking
Three-Star / No. 18 in LA / No. 37 S
Career Stats
| Year | G | Tackles | TFLs | INT’s | PDs | FFs |
| 2020 (Vanderbilt) | 2 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 13 | 33 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 2022 | 7 | 39 | 1.5 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
PFF Grades
| Year | Defense | Run Defense | Tackling | Pass Rush | Coverage |
| 2020 | 56.1 | 59.2 | 74.2 | 59.7 | 54.7 |
| 2021 | 67.9 | 71.1 | 81.7 | 72.3 | 65.7 |
| 2022 | 72.1 | 61.6 | 57.5 | 76.1 | 74.7 |
Depth Chart Overview
Kaufman is entering his third season at Auburn after starting his career at Vanderbilt and is one of several proven veterans in Auburn’s secondary. He and Scott were in a battle during spring practice for the starting Star spot but Scott appeared to be getting more reps towards the end.
Scott looks to be better in coverage than Kaufman which is a key part of being the third corner and this could free Kaufman up to spend some time at safety, a position he’s played in the past.
Even if he losses out on the battle to Scott, Kaufman will be a key reserve in the secondary who is capable of playing multiple positions and can fill in wherever he is needed.