Austin Keys to miss Saturday’s game at California due to thumb injury

The Ole Miss transfer saw limited action in Auburn’s opener, and will miss an undetermined amount of time going forward.

One of the most exciting transfers that Auburn landed last offseason was [autotag]Austin Keys[/autotag], a linebacker from Ole Miss.

Keys, who made 51 tackles in two seasons at Ole Miss, was expected to be a vital piece to Auburn’s linebacking corps this season. However, he was only able to play 18 snaps in Auburn’s season-opening victory over UMass last Saturday.

It appears that he will see less time on the field over the next several weeks. During the SEC teleconference on Wednesday, head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] told reporters that Keys underwent surgery following last Saturday’s game to repair an injured thumb and that he would “be out a while.”

Outside of Keys, four linebackers recorded 10 or more snaps last Saturday. [autotag]Larry Nixon III[/autotag] led the way with 23, followed by [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag]’s 20.

Several players that missed last week’s game such as [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], [autotag]JD Rhym[/autotag], and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] all dressed out for Wednesday’s practice according to Justin Ferguson of the Auburn Observer.

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