Tag: Charles Kelly

Auburn in tight battle with USC for four-star safety Anquon Fegans

USC remains the favorite to sign the talented DB from Thompson High School, but Auburn is gaining ground quickly.

The Thompson Warriors have become the state of Alabama’s powerhouse by winning four of the last five Class 7A state championships. Safety [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag] has been a major reason why.

Fegans, a four-star safety, has recorded 176 tackles in three seasons as a varsity player for the Warriors, with five tackles for loss and 18 interceptions. He is one of the most sought-after recruits for the 2025 cycle, and it is easy to see why Auburn is working to keep him within the state’s borders.

Auburn is trending upward in Fegans’ recruitment, and one recruiting expert is ready to throw in his prediction. Cole Pinkston of Auburn Live has logged an “expert pick” for Auburn to land Fegans, joining Jeffrey Lee in doing so.

Fegans visited Auburn last month, where he spent time with defensive backs coaches [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag] and [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag]. Fegans also mentioned to On3 that defensive backs [autotag]Antonio Kite[/autotag] and former Thompson teammate [autotag]Kaleb Harris[/autotag] are joining Auburn’s coaches in his recruiting efforts.

USC remains the favorite to land Fegans with a 50.1% forecast from On3, but Auburn is next at 41.8%. Fegans is a four-star safety according to all four major recruiting outlets. By On3’s standards, Fegans is the nation’s No. 4 safety for the 2025 cycle and is the No. 3 overall recruit from the state of Alabama.

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Salary details released for Charles Kelly, DJ Durkin

Details surrounding the salary of new Auburn assistant coaches have emerged, including those for Auburn’s new co-defensive coordinators.

Auburn has hired many new assistant coaches this offseason, and details surrounding new contracts are beginning to emerge.

Auburn Undercover’s Nathan King has revealed details surrounding the contract and salary of Auburn’s new defensive coaches including co-defensive coordinators [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] and [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag].

Reports surfaced of Auburn’s hiring of Charles Kelly before the Tigers’ Music City Bowl game against Maryland. The hire was made official, and Kelly will now serve as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach. According to King, Kelly will make $875,000 over a three-year contract, which will expand to $950,000 if he is still on staff in 2026.

Durkin, however, is set to make north of $1 million a year as Auburn’s defensive coordinator. King reports that Durkin will earn $1.2 million this season, and his salary will increase by $200,000 for every year that he is on staff.

Durkin joins Auburn’s staff after spending two seasons as defensive coordinator for Texas A&M and was part of Lane Kiffin’s staff at Ole Miss during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Kelly comes to Auburn from Colorado, where he served as defensive coordinator for Deion Sanders’ initial coaching staff in Boulder. He is well respected across the country and is known to be an elite recruiter.

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Auburn DL coach Jeremy Garrett to take on similar role with Jacksonville Jaguars

Garrett returns to the NFL ranks after spending one season on the Plains.

Just when we thought Auburn’s coaching staff had been finalized for the 2024 season, an unforeseen wrench was thrown into the plan.

Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported Friday that Auburn defensive line coach [autotag]Jeremy Garrett[/autotag] is expected to bolt to the NFL to take on a similar role with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The move will be Garrett’s second time as an NFL assistant coach, as he served as an assistant defensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2020-21. He returned to the college ranks in 2022 as a part of Hugh Freeze’s staff at Liberty before making the move to Auburn in 2023.

[autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] are the two notable defensive linemen who were the most productive under Garrett’s leadership in 2023, his lone season at Auburn. Harris recorded 40 total tackles and led the team with seven sacks. Faulk as a true freshman made 36 tackles with a sack and a pass deflection.

Auburn’s defense ranked 12th in the SEC in total tackles last season with 752 total, and finished No. 7 in sacks with 31. Auburn defensive linemen contributed 160 tackles and 12 sacks to that total.

Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has reeled in defensive upgrades to his staff such as [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] and [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag] this offseason. Who will Freeze talk with about filling the recent vacancy on his staff?

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Examining DJ Durkin’s top recruits of all-time

Auburn’s new defensive coordinator has a knack for finding elite talent.

Auburn has landed its next defensive coordinator in [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag].

Durkin brings a wealth of knowledge to the Plains, as he has served as a Power Five coach since 2007, with one exception. He joined the Atlanta Falcons staff as a consultant during the 2019 season before re-joining the college ranks as a defensive coordinator under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss and most recently under Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M.

He has led defenses to produce solid numbers throughout the years, but another impressive aspect of his resume is his ability to recruit.

Throughout his time at places such as Florida, Maryland, and Texas A&M, Durkin has played a hand in several of the nation’s best athletes signing with his program. Durkin is now paired with great recruiters such as [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag], and even his new head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag], which should allow him to continue recruiting at a high level.

Here’s a look at the top 10 recruits that Durkin has had a hand in landing over the years.

Report: Auburn to hire DJ Durkin as defensive coordinator

Durkin will team up with Charles Kelly to lead the Auburn defense in 2024.

In a bit of late-night news, Auburn has reportedly found its next defensive coordinator.

Auburn Undercover reports that Auburn will hire [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] as its next defensive coordinator. He is expected to team up with [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag] to lead the Tigers’ defense in 2024.

Durkin joins Auburn’s staff after spending the last two seasons as defensive coordinator under Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M. He also has SEC experience at Ole Miss (2020-22) and Florida (2010-14).

Since returning to the SEC, Durkin has led defenses to top-10 rankings within the conference. Last season, Texas A&M’s defense finished No. 3 in the SEC by allowing 316 yards per game and was No. 2 behind Florida in average plays allowed with 60.5. The Aggies finished No. 7 in the SEC in 2022 by allowing 365 yards per game.

Durkin’s hire would close out Auburn’s assistant coaching vacancies. This offseason, Auburn has tabbed former Ole Miss wide receivers coach [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] as offensive coordinator, former Colorado defensive coordinator Charles Kelly as co-defensive coordinator, and has promoted former assistant [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag] to quarterbacks coach.

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Auburn hires Will Redmond to serve as GM of player personnel

Redmond joins the Auburn staff following a successful stint at LSU.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is continuing to revamp his coaching staff ahead of the 2024 season, most recently hiring a solid off-the-field addition.

Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reports that Auburn has hired former LSU director of player personnel [autotag]Will Redmond[/autotag] to serve in an off-the-field role. Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover reports that the position will be “General Manager of Player Personnel.”

According to LSU Athletics’ website, Redmond was responsible for maintaining recruiting boards, identifying potential prospects, and monitoring prospects throughout the year. He held the position of director of player personnel for three seasons. During that time, LSU pieced together three top-10 signing classes including the current 2024 class that ranks No. 9 nationally.

Cooper Petagna of 247Sports shares some of the duties that Redmond will take on at Auburn in a recent interview with Auburn Undercover.

“A person in his newly formed GM position is now more important than ever to the success of a college football program, not only when it comes to talent acquisition and retention but to leading and directing an essential arm of the program as it pertains to NIL efforts,” Petagna said. “With player movement at an all-time high, it pays to have forward-thinking minds off the field that can keep your program nimble when it comes adapting in this age of college football.”

The hiring of Redmond is the most recent hire made to Freeze’s revamped staff. Before Redmond’s hiring, Freeze added offensive coordinator [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag], and co-defensive coordinator [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag]. [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag] has also been promoted to quarterbacks coach.

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Paul Finebaum shares thoughts on Auburn’s recent coaching changes

The SEC Network analyst believes that Auburn is moving in the right direction, but Freeze should explain his methods.

The month of January for Auburn football has been filled with staff changes across the board.

Several have been replaced while others have been promoted. Among the changes are the departures of former Tiger players [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag]. Changes such as those have caused an uproar from the Auburn fanbase, and an SEC analyst feels that it is only right for head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] to address their exits.

Radio show host Paul Finebaum was a guest on Monday morning’s edition of McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on Jox 94.5 in Birmingham, where he discussed the recent moves within Auburn’s coaching staff. He says that Freeze could lower confusion within the fanbase by explaining the moves, especially the one concerning Auburn’s interim head coach during the final two games of the 2022 season.

“When you have one of the most famous players in your history depart without explanation and then another one who is, I believe a captain and very popular, you have to explain these things, or if you don’t you’re going to lead people to wonder,” Finebaum said. “I don’t need to remind you (Cole Cubelic) because you were at the epicenter of the Cadillac Williams thing on national television 14 months ago how popular he was and what an emotional story that is.”

Even though the loss of Williams and Etheridge stings Auburn fans, Finebaum understands that those moves are expected due to the need to hire new coordinators. Despite the change, Finebaum still feels that Auburn is on the right track with its recent hires.

“I think that’s part of it. I think when you unload your top two coordinators and there’s change and there’s chaos, you really are going to draw the wrath of the crowd,” Finebaum said Monday. “Having said all that, I think some of the changes have been positive. I think Hugh Freeze realized he needed an upgrade and I think he’s got it. I still think the sour taste at the end of the season is pretty hard to deal with, but I would still argue that if you take a deep breath and look forward, Auburn is in very good shape.”

Auburn has hired [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] to serve as offensive coordinator while [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag] returns to his alma mater to take over the co-defensive coordinator role. Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported Sunday that former Texas A&M defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] is a target to work alongside Kelly in a coordinator role.

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DJ Durkin emerges as a candidate for Auburn’s defensive coordinator job

Durkin has several years of experience working in the SEC, most recently with Texas A&M.

Auburn may be on the verge of adding a defensive coordinator with SEC experience.

According to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports, former Texas A&M defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] has become a target to replace [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] on Auburn’s staff. If hired, Durkin would split defensive coordinator duties with [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag], who returns to his alma mater after most recently spending a season on Deion Sanders’ staff at Colorado.

Under Durkin’s leadership, Texas A&M has posted a top-five defensive within the SEC over the last two seasons. The Aggies ended the 2023 season with the conference’s fifth-best defense, allowing 22.1 points and 316.2 yards per contest. Texas A&M’s defense was considered to be better than Ole Miss, South Carolina, and LSU last season.

Before his time in College Station, Durkin was defensive coordinator for Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The Rebels’ defense progressed in his two seasons, moving from No. 14 in the SEC in 2020 to No. 8 in 2021. He also served as defensive coordinator at Florida from 2013-14, where he coached the Gators’ defense to a No. 3 ranking in the SEC in 2013. In between stops in SEC country, Durkin led the Maryland Terrapins as head coach from 2016-18, where he failed to win more than six games during his stay.

Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has added three assistant coaches to his staff since the end of the 2023 season. Joining Kelly is [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag], who joins Auburn’s staff as offensive coordinator and running backs coach after spending 16 seasons at Ole Miss. Freeze has also promoted [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag] to quarterbacks coach after he spent last season as an assistant to Freeze.

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Auburn names Charles Kelly co-Defensive Coordinator

Auburn names Charles Kelly co-Defensive Coordinator

Charles Kelly has been named the co-defensive coordinator for Auburn’s football program.

Hugh Freeze announced on Friday that Kelly would be joining the staff and co-leading the defensive unit in 2024 and beyond.

A former player on the Plains, Kelly was the defensive coordinator for the resurgent Colorado Buffaloes in 2023. Along with head coach Deion Sanders, Kelly helped Colorado become the story of the early college football season before reality struck.

Kelly won several awards during his time in the Centennial State, most notably winning the 247Sports National Recruiter of the Year award in 2023. The long-time coach also was ranked in the top five the year prior.

The 56-year-old started his coaching career directly following his playing career at Auburn, coaching high school football in Alabama until accepting a job at Jacksonville State as the running backs coach in 1993.

The defensive coach made stops at Nicholls State, Georgia Tech, and Florida State before most notably becoming the assistant defensive coordinator at Alabama from 2019-2022.

Kelly now “comes home” to coach his alma-mater in a major transitional period for the Tigers.

He’ll bring four career conference championships and two career national titles to an Auburn locker room that is sure to have plenty of new faces next season.

Auburn’s newest staff member is certainly excited to be joining the team in 2024, stating,

“I am very grateful to return to a university and a football program that have meant so much to me growing up in this state and playing for Coach Dye. It’s an honor to work with Coach Freeze, whom I have a tremendous amount of respect for, and I’m appreciative of him for this opportunity. I look forward to helping Coach Freeze and this staff bring our program back to the caliber of championship football that Auburn deserves. As the Auburn Creed states, ‘I believe in work, hard work.’ I do not take this opportunity lightly and am ready to go to work. War Eagle!”

We’ll see if Kelly can help navigate a defense set to lose stars [autotag]D.J James[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag], and [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] in 2024.

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Elite CB Devin Williams to visit Auburn this weekend

Auburn is set to host four-star cornerback Devin Williams on a visit this weekend.

Georgia has always been a key recruiting area for Auburn and that is once again the case in the 2025 recruiting cycle. The Tigers already have commitments from two Peach State natives in Kendarious Riddick and Ryan Ghea and they are in the mix for several more.

One of them is four-star cornerback [autotag]Devin Williams[/autotag], who has scheduled a return visit to the Plains for this weekend, according to Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports. It will be his fourth visit to the Plains.

Williams is the No. 90 overall player and No. 12 cornerback in the 247Sports composite ranking. The Buford native is also the No. 14 player from Georgia.

It will be an important trip for Williams, it will allow him to meet new defensive coach [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag], who is expected to have a role coaching defensive backs.

“Although Coach (Wesley) McGriff has left for Texas A&M, excited to meet Coach Kelly to talk about the direction going forward and his defensive scheme,” he told Wiltfong.

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