D.J. James – Page 4 – Syndication Server

Auburn’s secondary is back, and stronger than ever

Auburn’s secondary has a chip on its shoulder heading into the 2023 season.

Everywhere you look, it seems that each position group has been upgraded thanks to the transfer portal. However, there is one group that will return most of its experienced players.

The defensive backfield at Auburn will have the most “homegrown” players heading into the 2023 season as players such as [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag], [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag], and [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] return. In fact, four of those five previously named players are among the Auburn defense’s top returning players.

Although this unit is the most experienced, they are still learning new things ahead of the season. Auburn’s secondary welcomes the new strategies and ideas set forth by defensive coordinator [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] and secondary coach [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] to go along with the familiar style of safeties coach [autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag].

When it comes to McGriff and Etheridge, defensive back Keionte Scott compares their relationship to one of the NBA’s best duos of all time, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

“Chemistry, They’ve got chemistry already,” Scott said. “You’ve got an old-school coach with more old-school tradition and you’ve got a new-school coach. Being able to merge those together — it’s crazy to see it sometimes.”

The unit appears to be meshing well with the new style, but what does that mean for expectations? Scott says that the transition has been easy, as the expectations for Auburn are considered to be low.

“Everyone knows we have one of the top groups in the country. Just being able to go to practice knowing that we’re not nowhere, we’re not anybody, we’re not ranked in the country, we’re not anything… Offensive coordinators around the country are going to know,” Scott said. “We just want to live in that. We want to let everyone know that there’s not going to be a person you can pick on in our DB group.”

Auburn’s projected rotation in the defensive backfield combined to make 248 stops last season and accounted for four interceptions.

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Three Tigers named to Preseason All-SEC team by PFF

Expect big things from these three players this season.

The Auburn Tigers are poised to being their journey back to the top of the SEC this season and will rely heavily on several players to get there.

Pro Football Focus recently released their Preseason All-SEC team and feels that three players will be instrumental in Auburn’s success this season. PFF has placed transfer defensive lineman [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] on the second team, with running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] finding places on the third team.

Rogers, a transfer from Kentucky, joins Auburn after appearing in 13 games last season for the Wildcats. In 450 snaps, he made 35 total tackles and 11 total pressures. His final grade was 70.9, which was 9th highest among Kentucky defenders.

Joining Rogers on defense this season is D.J. James. James recorded 37 tackles last season, which was 10th highest among Auburn defenders. He was Auburn’s highest-graded defender at 82.3 and was best at coverage by grading out at 85.7. He allowed opposing receivers to catch 40.7% of passes, and he gave up just two touchdowns.

Finally, Hunter is Auburn’s lone representative on offense to make the team. Hunter is projected to be the Tigers leading rusher this season after spending time in [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag]’s shadows for the last two seasons. He rushed for 668 yards and seven touchdowns last season and graded out at 80.1.

Check out the entire 2023 Preseason All-SEC team from Pro Football Focus here.

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D.J. James named to Nagurski Trophy watch list

He enters the season as one of the best defenders in the SEC.

After his breakout season last year, Auburn cornerback [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] is entering his second season on the Plains with plenty of hype and was just named to the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list.

The award is given annually to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player by the Football Writers Association of America. The watch list currently has 94 members but can grow as the season progresses.

James spent three seasons at Oregon before transferring to Auburn ahead of the 2022 season. He immediately became one of their top defenders, making 37 tackles, breaking up eight passes and recording the first pick-six of his career.

The Mobile native also received recognition at SEC Media Days back in July, being named to the All-SEC Third Team.

The winner of the award will be unveiled on Dec. 4 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 23 J.D. Rhym

He should be one of Auburn’s top reserves in the secondary.

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 sophomore cornerback [autotag]J.D. Rhym[/autotag]. He appeared in 12 games as a freshman and is set to be a key reserve once again.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Valdosta, Georgia

Height: 6-1

Weight: 178

Class in 2023: Sophomore

247Sports Composite Ranking

Four-Star / No. 16 in Georgia / No. 20 CB

Career Stats

Year	G	Tackles	TFLs	Sacks	PDs	FFs
2022	12	14	0	0	1	0

PFF Grades

Year	Defense	Tackling	Run Defense	Pass Rush	Coverage	Special Teams
2022	63.8	44.9	36.7	71.0	69.8	54.6

Depth Chart Overview

Rhym broke through the rotation as a freshman and despite missing time in spring, he should once again be a key member of the rotation at corner. With [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] locking down the starting spots, he will form the second wave with [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Champ Anthony[/autotag] and should see plenty of action.

J.D. Rhym’s Photo Gallery

Auburn picked to finish 6th in SEC West, 6 Tigers make All-SEC

Brian Battie was named First-Team All-SEC with five others making the third team.

There is optimism about [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s time at Auburn but it might take some time for that to turn into wins. The Tigers were picked to finish sixth in the SEC West by the media in this year’s preseason poll, the SEC announced Friday morning.

The Georgia Bulldogs were predicted to win the SEC East with 265 first-place votes and Alabama received 165 to win the West, edging out LSU who received 117. The Bulldogs were picked to win the SEC Championship with 181 points.

Six Tigers were named to the All-SEC teams with [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag] being the first team kick returner. Running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], cornerbacks [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], punter [autotag]Oscar Chapman[/autotag] and kicker [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] all made the third team.

Here is a look at the full poll.

All-SEC CB Kris Abrams-Draine on DJ James: ‘He’s a natural cornerback’

Former high school teammates, they are now two of the top cornerbacks in the SEC.

Missouri’s Kris Abrams-Draine knows better than anyone just how good Auburn cornerback [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] is. The duo played at Spanish Fort High School together and they are now both dominating in the SEC.

“D.J. is like my best friend,” Abrams-Draine said at SEC Media Days. “He’s been locking down receivers since high school.”

Missouri originally recruited Abrams-Draine as a wide receiver before transitioning him to cornerback and James was someone he leaned on during the process.

“When I changed to DB, I asked (James) a lot of questions because I knew he’d lead me in the right way,” Abrams-Draine said. “But he’s a great person, too.”

He has now appeared in 23 games as a cornerback for Missouri and has emerged as one of the best in the conference, making 85 tackles, picking off three passes and breaking up 24 passes over the past two seasons. His performance generated plenty of NFL buzz but he elected to return for one more season to attempt to boost his stock even more, which is exactly what James did.

He and fellow Auburn cornerback [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] form one of the best duos in the SEC and have made cornerback the strength of Auburn’s defense ahead of the 2023 season.

“He’s got perfect technique,” Abrams-Draine said of James. “He’s patient on his backpedal, and he’s just natural. He’s a natural cornerback.”

James quickly emerged as Auburn’s top corner last season after transferring from Oregon. He made 37 tackles, picked off one pass and defended eight more.

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DJ James to host back-to-school giveaway

The event will take place on Saturday, July 22 from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Covington Recreation Center in Opelika.

Schools are reopening soon and Auburn cornerback [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] is doing a giveaway to help local families. James will be giving away backpacks and school supplies to students he announced Sunday on Twitter.

The event will take place on Saturday, July 22 from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Covington Recreation Center in Opelika. The Covington Recreation Center is located at 213 Carter Ave., Opelika, AL.

“In an effort to giveback and assist the cities of Auburn and Opelika, I am providing book bags and school supplies to students,” he tweeted. “Truly thankful I am in a position to help!”

The Mobile, Alabama, native is entering his second season with the Tigers after starting his career at Oregon. He is expected to be a starting corner and it is easy to see why he is so popular with the Auburn faithful.

In an effort to giveback and assist the cities of Auburn and Opelika, I am providing book bags and school supplies to students. Truly thankful I am in a position to help! ✏️🤍🎒 #AuburnFamily #WarEagle 🦅 pic.twitter.com/lAvfZBXK1q

— DJ James (@Djames00x) July 16, 2023

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D.J. James ranked among highest returning cornerbacks by PFF grade

James is Auburn’s highest-graded returning defensive player from last season.

In a secondary that struggled last season, [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] was a bright spot for the Auburn Tigers.

James, a 6-foot-1, 174-pounder from Mobile, AL recorded 25 tackles, an interception and eight passes defended.

In a 247Sports article written by Brad Crawford, the top returning cornerbacks by PFF grade are ranked and James checks in at No. 10.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades rank players by how they perform on each individual play.

247’s take on James: Last season, James led the SEC in both coverage grade and reception rate — and ranked top 10 nationally in both categories among cornerbacks. He’s a physical corner with tremendous closing speed. The former Oregon transfer made an instant splash with the Tigers and drew comparisons to former All-American ballhawk Roger McCreary on The Plains. By the end of the 2022 season, opposing teams were aware of James’ talent level and often threw to the other side of the field given his lockdown abilities.

James is expected to be a difference-maker in a revamped secondary this season. He will play a vital role in helping the Tigers regain a reputation as one of the best defensive teams in college football.

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Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 1 Nehemiah Pritchett

He is one of Auburn’s top returning players.

Going into the 2023 football season, Auburn Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Up next is veteran cornerback [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag]. He is entering his third year as Auburn’s starting cornerback and is an anchor of the defense.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Jackson, Alabama

Height: 6-1

Weight: 184

Class in 2023: Senior

247Sports Composite Ranking

Three-Star / No. 17 in AL / No. 49 CB

Career Stats

Year	G	Tackles	TFLs	Sacks	INTs	PDs	FFs
2019	6	4	0	0	0	0	0
2020	11	25	0	0	1	11	0
2021	13	27	0	0	1	6	0
2022	12	37	4.5	1	0	8	1

PFF Grades

Year	Defense	Tackling	Run Defense	Pass Rush	Coverage
2019	66.2	80.2	59.6	–	67.3
2020	78.4	76.5	79.3	58.7	77.0
2021	57.2	50.5	71.4	51.1	54.8
2022	70.6	51.3	55.8	71.3	73.0

Depth Chart Overview

Pritchett was a starter at cornerback the last two seasons and should be once again. The veteran has appeared in 42 games for the Tigers and gives them one of the best cornerback tandems in the SEC with [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag].

The depth behind Prichett and James is very talented but raw so they will have to help bring them along. Prichett could have gone to the NFL but is looking to boost his stock with another draft season before making the jump and Auburn’s defense will be better because of his decision.

Nehemiah Pritchett’s Photo Gallery

Pro Football Focus releases preseason ELO rankings. Where is Auburn?

Pro Football Focus becomes the latest outlet to reveal its preseason rankings.

As the summer continues, more and more publications are beginning to reveal their preseason rankings. Pro Football Focus is the latest to do so ($), using its unique formulas to compile rankings.

Pro Football Focus uses a metric called “ELO”, which meshes grades for each team’s offensive, defensive, and special teams output. Auburn’s grades place them at No. 40 to begin the season.

To prove just how deep and talented the SEC is, Auburn has 12 teams within the conference ahead of them despite their No. 40 ranking. Auburn only ranks ahead of Vanderbilt in the ELO rankings, who comes in at No. 84.

The Tigers have a lot of questions to answer ahead of the 2023 season, as most units on both sides of the football enter the program as transfers. Looking at Auburn’s top returning players, seven of the top ten highest-graded offensive players are transfers while four of the top ten highest-graded defensive players are transfers.

When it comes to top units that will feature the most “homegrown” players this season for Auburn, look at running back and defensive back. Running backs [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] and [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] return to the gridiron this season, while the defensive backfield welcomes back [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag], [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag], and [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag].

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