Tag: D.J. James

Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 4 D.J. James

He is one of the top returning corners in the SEC.

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.

 D.J. James’ Photo Gallery

Defense by the Numbers: Top Tigers based on snap count

Which defensive player saw the most action during the 2022 season?

The offseason is now here, which means it is time to take a look back at the season that was for Auburn Football.

The 2022 season ended in disappointment as the Tigers finished with a 5-7 record. Auburn fired its head coach, [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag], eight games into the season, which led to assistant coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] taking over and leading Auburn to a 2-2 record to close out the season.

Defensively, Auburn had great performances from such names as [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag], [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag], [autotag]Colby Wooden[/autotag], and [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag]. Their success translates to the time they spent on the field.

Auburn played a total of 894 plays on defense in 2022. Who saw the most playing time for Auburn on defense in 2022? Here’s a look at the data according to Pro Football Focus.

RELATED: Auburn Football’s top defensive players of 2022 according to Pro Football Focus

RELATED: Offense by the numbers: Top Tigers by snap count

Two key defensive backs announce return for 2023 season

Hugh Freeze and staff received the good news that two crucial defensive players will return for the 2023 season.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] received the good news on Friday that several key defensive pieces are returning to the program for the 2023 season.

Defensive backs [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] both announced Friday that they plan to return to Auburn to play for Freeze instead of taking their first chance to enter their name into NFL Draft consideration.

Both players started at cornerback for the Tigers last season, with Pritchett returning with the most experience with the program. Pritchett signed with Auburn as a part of the 2019 class out of Jackson High School in Jackson, Alabama, and has played in 42 games over four seasons at Auburn.

Since 2019, Pritchett has recorded 93 tackles, with 4.5 being for a loss. He has also snagged two interceptions over his Auburn career. Pritchett returns to Auburn for his fifth season, which is possible due to the 2020 season where every athlete was granted an extra season of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic that altered the season.

James joined Auburn’s program last season after transferring from Oregon and made an immediate impact.

The junior from Spanish Fort made 37 tackles last season, with one for a loss. He also picked off one pass, which he returned for a touchdown in Auburn’s 41-17 win over Western Kentucky on Nov. 19. He also ended the season with a Pro Football Focus grade of 82.4, which was the highest among Tiger defenders.

In other roster news, wide receiver [autotag]Shedrick Jackson[/autotag] announced that he will be entering the NFL Draft on his Instagram account. Jackson recorded 66 catches for 874 yards during his Auburn career that spanned from 2018-22.

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Six Auburn Tigers make Phil Steele’s All-SEC team

Four defensive players, one offensive player and one special teams player made the cut.

Players on Auburn’s 2022 team continue to receive accolades during college football’s postseason.

Sports writer Phil Steele, who is known for his yearly College Football Preview magazine, released his All-SEC picks on Friday. The list featured six different Auburn players on his second, third and fourth teams consisting of four defensive players, one offensive player and one special teams player.

Defensive end Derick Hall is thus far the center of Auburn’s award-winning talents, being named to an All-SEC team earlier in the month. Hall was given his due in Steele’s list, too, but it also features other Auburn players that haven’t gotten as much attention.

Take a look at which Tigers received their honors below:

Three Tigers earn All-SEC honors from Pro Football Focus

Auburn’s top-rated players are among the SEC’s top performers.

Three of Auburn Football’s top-performing players have earned recognition for their regular-season efforts.

Cornerback [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag], EDGE [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag], and running back [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] have all been named to the All-SEC team by Pro Football Focus. James earns a spot on the All-SEC second team, while Hall and Bigsby represent Auburn on the third team.

James, who transferred from Oregon last offseason, ends the regular season as Auburn’s highest-rated defender by receiving an overall grade of 82.4. He was a threat to opposing quarterbacks this fall, as receivers caught just 24 of 59 passes thrown his way for 299 yards and two touchdowns. He ended the season with 25 tackles, eight pass deflections, and an interception. James’ lone interception was returned 27 yards for a touchdown against Western Kentucky.

Hall was Auburn’s seventh-best defender according to PFF, with an overall grade of 71.0. Hall was involved in 745 snaps this season and was the second-best pass rusher on the team with a grade of 82.2. He was behind only [autotag]Eku Leota[/autotag], who suffered a season-ending injury in Auburn’s loss to LSU on Oct. 1. Hall recorded 60 tackles in 2022, and hurried the opposing quarterback ten times.

Auburn’s best offensive player this season was running back Tank Bigsby with a grade of 82.5. He took 498 snaps in 2022 and rushed for 970 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also reached the 100-yard mark four times, including two times over Auburn’s final three games.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, and Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders were among those who earned All-SEC first-team honors by Pro Football Focus.

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Photo Gallery: Auburn earns big win over Western Kentucky

Here are the best images from Auburn’s 41-17 win over Western Kentucky on Saturday afternoon.

Auburn earns its second win of the [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] era, and its’ fifth of the season after defeating Western Kentucky, 41-17 on Saturday.

Auburn led 17-3 in the first half before surrendering the advantage to Western Kentucky, who would score 14 unanswered points over the final 4:35 seconds of the second quarter to tie Auburn, 17-17 at halftime.

Auburn came out with a victory on its mind, as the Tigers scored 24 second-half points to run away with the win. [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] and [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] scored touchdowns in the second half, with [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] recording a 27-yard pick-six to seal the game with 6:15 remaining in the 4th quarter.

It was a rewarding day for 24 seniors, as they get a win to close out their final home game at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Here is a look at the best images from Saturday’s game.

The Full Auburn depth chart for Week 6

Coach Bryan Harsin has made perhaps his biggest changes yet for the team’s Week 6 depth chart ahead of its Georgia matchup.

It’s Georgia week, and coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] has come prepared.

There are a lot of changes for the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. There’s a new position on the depth chart, called “Nickel”, where cornerback [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] starts. The entire offensive line for the Tigers has been restructured to more closely match what Auburn came out with during the LSU game, which was far different than what it put on the depth chart. Finally, there are two players that were elevated to starters — wide receiver [autotag]Koy Moore[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag].

Here is the updated depth chart for Auburn’s matchup on Saturday:

The full Auburn depth chart for Week 5

Last week, there were no changes — this week, there are plenty.

We have some changes this week, folks.

There has been some considerable shuffling around the depth chart for this week, with the biggest difference coming at the quarterback position — [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] is set to start his second week in a row, but [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] has now been listed as a co-backup with freshman [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] since he is practicing this week.

In other news, [autotag]Koy Moore[/autotag] has (again) reclaimed the WRZ position with an “or”, [autotag]Jalil Irvin[/autotag] takes over at center and [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] is listed as an “or” with Jaylin Simpson.

With all that in mind, here’s what Auburn’s depth chart will look like heading into the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry:

Eight Aubun Tigers named to 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list

Here are the eight Tigers that made the watch list for the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

The watch list for the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl was announced Wednesday and Auburn was well represented with eight Tigers making the cut.

Edge [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag], tight end [autotag]John Samuel Shenker[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag] wide receiver [autotag]Shedrick Jackson[/autotag], cornerback [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag], edge [autotag]Eku Leota[/autotag], cornerback [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], and offensive tackle [autotag]Killian Zierer[/autotag].

The Senior Bowl is an annual all-star game and practice that is run by NFL personnel that is for seniors or graduating players.

Hall, Shenker, and Pappoe will be Auburn’s three permanent captains for the 2022 season and are expected to be leaders on and off the field for the Tigers.

Jackson is the most experienced wide receiver on the roster and is looking to build on a strong 2021 season where he caught 40 passes for 527 yards and one touchdown.

Pritchett is looking to become Auburn’s No. 1 cornerback now that Roger McCreary has moved onto the NFL while James is expected to be a key reserve in the secondary.

Leota is Auburn’s No. 2 edge rusher behind Hall and is looking to give the Tigers two fearsome rushers. Zierer has used a strong camp to lock down the starting left tackle spot.

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2022 Auburn football preview: Cornerback

Auburn has a talented group of cornerbacks entering the 2022 season.

Auburn has the difficult task of replacing [autotag]Roger McCreary[/autotag] but has two proven cornerbacks in [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] they can count on.

In addition to losing McCreary, the Tigers also saw their depth take a major hit due to four players transferring out but they also added several potential instant impact players in [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] and [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag].

Secondary coach [autotag]Zach Etheridge[/autotag] is entering his second season coaching the cornerbacks and has a group of talented players that are competing for snaps behind Simpson and Pritchett.

Wide Receiver Preview

Tight End Preview

Running Back Preview

Offensive Line Preview

Quarterback Preview

Edge Preview

Defensive Line Preview

Linebacker Preview