One of Auburn’s most experienced offensive players has announced that he will return to the program for the 2024 season.
[autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag], a former three-star tight end from the 2019 recruiting cycle, revealed Thursday that he will return to Auburn next season for his sixth season of eligibility.
Deal spoke with Jason Caldwell of Auburn Undercover shortly after announcing his decision. He tells Caldwell that he is strong enough to play for another season and is excited to see the progress that the team is expected to make. He also wants to take care of some “unfinished business” before he departs from the program.
“There’s a couple of games, the Georgia game and Alabama game, but especially the Bama game. That will stick in my mind for 364 days,” Deal said in an interview with Auburn Undercover. “That’s something I can’t quite let go yet. My wife and I are here and we love it here. I’m blessed with another year of eligibility. I’m ready to lead this team next year. We’re going to have some serious dudes and we’re going to win some serious ballgames next year.”
His return makes him one of Auburn’s most experienced players. Since arriving in 2019, he has been involved in 1,302 snaps according to Pro Football Focus. He has also participated in 52 games with 16 starts over the last five seasons.
He was a part of Auburn’s 2019 class that was ranked No. 13 according to 247Sports. [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag], [autotag]Ja’varrius Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag], [autotag]Colby Wooden[/autotag], [autotag]Tyler Fromm[/autotag], and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] join Deal as members of the class who are still on Auburn’s roster. The class was headlined by linebackers [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag] and [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag], as well as former Auburn quarterback [autotag]Bo Nix[/autotag].
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