Auburn's secondary has gone from a potential concern to one of the Tigers' deepest groups. Tim Banks plans to use the versatility of AnQuon Fegans, Champ Anthony, Eric Winters and others to create matchup advantages throughout the 2026 season.
What seemed like a potential weakness on the Auburn Tigers roster heading into spring now appears to be the deepest, as we are weeks away from kickoff against the Baylor Bears.
Tiger Safeties Coach Tim Banks has a lot of options in his position group, and he plans on using them.
Banks has spent the early portion of fall camp moving players around at multiple positions, something that could continue once the Tigers begin the season. He stated that he ideally wants to have at least 6 players he feels most comfortable with putting on the field, with 4 working at the safety positions and 2 at the star position. However, those players don't seem to be set in stone, and those roles aren't necessarily going to remain the same either, potentially with shifts game by game.
As we began to learn at SEC Media Days, Auburn has several defensive backs capable of playing multiple positions. Banks believes that it actually gives the Tigers a competitive advantage and an opportunity to change their secondary based on matchups they're facing each week.
"In a perfect world, that's what you want," Banks said. "Everything is matchup driven."
That could mean AnQuon Fegans plays safety one week before moving to star the next. Champ Anthony has been working at safety and star, and Banks even believes the veteran could slide outside to corner.
Eric Winters is another player Auburn can move around.
And he's certainly caught Banks' attention.
Banks said Winters has done a "tremendous job" during camp and Auburn has been playing him all over the field. The sophomore is one of the biggest players in the room, and Banks believes that size can create favorable matchups against slot receivers attempting to block him.
"He'll be one of the bigger safeties in the country," Banks said. "He's playing that way."
Caleb Harris has also impressed Banks with his understanding of the defense. Entering his third season in the system, Harris has reached a point where he doesn't just understand his own responsibility.
It can be fairly easy to look at this strategy and think it's trying to compensate for something. Not having players specialize at their position could cause concern if a potential blown play occurs and causes Auburn to lose a football game. However, Banks and the rest of the coaching staff believe this will actually benefit the team much more than it detriments it.
And they also believe that they have too many players, not enough positions, and talent that cannot be refused to see the field.
Banks doesn't want to pigeonhole any of them into one position.
He wants to find roles for as many deserving players as possible.
And with the number of options Auburn has at safety, those roles could look different every single Saturday.
