Auburn football EDGE Jared Smith emerged as one of the Tigers' biggest winners of fall camp. His development alongside Da'Shawn Womack could transform DJ Durkin's pass rush and help Auburn build one of the SEC's most dangerous defenses in 2026.
Jared Smith might have been the Auburn Tigers biggest winner throughout fall camp.
And that's probably the best possible outcome for DJ Durkin's defense heading into Week 1.
Auburn entered the offseason with plenty of questions surrounding its pass rush.
Da'Shawn Womack was the experienced option, but the vibes inside the position room changed quickly.
Auburn knew the former highly touted prospect in Smith had the talent to become a difference-maker, but that potential eventually had to turn into something more. He showed flashes in the pan last season but was only able to record a few sacks, leaving Auburn fans wanting more.
Throughout fall camp, it appears more has finally come.
Smith’s name kept coming up when Alex Golesh discussed Auburn's defensive front, eventually mentioned alongside Womack as two players making life incredibly difficult for Auburn's offensive tackles.
His teammates have noticed it, too.
AnQuon Fegans put it pretty simply when discussing Auburn's defensive front.
“Jared Smith, he took a huge step.”
And as simple as that may sound, that's exactly what the Tigers needed.
Because the best-case scenario for this EDGE room was never simply Womack playing well.
Auburn already expected that. With his multiple years of experience inside the SEC at both LSU and Ole Miss, Womack should provide a very high floor for the position group.
The best-case scenario was Smith developing enough to become the best player in the room. Now it looks like Auburn might actually have that, and that changes what this defensive front can become.
Womack gives Auburn another legitimate option coming off the edge. Cody Sigler has talked about his ability to move around the defensive front. Darrion Smith has generated plenty of attention throughout camp after becoming a more complete defensive lineman.
Then there's all the size Auburn has inside with guys like Dallas Walker and Jourdin Crawford.
That's a lot of different pieces for Durkin.
And when this defensive front does what it's supposed to do, picking up double teams and causing pressure, it allows the linebackers to run freely in the secondary to create turnovers, something that will be a huge success indicator for Auburn in 2026.
But somebody still has to consistently get after the quarterback.
Smith becoming that guy would make everything easier.
If he can do it without Durkin having to manufacture pressure every time it wants to affect the quarterback, this defense could be the best in the country.
There will obviously be a pretty significant difference between doing it throughout fall camp and doing it against Baylor, but the Bears give a true test of how this defensive front can be before truly having to show up in conference play.
If Smith and the rest of the defensive line are able to create more pressure than this team could last season (which is not a high bar to pass), this defense could quickly get the ball back in Byrum Brown and the offense's hands. Auburn could be seen as a competitor in the conference, not just a team scraping by and hoping for bowl eligibility.
