Auburn defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams wants six to eight players ready to rotate in 2026. With Darion Smith, Dallas Walker, Malik Autry, Jourdin Crawford and Cody Sigler competing for roles, Friday's scrimmage could reveal how deep the Tigers really are.
Vontrell King-Williams wants to play a lot of guys on the Auburn Tigers defensive line this season.
And considering how young his room is, getting there will be important.
Auburn's defensive line coach spoke with the media earlier this week and said he would ideally like to have six, seven, or even eight players ready to rotate once the season begins.
"If I can get six or seven or even eight ready, let's roll with it," King-Williams said.
At that position, and especially inside the SEC, depth is truly important.
With still a few weeks to go until the first game of the season against the Baylor Bears, it appears that the Tigers aren't there yet, but King-Williams likes the progress he's seeing.
Auburn is still young at the core of its defensive line, even with several players who already have college experience. That makes fall camp about turning that talent into players King-Williams can trust on Saturdays.
Darion Smith is one of those players.
Smith showed his ability as a pass rusher last season, but King-Williams doesn't want him limited to being a third-down option.
He wants more.
"You want to just be a third-down guy, or you want to be an every-down guy?" King-Williams said.
Smith, A sophomore from St. Francis Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, has responded by getting his weight to around 270 pounds and becoming more physical against the run.
Then there's Dallas Walker.
Walker received another year of eligibility and has quickly become one of the leaders of Auburn's defensive line. King-Williams challenged him to take ownership of the room, and he believes Walker has done exactly that.
He's also down around 30 pounds from where he played last season. What's incredible is the fact that he lost all that weight. He doesn't seem to have lost size, and although he will be more mobile and hopefully see more snaps, the weight loss should only help him in the trenches.
Walker is still a run stopper first, but King-Williams believes he's athletic enough to create problems in passing situations as well.
Malik Autry and Jourdin Crawford were recruited because Auburn believed they could play early. Now King-Williams needs consistency. This is where it appears they are not all the way ready yet for the season. Autry has the tool to be one of the top rotational pieces in this group, but it looks like his development is taking a little longer than expected.
Cody Sigler, who has received a good amount of hype this offseason, received some praise from his coaches this week. He has brought experience and a competitive mindset that is pushing everyone around him.
Now Auburn needs to determine how many of those guys are actually ready.
Auburn will have a scrimmage on Friday, and that should tell them a lot about the direction this room needs to go.
