Latest news with #KeldricFaulk
USA Today
04-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Phil Steele puts Auburn in elite company with preseason D-Line ranking
Anchored by Keldric Faulk, Auburn's defensive line will be one of the nation's best units, says Phil Steele. Auburn football is poised to have a great offense this season. However, its defense is shaping up to make noise as well during the 2025 season. One unit in particular is catching the eye of a premier name in college football, Phil Steele. Steele, who has published a preseason magazine for over 30 years, included Auburn among his top 25 defensive line units ahead of the 2025 season, sliding the Tigers in at No. 24 ahead of No. 25 Florida State. This year's unit will feature a trio of players who gained valuable playing experience last season. Keldric Faulk and Bobby Jamison-Travis return to anchor the unit while Malik Blocton slides in as a sophomore after playing 305 snaps last season and making two starts. The unit will be deep with reserves as transfers James Ash, Dallas Walker, and Jay Hardy join the depth chart. Faulk and Jamison-Travis are the veterans of the group and will be tasked with leading the young players as they develop into starters themselves later in their careers. Faulk has already noticed quick development in the young linemen, especially in one true freshman. "They are active at all times. When Darrion (Smith) first came in, he was so timid, and he was so impatient to play blocks or even the pass rush. He was laid off, getting active in pass rush," Faulk said. "But now, those guys got so comfortable playing our defense that they make decisions very easy for themselves, and they slow the game down. So they are playing faster and making better decisions." Check out what all Faulk, as well as head coach Hugh Freeze and quarterback Jackson Arnold, had to say during Saturday's press conference. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oregon has just one defensive player in EA Sports' Top 10 defenders in latest game
The old adage that offense wins games, but defense wins championships still rings true in college football, and it's no wonder that teams with the best defensive players are in contention to win it all. It's true in real life, and it's probably true in the video game rules, depending on your settings and sliders, of course. Advertisement The newest version of EA Sports' College Football 26 is set to release next week, and in anticipation, the ratings for every player in the game have been published, including the Top 10 defensive players' ratings in the game and the country. It's curious that only one Oregon Duck appears in the Top 10 as the Ducks are expected to have one of the best defensive units in the country for 2025. But it's hard to argue with the other nine players listed. Perhaps college football is becoming more of a defensive game right now, which makes it even more important to have a really good offense and quarterback, in particular, in today's game. Here are the Top 10 defensive players in college football, according to EA Sports. 10. Dillon Thieneman - Oregon Ducks Oct 18, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jay Harris (22) is tackled by Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) during the second half at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images Position: Strong Safety Advertisement Rating: 93 9. Keldric Faulk - Auburn Tigers Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Keldric Faulk (15) celebrates a stop as Auburn Tigers take on California Golden Bears at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. Position: Left Edge Rating: 93 8. Leonard Moore - Notre Dame Fighting Irish Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore (15) celebrates interrupting a reception attempt during the first round of the College Football Playoff between Notre Dame and Indiana at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bend. Position: Cornerback Rating: 93 7. Colin Simmons - Texas Longhorns Position: Right Edge Rating: 93 6. Peter Woods - Clemson Tigers Aug 31, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Clemson Tigers defensive lineman Peter Woods (11) shown on the field pregame prior to the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports Position: Defensive Tackle Rating: 94 5. Jermod McCoy - Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy (3) celebrates after making a play during a college football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, November 16, 2024. Position: Cornerback Rating: 94 4. Dylan Stewart - South Carolina Gamecocks Aug 31, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks edge Dylan Stewart (6) celebrates after a sack against the Old Dominion Monarchs in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports Position: Right Edge Rating: 94 3. TJ Parker - Clemson Tigers Clemson defensive end T.J. Parker (3) during the Spring football game in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, April 6, 2024. Position: Left Edge Rating: 96 2. Anthony Hill, Jr. - Texas Longhorns ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 10: Anthony Hill Jr. #0 of the Texas Longhorns celebrates in the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the Goodyear Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium on January 10, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by) Position: MIKE Linebacker Rating: 96 1. Caleb Downs - Ohio State Buckeyes Jan 1, 2024; Pasadena, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Caleb Downs (2) prays with teammates in the endzone before the 2024 Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal game against the Michigan Wolverines at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports Position: Free Safety Advertisement Rating: 96 Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions. This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: EA Sports lists their Top 10 defenders and Oregon appears just once
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oregon has just one defensive player in EA Sports' Top 10 defenders in latest game
The old adage that offense wins games, but defense wins championships still rings true in college football, and it's no wonder that teams with the best defensive players are in contention to win it all. It's true in real life, and it's probably true in the video game rules, depending on your settings and sliders, of course. The newest version of EA Sports' College Football 26 is set to release next week, and in anticipation, the ratings for every player in the game have been published, including the Top 10 defensive players' ratings in the game and the country. It's curious that only one Oregon Duck appears in the Top 10 as the Ducks are expected to have one of the best defensive units in the country for 2025. But it's hard to argue with the other nine players listed. Perhaps college football is becoming more of a defensive game right now, which makes it even more important to have a really good offense and quarterback, in particular, in today's game. Here are the Top 10 defensive players in college football, according to EA Sports. 10. Dillon Thieneman - Oregon Ducks Position: Strong Safety Rating: 93 9. Keldric Faulk - Auburn Tigers Position: Left Edge Rating: 93 8. Leonard Moore - Notre Dame Fighting Irish Position: Cornerback Rating: 93 7. Colin Simmons - Texas Longhorns Position: Right Edge Rating: 93 6. Peter Woods - Clemson Tigers Position: Defensive Tackle Rating: 94 5. Jermod McCoy - Tennessee Volunteers Position: Cornerback Rating: 94 4. Dylan Stewart - South Carolina Gamecocks Position: Right Edge Rating: 94 3. TJ Parker - Clemson Tigers Position: Left Edge Rating: 96 2. Anthony Hill, Jr. - Texas Longhorns Position: MIKE Linebacker Rating: 96 1. Caleb Downs - Ohio State Buckeyes Position: Free Safety Rating: 96 Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk among Pro Football Focus' top-50 players list
Faulk is expected to have a stellar season as a member of Auburn's pass rush Earlier in the week Keldric Faulk was revealed as one of the top ten defensive players in the latest EA Sports College Football video game. On Friday night he landed on another list. Pro Football Focus released their top 50 players for the upcoming college football season. Faulk ranked No. 30 among the best players in the nation. PFF mentions in the ranking that he improved with an 83.3 overall rating and was one of the best against the run. Auburn is going to need Faulk to make a huge jump as a pass rusher in 2025. He had seven sacks last season. That was an improvement of only collecting one in his freshman season in 2023. The number of sacks will not be the key indicator of his effectiveness. It will be more important on the number of quarterback pressures Faulk and the rest of the defensive line can get. What helps that unit is the Tigers have an experienced group of defensive backs who can cover their receiver long enough for the pressure to get home. As the ranking for PFF states, Faulk is a good player against the run. Auburn ranked sixth in the SEC as a team allowing 117.8 yards per game on the ground. They were ninth in the conference with just 28 sacks. Faulk has been getting plenty of praise this offseason. PFF earlier in the offseason rated him as a top three defensive lineman in the country. He has also appeared in many mock drafts as a first-round draft pick. It will be interesting to see if Faulk can live up to those expectations this season. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Phillip on Twitter @PJordanSEC
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys could replace Micah Parsons with SEC star pass rusher
One of the biggest storylines of the NFL offseason is the status of Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons's contract negotiations. Parsons is entering the final year of his deal, and as of now, there is no new contract in place for the Pro Bowl pass rusher. Advertisement The Cowboys are known for waiting until the last minute to finalize a contract, so there is a chance Parsons will secure a new deal; however, there is also a chance he may not be on the team next year. If Parsons is playing elsewhere in 2026, then the Cowboys will need a new pass rusher, and Matt Miller from ESPN has Dallas taking Auburn's edge rusher Keldric Faulk in a new 2026 NFL Mock Draft. "The Cowboys enter the season still needing to sign Micah Parsons to a long-term extension. While they signed Dante Fowler Jr. this offseason, Dallas needs more on the edge after passing on the position in the 2025 draft," Miller wrote. "At 6-foot-6, 288 pounds, Faulk is a versatile player who can play along the defensive line, from 3-technique to a true outside edge. He can generate pressure from inside and out, as evidenced by his 24 edge pressures and five interior pressures last season. Faulk's size and strength would be fun to pair with Parsons' speed." Follow The Sporting News On WhatsApp Faulk has eight sacks in 25 college games, and seven of them came last season, so he will likely build off that success this year. If Dallas is looking to move off of Parsons, then Faulk could be an excellent option for the team More NFL: Cowboys-Steelers trade idea brings former draft target to Dallas
