Auburn edge rusher, former top-100 recruit enters transfer portal

Auburn’s depth at the Jack linebacker position just got a little thinner.

Redshirt sophomore Dylan Brooks, a former top-100 recruit in the 2021 class, entered the transfer portal Saturday afternoon, according to multiple reports. Brooks is the eighth Auburn player to depart the program since the start of spring practice.

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A 6-foot-4, 245-pounder out of Roanoke, Brooks was rated as the No. 77 overall recruit in the country and the No. 4 player in Alabama coming out of Handley in 2021. He was the highest-rated signee in the Tigers’ 2021 class, which was a transitional class after the program fired Gus Malzahn after the 2020 season and hired Bryan Harsin in December 2020.

Auburn signed 18 players in that 2021 class, and only five are still with the program: running back Jarquez Hunter, wide receiver Landen King, offensive linemen Garner Langlo and Colby Smith, and safety Cayden Bridges. Each of Auburn’s eight highest-rated signees in that class have left the program in the last two years: Brooks, defensive lineman Lee Hunter (UCF), safety Ahmari Harvey (Georgia Tech), quarterback Dematrius Davis (Alabama State), wide receiver Tar’Varish Dawson Jr. (Cincinnati), defensive lineman Marquis Robinson, wide receiver Hal Presley (Baylor) and defensive end Tobechi Okoli.

Brooks, who redshirted in 2021, saw an uptick in his playing time last season, particularly after Eku Leota’s season-ending pectoral injury left Auburn shorthanded at the edge position. He appeared in nine games and finished the year with six tackles, including one sack, plus a fumble recovery and a pass deflection.

Despite Auburn’s lack of depth at the position, Brooks still found himself third in the rotation at the newly designated Jack linebacker spot in defensive coordinator Ron Roberts’ scheme. He worked behind Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister and true freshman Keldric Faulk. With Brooks’ departure, all three scholarship players at that spot are newcomers to the program, thanks to Auburn also replacing Leota and team captain/All-SEC selection Derick Hall (who was drafted in the second round Friday by the Seattle Seahawks). That leaves Auburn with McAllister, Faulk and freshman Brenton Williams off the edge.

With Auburn “deficient” in true pass-rushers this spring, head coach Hugh Freeze has been actively working to add another piece to the Jack linebacker room during the post-spring transfer portal window. Among the targets for the Tigers is James Madison edge rusher Isaac Ukwu, who was on campus Saturday for a visit.

Along with Brooks, the following players have transferred from Auburn since the start of spring practices: reserve linebackers Kameron Brown (UT-Chattanooga), Desmond Tisdol (Florida Atlantic) and Powell Gordon, defensive end Jeffrey M’ba (Purdue), Dawson (Cincinnati), Okoli and safety Craig McDonald.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.