DJ James returning to Auburn for 2023 season

Auburn cornerback D.J. James is expected to return to the Tigers for the 2023 college football season, instead of entering the 2023 NFL Draft, AuburnLive’s Justin Hokanson reported on Friday evening.

The veteran corner returning gives the Tigers some much needed depth at the position heading into the 2023 campaign. His announcement is huge for the Tigers’ program. This year, James racked up 37 tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception, and eight pass breakups.

DJ James earned second team All-SEC honors from the AP

James also had the game-sealing pick six against Western Kentucky this year for the Tigers. He earned second team All-SEC honors this season from the Associated Press. In the 2019 recruiting cycle, James was rated as the No. 56 cornerback in the country, according to the On3 Consensus Rankings.

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will be held at the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. 100 underclassmen were approved for last year’s draft. 73 of those 100 underclassmen were granted special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.