Bryan Harsin highlights one freshman making plays all over the field

After witnessing an interception by freshman early enrollee Caleb Wooden, Auburn media members pressed head coach Bryan Harsin to discuss the pick. However, the head Tiger had to ask which one they were referring to.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound safety has been around the ball a lot so far this spring and making the most of those opportunities.

“Are you talking about today?” Harsin said. “He had another one the other day. Somehow, somehow, he got a screenshot of it and I’m not sure if he cropped his toe off the white line or whatever but it was good, so he got the Snickers for that.

“He’s been, I’ll tell you what, he’s around the ball. He’s around the ball and when he gets a chance to get his hands on it, he comes down with it quite a bit. He continues to be around the ball. Young player, learning, he’s just getting the basics of the defense right now but he does go out there and work hard. Very much like his brother, those guys work. He has fun out there, I think he’s got some confidence that when the ball is in the air, he’s going to be able to come down with it.”

Caleb Wooden living up to family name

Caleb Wooden is the younger brother of Auburn junior defensive Colby Wooden. The elder Wooden opted to return to the program for another year despite considering a switch this offseason. He posted 8.5 tackles for loss, with a career-high five sacks and a team-high seven quarterback hurries.

Despite coming to Auburn as a three-star prospect, Caleb Wooden is showing signs of being a serious future contributor for Harsin’s defense. The Lawrenceville native was the No. 95-ranked recruit coming out of Georgia in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

At Archer High School, Wooden notched 88 tackles, 4 interceptions with one pick-six, a blocked field goal, and a blocked punt as a senior. He even added a scoop and score touchdown off of a blocked punt. He picked Auburn over the likes of Georgia Tech, Louisville, Duke, Appalachian State, and West Virginia.