Champ Anthony injury update: Auburn cornerback 'in good spirits' after surgery
In Auburn‘s 24-14 loss to Arkansas on Saturday, Tigers cornerback Champ Anthony was carted off the field with a severe leg injury, which required surgery. On Monday, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said the surgery “went well” and “he’s in good spirits,” per Auburn Live’s Justin Hokanson.
Anthony suffered the injury in the first quarter against the Razorbacks. The ESPN broadcast did not show a replay of the injury, stating it was too gruesome to show again. Anthony defended three passes before the injury occurred.
On Auburn’s availability report Thursday, the team listed Anthony as probable. Though, it’s worth noting it’s unclear what ailment Anthony was facing in the week leading up to the game. Nonetheless, he was cleared to play before game time.
It’s a significant loss for the Tigers. In four appearances this season, Anthony amassed 12 tackles, the second-most of any player in Auburn’s secondary. After the loss on Saturday, Freeze briefly addressed Anthony’s injury.
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“Our thoughts are with Champ Anthony. Man, just a difficult injury,” Freeze said. “He was playing at a really high level for us. One of our leaders.”
This season was Freeze’s second at Auburn. He transferred to Auburn ahead of the 2023 campaign after spending one season at Tyler Junior College, where he tallied 14 tackles and an interception in just six games.
In his debut season at Auburn, Anthony appeared in all 13 of the Tigers’ games. He finished the year with five total tackles.
Auburn’s day didn’t get any better after Anthony’s injury. In the loss, the Tigers recorded five turnovers, including four interceptions. Additionally, the team committed five penalties for a total loss of 45 yards. After the game, Freeze revealed his message to his team.
“Life is full of tests and we’re being tested. And we’re either going to pass the next test or fail it,” Freeze said. “There’s no running from that. There’s no hiding from it as coaches and players. How we handle those moments, the good and the bad, really speaks to who we are.
“You can decide to fight and understand that we’ve got an opportunity to play a top-20 team at home next week. There’s signs that we can do some good things. But we cannot play as inconsistent as we are. That’s getting really frustrating and old. I’m sure it is to a lot of people.”
Up next, Auburn will square off against Oklahoma on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ABC.