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Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk donates portion of NIL earnings to walk-on teammate

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•07/15/25•

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Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk at SEC Media Days 2025
© Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As he looks to cement his status as a top NFL Draft pick this year, Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk is giving back through NIL. He donated a portion of his earnings to a walk-on teammate.

Faulk confirmed his donation while attending SEC Media Days in Atlanta on Tuesday. One of the focal points of the Auburn defense, he also holds a $1 million On3 NIL Valuation as he gets ready for his junior season on The Plains.

As he cashes in off the field, Faulk said he looks at his earnings as a blessing. That’s why, when he saw a teammate who needed help, he wanted to step in.

“We just get blessed so much, as far as the NIL world,” Faulk told WSFA-TV’s Rosie Langello. “When we see walk-ons come in and they’re paying for school, you feel a certain way about it.

“Whenever I did help him out, it was a great thing for me, just to help somebody else just because I’ve been blessed so much. To bless him and help him out in his time of need, it was one of the best things I ever did.”

Hugh Freeze: ‘That’s the kind of guy he is’

Keldric Faulk had a huge sophomore season in 2024, totaling 45 tackles – including 11 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks – as he formed an impressive one-two punch with Jalen McLeod, who headed to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s already generating buzz as a potential Top-15 pick in the 2026 draft, adding to the anticipation for his junior year.

At $1 million, Faulk’s On3 NIL Valuation also ranks No. 66 in the college football NIL rankings. That also puts him fifth on Auburn’s roster as the Tigers look to take a leap forward in Year 3 under Hugh Freeze.

Freeze also pointed out the impact Faulk can have on the defense in 2025. Additionally, he noted the donation to one of his teammates – which he said speaks to the who the star pass rusher is as a person.

“Keldric, many people don’t know, is also one of the most giving and unselfish people I know and helped one of our current walk-ons the other day with some of his NIL money who was having a hard time trying to stay in school,” Freeze said from the dais. “That’s the kind of guy he is, and we’re fortunate to have him.”