Playing with an edge: Auburn’s Jalen McLeod, Keldric Faulk

AUBURN, Ala. – Struggling to make an impact on his football team early in high school, Jalen McLeod wanted to quit, but his older brother, Aubrey, would not let him. 

“He’s the one who made me stay with football,” Jalen recalled. “I wasn’t fast enough. I was too skinny. He’s the one who told me to get in the gym.”

Said Aubrey to Jalen: “’Bro, you’re different from everybody. You’ve got a chance. Your head is on straight. You want to get somewhere in life. This is your way out.’”

Aubrey believed Jalen’s athletic prowess could be the avenue to obtain a college education.

“He made sure I stayed in school,” Jalen said. “He made sure I wasn’t like the crowd. He made sure I moved away from the crowd. He did everything for me.”

When Jalen signed with Appalachian State after graduating from high school in Washington D.C., Aubrey continued to look after his younger brother. 

“He basically was like my father,” Jalen said. “Anything I needed, he had it for me. He was always there for me. He was there for everybody in my family. That’s the type of person he was.”

Tragically, Aubrey McLeod passed away in April at age 29, the victim of a shooting while taking his sons to football practice in Washington D.C. 

Jalen dedicated his final college football season to Aubrey.

“This whole season is for him,” Jalen said. “Everything he poured into me, I’m pouring out on that field. Everything he put into me, it didn’t go to waste.”

An uncle to four nieces and nephews, including Aubrey’s three children, Jalen hopes to provide for his family the way Aubrey looked out for him. 

“That’s who I’m playing for,” Jalen said. “His kin, my kin. I’m playing for him.”

After three seasons at Appalachian State, McLeod transferred to Auburn in 2023, recording 5.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, production he hopes to increase this year before playing in the NFL.

“Last year, I had an okay season, but this season I’m coming for it all,” he said. “I’ve got to make people respect me.”

In the days leading up to Kickoff on The Plains, McLeod reflected on Auburn’s season-opening five game homestand, and the opportunities it provides. 

“It’s going to be good to make plays in front of the crowd,” he said. “For all of the bucks (outside linebackers), it’s a great way to showcase our talents, how we all came together, perform and make plays together.” 

On cue, McLeod delivered the season’s first sack, followed soon after by fellow edge rusher Keldric Faulk, Auburn’s one-two pass rushing punch.

“Yes, sir,” McLeod said. “That’s my brother.”

While McLeod is a veteran of five college football seasons, Faulk is only two years removed from high school.

“He’s young but he’s mature,” McLeod said of Faulk. “He does everything like a pro. He moves like a pro. Very coachable. He’s a likable person, a person you always want to be around. He makes everything more enjoyable. He doesn’t act like he’s 19. He acts like he’s way older, like he’s been here before.”

Faulk earned the respect of his teammates and coaches, who selected him to be the youngest player in the event’s four decades to represent Auburn in Dallas in July at SEC Media Days, where Keldric shared the vision for the Tigers’ defense under coordinator DJ Durkin.

“Relentless effort, violent tackling and elite mental execution,” Faulk said. “That’s what fans and opponents are going to see from us.”

A 6-foot-6, 288-pound sophomore from Highland Home, Alabama, Faulk successfully navigated the steep climb from Class 2A high school football to the SEC.

“When you’re coming from a smaller school, you feel like you’re behind everybody else,” he said. “You’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

Faulk earned his historic Media Days invitation by impressing Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze with his production and presence.

“Keldric has had an incredible voice that people listen to because he’s wise for his age,” Freeze said. “His work ethic is incredible. He’s probably the most accountable guy we have on the defensive side to this point.”

“It shows that I’m becoming a vocal leader on my team,” Faulk said. “It shows that I’ve been doing something right, so I need to start to bring everybody else with me.

“When you’re one of the leaders on the team, accountability is probably the No. 1 thing you should strive for. Holding myself accountable as well as everybody else has been one of the most challenging things about transitioning to a leader.”

An all-state player in high school, Faulk ranked No. 79 nationally by Rivals. Even with that lofty resume, it’s rare for a true freshman to earn a starting lineman position in the Southeastern Conference.  

“Changing my mindset,” said Faulk, who admits he struggled as an early enrollee in his first spring, pessimistic about his chances of earning playing time as a true freshman. “When I went into summer and fall camp, my mindset changed. I wanted to make an impact at Auburn as soon as I could.”

Make an impact, he did, finishing his first season with 35 tackles after making his first start at LSU in Auburn’s sixth game of the 2023 season.

“Words can’t describe how I felt playing in that game,” Faulk said. 

Faulk recorded his first sack in Auburn’s Music City Bowl matchup vs. Maryland, finishing the season with 3.5 tackles for loss. 

“I want to become a better pass rusher than I was last year,” he said. “I felt like I did pretty well in the run, shedding blocks. As far as transitioning from run to pass, I think I can do a whole lot better than I did last year.

“We want to strive for greatness every day. Whenever we step on that field, we have a different mindset.”

An emerging star in Keldric Faulk. An established veteran driven to honor his brother’s memory in Jalen McLeod. For Auburn, they form a confident combo, creating havoc for opposing quarterbacks.

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer