SEC Media Days: Auburn's Keldric Faulk 'leading by example'

ATLANTA – Keldric Faulk made Auburn history last year when he became the program’s youngest representative at SEC Media Days as an 18-year-old sophomore. 

On track to be a three-year starter and still a teenager when the Tigers kick off the season at Baylor next month, Faulk returned to the Southeastern Conference showcase Tuesday at the College Football Hall of Fame, feeling “way more comfortable” in his second appearance at the event. 

Dressed to impress once again in a black suit, white shirt, gray tie and silver chain with No. 15 and “KF” pendants, Faulk thanked his mother, Lakendral Barnes, for selecting his winning wardrobe.  

“My mom gets the credit,” he said. “She got me right with the fit.”

Faulk shares head coach Hugh Freeze’s optimism for the upcoming season.

“We’re coming into the season with high hopes and confidence that we can do anything in the world,” said Faulk, the SEC’s defensive lineman of the week after his two-sack performance in Auburn’s win at Kentucky last season. “I feel our defense could be the best in the country, in my opinion. I want us to be known as the most physical group on the field.

“We have so many guys that played last year who were young, especially in our secondary. Everybody has another year under them, another year of maturity. I do expect a lot out of our whole defense. We should, at the end of the year, be the best defense in the country.

“I feel like our team is so much more confident than they were in the past couple years. Nobody on the team is overwhelmed with the pressure. I feel like we're embracing it because that's what we want. Our expectation for ourselves is even greater than the expectations that people have for us.”

“I want us to be known as the most physical group on the field.”

Two-time #SECMD25 participant @FaulkKeldric in ATL:

:football: @AuburnFootball D-line identity
:football: Teaming up with younger brother @yoboijj41
:football: Keldric’s :100: fit (courtesy of his mother)#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/tSaSnjklBl

— Jeff Shearer (@Jeff Shearer) July 15, 2025

A 6-6, 285-pound junior from Highland Home, Alabama, Faulk made seven sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 45 tackles last season, bringing his two-year totals to 81 tackles, eight sacks and 14.5 TFLs production that merited projections as a first-round NFL draftee next spring.

“Don't deal with it,” Faulk said of the hype. “I take every day and deal with it like I've been doing. I don't worry about the NFL or any of that. I worry about the 2025-2026 season with the Auburn Tigers.”

Last season, Faulk was one of the leaders who addressed teammates before and after games, a rarity for a sophomore. 

“It means my team has a lot of faith in me and a lot of faith in how I approach the game, how I lead them and just how much energy I bring to each and every person on that team,” he said. “I make sure that everybody is ready to work, and make sure we have a very productive game because we can't lose not one of them.

“Letting people hear my voice because a lot of people like to say when the team hears my voice, a lot of people listen. Keep going and leading by example but also trying to lead the young guys and getting the transfer guys in and adjusted as well.”

One of those young guys is Keldric’s brother, J.J.Faulk, a 6-3, 244-pound freshman linebacker and edge rusher.

“A dream come true,” Keldric said. “I always wanted to play with my brother again, ever since I got to college. Getting that opportunity this year excites me more than anything else. My brother is my best friend, so having my best friend back in the same area as me is one of the best things in the world.”

Keldric balances giving guidance while also allowing J.J. to figure out for himself how to navigate the requirements of playing football at Auburn.

“I give him the knowledge of how to move, practice and prepare for college,” Keldric said. “It’s a totally different game from high school. You’ve got to prepare for college like you’re preparing like a pro. 

“He’s become a young man now. He was a kid. He’s been here essentially on his own. I’ve been helping him out, of course, but I try to let him grow up on his own. Whenever he needed advice or help from me, that’s when I stepped in.”

In two short years, Keldric Faulk has made the adjustment from a small high school to the SEC look easy, becoming a team leader and one of the faces of the program. 

“God has a plan for everybody,” he said. “My plan was to come to Auburn and make success out of this. My plan for the 2025-26 season is to help Auburn be playoff contenders at the end of the year. I’m going to continue to follow God’s plan.”

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