SEC Media Days: Auburn's Keldric Faulk 'strives for greatness'

DALLAS – The youngest player to represent Auburn in four decades of SEC Media Days, Keldric Faulk did not hesitate when asked to describe his team’s defensive identity.

“Relentless effort, violent tackling and elite mental execution,” he 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 to the SEC.

“When you’re coming from a smaller school, you feel like you’re behind everybody else," Faulk 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.”

Dressed to impress in a three-piece blue suit, white dress shirt, orange tie and matching pocket square – an ensemble selected by his mother, Lakendral Barnes – Faulk joined senior teammates Payton Thorne and Eugene Asante July 18 at the Omni Dallas Hotel, interacting with hundreds of reporters.

“You get to represent where you’re from,” Faulk said. “You have your hometown not too far down the road. They're behind you ten toes. You’re representing them and representing your home state. It's a pretty big deal to me.”

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.”

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