AUBURN — Auburn football hopes to again strike gold in the form of a transfer pass rusher from the Sun Belt Conference.

The Tigers added former Appalachian State standout Jalen McLeod last offseason, and his presence proved pivotal in coach Hugh Freeze's first year. McLeod finished 2023 with 48 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Those totals ranked third, second and second on Auburn's defense, respectively.

McLeod's 37 pressures paced the Tigers and ranked No. 7 in the SEC, per Pro Football Focus. He was unquestionably Auburn's best pass rusher, and that skill set of getting after opposing quarterbacks allowed him to be on the field for 524 snaps across 12 appearances, an average of 43.7 per game.

Having your best players play the most makes sense, but keeping them fresh is also important.

That's where Arkansas State transfer Keyron Crawford comes in.

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Crawford comes to Auburn in a similar position to that of McLeod a year ago. Both began their collegiate careers in the Sun Belt, and both were primarily tasked with rushing the passer at their previous programs.

McLeod's last season with the Mountaineers saw him rack up 37 pressures and six sacks. Crawford posted 39 pressures and seven sacks with the Red Wolves in 2023.

"He's probably a better pass rusher than me, in my opinion," McLeod said of Crawford on Friday. "He's got a bag that's different. He's got a good get off. He's the prototype. (He's) got the size, and his size shows on the field, too. He's so strong."

Auburn didn't have many options at buck linebacker, the stand-up rusher on the edge of the defensive line, last season. Elijah McAllister was the second-best choice for the Tigers, as he finished with 14 pressures and two sacks.

Crawford replaces McAllister, and a couple of four-star freshmen − Jamonta Waller and Joseph Phillips − offer reinforcements. Amaris Williams, another freshman who joined Auburn as part of the Class of 2024, could be an option at the position, but he's been working more as a defensive end during preseason practices.

Long story short, McLeod shouldn't have to play upwards of 40 snaps per game.

"We're going to have a better pass rush," McLeod said. "Much better."

Auburn's base defense features a buck linebacker, a defensive tackle, a nose tackle and a defensive end across the line of scrimmage. But in situations in which the Tigers want to pin their ears back and really get after the QB − think third-and-long scenarios where it's obvious the offense is going to throw the ball − they could roll out a unit that features both McLeod and Crawford off the edges.

Throw in Keldric Faulk rushing from the interior alongside someone such as Isaiah Raikes, and things could get scary for opponents. Throughout the early portion of practices open to reporters, Auburn has run some sets that feature the trio of McLeod, Crawford and Faulk.

"Both of us on the field with Keldric on the interior ... it helps me and Keyron," McLeod said. "Me and Keyron can't just do it on the edge, we need somebody on the interior. ... (Crawford is) getting better. He was a little raw, but he's getting better every day. He's adjusting well.

"Him and Keldric and then we have another piece inside, we're going to dominate."

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football 2024: How Keyron Crawford will help pass rush options