Auburn LB talks about defense in fall camp, praises Cam Coleman

Austin Keys comes into the 2024 season as the Senior running mate of breakout hit Eugene Asante after a disappointing 2023 campaign that saw him sidelined for many of Auburn's most important games due to a thumb injury that required surgery midseason. He returns this fall to try and make his mark on a defense that seeks to be one of the best in the country.

In an interview with Auburn Live, Keys begins by talking about his recovery from injury. He replied that he's back to being fully healthy, and gave a little background on what it was like while he was hurt. He wasn't able to practice with the team, but he says he spent all of his time in the weight room while waiting for his thumb to heal, and still attended meetings.

He goes on to say that due to missing so much time and practice, he didn't feel like he had a chance to bond with the team as well as he would have liked, but going into the 2024 season, there's no such concern. When talking about the development of the atmosphere at Auburn, he said "The family standard is there" and that "It's a perfect fit."

Austin Keys also has some history with DJ Durkin, having played for him at Ole Miss in his freshman season, and Durkin's last with the Rebels. When asked to expand on how that helps him to master the defensive coordinator's scheme, he said it was good to have familiarity with the system, and that he sees the flaws that Durkin sees and can fix them in tandem with his coach.

He was also asked about the mindset of the defense going into the fall campaign. Keys' response was simple: "Violence, Aggressiveness, Don't Stop, Violence." He talks often about how well the team has bonded in the last year, including praise for Eugene Asante, crediting him for keeping moods and energies high.

Near the end of the interview, Keys was asked about the breakout star of fall camp, Cam Coleman. "He makes a spectacular catch every practice," he then discussed a particular play in practice that made it on to Auburn's twitter account, depicting a back-shoulder throw and one handed mid-air catch.