Few players in college football have endured tougher luck over the last two seasons than Champ Anthony.
The Auburn Tigers safety was in the middle of a breakout 2024 campaign after earning a starting role when disaster struck—a broken leg against the Arkansas Razorbacks abruptly ended his season. Hoping for a clean slate the following year, the Fort Worth, Texas native returned for the season opener versus the Baylor Bears, only to suffer a broken thumb in the victory. Though he managed to come back in a limited role, his year was cut short once again after reinjuring the same leg in a 10–3 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats.
Now preparing for his fourth season on the Plains, Anthony isn’t participating in spring practice, but his presence continues to resonate. Head coach Alex Golesh emphasized how important Anthony remains to the program despite his rehab.
“It’d be awesome to have him—he’s such a vocal leader back there,” Golesh said Tuesday. “He’s really the heartbeat of the secondary. You can hear him from anywhere on the field. He’s grinding every day to get back.”
Champ Anthony eyeing a full return this fall
While much of the roster experienced turnover following the coaching change, Auburn’s safety and nickel unit largely stayed together. Anthony was joined by Sylvester Smith, Kaleb Harris, Anquon Fegans, and Eric Winters in opting to remain—something Anthony credits in large part to defensive coordinator DJ Durkin.
“Coach Durkin is really the centerpiece of that group,” Anthony said. “I’m thankful we were able to stay together and rally behind him.”
Despite the injuries that have derailed consecutive seasons, Anthony remains optimistic about making an impact once the games count again.
“This staff has been extremely patient with me, especially considering my injury history and how the surgery went,” he said. “Even if I’m fully healthy, I don’t know if they’ll cut me loose this spring. But I’ll definitely be ready when fall camp rolls around.”