Linebacker Eugene Asante announced Friday afternoon that he will be returning for his senior season at Auburn instead of entering the NFL Draft.
Following three seasons at North Carolina, Asante transferred to Auburn prior to the start of the 2022 season after recording 62 tackles in 37 games, with 10 tackles versus Texas A&M in 2020, his best mark for the Tar Heels.
Asante, however, did not see much playing time during his first season on the Plains with just an appearance in Auburn’s first four games of the season recording just one solo tackle.
With a new staff and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts in town, a fresh start was exactly what Asante needed.
Bursting onto the scene in the Tigers’ late-night win at California, Asante had a career-high 12 tackles – the most by an Auburn player in the 2023 regular season – a sack, two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup against the Golden Bears earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Asante was able to match his season-best 12-tackle performance against LSU and also had a team-high of 10 against Mississippi State. The junior linebacker found himself ranked seventh in the league in total tackles per game (7.0) and was one of four SEC players with 80 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks this season.
A part of Auburn’s 19-game turnover streak that stretched into this season, Asante scored his first career touchdown on a fourth-quarter, 67-yard fumble recovery at Texas A&M, notably passing former Aggie head coach Jimbo Fisher on the way to the end zone.
Currently, the Tigers are expected to see both of their starting linebackers return next season, as former Ole Miss transfer Austin Keys has a couple of years of eligibility remaining.
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Patrick is a sophomore from Auburn, Alabama, double majoring in journalism and marketing. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
