In today’s college football chaos, stability is a myth. Coaches are falling like dominoes, and even the locker rooms feel under siege. Auburn’s interim head coach, D.J. Durkin, knows it all too well. Still settling in after Hugh Freeze’s departure, Durkin is haunted by a roster that suffered badly. 28 players have gone to the transfer portal in the 2024-2025 season. Portal predators are knocking, and Auburn’s Durkin just heard the first few taps on the door.

On November 8, Auburn Tigers beat writer Justin Hokanson wrote on X, “DJ Durkin starts to get emotional saying, “every coach in the country is calling these guys trying to drag them into the portal”…and they stuck together.” Well, thank god Durkin did not have to go through the 2024 heartbreaks. Freeze saw quarterback Walker White, cornerback Tyler Scott, defensive back Antonio Kite, along with 25 others, hit the exit door. A few days into Auburn, and Durkin has already faced his first heartbreak.

On November 3, Hayes Fawcett dropped a heartbreaking update on IG, “BREAKING: Auburn RB Damari Alston plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3. The 5’10”, 212-pound RB totaled 1,000 yards & 6 TDs in his time with the Tigers. Alston announced his intentions to redshirt for the remainder of the season a few weeks ago.” Now, that’s a gem Durkin lost.

Damari Alston’s fourth year at Auburn had all the makings of a breakout. The team captain racked up 809 rushing yards, six scores, and 19 receptions for 143 yards despite battling injuries. His statement game? Week 1 versus Baylor- 84 yards on 16 carries that reminded everyone why he’s the Tigers’ heart and hammer. While Durkin was yet to wrap his head around this announcement, a new fear came up. 

If Auburn sophomore wideout Cam Coleman were to hit the transfer portal this offseason, he would instantly top the charts. The sophomore sensation has carved up SEC defenses this year. He has stacked up 37 catches, 474 yards, and three touchdowns across ten games. Already, analyst Chris Hummer has given Durkin a heads-up about Coleman. 

With Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes eyeing another national championship, they have kept their eyes on their recruiting targets. It’s now time for Durkin to lock the gates tightly, since, according to industry insiders cited by Hummer, Ohio State could emerge as a serious contender if Coleman decides to test the portal waters this winter. 

“One industry source even speculated that Coleman could play with Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State if Carnell Tate leaves for the NFL,” Hummer wrote. Not just the Buckeyes, but Florida, Oregon, Ole Miss, Georgia, and Notre Dame will go to any lengths to lock in Coleman. While it’s a tough task for Durkin, he is already allowing his emotions to rule over him. However, he keeps his squad motivated even after facing a harsh fate in Vanderbilt’s hands.

DJ Durkin’s debut turned into a tale of hope and heartbreak

Quarterbacks Ashton Daniels and Diego Pavia turned FirstBank Stadium into a fireworks show, but No. 15 Vanderbilt had the final spark. The Commodores edged out a 45–38 overtime thriller. But Durkin will be counting on the good part. As Taylor Korn quoted the interim head coach, “Those kids…it was a lot on them in a week. We challenged them and they responded. We didn’t come here to get close. We came here to win championships and that’s what we’re going to do…”

Pavia’s slick 4-yard jump pass opened OT with style. However, it ended in heartbreak. Daniels’ fourth-and-7 attempt from the 12 fell incomplete, handing No. 15 Vandy a 45-38 classic. As if a debut loss and poaching threats weren’t enough, Durkin’s plate got another serving of misery. Courtesy? Some eyebrow-raising officiating.

Early in the second quarter, Daniels broke loose for a stunning 52-yard sprint to the end zone, until the refs rained on the parade. A holding flag on Preston Howard, Auburn, wiped away the score after he muscled a Commodore to the turf. And the bad officiating kept repeating.

With 1:19 left in the third, Ashton Daniels ran in a 16-yard score, helped by Preston Howard’s blatant hold on Vanderbilt that somehow went uncalled. Fans ripped SEC officials for the miss, but in truth, Auburn’s 12 penalties for 91 yards told the real story of their downfall. Time to see how DJ Durkin keeps his boys motivated for the rest of the stretch, at the same time, keep them locked in Auburn.