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Bryan Harsin discusses loss of injured edge rusher Eku Leota for season
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Auburn will be without the services of Eku Leota for the remainder of the season. During Auburn’s loss to LSU on Saturday, Leota suffered an injury to his pectoral muscle. Per head coach Bryan Harsin, his surgery is scheduled for Tuesday.
Leota joined the Eagles as a graduate transfer from Northwestern in 2021. That year, he recorded 7.0 sacks and 10.0 tackles for a loss. He was good for 2.0 sacks and 5.0 tackles for a loss in 2022 before his injury.
Harsin, on Monday, described Leota’s injury as “a big loss”.
“He’s an emotional leader, he’s one of the smartest football players we have,” Harsin said on Monday. “I mean, he is a guy that you want on your team—how he prepares, all the things he does, the respect he has of his team.”
Leota was a former 3rd-team All-Big Ten selection in 2020 with Northwestern. The Asheville, N.C. native registered 6.5 sacks and 10.0 tackles for a loss across his 2 seasons in Evanston.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
