Auburn standout defensive end Keldric Faulk announced on his social media platform on Saturday night that he is declaring for the NFL Draft next spring.
Faulk wrote a heartfelt message to the Auburn football community on his Instagram account to properly thank everyone for his 3 seasons on the Plains. He said the “last 3 years of my life has (sic.) been the best” and thanked Tigers fans for their “unwavering commitment to me and my team.”
His goodbye-to-Auburn Instagram post started with a warm “Dear Auburn family” and was filled with emotional tributes to the Auburn coaching staff and academic staff, as well as his teammates and family. Faulk singled out his mother and brother among his family support system.
The junior, who is an Alabama native, stayed in-state to star at Auburn, and he finished his career on the Plains with a bang, collecting 23 solo tackles and 2 sacks this fall. Faulk also had a fumble recovery and 4 pass deflections in 2025, and he was a bright spot for the Tigers in an otherwise disappointing 5-7 season.
During his 3-season run of excellence at Auburn, Faulk finished with 109 tackles, 19.5 tackles-for-loss and 10 sacks. With Saturday’s announcement, there will be no senior season at Auburn for Faulk, who instead hopes to be playing on Sundays come next fall.
Faulk was recently ranked 16th on Mel Kiper Jr.’s big board for the 2026 NFL Draft. He was the top-ranked defensive end in the class.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
