Bryan Harsin says Auburn football edge rusher Eku Leota likely out for season
AUBURN — Auburn football will be without one of its most productive defensive players for its game against Georgia and likely for much longer.
Senior edge rusher Eku Leota, who suffered a right arm injury early in the second quarter of the Tigers' 21-17 loss to LSU last Saturday, was not listed on Auburn's depth chart. Speaking at his press conference Monday afternoon, coach Bryan Harsin said that Leota's injury was a right pectoral injury and said it will "most likely" keep Leota out for the rest of the season.
Instead of replacing Leota directly, the Tigers (3-2, 1-1 SEC) appear to have switched to a 4-2-5 defensive formation, with nickel cornerback Keionte Scott listed as a starter. Cam Riley and Owen Pappoe remain Auburn's two starting linebackers.
The 6-foot-4, 257-pound Leota recorded 17 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks over the Tigers' first five games and had a tackle for loss in all four full games he played. He had 23 tackles, 10 TFLs and seven sacks in 2021, his first season at Auburn.
Leota is a graduate transfer from Northwestern, where he was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team in 2020.
The Tigers are scheduled to kick off against No. 2 Georgia (5-0, 2-0) on Oct. 8 at 2:30 p.m. CT.
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com, by phone at 334-201-9117 and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Eku Leota injury: Auburn football edge rusher likely out for season
