A sixth defensive lineman is leaving Auburn this offseason.
Defensive tackle J.J. Pegues entered the transfer portal on Monday evening, according to multiple reports. On3 was first to report Pegues entered the portal.
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A former four-star recruit out of Oxford, Miss., Pegues started his career at Auburn as a tight end before making the move to defensive tackle last offseason. While appearing in all 13 games along the interior of the Tigers’ defensive line in 2021, Pegues totaled 17 tackles, including two for a loss, and he was credited with a forced fumble. He still saw some reps at tight end for Auburn as a sophomore but did not record a stat on offense.
The 6-foot-3, 308-pounder did not start a game for Auburn this season, but he appeared in 24 games during his two years on the Plains, including a pair of starts at tight end as a true freshman in 2020. As a freshman, Pegues quickly became a fan favorite while carving out a role at tight end/H-back and serving as the triggerman in Auburn’s Wildcat package during Gus Malzahn’s final season as head coach. Pegues had five carries for 14 yards, completed his only pass attempt out of the Wildcat package and caught seven passes for 57 yards as a freshman tight end.
Pegues was rated as the nation’s No. 226 overall prospect coming out of Oxford, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, which also tabbed him as the nation’s No. 6 athlete and the third-best recruit in the state of Mississippi.
Pegues signed with Auburn’s 2020 recruiting class, which was ranked seventh in the nation, as the team’s 17 four-star signees that cycle. He is now the 11th player from that signing class to leave the program in the last two years.
Pegues is the 15th Auburn player to enter the transfer portal this offseason and the sixth along the defensive line. He joins Romello Height, Lee Hunter, Dre Butler, Caleb Johnson and Daniel-Foster Allen among that group of defensive linemen to depart the program. The other Auburn players to transfer since the end of the regular season are quarterback Bo Nix, running back Shaun Shivers, wide receivers Kobe Hudson, Elijah Canion and Caylin Newton, offensive lineman Tashawn Manning, and defensive backs Dreshun Miller, Ladarius Tennison and Ahmari Harvey.
Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.
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