Auburn will be without one of its biggest contributors on defense for several games and most likely the rest of the year, as Bryan Harsin announced Monday that Leota suffered a pectoral injury against LSU.
“Eku’s a big loss, and this has nothing to do with anybody behind him,” Harsin said. “It’s just he’s an emotional leader, he’s one of the smartest football players we have. 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 is not listed on Auburn’s Monday depth chart, nor is his edge rusher position. In Leota’s absence, Auburn lists a defensive front of Derick Hall (edge), Colby Wooden (defensive end), Jayson Jones (nose tackle) and Marcus Harris (defensive tackle.)
Through five games, Leota has the second-most tackles for loss (5) and sacks (2) of any Tiger. He was also Auburn’s second highest-graded defender on Pro Football Focus, logging eight quarterback hurries and 15 total pressures.
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Last year, in his first season at Auburn, Leota finished with 23 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He came to Auburn from Northwestern, where he earned All-Big 10 honors as a sophomore.