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Keldric Faulk may very well be the best teammate in college football. The Auburn star had a telling admission while in Atlanta for SEC Media Days.
The edge rusher gave a portion of his own personal NIL paycheck to a walk-on player on the Tigers roster. He showed his selflessness by helping a friend in need.
Faulk is one of the top players on the Auburn defense. The junior racked up 45 tackles a year ago, 11 of which came behind the line of scrimmage. An absolute menace for opposing backfields, he tallied seven sacks.
The pass rusher hopes to become a first-round NFL Draft pick when all is said and done. He’ll have the option to leave after the 2025 campaign with another big year. And there’s certainly a buzz surrounding his professional future.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid tabbed the third-year player as a Top 10 pick in his first 2026 mock draft.
“Faulk [is] a 6-6 edge rusher with a stout base. He can play multiple alignments… He’s already one of the best run defenders in the country.”
-Jordan Reid
CBS Sports echoed that outlook, projecting him to go No. 7 overall. “Faulk has prototypical size for a power edge,” the site wrote.
Keldric Faulk is a star both on and off the field.
The defender knows that he’s been blessed with elite God-given abilities. Those football traits have already translated to NIL wealth. They’ll have a chance to help him land a professional paycheck someday, too.
Faulk understands that not everyone is as fortunate as he is. So, when a teammate needed help, he offered a helping hand.
“Whenever I did help him out, it was a great thing for me, just to help somebody else just because I’ve been blessed so much. To bless him and help him out in his time of need, it was one of the best things I ever did.”
-Keldric Faulk
Hugh Freeze spoke highly of Faulk.
The head coach commented further on his superstar’s generosity. He expects nothing less.
“Keldric, many people don’t know, is also one of the most giving and unselfish people I know,” Freeze said. “He helped one of our current walk-ons the other day with some of his NIL money who was having a hard time trying to stay in school. That’s the kind of guy he is, and we’re fortunate to have him.”
Freeze confirmed that a walk-on player was having trouble with tuition and other college expenses. Keldric Faulk stepped in without hesitation.
On3 Sports currently puts the defender’s NIL valuation at $1 million. He decided he didn’t need it all for himself. It’s something we’ve seen in the past from other college football stars.
Heisman trophy winner Travis Hunter reportedly funded NIL salaries of 10-15 teammates at Colorado last year without taking a dime from the school’s collective. He earned his money through outside endorsements and decided to share the wealth.
Hunter would go onto become a first-round NFL Draft pick following a monster junior year. Many hope to see the same for Faulk.