Jourdin Crawford staying at Auburn, won’t enter transfer portal

Defensive tackle Jourdin Crawford has chosen to remain at Auburn for the 2026 season. He announced his decision via social media.

Crawford joins Malik Autry as freshmen defensive linemen who announced their intentions on New Year’s Day to return to Auburn next season.

The Birmingham native, who signed as a four-star recruit out of Parker High School, served as a third-team option last season. He worked behind sophomore Malik Blocton and senior Jay Hardy.

Though Jourdin Crawford played just 40 snaps in 2025, he’s nonetheless seen as a valuable up-and-coming player in defensive coordinator DJ Durkin‘s system.

“A big ball of muscle,” is how assistant coach Vontrell King-Williams described Crawford in August. “That dude is powerful. He’s powerful. You saw it on high school film, but you really don’t get the true gist of it until he gets out here and he’s going against guys like Jeremiah Wright and Connor Lew. Sometimes, it’ll look like high school, and I’m like, ‘Wow.'”

Crawford was the No. 203 overall prospect and No. 22 DL in the On3 Industry Ranking during the 2025 cycle, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was also the No. 13 player in Alabama.

“I mean, it feels like home. Nothing has changed,” Crawford said when he committed. “I come every weekend, every home game. I’m just making myself at home. The relationship I have with the coaches, it’s more than just football. It kind of makes you feel like a family. You really don’t get that at too many other places.”