Hugh Freeze addresses the departure of transfer LB DeMario Tolan, possible return
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze addressed the departure of transfer linebacker DeMario Tolan during SEC Media Days on Tuesday.
Tolan, after arriving from LSU and going through spring practice, left the team recently.
“DeMario is dealing with some personal, family issues, and we want to support him every way we can to make sure he’s in the best spot possible for him and his family,” Freeze said.
When asked if Tolan could still return to the team, Freeze said, “I think that’s still to be determined.”
Tolan, who left LSU after one season, signed with Auburn in January.
Tolan played in 12 games as a freshman in 2022. He was a four-star recruit, the No. 23 linebacker and No. 229 overall recruit, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally-weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Tolan, originally from Kissimmee, Fla., had three years of eligibility.
Tolan was a top linebacker target for Auburn in the class of 2022, then he was a top target in the transfer portal. Auburn linebacker coach Josh Aldridge said this of Tolan in the spring:
“He can really run, he can really run,” Aldridge said. “When he knows what to do from a coverage standpoint, he’s a vital piece because he’s a guy who can line up in the box. He’s physical enough to line up in the box, but he moves like a safety out there on the perimeter.”
New defensive coordinator Ron Roberts said of Tolan in the spring, “DeMario shows a ton of ability, he runs exceptionally well, he will strike you,” he said. “When he pulls his pin he pulls it about as fast as anybody that can play the game. So he has a bright future here at Auburn.”
Roberts added of the linebackers, “we’re multiple, it starts with odd or four-down, we’re playing both. A lot of our coverages are based off of how we’re playing things. So, that part, and then it goes into whether I may give two calls in a huddle basically saying, ‘if they’re in this, here’s what I want to play, if they’re in this, here’s what I want to play.’ That’s new for a lot of them to do that. It’s kind of the nature of college football nowadays, if you don’t do it, they’re going to whip you.”
