Malik Blocton doesn't want 50 snaps a game. That's a good thing.
The sophomore is now the leader in a reloading defensive tackle room that is stressing depth — and quality depth — above all else.
AUBURN — Before his interview began, Malik Blocton wanted to ask a question first.
A small crowd of media members were starting to gather around the charismatic young defensive tackle, who went from unheralded freshman this time last year to a key contributor in what felt like the blink of an eye.
Blocton was flying under the radar at the beginning of his first preseason camp, where he was more known for being the younger brother of former All-SEC defensive tackle Marcus Harris than anything he had done on the field yet. Now he’s the first interior defensive lineman to talk to the media in the preseason.
The sophomore looked at Jeff Shearer, the legendary former WSFA sports director-turned-Auburn athletics communications director, and stuck out his hand.
“Can I see your phone real quick?” Blocton said. “I want to make sure I look good.”
After adjusting his hair under the Nike-branded skull cap and beaming a giant practice smile toward the cameras, Blocton leaned up against a padded light post between Auburn’s outdoor fields and indoor facility and took questions.
“We knocked back the line of scrimmage, and we played in the backfield a lot today,” Blocton began. “I mean, I made some pretty good plays myself. Everybody around me was just making good plays. I feel like this year is gonna be special, for real.”
Blocton was then asked about what he wanted to see from the defensive line during camp, as Auburn gears up for what it hopes will be the end of a skid of losing seasons and the start of a true turnaround.
His answer was as quick as his swim move in the trenches: Get everybody else up to speed, because there are a lot of new faces up front in 2025.
“I've really been trying to teach them the plays and get everybody fast — so everybody can have success, for real,” Blocton said. “Because, this season, I ain't trying to be out there playing 50, 60 snaps a game. If I can play 25, 35 snaps, and everybody can play 25, 35 snaps, then everybody is gonna put good film out there.
“Everybody is gonna be successful.”
It’s not often that you hear of a football player — especially one as promising and talented as Blocton — wanting to limit his snaps.