McAllister primed to bring wisdom to locker room of newcomers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Elijah McAllister may be a newcomer to the Plains but he’s no stranger to taking a leadership role off the field.
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze brought along senior tight end Luke Deal, senior offensive lineman and McAllister, a graduate transfer from Vanderbilt, for his first Media Day since returning to the Southeastern Conference.
Highly complementary of his attendees while speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Freeze said he had a wealth of options in the Tigers’ locker room to choose from but liked who he brought because of their off-the-field qualities.
“We are extremely, extremely excited and proud to have brought three great young men with us today in Luke and Cameron and Elijah,” Freeze said. “I think they represent what an Auburn man is, and they represent the culture that we want in our walls.”
With an always-tough SEC schedule ahead in his first year at the Tigers’ helm, Freeze said that if the team were to see “deficiencies” anywhere, they hope be able to overcome that with “culture and leadership and desire.” That’s what he hopes McAllister and other veteran players can contribute.
Throughout the day’s rotations, McAllister fielded questions about the secondary behind him, players he sees standing out over the summer and what he expects to see out of a revamped Auburn team featuring 42 new players. He was quick and confident with every answer.
Going all the way back to Rumson-Fair Haven High School in New Jersey, McAllister has been a leader of teams he played on. He won four state titles there before spending two seasons as a captain for the Commodores.
He will use those years of experience as a stepping stone for the inaugural year of Freeze’s tenure on the Plains, a newcomer himself who can help acquaint incoming players with the SEC.
“It feels great to be back in Nashville,” McAllister said, “a place I shared many experiences with a lot of people. The best part about it is I’m here representing the Auburn Family.”
His father, Tyron McAllister Sr., was in attendance and watched as his son fielded questions throughout the day. He described SEC Media Days as a time for his son to come “back to his developmental home”: “He became an adult in Nashville.”
They’ve been looking forward to opportunities like this for years, going back to middle school when the two would sit at the family dinner table to discuss big plans for the future.
“When he was in eighth grade, seventh grade, we sat down and we started — he’s always been focused, intentional,” McAllister Sr. said. “To be here now, it’s full circle and it’s absolutely exciting.”
McAllister Sr. said he built his relationship with his son around their faith and sees young players “looking for guidance, leadership,” which is what he wants McAllister to use those lessons for. That’s what attracted him to Freeze in the first place.
Listing three attributes he saw in Freeze that sold him on Auburn, McAllister pointed to the coach’s faith, an opportunity to lead and an opportunity to play.
“What drew me to Auburn is who coach Hugh Freeze is and how he connected with me on my visit as well as the opportunity to lead,” McAllister said. “I’m not really looking too forward to the game week 10 (against Vanderbilt). I’m just looking forward to putting my best foot forward and making plays on the field.”
It was a reunion of sorts for McAllister as he made return to the home of his former team. Vanderbilt’s representatives spoke before Auburn on Tuesday and even saw former Commodore head coach Dereck Mason.
Currently taking a hiatus from coaching, Mason was Vanderbilt’s head coach for seven years before becoming defensive coordinator at Auburn in 2021. Current Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea said Auburn would be receiving a player who could definitely contribute, given what he’d seen from McAllister during his time in black and gold.
“Elijah is a first-class person. He’s got length, plays hard. A guy I think the world of,” Lea said. “Glad that he’s here, because the college football world needs him to have a platform. I’m proud of him and appreciate him for what he contributed to our program.”
That platform is something McAllister seems excited to take advantage of. His father discussed their idea to set up some kind of program to support players without a strong foundation of family support. He’s pursuing a PhD in Auburn’s College of Education after completing two degrees at Vanderbilt. He wants to write two books one day. He’d like to teach at a university.
Until the season begins, that level of ambition is what will be driving McAllister as he works to prepare himself and his teammates for the 2023 season ahead.