Bayker Mayfield, Stetson Benett, and J.J. Watt, guess what’s common in all three players, apart from being the superstars of the game? They were all walk-ons and didn’t get a scholarship to play college football. But despite all odds, they rose from that obscurity and wrote their fate with hard work and determination. Stetson Benett? Led the Dawgs to back-to-back championship titles, passing for 8,429 yards. Watt? Recorded 106 tackles in college football and became a five-time NFL Pro Bowler. However, despite these stories, the promise of those walk-on Cinderella stories is fading gradually.
On June 7th, last month, Judge Claudia Wilken approved the House v NCAA settlement, changing the fate altogether for those walk-on stories. The settlement stipulated a 105 roster cap instead of an 85 scholarship limit, almost ending future walk-on opportunities. The settlement is expected to eliminate almost 15-20 walk-on opportunities per team, cutting almost 2,000 walk-on spots in CFB. However, despite these changes, Auburn’s Keldric Faulk has the heart of a purist, and he’s setting a whole new standard.
Keldric Faulk is the leading defensive lineman who has returned for another season with Auburn. Last year, the guy totaled 45 tackles and 7 sacks and holds an NIL value of almost $1 million. But he isn’t keeping all the NIL money to himself, but has donated a portion of the sum to a walk-on teammate and calls it “one of the best things I ever did.” Now, in a recent press brief on SEC Media Days, Faulk explains the reasoning behind the incredible gesture.
“Like I tell everybody, is more of when you receive blessings. I feel like it’s in your best interest to give lessons to other people, so we’ve been blessed with NIL, and NIL has helped me and my family tremendously. Since I’ve been a freshman here, and not once has anybody ever thought about the walk-ons that help us throughout the week, we’re not prepared for a team on Saturday. They give us the best looks for us to be prepared to play that team, so I felt like it was just in my heart to get back to that teammate,” said Keldric Faulk.
Keldric Faulk on donating a portion of his NIL earnings to support one of Auburn’s walk-ons:
“When you receive blessings, it’s in your best interest to give blessings to other people.
I felt like it was in my heart to give back to that teammate.”@BBHealthAL pic.twitter.com/FflH4Y7mrs
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) July 15, 2025
Faulk made the SEC’s all-Freshman team in 2023 after garnering 36 tackles and a sack. Moreover, last year he earned the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after his incredible performance against Kentucky. Standing at 6’6″ and 288 lbs, Faulk commands incredible physical strength and makes life hard for QBs with his quickness and natural instincts. However, with the NIL gesture, Faulk has not only become a superstar on the field but also earned fame for his off-the-field incredible exploits, too.
Keldric Faulk gets a stamp of approval from Hugh Freeze
Faulks’s exploits in the 2024 season make him one of the most anticipated defensive linemen returning in the country. Many even predict him to be a top 15 NFL draft pick due to his sheer raw physicality and his high ceiling. His combination with Jalen McLeod was a treat to watch as McLeod made it to the Jacksonville Jaguars this year. But his NFL draft aside, even Hugh Freeze was all in praise of the DL.
“Keldric, many people don’t know, is also one of the most giving and unselfish people I know, and 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,” said Hugh Freeze.
Not just helping walk-ons, Keldric is also helping young athletes find their footballing passion by organizing free camps for sixth graders two days ago. The camp was sponsored by Keldric’s sponsors, like Kilogear Pro, Sports Agency Enterprises, and Caddix. As for Keldric’s loyalty to Auburn? He notably turned down a “huge amount of NIL money” to stay at Auburn, showing his unconditional support to Hugh Freeze and the program.
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