Elijah Daniel Dismissed from Auburn Football Team After Theft, Burglary Arrest

Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Elijah Daniel was arrested on April 29 on four charges of theft and four charges of burglary, and Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn announced on May 2 that Daniel will not be with the team next season, per James Crepea of The Montgomery Advertiser.

AL.com's Brandon Marcello first reported the news of the arrest, adding that the program had suspended Daniel indefinitely and that six of the charges are felonies. 

Daniel was a rising junior listed at 6'2" and 282 pounds. Such a massive frame gave him the versatility to play on the edge and on the inside of the line, and his absence will create a considerable void in Auburn's rotation.

The Tigers' high-octane rushing attack gave opponents problems last year, but their defense left something to be desired, ranking 64th in the country in total yards allowed, per NCAA.com. That contributed to Auburn's decline to an 8-5 record just one season removed from participating in the national championship game.

New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp figures to help his side of the ball in a big way with his coaching ability alone. Losing a malleable player like Daniel before a down is even played in 2015 is a big blow to Muschamp's bid to turn around his unit.