Ex-Auburn Football Staffer Arrested for Allegedly Selling Trade Secrets

A former staffer for the Auburn University football program has been arrested and charged with stealing confidential information and distributing it to competitors. David Rudolph Jenrath, 24, surrendered to authorities on Monday in Alabama.

The Auburn Police Department stated that a business reported the theft of sensitive information, which was then allegedly passed to rivals. According to the police, one of Auburn's competitors received the information and brought it to the attention of the university.

Jenrath faces two felony charges: theft of trade secrets and computer tampering. He is being held at the Lee County Jail on a $15,000 bond. An arrest warrant for Jenrath was issued last Thursday.

While the specific competitors were not named in the police report, the alleged incident occurred at the Auburn Athletics Complex on July 19. Reports indicate that the leaked material pertained to the football program's recruiting evaluations.

A now-removed LinkedIn profile for Jenrath identified him as a former player personnel scouting assistant for Auburn, with a focus on running backs and special teams. He reportedly held this position from January to June.

Charging documents allege that Jenrath "obtained and/or retained confidential, proprietary information consisting of Auburn University Athletics’ information, and/or knowingly made a copy or reproduction of Auburn University Athletics’ trade secrets and communicate or transmit a secret without the owners’ consent."

Auburn has not yet issued a public statement regarding the situation. Jenrath previously attended the University of Tennessee, where he studied sports analytics and applied artificial intelligence. He is originally from Ardmore, Alabama.

Auburn's football team currently holds a 3-1 overall record for the 2026 season, with a 1-1 record in the Southeastern Conference. Their sole loss this season was to the Florida Gators.