Departures and Additions 2021-22 Postseason

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

1 step forward…

[au302 2,669]

43 minutes ago, JDUBB4AU said:

Will Pegues leaving really hurt that bad? Sure he is a good athlete and I think that’s the allure of him. Does he fit masons defense ? He’s a freak , but just hasn’t made much of a difference 

@metafourobviously covered it really well. I'll add the importance of NT depth. Didn't quite have that this year until JJ figured it out at the end. Now, we could opt to keep Jeremiah Wright where he's at and have a really good two deep with Jones/Wright. But if we keep JJ as a solid backup maybe Wright can go for OG, where the staff supposedly thinks he's got very high upside

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

I’m glad to see Pegues leave if he gets a chance on offense in Kiffin’s system. I know they recruited him for a few things, but I imagine him out there in space with his horizontal offense just being a monster. 

[W.E.D 11,070]

2 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I’m glad to see Pegues leave if he gets a chance on offense in Kiffin’s system. I know they recruited him for a few things, but I imagine him out there in space with his horizontal offense just being a monster. 

I'm not sure I see him being good on offense 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

1 minute ago, W.E.D said:

I'm not sure I see him being good on offense 

You are entitled to that 

[JDUBB4AU 5,112]

6 minutes ago, au302 said:

@metafourobviously covered it really well. I'll add the importance of NT depth. Didn't quite have that this year until JJ figured it out at the end. Now, we could opt to keep Jeremiah Wright where he's at and have a really good two deep with Jones/Wright. But if we keep JJ as a solid backup maybe Wright can go for OG, where the staff supposedly thinks he's got very high upside

Your and metas opinions are valid. I’m a JJ fan, but also if he transfers he is not getting what he needs at AU . 

[Hank2020 3,199]

7 minutes ago, JDUBB4AU said:

Your and metas opinions are valid. I’m a JJ fan, but also if he transfers he is not getting what he needs at AU . 

Or at least he is not getting what he WANTS.

[Old fan 47 769]

1 hour ago, au302 said:

Think I remember reading an opinion or two that Hunter was a bad fit for this staffs scheme. Was pretty shocked at his frame during the spring game. Figured he'd need a few years, so I'm not surprised. Pegues on the other hand will hurt badly if it happens

At this point now, I am really wondering about this staffs scheme. I am beginning to doubt a lot of what this staff is doing. Until I see results on the field and progress as a functional team, this coming season may well be worse than the last. I hope I am wrong, but I am not seeing anything thus far to prove to me that this team has improved one bit. This staff is getting whipped and in this day with the SEC, we are in for a long few years. 

[IronMan70 3,277]

1 hour ago, autigeremt said:

Not a good thing 

I agree with you about Hunter. I don't know how anyone can spin losing a Top 100, .9633 high 4 Star,  6'4" 320 lbs, DT and a Freshman no less, as anything else. Some of the other transfers ok but as you say, this is not a good thing. 

[Hank2020 3,199]

1 minute ago, IronMan70 said:

I agree with you about Hunter. I don't know how anyone can spin losing a Top 100, .9633 high 4 Star,  6'4" 320 lbs, DT and a Freshman no less, as anything else. Some of the other transfers ok but as you say, this is not a good thing. 

Every team is losing players they would like to keep. It’s the new portal world. Just have to live with it(through it). Y’all seem to think it is something coaching staff is expressly doing to cause this. If so all the teams are doing it. 

[woodford 3,655]

47 minutes ago, Hank2020 said:

Everybody is having massive turnover. New world so get used to new team each year.

Why they leave is not universal. Bama losing guys is not a concern but at Auburn it is.

[woodford 3,655]

14 minutes ago, Hank2020 said:

Every team is losing players they would like to keep. It’s the new portal world. Just have to live with it(through it). Y’all seem to think it is something coaching staff is expressly doing to cause this. If so all the teams are doing it. 

It absolutely could be something coaches are causing. Auburn doesn’t have some HOF defensive staff. It’s a guy who got fired at Vanderbilt running the show. 

[au302 2,669]

24 minutes ago, Old fan 47 said:

At this point now, I am really wondering about this staffs scheme. I am beginning to doubt a lot of what this staff is doing. Until I see results on the field and progress as a functional team, this coming season may well be worse than the last. I hope I am wrong, but I am not seeing anything thus far to prove to me that this team has improved one bit. This staff is getting whipped and in this day with the SEC, we are in for a long few years. 

That's fair. They're going to have to prove it for sure. In terms of scheme, I am fine with the defense. I was frustrated with Mason at times last year, but looking back on the whole, the unit was very solid. Offense is still a mess right now

[IronMan70 3,277]

19 minutes ago, Hank2020 said:

Every team is losing players they would like to keep. It’s the new portal world. Just have to live with it(through it). Y’all seem to think it is something coaching staff is expressly doing to cause this. If so all the teams are doing it. 

I can't speak for others but I was not implying that about the coaches. Yes, I'm aware everybody is losing players but all transfers are not the same and this is one of them. In fact, I'm not sure how you can afford to not keep a Freshman player like Hunter around. Players like him are the foundation of your team's future. So even though everybody is losing them and we will adjust, because we have to, it still sucks. 

Edited January 16, 2022 by IronMan70

[Hank2020 3,199]

1 minute ago, woodford said:

It absolutely could be something coaches are causing. Auburn doesn’t have some HOF defensive staff. It’s a guy who got fired at Vanderbilt running the show. 

Sounds much more logical that it is the portal/NIL systemic issues rather than a specific coach on our staff as all the teams are losing players right/left. Not just being “processed” as in past years.

[e808 3,025]

My question is if depth was a problem as it has been stated several times. Why weren’t some of these guys allowed to get their feet wet in some of the free games allowed before being red shirted. It seems Steele had no problem mixing them in to give guys a breather. The best experience is game reps IMO. Then u actually have tape on them.

[Ausburn2 487]

34 minutes ago, IronMan70 said:

I can't speak for others but I was not implying that about the coaches. Yes, I'm aware everybody is losing players but all transfers are not the same and this is one of them. In fact, I'm not sure how you can afford to not keep a Freshman player like Hunter around. Players like him are the foundation of your team's future. So even though everybody is losing them and we will adjust, because we have to, it still sucks. 

A talented team player is better than a talented player.

[au302 2,669]

1 hour ago, autigeremt said:

Covid caused a one year delay in the reset of this program. The reset is happening so expect more turnover as players can now do whatever they want if the wind changes. Unfortunately it’s college football now. Hate seeing Hunter leave. 

This has not been discussed enough. The timing of the hire screwed things up a bit. If we had a normal season that ended before 12/1, Harsin probably would've been hired before ENSD. No telling if some of these guys from the '21 class would've been dropped and replaced before signing. Just look at Billy Napier and what he did. 

[auburnphan 6,050]

1 hour ago, W.E.D said:

I'm not sure I see him being good on offense 

And you are correct.

[Randman5000 4,226]

Hmm. Was at least hoping to see him play. This is as much on Mason as Hars in my opinion. Hope the newcomers show out

[auburnphan 6,050]

Some of this is pretty simple, each player needs to be 100% committed to What now is Auburn football, if you can’t do that Harsin is not playing around.  This has been clear since day one.

[aubaseball 2,592]

56 minutes ago, woodford said:

It absolutely could be something coaches are causing. Auburn doesn’t have some HOF defensive staff. It’s a guy who got fired at Vanderbilt running the show. 

If getting fired from another school was a disqualification from coaching, Alabama wouldn’t have a staff.   This is a transitional time at AU.  If guys don’t want to put in what is asked or needed, they should leave.   Do you not think that other teammates don’t see who is willing to put forth the effort?  If slacking is allowed it only contaminates the whole team.   

[PoetTiger 1,896]

💰💰💰💰 some players maybe taking chances on the portal to see what NIL opps are out there…Lee will be missed because he was elite talent out of HS, but since he never hit the field some may not see it as that big of a deal that he is leaving.

[Old fan 47 769]

1 hour ago, au302 said:

That's fair. They're going to have to prove it for sure. In terms of scheme, I am fine with the defense. I was frustrated with Mason at times last year, but looking back on the whole, the unit was very solid. Offense is still a mess right now

I agree with your view also. The thing that worries me the most, like you said is the O and the lack of progress being made through the portal. I wondered my next sentence, when AU hired Harsin, but I also understand recruiting and installing your program is not a 1 year turn around. With that being said, here are my current thoughts on the direction the team/program is headed. 1) I worried Harsin was in over his head when he was hired and the main reason, was that he has no ties to this part of the country, 2) I am not overly impressed with his recruiting so far, 3) we are potentially looking at the basement in the West for a few years now! Nothing tells me otherwise so far, 4) I still think his vision will only work at smaller, non SEC schools. He’s shown me nothing to make me think otherwise. It’s like we fired mediocre for a lesser version of mediocre. Of course, there are 4 and 5 star kids that don’t pan out, but how many successful Power 5 programs recruit and coach 3 star kids to actually compete in the toughest division in all of college football. I hope I’m so wrong, but nothing so far has changed my mind. Our O is now even worse than it was last year. 

[e808 3,025]

So every player that’s transferring going to be labeled as not willing to put in the work. Maybe some of them feel they aren’t getting a fair shake. It would suck u practice just as hard as the next man but u never get an opportunity. The defense could have used a breather from guys like Hunter and Brooks on the back end of the schedule