1/15/23 Auburn Articles

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Auburn football: Former defensive coordinator to step away from coaching

Mary Kate Hughes

2–3 minutes

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Auburn football Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Derek Mason before a college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the University of Texas Longhorns at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. Oklahoma State won 41-34. osufoot -- print1

 

For the third year in a row, there have been massive changes made in the Auburn football coaching staff. Following the 2020 season on the Plains, Gus Malzahn was fired, and his staff was sent away in exchange for Bryan Harsin’s first staff on the Plains, with Cadillac Williams being the only Gus-era staffer that was retained.

After the 2021 season, which ended in a downward spiral for the Tigers, there was insane turnover to Harsin’s staff, and new coordinators were brought in. Then, Harsin and part of his staff was sent packing mid-season before Hugh Freeze was officially hired in December and began to put together his debut coaching staff.

Now, ahead of the 2023 season, the Tigers are on their third set of coordinators in as many years while a face that was once familiar on the Plains has made an announcement similar to one we heard last year. According to Brandon Marcello, former Auburn football defensive coordinator Derek Mason will no longer be coaching:

Mason has coached in various positions at over ten schools. Prior to his stint at Auburn, Mason spent 2014-2020 as head coach at Vanderbilt. After one season on the Plains as Bryan Harsin’s defensive coordinator, Mason stepped down from his post with the Tigers, and it was rumored that he intended to step down from coaching indefinitely. Days later, he took the same position at Oklahoma State for a big pay cut.

With Hugh Freeze on board at Auburn and Ron Roberts taking over the Tigers’ defense, let’s hope that this set of coaches will stick around for awhile and make a big impact on the program by providing consistency to the student athletes.

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Could Auburn be next season's TCU?

Taylor Jones

2–3 minutes

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The TCU Horned Frogs were the Cinderella story of the 2022 college football season. College football fans found joy watching the Horned Frogs go from a 5-7 record in 2021 to competing for a College Football Playoff national championship one season later.

Most of their turnaround is credited to Sonny Dykes, who took over TCU’s football program this season and led them to a semifinal win before losing to Georgia in the College Football Playoff national championship.

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Could Auburn have a similar fate in 2023? College Wires’ regional editor Patrick Conn weighs in.

The Tigers, much like TCU, hired a new coach following a 5-7 season. TCU made a magical turnaround in Year 1 under Dykes. With Auburn’s success recruiting, it is possible the Tigers could see a similar rebound in the upcoming season. In a piece titled “Which first-year head coach has best opportunity to mimic TCU?” Conn wrote that Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers have the ability to accomplish the feat.

After a tumultuous two-year run at Auburn for Bryan Harsin, new athletic director John Cohen went with a familiar name in Hugh Freeze. The head coach was at Ole Miss when Cohen served as the associate athletic director for their rivals, Mississippi State.

While Freeze has a very questionable past, he is viewed as a good offensive mind. He took a transfer from Auburn (Malik Willis) and turned him into an NFL draft pick at quarterback. He has some pieces in place and gave an immediate bump on the recruiting trails. Coaching in the SEC West makes his path to the CFP more difficult, but it is possible if he catches lighting in a bottle.

Joining Freeze on the list are Matt Rhule of Nebraska, Deion Sanders of Colorado and Tom Herman of Florida Atlantic.

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Auburn and 2024 QB Adrian Posse part ways

Christian Clemente

3–4 minutes

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Auburn and Hugh Freeze will look elsewhere for a quarterback in the Class of 2024.

Adrian Posse, who committed to Bryan Harsin and the previous staff during Big Cat Weekend, has backed off his commitment to Auburn. Since Freeze was hired, Auburn has offered other quarterbacks and expressed interest elsewhere.

"I want to give a special thanks to Coach Bryan Harsin, Coach Eric Kiesau and Coach Roc Bellantoni as well as Auburn University for all they have done for me," Posse wrote on Twitter. "However, after thorough and careful consideration with my family, I have decided to decommit from Auburn and reopen my recruitment."

After starting his high school career at Miami Christian (Fla.), Posse transferred to Monsignor Page. During Posse's junior season, he started at Miami Columbus in the spring. Shortly ahead of the season he transferred to Miami Edison, not playing, and transferring to Mater Academy to close out the season.

In the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, Posse is a 4-star and is the No. 186 overall player and No. 15 quarterback. 247Sports has Posse as a 3-star and the No. 29 overall quarterback.

Walker White and Texas Tech commit Will Hammond have been offered since Freeze was hired, with Langston Hughes' Air Noland also expected to visit for Junior Day.

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Auburn still holds a commitment from Top247 Moody cornerback A'Mon Lane.

247Sports scouting report on Posse from Andrew Ivins:

"A big-framed, pro-style passer that has flashed some arm talent at various points over the years. Has measured over 6-foot-4 and close to 225 pounds. Equipped with big 10-inch hands. Age appropriate for his grade and has sizable varsity experience having played as an eighth grader at Miami Christian before taking over the starting role at Opa Locka Monsignor Pace as a freshman/sophomore and then eventually enrolling at Miami Columbus to close out prep career. Tight 3/4 arm slot allows him to create some velocity and throw a tighter spiral. Has the upper body strength to get the ball outside the hashes, but seems to be at his best when he can set his feet and drive the football towards his target. Not much of a runner, but does have some experience coordinating different RPOs out of a single-back spread attack. However, must improve pocket presence and internal clock as that will likely help cut down on the mistakes, which tend to come in flurries once rattled. Overall, should be viewed as a developmental quarterback prospect with some of the required tools to win games on Saturdays, but one that will need to keep progressing as a decision maker and get better at processing complex defenses, especially if he’s taking snaps in the SEC or Big Ten."

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slim pickings today. i will check around later to see if anything was added.