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Opinion Donald Trump Is Short on Cash—and Selling Laws to Anyone Who Will Pay Timothy Noah Fri, May 10, 2024 at 5:00 AM CDT·5 min read 439 It has never been a better time to be a corporate lobbyist. The Republican Party, having run out of ideas, no longer even pretends to represent anything other than capital. The party’s standard-bearer, Donald Trump, has no agenda to speak of for a second term, and I doubt the GOP, which wrote no platform in 2020, will write one for 2024. Should Trump get elected, however, he will need to have a program. So he’s holding a sort of yard sale, starting with the oil and gas industry. At a Mar-a-Lago dinner last month, the author of The Art of the Deal made a proposition to a gathering of top energy executives that included representatives from Chevron, Exxon, Occidental Petroleum, Cheniere Energy, and Venture Global. Give me $1 billion, Trump reportedly said, and you will receive relief from whatever environmental rules and policies that displease you. The value of that relief, he told them, far exceeds $1 billion. Trump actually used the word “deal,” according to The Washington Post’s Josh Dawsey and Maxine Joselow. That raises the question of whether bribery should be added to the list of criminal offenses for which Trump has been indicted already. Indeed, it seems possible Trump’s shakedown, because it was so blunt, will backfire, frightening oil executives away from any future contributions lest they invite prosecution. It happened with the Teapot Dome scandal in 1921 and it could happen again. These energy bigwigs are well-advised to consult their general counsels before they open their checkbooks Trump might argue in his defense that there is no quid pro quo because doing everything the oil and gas industry wants was the plan all along. He mostly followed that principle during his first term, so why not eliminate all friction in the second? But if that’s the case, there’s even less reason for industry executives to write Trump campaign checks. Why buy the cow when you can milk it through the fence? The oil and gas industries have already given Trump about $500,000, according to Open Secrets. Better to reserve any additional funds for their number one priority, which seems to be re-electing Representative August Pfluger, the Republican congressman from Texas’s Permian Basin. Ben Lefebvre reports in Politico that the energy sector is “drawing up ready-to-sign executive orders” for Trump to sign regarding natural gas exports, drilling costs, and offshore oil leases. According to energy executives: The effort stems from the industry’s skepticism that the Trump campaign will be able to focus on energy issues as Election Day draws closer — and worries that the former president is too distracted to prepare a quick reversal of the Biden administration’s green policies. Oil executives also worry that a second Trump administration won’t attract staff skillful enough to roll back President Joe Biden’s regulations or craft new ones favoring the industry… That’s kind of insulting, no? However much it wants Trump to win a second term, the oil and gas industry does not expect a Trump administration to be competent, or to have much of a mind of its own. The phrase “useful idiot” springs to mind. The lobbyists Lefebvre interviewed did little to hide their contempt. “Supportive industries are going to have to prop up a second Trump administration with expertise,” said one who spoke not for attribution. “We’re going to have to write exactly what we want, actually spoon-feeding the administration.” There’s every reason to think candidate Trump is subcontracting not just oil and tax policy, but his entire second-term agenda (minus a handful of pet projects) in return for campaign contributions, more enthusiastic support, or possibly nothing at all. It may be that the Trump campaign simply appreciates lobbyists as free labor. Why create a policy shop to establish second-term priorities when industry hacks want to do that work for you? Policy shops require salaries, which costs money, and Trump needs to reserve campaign funds to pay legal fees in his four criminal prosecutions. Spencer Chretien, a former aide in the Trump White House, runs Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s program to micromanage a second Trump presidency down to mowing the White House lawn and taking out the garbage. (I exaggerate, but only slightly.) Project 2025 has drafted various executive orders allowing a future President Trump to roll back access to abortion. “We’re trying to do as much, now, of the future president’s work that we can,” Chretien told Politico’s Alice Miranda Ollstein way back in January. Why can’t the future president write his own executive orders, or get his White House staff to write them? Because they won’t be competent enough to do so. Having worked on the inside, Chretien ought to know. Some will say I’m being naïve. Lobbyists and think-tankers tend to swagger, especially when they talk to Politico, and Democrats and Republicans alike depend on outside groups to advise them on policy. It’s not unheard of, for instance, for environmental or labor groups to help draft regulations. That’s all true. But it’s pretty rare for an outside group to go full Docusign like we’re seeing here. And anyway, when public interest groups help prepare policy documents they’re acting in, well, the public interest. When representatives of corporations (and their Heritage Foundation lackeys) tell a possible future president to just sign on the dotted line, they don’t pretend to be acting on behalf of anything other than private profit. Especially galling is that industry lobbyists are treating a second Trump term as their personal property even as Trump and the GOP continue to draw strong support from the working class. Non-college voters (the standard definition of working-class voters) should ask themselves why Trump isn’t inviting them to write any executive orders, or merely to suggest any ways he can make their lives better. The answer is he doesn’t care. He can win them over by insulting Democrats, the press, the professional class, and other enemies at his campaign rallies—and through a constant flow of cultural and now legal transgression on social media. They love that he respects nothing. They sell themselves cheap.

2026 Auburn High running back Omar Mabson earns Auburn offer Taylor Jones Thu, May 9, 2024 at 2:00 PM CDT·2 min read After enjoying a breakout season in 2023, Auburn High School running back Omar Mabson has become a hot name on the recruiting trail. The 2026 running back has fielded several offers this month from programs such as North Alabama, USF, UAB, and Missouri. The latest program to offer is the most notable as they are the hometown team. Auburn offensive coordinator/running backs coach Derrick Nix recently visited Mabson and offered him a scholarship. Of course, the “local factor” is important, but the swiftness of the offer could be a difference-maker in the long run. As a 10th grader during the 2023 season, Mabson led the “baby Tigers” in rushing with 1,283 yards and 16 touchdowns. He reached those numbers by competing in Class 7A, the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s highest classification. He rushed for over 100 yards in nine games last season, including twice over eventual state champion, Central-Phenix City. In a recent interview with Auburn Undercover ($), Auburn High head coach Keith Etheridge says that Mabson can play running back or receiver, and is working every day to improve. “(Mabson) came to me at the end of the year and said ‘coach, what do I need to work on?’ I said to work on the breakaway speed and you go from a group of five kid to a power four kid,” Etheridge said. “He was running in the 4.5’s and comes back and gets on the laser and runs a sub 4.4. I make him run it again and he runs it again. He’s really put the work in. He eats, breathes and sleeps it.” Due to his age, Mabson has not received a rating yet from 247Sports. There are six former Auburn High players on Auburn’s 2024 roster including safety Griffin Speaks, offensive lineman Bradyn Joiner, and A-Day hero Towns McGough. Hugh Freeze appears to be working to build a strong relationship with Auburn High in an effort to strengthen the recruiting pipeline with the hometown high school. Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

Where does Auburn land in CBS Sports’ post-spring SEC power rankings? Taylor Jones Fri, May 10, 2024 at 8:04 AM CDT·1 min read A-Day provided a disappointing ending to Auburn’s spring practice session as the offense failed to score more than one touchdown in the game. The touchdown, however, was exciting. Quarterback Payton Thorne connected with freshman wide receiver Cam Coleman for a 34-yard score in the 4th quarter, which could be seen as foreshadowing for what could be the 1-2 punch on Auburn’s offense this season. Still, Auburn’s offense has work to do in order to find success in 2024. Following the spring session, CBS Sports’ Will Backus revealed his post-spring SEC rankings, where he placed Auburn at No. 12. Backus says that Auburn has the potential to rise, but Thorne holds the key to overall success. Hugh Freeze has spent a lot of time and effort upgrading his team around the quarterback. Now it’s up to Payton Thorne to take that next step. The former Michigan State transfer failed to impress in his first season on The Plains. Whether that was due to a lack of talent to spread the ball to — no longer an issue now that former five stars like WR Cam Coleman are on the team — or Thorne’s own limitations, he has to be a whole lot better if the Tigers want to avoid embarrassments like losing to New Mexico State. In addition to Coleman, Auburn has added three other highly touted freshman wide receivers Perry Thompson, Bryce Cain, and Malcolm Simmons to its roster. KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Robert Lewis also provide the room with experience from the transfer portal. Expect Thorne to take a step forward this season and to play a major role in Auburn moving up CBS Sports’ rankings once the season gets underway. Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

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al.com Auburn softball exits SEC Tourney after heartbreaking, 14-inning loss to Georgia Published: May. 08, 2024, 11:06 p.m. 4–5 minutes Auburn Tigers Sports Auburn softball ends up on the wrong side of a wild, 14-inning game vs. Georgia, exits SEC Tourney BATON ROUGE, LA - APRIL 12 - Auburn Outfielder KK McCrary (16) during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the LSU Tigers at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, LA on Friday, April 12, 2024. Photo by David Gray/Auburn TigersDavid Gray/Auburn Tigers Auburn senior KK McCrary rounded the bases with both hands clinched in fists. She fist bumped assistant coach Eugene Lenti as she rounded third base and didn’t let the white out of her knuckles until she made it to home plate, where the rest of Auburn’s roster was not-so-patiently awaiting her arrival. McCrary had just hit her 10th home run of the season and not one that came before it was as important as this three-run home run, which finally broke Auburn’s stalemate with Georgia in the 14th inning of Wednesday night’s first-round matchup in the SEC Tournament. Auburn’s dugout was buzzing. And it only strengthened as the home crowd at Auburn’s Jane B. Moore Field added fuel to the fire. However, the high was short-lived as Georgia’s Jayda Kearney knocked a three-run home run of her own in the bottom of the 14th inning, knotting the game back up, only for it to be quickly untied again as Georgia’s Sarah Gordon popped a solo home run to give the Bulldogs the unbelievable 6-5 walk-off win. It was a game that lasted four hours and 21 minutes, outdoing Alabama and LSU’s three hour and 39-minute 14-inning game from earlier in the day. “Sadly, yes,” Auburn head coach Mickey Dean said when asked if he’d coached a game that long before. “They’re draining because you’re trying to do everything possible to have a good at-bat, to make a good pitch. Every little thing matters. And then when something goes your way, it’s big. If it doesn’t go your way, it’s big. So it’s a very emotional rollercoaster.” Auburn seemed to have take hold of momentum in the bottom of the 13th inning when senior pitcher Shelby Lowe eyed a do-or-die situation with the bases loaded, two outs and a full count. Lowe went on to toss a cold-blooded swinging strike to keep the Bulldogs at bay and send the Tigers back to the bats. Lowe finished the night having pitched 4.2 innings after relieving Maddie Penta, who went nine innings after getting the starting nod. Together, the tandem combined for 10 strikeouts. Following Lowe’s big pitch, the Tigers led off the 14th inning with a runner aboard as Anna Wohlers drew a walk, followed by a one-out single off the bat of Annabelle Widra. Then came a flyout to centerfield to give the Tigers two outs and set the stage for McCrary’s two-out heroics. “It’s real cool just because we’re at home so I see all the same fans I see every weekend,” McCrary said of her home run in the 14th inning. “To make is a really good game for them is awesome. I wish we would’ve gotten the win, but it was awesome in the moment.” After a loss such as the one Auburn experienced Wednesday night, Dean realizes there’s only so much that can be said or be done to console a team. “That one is going to sting. You’re hosting the tournament, it’s 14 innings, you’re up three in the 14th. So that’s going to sting and I don’t even know if they’re listening at that point to be quite honest,” Dean said. “Really all you can do is tell them great effort and move on. And luckily we get to move on.” Dean said he and the Tigers will take Thursday off before returning to practice. Come Sunday night, Auburn will tune into the NCAA Selection Show to learn its NCAA Tournament fate. “Now the focus is on regionals and we’ve shown we can compete with anybody,” McCrary said. “I think we finished with the strongest schedule in the country. We’re ready for the postseason.” If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

auburntigers.com Battle of the Tigers taking place in Columbia Auburn University Athletics 5–7 minutes AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn (23-24, 4-20 SEC) embarks on its last road series of the season with three games against Missouri (21-28, 7-17 SEC) Friday through Sunday in Columbia, Missouri. First pitches at Taylor Stadium are scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. CT, Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. "We've won two games in a row and are just trying to make sure we can continue to grow," head coach Butch Thompson said. "Our young players have continued to contribute and getting some guys back in the lineup has been good for us. These last two games hopefully will pave a way for us to be competitive this weekend. Hopefully we'll find a way to win early in the weekend and win a series against a good, up-and-coming Missouri club." The games will be broadcast on the Auburn Sports Network and can be heard locally on Wings 94.3 FM. They will also be streamed digitally on SEC Network+. Friday – Sr. LHP Tanner Bauman (2-2, 4.88) vs. So. RHP Logan Lunceford (1-6, 7.05) Saturday – Jr. RHP Chase Allsup (2-3, 6.39) vs. TBA Sunday – TBA vs. TBA Six of Auburn's last eight SEC and 12 games total in conference play have been decided by one or two runs, and the Tigers are 3-9 in such games. Freshman Cade Belyeu has reached base in a team-high 19 straight games dating back to Mar. 30. He is hitting .328 (19-for-58) with 17 runs and 13 RBI while reaching at a .467 clip during the span. Making his fifth straight start and coming off a career-long 4.2 innings vs. Ole Miss, Tanner Bauman has turned in a 3.86 ERA as a starting pitcher this season. Chase Allsup will make his first weekend start since Apr. 12 on Saturday. He has notched career highs in strikeouts his last two appearances, turning in a 1.86 ERA with 17 strikeouts and one walk in 9.2 innings against Florida A&M and Ole Miss. The pitching staff has turned in a 4.75 ERA in the last two road series at Mississippi State and LSU. Auburn trails Missouri 11-13 in the all-time series, including a 4-5 mark at Taylor Stadium. The Tigers started 5-12 in the series but have won six of the last seven meetings, including four straight contests at the end of the regular season and SEC Tournament last year. Missouri enters the weekend with a 21-28 overall record and 7-17 mark in SEC play. Offensively, Missouri is 14th in the league with a .253 batting average overall and .213 average in SEC play. The Tigers are led by the duo of Jackson Lovich and Trevor Austin, who has 15 doubles, 18 homers and 60 RBI between them. On the mound, Missouri is 11th in the league with a 5.61 ERA but jump to seventh with a 5.84 ERA in league play. The Tigers have struck out 421 and walked 196 in 425.0 innings. Players Mentioned #46 Chase Allsup RHP 6' 2" Junior #25 Tanner Bauman LHP 6' 5" Senior #14 Cade Belyeu OF 6' 4" Freshman

auburntigers.com Ticket Punched: No. 7 Women’s golf claims victory at NCAA Auburn Regional Auburn University Athletics 4–5 minutes AUBURN, Ala. – No. 7 Auburn has advanced to the 2024 NCAA Championship after winning the Auburn Regional by four strokes on Wednesday. The Tigers fired a final round 297 (+9) for a 54-hole score of 874 (+10) to claim the victory. Additionally, freshman Anna Davis earned her first individual victory at the event after posting a three-round total of 211 (-5). "All week overall I think we played a lot of really good golf," Auburn head coach Melissa Luellen said after the win. "I know they really wanted to win last year. We missed, and that was very painful. We didn't talk about it, but I know it was in the back of some of their heads today. It's golf and anything can happen." After a difficult front nine, the Tigers finished with a stronger back nine on Wednesday to earn their spot in the NCAA Championship for the 22nd time in program history and the fifth time under Luellen. "When we got off to such a rough start, my stomach was in knots and I know theirs were too," continued Luellen. "You could tell that everybody was struggling and just feel that energy. But all of the mental work that we do with Bill Nelson, that's when it starts to come together: when you struggle and how you respond to it." Davis recorded five birdies in her final round, including back-to-back birdies on No. 12 and No. 13 at Auburn University Club. The freshman knocked an approach from around 140 yards on No. 12 close for a birdie, then got up-and-down on the following hole for another birdie. She then made a putt of around 30 feet on the 17th hole, a par 3, to finish at 3-under for the day. 🐤🐤 This approach on 12 from Anna Davis leads to a birdie followed by another on 13 ⤵️#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/C6CW3PFbhA — Auburn Women's Golf (@AuburnWGolf) May 8, 2024 "I think I was just very comfortable being at home and we've played this golf course so many times the past few weeks, so it all just felt very comfortable and consistent. Today I feel like I just gave myself a lot of chances on the last eight holes to make birdies." Megan Schofill finished just behind Davis in a tie for second place individually at 2-under (214). Schofill bounced back after shooting 4-over on the front nine with a bogey-free 32 (-4) on the back nine to finish the round at even par (72). Schofill tied the best par-5 scoring mark in the field at 6-under over all three rounds and recorded her third top-5 individual finish of the season. — Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) May 8, 2024 Redshirt sophomore Casey Weidenfeld carded a 77 (+5) on Wednesday and finished the event inside the top-20 for the sixth time this season. Her 54-hole total of 222 (+6) placed her in a tie for 16th on the individual leaderboard. The redshirt sophomore was just three birdies shy of the most birdies in the field during the tournament with 10. Senior Anna Foster provided the final counting score in the Tigers' winning effort on Wednesday, shooting a 79 (+7) which led to a three-round total of 227 (+11) and a tie for 25th place finish. The team victory marks the second of the season for Auburn after claiming the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in March. The other teams that advanced to the NCAA Championship from the Auburn Regional include No. 14 Oregon, No. 29 North Carolina, No. 2 South Carolina and No. 47 Tulsa. Minnesota's Isabella McCauley also advanced to the championship as an individual. Auburn will participate in the NCAA Championship May 17-22 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa Champions Course in Carlsbad, California. Auburn individuals: Placement Player Round 1 Score Round 2 Score Final Round Score Total Score 1 Anna Davis 73 (+1) 69 (-3) 69 (-3) 211 (-5) T2 Megan Schofill 69 (-3) 73 (+1) 72 (E) 214 (-2) T16 Casey Weidenfeld 75 (+3) 70 (-2) 77 (+5) 222 (+6) T25 Anna Foster 73 (+1) 75 (+3) 79 (+7) 227 (+11) T40 Katie Cranston 75 (+3) 77 (+5) 80 (+8) 232 (+16) Players Mentioned

theplainsman.com Auburn wins its regional, advances to national championship Patrick Bingham | Sports Editor 5–6 minutes Auburn women’s golf was able to capture the regional title and a spot in the national championship tournament shooting a combined 10 strokes over par during the three day contest. The Tigers were led by early enrollee and true freshman Anna Davis who won the individual regional championship at five under par over three rounds. “You know, she's just such a chill girl. Nothing really gets her flapped too much,” head coach Melissa Luellen said of Davis. “She was so committed. It was just really fun to be out there the last few holes with her and just see how dialed in she was. So really proud of her. “Getting her first college win at home and she just played beautiful golf, so I'm proud of the entire squad.” Davis, unlike many of her teammates, was able to weather the storm on the front nine, shooting one under, before rattling off three birdies on the back nine for a final score of 69 (-3). The rest of the Tigers all posted scores of four over a piece on what proved to be the tougher half of Auburn University Club throughout the week. “I felt like it played harder and harder every day,” Megan Schofill said of her team’s home course. “Greens just got a little bit more firm. This morning it was just playing pretty tough. It was pretty windy in the beginning. But luckily, on the back nine, which is usually our front nine, I liked that side a lot better and was able to make a few good putts and made some birdies coming down the stretch which was really helpful.” Schofill made four birdies in her final eight holes to end the final day at even par and finish tied for second behind Davis on the individual leaderboard. The senior’s final birdie came off an off the green, downhill putt that required perfect touch. “So Coach Kim and I were just trying to decide if I should chip it or putt it,” Schofill said over her final shot. “The lie wasn't great so we just felt like putting it gave me the best opportunity to get it somewhat close. And right off the putter face I thought I had left it short and Kim was like, ‘oh, that's gonna be really good, It's gonna be really good.’ It was just a big swinger. You just had to barely get it down over the hill. I was trying to hit it five feet no more. And yeah, it just turned out perfect. I don't think I could do that again if I tried another 100 times.” Entering the day with a 14 shot lead over the rest of the competition, Auburn fell to second early in the round after posting an 11 over total score and three-seed Oregon shooting five under after starting on the back nine. “We had a couple that really struggled out there today. But just knowing that you do have a team behind you and that every single shot matters and you cannot get down on yourself. You can't be sad. You can be upset, but you can get past that,” said Luellen of the team’s start. “We know how hard the golf course is. We know how hard the fourth hole plays. I think we just kind of psyched ourself out. And that was really stressful playing that hole and getting over par quickly. But like I said, the way they were able to calm down and get centered and finish strong was really proud of them.” Auburn, alongside Oregon, North Carolina, Tusla and South Carolina, will advance from the regional round to the national championship tournament at the Omni La Costa Champions Course in Carlsbad, CA from May 17-22. “I think when we're all playing really good golf. We're a really good team and I truly do believe that I've been saying to these girls all year that we really can do something special,” Schofill said. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Auburn Plainsman delivered to your inbox Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman. Patrick Bingham | Sports Editor Patrick is a sophomore from Auburn, Alabama, double majoring in journalism and marketing. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2022. Share and discuss “Auburn wins its regional, advances to national championship” on social media.

247sports.com Auburn holds off strong Oregon run to win regional title Jason Caldwell 3–4 minutes AUBURN, Alabama—It wasn't easy, but the Auburn women's golf team survived a bad day on the course and a strong finish from Oregon to edge out the Ducks to win the Auburn Regional on Wednesday. Led by true freshman Anna Davis' second consecutive round of 69 to finish the tournament at 5-under par to win the individual title, the Tigers were able to withstand a strong run by the Ducks to earn the win. "When we got off to such a rough start, my stomach was in knots and I know that theirs was too," coach Melissa Luellen said. "You could kind of tell that everybody was struggling to feel that energy. All the mental work we do with Bill Nelson, that's when it starts to come together, when you struggle and how you respond to it." While Oregon was -7 on its first nine holes on Wednesday while starting on the back nine, Auburn went the other direction while playing the tougher front side. The Tigers were +11 on their first four holes to turn what was a 14-shot lead into a neck-and-neck battle down the back nine. That's when Auburn's best players came through in the clutch. After a bogey on the 10th hole to drop back to even for the day, Davis had birdies on 12, 13 and 17 to bring it home for the Tigers. Her play came on the heels of the finish from senior leader Megan Schofill. With an uncharacteristic 40 on the front side, Schofill finally got something going with a birdie on the 12th hole and caught fire from there. With birdies on both the par 5's on the back side, Schofill came to the 18th green trying to get up and down after her approach shot carried past the fringe and into the short rough. Facing a tough downhill chip, Schofill played it perfectly as the ball trickled down the hill and into the hole for the finishing birdie. She finished the 54 holes at 2-under, good enough for third overall individually for the regional. "I couldn't be more proud of Megan," Luellen said. "I told her she had a bipolar nine holes, four over and four under. Just beautiful golf on the back nine. Anna Davis getting her first college win at home and just played beautiful golf. I'm proud of the entire squad." Davis and Schofill carried the day for an Auburn team that limped to the finish on a tough day at the Auburn University Club. Oregon was the only team to finish under par, firing a round of -5. Casey Weidenfeld's 77 was the third score of the day for the Tigers with Anna Foster firing a 79 and Katie Cranston finishing with an 80. Auburn finished in the top spot at 10-over par with Oregon next at +14. North Carolina was third at +21 with South Carolina finishing strong a spot at +27 along with Tulsa sneaking into the top five as well at +27, both finishing one shot ahead of both Georgia and Houston. Auburn advances to the NCAA Championships at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. That will be held May 17-22. SUBSCRIBE TODAY

al.com Hugh Freeze calls addition of WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith a ‘home run’ Updated: May. 09, 2024, 9:29 a.m.|Published: May. 09, 2024, 9:25 a.m. ~4 minutes Hugh Freeze shares thoughts on Auburn's spring, Cam Coleman and more at Hoover prayer breakfast Hugh Freeze has tried to word his comments carefully so as to not insult the previous group of wide receivers during his first year as Auburn’s head coach, but it was quite evident he needed to bring in new faces. “Y’all have been around since I’ve been here: We had to restructure that room,” Freeze said Wednesday before playing a round at the Regions Tradition Pro-Am in Birmingham. “I hate saying it like that sometimes. But for what we want to do, we had to change that room.” He said he felt he has done that with the incoming high school wide receivers, the foursome of former five-star recruit Cam Coleman as well as four-star recruits Perry Thompson, Bryce Cain and Malcolm Simmons. Freeze said that Coleman has a chance to play early, and he proved that during spring practices. Thompson will arrive on campus this summer, and Freeze said that he “has the appearance” he could be another freshman with early playing time. But that, he added, is why the addition of Penn State graduate transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith that much more important. “You get a guy that has the experience that Dre has at the Power Five level to combine with those young kids I thought was a home run for us,” Freeze said. Lambert-Smith led Penn State with 673 receiving yards last season and averaged 12.7 yards per catch. He has 126 career receptions and has played in 48 career games. Though he closed the 2023 season with two catches for 28 yards over his final three games including not making any catches on just one target against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl. Lambert-Smith couples experience and production alongside the talent of the incoming freshmen. That’s why Freeze called it a “home run” addition. “He’s quick twitch, he’s long, he’s got length to him,” Freeze said of Lambert-Smith. “He’s a natural ball-catcher, he’s a 50-50 guy that can make contested catches, and he can make runs after the catch. I think he’s a really complete guy.” Auburn will have seven new scholarship receivers on its roster compared to last season. The only returners are junior Camden Brown and sophomore Caleb Burton III. Brown is the only scholarship receiver left who was not recruited by Freeze. Other additions incoming include Georgia State transfer senior Robert Lewis and former Cal quarterback-turned-wide receiver senior Sam Jackson V. Simmons and Thompson are the only freshmen not on campus and Lambert-Smith will be arriving soon after graduating this spring from Penn State. Lambert-Smith and Lewis each led their respective teams in receiving yards last year. Auburn’s leading returning wide receiver is Burton with 16 catches for 226 yards. About 35% of those yards came in Auburn’s bowl game loss to Maryland where he had easily his best game of his freshman season: making five catches for 75 yards. Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

247sports.com Hugh Freeze explains reluctance to spend a million dollars on transfer QB commitment to Payton Thorne Carter Bahns 4–5 minutes The Auburn coach doubled down on his recruiting decision. Auburn enters the second year under coach Hugh Freeze with an uptick in talent at some of the most important offensive positions, but the quarterback situation remains the same with veteran Payton Thorne back as the projected starter. The Tigers' signal-caller experienced a down year in his debut season with the program, but Auburn committed to him for the 2024 campaign when it shied away from the transfer portal recruiting battles that headlined the winter and spring windows. Freeze explained that decision and said he valued the development of his own players over jumping into a "bidding wars" for quarterbacks who may not fit the program's culture. "I believe in our quarterback room," Freeze said on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning. "I believe in (quarterbacks coach) Kent Austin. I believe that if you have the right pieces around Payton, that we can have success. I think you saw some glimpses of that, and I don't think we had a total package around him really. "The options that you're presented with: Develop Payton, develop Holden, develop Hank and develop Walker or go spend a million dollars on this guy. I couldn't bring myself to doing that because I wanted to put all the pieces together. Now, I'm not saying I won't do that in time, but just currently, I think the guy is proven. I've watched his Michigan State film a thousand times, and when he had two NFL receivers there, he was pretty dang good." Thorne completed 61.1% of his passes for 1,755 yards and 16 touchdowns in his debut season with the Tigers. All of those marks were down from the career-highs he posted across his three years at Michigan State. He also tossed 10 interceptions for the third-straight season. The supporting cast around Thorne is much improved this offseason, though, particularly at the wide receiver position. Five-star signee Cam Coleman headlines a tremendous talent haul, while three other blue-chip wideouts round out the newcomers from the high school ranks. Top-100 transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith also figures to contribute immediately. All of that incoming talent softens the blow of missing out on a potential quarterback upgrade through the transfer portal. Freeze also echoed the sentiment from LSU coach Brian Kelly that dishing out hefty NIL packages to transfers may not be a tenable approach, anyway. "I just don't feel comfortable with some of the bidding wars for some of the top guys in the portal," Freeze said. "Not that we're not very fair, it's just, I want to build the whole roster and try to do it with guys that fit, somewhat, your culture." RELATED (VIP): Power conference teams with most departures during 2023-24 transfer portal cycle Auburn did, however, find matches in 14 incoming transfers as part of the nation's No. 28-ranked class. Lambert-Smith is the top newcomer in that haul while tight end Rico Walker is the lone other four-star prospect. This article originates on 247Sports.

Hugh Freeze: ‘I believe in our quarterback room’ Taylor Jones Thu, May 9, 2024 at 12:00 PM CDT·2 min read Auburn football handled several needs this offseason, especially at wide receiver. Following the additions of Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson, Bryce Cain, and Malcolm Simmons from high school and KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Robert Lewis from the transfer portal, Auburn fans and media members alike began to wonder if Auburn’s quarterback room would allow the new receivers to reach their full potential. Hugh Freeze pondered that question also. When weighing the options, he decided to subscribe to the “bloom where you are planted” method and develop the stable of quarterbacks that are already on the roster. In a recent interview with Jox 94.5’s McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Freeze broke down his thought process when deciding to develop or go to the transfer portal this offseason. “The options that you’re presented with: develop Payton (Thorne), develop Holden (Geriner), develop Hank (Brown), develop Walker (White), or go spend a million dollars on this guy, I just couldn’t bring myself to doing that, because I wanted to put all the pieces together,” Freeze said. Following A-Day, Freeze made it apparent that Thorne will get the first nod at the position this season. Following a disappointing season in which he passed for 1,755 yards and 16 touchdowns with 10 interceptions, Freeze believes that the recent receiver additions will boost his production, citing his Michigan State targets Keon Coleman and Jalen Nailor as examples. “I’ve watched (Thorne’s) Michigan State stuff 1,000 times, he had two NFL receivers and he was pretty danged good,” Freeze said. “There’s a lot of things that should be 50-50 balls and you’ve got to have a guy that can do that. I think Dre Lambert, he’s a 50-50 pass-catcher. And obviously, we’re excited about the ones we signed.” Outside of receivers, Freeze says that newly-appointed quarterbacks coach Kent Austin will get Thorne, and every Auburn quarterback, to the right level. “I believe in our quarterback room. I believe in Kent Austin,” Freeze said. “I believe if you have the right pieces around Payton that we can have success. I think you saw some glimpses of that, and I don’t think we had a total package around him really.” In three seasons at Michigan State, Thorne passed for 6,501 yards and 49 touchdowns. In 2022, Thorne passed for 3,240 yards and 27 touchdowns with Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor as his top targets. It will be interesting to see how much of a step forward Thorne takes with a revamped wide-receiving corps. Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

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