Spring Practice Updates…

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Zac Etheridge says safety Jaylin Simpson 'can be a Sunday player'

Justin Hokanson

Jaylin Simpson (Photo by Auburn Athletics)

AUBURN — Entering his fifth season of college football, Jaylin Simpson seems to have settled into a position that could lead to playing on Sundays in the NFL. At least that’s what safeties coach Zac Etheridge believes one day into the first spring camp of the Hugh Freeze era.

“I think ‘Simp’ has found himself a home. He’s an elite player. If he handles everything that goes on with football, he can be a Sunday player,” Etheridge said. “Seeing his range, athleticism, ability to play man in the slot, the things he can do, he can tackle well. His upside at that position is through the roof.”

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Simpson has tallied 80 tackles and three interceptions during his Auburn career playing both corner and safety. He projected as a safety coming out of Frederica Academy in Saint Simons Island, Ga., but was quickly moved to corner in 2019 and 2020. The move back to safety seemingly ignited something in Simpson. 

Etheridge certainly sees it.

“The biggest thing is buy in. He bought into what the team needed in that position. As the season went on, he got better and better,” Etheridge said. “Now, he’s found himself at home. He can control the defense. He was a quarterback in high school and now he’s coming into a position where he can make the checks on the backend. It made him more comfortable taking control of the defense.”

It doesn’t get talked about enough, really, and that’s the fact that Simpson is a phenomenal athlete. He played quarterback in addition to defensive back in high school, leading his team to a state championship. He was a state high jump champion, and starred on the basketball court and on the baseball field. And for just fun last season, he led a group of football players to a couple of wins on the basketball court against Auburn’s walk-ons. Observers would tell you Simpson was the best athlete on the floor and it wasn’t particularly close.

Switching positions the last few seasons created anxiety with Jaylin Simpson, but now seemingly settled into his role in Ron Roberts’ new defense, it’s all upside.

“If he studies it and embraces it, he can be a Sunday pick.”

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Auburn OL newcomers hit the ground running

4 hours ago

 

 

AUBURN, Alabama—Losing six offensive linemen off last year’s team, Auburn coach Hugh Freeze and new OL coach Jake Thornton would have had a rebuild on their hands no matter what the roster looked like when they arrived on the Plains. Finding an offensive line group that had just seven scholarship players returning on the roster and only two commitments in the 2023 signing class, they went to work.

Bringing in transfers Gunner Britton, Avery Jones and Dillon Wade, junior college signee Izavion Miller, and high school signee Connor Lew to go along with Bradyn Joiner and Clay Wedin, Auburn retooled the offensive line in a hurry.

On Monday they got their first look at the newcomers along the offensive front. While the pads aren’t on yet with 14 practice days still to come this spring, Thornton said you could see the impact already from the three veterans added from the portal.

“I think all three of them have found their role in equal parts,” Thornton said. “None of the three are extremely vocal, but their presence out there is certainly felt. Yesterday, you could tell that Gunner has played a ton of football at multiple positions. The way he practices, the way he carries himself, he kind of has that demeanor out there that I think a lot of people naturally, they flock to him in practice situations because he's got so much experience. 

“D-Wade's got a big personality. Those guys, as far as off the field, I know they spend a lot of time with him. Him out there on the field, he's a competitor. He wants to finish, he looks to finish. So he brings that element to it. 

“And then Avery, being the guy in the middle, also playing a ton of football. He brings an element of leadership, vocal leadership, making the calls getting everybody on the right direction. That was fun yesterday to watch in the one practice, right? So, we can't make good or bad judgments really based off one practice, but to watch him operate and get everybody on the same page next to Tate (Johnson), and next to (Kam)Stutts, those guys just kind of get them all in the right direction, that was certainly fun to watch.”

While the transfer additions were guys that Thornton had to learn about quickly during the recruiting process, when Auburn landed Miller it came because of a long relationship that started with the big tackle committed to him when he was coaching at Ole Miss. Watching Miller for the last year or so, Thornton said it was good to finally get him in uniform and on the field.

"That was exciting for me yesterday, to watch him,” Thornton said. “Because I've watched him over the last year in recruiting. He's still climbing, he's still getting better. But to watch him get out there and play tackle in an SEC practice is something I've been projecting for 11 months now in the recruiting process. To watch him out there, I think that was good for me because it validated everything that I thought about him and everything I think about him. 

“He is, in my opinion of those guys up front, his body has changed the most from day one to right now. And that's a credit to our strength staff and our nutrition staff. Getting him in the right situation, getting him a meal plan, getting him in the weight room and he's really made a ton of progress. I'm excited to see how far he's going to come over the next 14 practices."

There’s an old saying ‘like drinking from a fire hose.’ That’s what it’s like for a true freshman offensive lineman when he arrives on a college campus and practices for the first time. For Joiner, Lew and Wedin, the first practice came with the trio as early high school graduates. 

Despite the early start, Thornton said he saw three guys that showed up ready to go on the first day and that was a good sign.

10COMMENTS

“I thought all three of them did a nice job,” he said. “I was joking yesterday, they're all supposed to be getting ready for prom, and they're out here and they're in an SEC football practice. And they're blocking guys that are four and five years older than them. It was fun to watch those three guys compete. 

“That's the one thing, the great trait that all three of those guys have, all of them have their individual strengths and weaknesses, but all three of those guys are competitors and all three of them, I believe, genuinely love football and love Auburn. It was fun to watch those guys yesterday go out and compete and play different roles. The questions they ask are very mature football questions. So, I'm really excited about those three guys and what our future has with those three guys on our team."

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Hugh Freeze stresses the need for an 'alpha' in receiver room

Peter Warren

(Chang/Getty Images)

Hugh Freeze has tended to have at least one high-profile wide receiver on his college teams in the past. During his five-year tenure at Ole Miss, Freeze’s teams always seemed to have one dynamic threat at the wide receiver position.

He doesn’t want that change.

The Auburn coach recently appeared on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, and he was asked about whether it was important to have an alpha in the wide receivers room.

“I don’t think we can be where we anyone wants us to be without a few alphas in that room for our offense,” Freeze said. “My days at Ole Miss was Donte Moncrief or Laquon Treadwell or DK [Metcalf] and AJ [Brown]. We always felt like we had a good matchup or two that in our system if they got the right look on their field that they had the capability of winning that one on one battle. We’ve got to get to that point. Are we there yet? I don’t know. But we certainly have to get there.”

Hugh Freeze also discussed quarterbacks, spring expectations in addition to receiver room

In his first year with the Tigers, Hugh Freeze is excited to start building things with spring ball starting.

“That the main thing is the little things,” Freeze said. “I think when you take over a program everybody wants, the main thing is well we win games, or we score touchdowns, or we do that, I just don’t think you can build any program until the little things become the main things.”

Freeze also discussed his expectations for the quarterback room in the spring. The Tigers have three quarterbacks Robby Ashford, TJ Finley, and Holden Gerinercurrently battling it out for the starting role.

Ashford started nine games last season while Finley started at the beginning of the season. Last year was his first year on campus.

“We’re definitely going to rotate between TJ, and Robby, and Holden, but probably the first week I know we’re gonna rotate from drill to drill who goes with the one’s, who goes with the two’s,” Freeze said.

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Keionte Scott, Donovan Kaufman '1a and 1b' at the nickel position to start spring

Justin Hokanson

Keionte Scott (Photo by Auburn Athletics)

AUBURN — Let the games begin. There’s competition across the Auburn football roster as spring camp gets rolling, and the nickel position on defense is no different. Defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge wasted no time generating buzz, as he’s pitted Keionte Scott and Donovan Kaufman against each other at the nickel position.

“I’m creating a little competition with Keionte Scott running with the ones and ‘DK’ is behind him,” Etheridge said. “They’re 1a and 1b.”

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According to Pro Football Focus, among players that contributed a major number of snaps in 2022, Kaufman is the second-highest-graded player returning and Scott is the third-highest-graded player returning on defense. They both trail cornerback D.J. James who is the highest-graded defender returning.

Scott finished last season with 42 tackles, three pass break-ups and one interception. Kaufman finished with 33 tackles and two pass break-ups. Scott notched two sacks to Kaufman’s one. Scott told Auburn Live during the offseason he loves playing the nickel. Meanwhile, Kaufman has played nickel and safety since coming to Auburn from Vanderbilt.

“Those guys do a lot of adjusting. They are the scrappy guys and those two are scrappy. They aren’t going to back down from anybody,” Etheridge said. “They can blitz, do a lot of different things, go in the box and play linebacker. They’re physical and can play defense. Those two have done a phenomenal job.”

Auburn’s defensive backfield is fortunate to have versatile players. Caleb Wooden can play safety or nickel. Kaufman can play safety or nickel. Scott can play corner, if needed. Nehemiah Pritchett can play nickel, if needed. Even Jaylin Simpson, who is finding his place at safety, has a history at corner.

“Those guys have been trained to play in different scenarios,” Etheridge said. “They’re all going to move around. We’ll start moving guys around going into the fall and going into the season.”

And because of the versatile nature of the Tigers’ defensive backs, having Etheridge and fellow defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff tag teaming the coaching duties will pay even more dividends.

“I’m excited for our DB group,” Scott said. “We have two great guys to lead us. They do a great job of not necessarily playing corner or safety, but playing as a DB group. Coach ‘Crime’ he beings energy every single day. You can feel it. That’s a good coach to be around. He’s never going to let you be down. He’s always on you.”

The Tigers will practice every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the most part leading into the April 8 spring game inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. Here’s the schedule of practices: February 27, March 1, 3, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, April 3, 5, 7 and 8. Auburn will take the week of March 5-11 off for spring break.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

Did we practice today? I thought they were supposed to, but I haven't seen a word about it. Can someone confirm whether we did or not?

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RB Jarquez Hunter on Auburn's new offense and his personal goals

Ellie Oldham

Jarquez Hunter (Photo by Auburn Athletics)

AUBURN — With Tank Bigsby setting his sights on the NFL Draft and no longer at Auburn, Jarquez Hunter is the veteran in the running back room and knows it. 

“I’ll take advantage of this and I’ll go out and work hard so I can maintain this spot,” Hunter told the media on Wednesday afternoon. 

Although Hunter played in all 12 games this past season, he has a big opportunity to make an even larger impact on the success of Auburn’s offense this year. The junior finished the 2022 season with 104 attempts, averaging 6.5 yards per carry.

Hugh Freeze has emphasized the fact that there is no depth chart at this point in the year, so Hunter is competing against sophomore Damari Alston and transfer Brian Battie for the role. Alston averaged 6.1 yards per carry on just 14 attempts this past season. At Battie’s previous school, USF, the now junior averaged 6.7 yards per carry and finished with 1,186 total yards.

RELATED: Offensive practice observations from Day 1

Here is everything Hunter had to say about the new offense, along with his personal goals for the spring:

With all of the new coaches on this staff, how is it having a familiar face in Carnell Williams?

“It’s pretty nice to have Cadillac back. I already know how my coach is going to be and me and Cadillac have a pretty good relationship.”

How do you feel about the new offensive style under Coach Montgomery?

“I like it pretty much… It’s fast paced, we’re going to beat a lot of defense with that fast offense. I think Coach Montgomery knows what he’s doing.”

“It’s going to take a little bit for everybody- like quarterback, O-line, the receivers, being all one thing- but we’re going to get it eventually because that’s going to help us out this season.”

How has the competition been in the running back room, especially with there being no depth chart yet?

“It’s really motivating. That means we have to go out there each and every day and compete with each other and try to earn our own spots.”

How has Damari Alston’s game improved since Auburn’s last season?

“I’ve seen him go out there, he’s matured a lot more. He just takes everything in and he goes out there at practice and applies everything that he’s learned.”

What about transfer Brian Battie?

“He brings a lot. He’s going to make us work harder because everybody’s competing for a spot. He comes out and works hard- does what he’s got to do and does everything coach is telling him right… He’s got a good mentality. He’s going to go out there and work hard like all the running backs in the room.”

The kind of running back he is:

“His play style, he’s like a shifty type of guy, gets in and out of holes quick. That type of running back.”

What kind of things are you working to improve during the spring?

“I think I need to improve on my cuts, like jump cuts and in and out, stuff like that. I’m (also) very bad at just keeping the ball in my right arm, so I just need to work, like holding it in both arms.”

How Williams has helped:

“He’s shown me in film, he’s shown me out there at practice, like what I need to do and what I need to practice on and he emphasizes it every day at practice and we work on those things everyday.”

How do you feel about the possibility of you catching the ball more within Auburn’s new offense?

“I’m looking real forward (to it). As a running back, I think catching the ball out of the backfield is a big opportunity, I mean, if you want to play in the NFL, you’ve got to catch balls out of the backfield and I think the way Coach Montgomery runs his offense, I can do that.”

What sticks out to you about Auburn’s new, revamped offensive line?

“They work harder. I see them everyday in the weight room and I see them working hard in the field. I mean, when we’re conditioning and running, they’re going to play their butts off. And then they go out there on the field and they work. They’re much faster, quicker type O-linemen. They can move well.”

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Tempo back on the Plains for the Tigers

2 hours ago

 

 

AUBURN, Alabama—Tempo is back for the Auburn Tigers and it’s a welcome sight on both sides of the ball as Hugh Freeze takes over the program following back-to-back losing seasons. Wanting to get back to being fast and physical, Freeze brought in former Baylor OC Philip Montgomery to run the offense with Ron Roberts leading the defense. The result has been tempo, tempo and more tempo.

“Man, it's every period,” defensive lineman Marcus Harrissaid. “Like every team period we have is so fast-paced and up-paced. And it's so different because preparing us and getting us in shape. It's just showing us, like getting us ready for some of our opponents we have to go against this season. 

“I really, personally, like it because it's getting me back in football shape quicker than usual. It takes normally like a week to get back in football shape. But yesterday I kind of felt like I was getting in football shape toward the end of practice.”

Saying that he believes the offense is going to help them beat a lot of defenses because of the tempo, running back Jarquez Hunteradded the biggest thing is getting used to the speed of the game.

“I mean it's going to take a little bit for everybody,” Hunter said. “Quarterback, O-line, receivers, all just to be on one thing. But we're going to get it eventually because that's going to help us out this season.”

It’s something that should help out the Auburn defense as well. Learning a new system this spring, the tempo on offense is forcing the players to get a better feel for things and doing it quicker on the field. 

“It's teaching us, if we don't have a call, like just line up a play, because a lot of times in practice Monday, we really didn't have a call, but like we had a set call that we'd just go to and just line up and play if everybody didn't get the call,” Harris said. “So it's just teaching us little stuff like that in case we do get in the game against a fast-tempo team.”

Tempo is particularly tough for the guys in the secondary because of the running they’re doing throughout the game. Having to be mentally into the game while being tired takes some getting used to, something this spring is helping with.

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“I definitely think it’s a great thing,” Keionte Scott said. “We see tempo a lot in this league and being able to get it from our own offense. Especially at practice most of the time, we’ll end up going faster than some of the teams we’ll play. So that’s a plus for us.

“It definitely helps us get ready as far as our defensive line, being able to get them in shape a little bit and getting us in shape. During the tempo, the reason for it is to kinda get you off your brain and have to think fast. So being able to get those reps in practice, that’s a plus for us.”

[cole256 17,084]

Reading these......I'm not even going to say it...

 

Need an alpha wr, recruiting is the most important thing, it's different this coaching staff really cares about you.......just sounds familiar you know?

Edited March 2, 2023 by cole256

[W.E.D 11,070]

1 hour ago, cole256 said:

Need an alpha wr, recruiting is the most important thing, it's different this coaching staff really cares about you.......just sounds familiar you know?

It sounds like every article written about a 1st year coach.

[Old fan 47 775]

On 2/28/2023 at 8:59 PM, aucanucktiger said:

Geriner's catching a lot of ill will for somebody who threw a whopping 3 passes in a RS season and has had all of 2 spring practice days in a new system.

I for one am hoping Geriner somehow wins the job. RA is a great athlete, but I don’t see a new staff making him a 60% plus completion guy in one season and if TJ wins the job, then in my opinion, we just don’t have an SEC caliber QB on the roster. Just my opinion. 

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Owen Pappoe: Wesley Steiner 'going to surprise a lot of people' in 2023

2 hours ago

Auburn has a two-time team captain- and four-year-starter-sized void to address at linebacker this spring and beyond.

Gone is Owen Pappoe, who battled through injuries and contributed 256 tackles in four seasons at middle linebacker, leaving new position coach Josh Aldridge with a need for those left in the linebacking corps to step up and take advantage of the opportunities provided by Pappoe’s departure to the NFL draft.

That’s particularly the case at Pappoe’s old spot in the middle of the defense. But the former 5-star recruit believes the Tigers are in good hands with a returning contributor.

“I would say Wesley Steiner,” Pappoe said this week at the NFL Combine, when asked who could be a breakout player on Auburn’s defense in 2023. “He’s going to surprise a lot of people. Athletically, he’s a freak who has all the measurables. A really smart guy, he’s going to be out there commanding the defense. I’m excited to see what he does this year.”

Growing into the biggest role of his career last season as a true junior, Steiner was in the primary rotation in the linebacking corps for most of the season as Pappoe’s backup, and sometimes alongside him. Steiner played in 10 of 12 games, finishing No. 5 on the team with 46 tackles.

Much like Pappoe, Steiner was a freakishly strong, highly rated prospect out of Georgia in the 2020 class. And was Pappoe’s understudy for three years, developing from a special teams player into a starting-adjacent defender.

“Really, last year, just seeing the things he did at practice — he showed flashes of it every day,” Pappoe said. “And even the things he did in the games.”

The 6-foot, 239-pound Steiner could have had an opportunity to finish in the top 3 in tackles for Auburn last year, but his usage faded in the final month of the season. He played only six snaps against both Mississippi State and Western Kentucky, then didn't play at all against Texas A&M and Alabama.

Steiner’s tackling also left a bit to be desired; he finished with a 23.3 percent missed tackle rate on the season, according to Pro Football Focus, and he didn’t log a single tackle for loss on the year.

To help offset the loss of Pappoe, Aldridge brought in a pair of transfers to his room this spring — both from the SEC West. Austin Keys started six games for Ole Miss last season and is likely Steiner’s primary competition at middle linebacker, while the lengthy and athletic DeMario Tolan was a player Auburn recruited heavily in the 2022 class before he signed with LSU, where he appeared in nine games as a freshman.

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“They’re both very different types of players,” Aldridge said last month. “I didn’t want to sign two true in-the-box mikes, and I didn’t want to sign two true on-the-edge athletes. I don’t think we could have done a better job with the two linebackers we signed from a transfer standpoint.”

[DAG 34,045]

6 hours ago, cole256 said:

Reading these......I'm not even going to say it...

 

Need an alpha wr, recruiting is the most important thing, it's different this coaching staff really cares about you.......just sounds familiar you know?

Man can you imagine if Freeze had Anthony Schwartz, Kobe Hudson, Seth Williams...smh

[JuscAUse! 1,508]

11 minutes ago, DAG said:

Man can you imagine if Freeze had Anthony Schwartz, Kobe Hudson, Seth Williams...smh

I hurt now. 100 % wish for that 

 

[Dom1ni0n 51]

33 minutes ago, DAG said:

Man can you imagine if Freeze had Anthony Schwartz, Kobe Hudson, Seth Williams...smh

It makes me think 2019 would have been far more special than 9-4 with that defense to complement.

[ArgoEagle 1,846]

4 hours ago, Old fan 47 said:

I for one am hoping Geriner somehow wins the job. RA is a great athlete, but I don’t see a new staff making him a 60% plus completion guy in one season and if TJ wins the job, then in my opinion, we just don’t have an SEC caliber QB on the roster. Just my opinion. 

Agree. All over it.

[PoetTiger 1,901]

16 hours ago, ArgoEagle said:

Agree. All over it.

TJ just might get better under this staff…he has size and arm talent. Needs some coaching if he does by start he could be a serviceable backup..

[AUApostle 7,663]

2 hours ago, PoetTiger said:

TJ just might get better under this staff…he has size and arm talent. Needs some coaching if he does by start he could be a serviceable backup..

I can envision the ESPN 30 for 30…Freeze chases TJ down at the bus station as he’s about to ship off for obscurity in Louisiana only to have him come back and lead the ‘23 Tigers to a national championship.

[Win4AU 4,055]

Others may feel different than this but imo to run tempo it really helps to have a Qb with some athleticism.  To me that’s Ashford.  

[Mikey 16,779]

6 hours ago, Win4AU said:

Others may feel different than this but imo to run tempo it really helps to have a Qb with some athleticism.  To me that’s Ashford.  

The QB's running ability still comes in second to his passing ability. If Ashford can't improve over his 49% completion rate it won't matter what style of offense we run.

[passthebiscuits 6,889]

Y’all…if you’ve been here any time at all…you know that I’m realistic when it comes to our football team. I’m usually right…but that’s for another time. And let me say, before I state this…that I understand we haven’t played a game yet. But…

this team is going to be good. Maybe not top 10 good, but very very good. We are gonna win some ballgames. This OL is SOOOO much better. Our WRs have size and talent. Defense has depth. Dbacks are going to be top1-2 in the SEC. DLine with some speed. Man. 

my opinion, we still need a QB.  That’s the ceiling for us. 
 

but we messed around and somehow got us a coach/coaches and we got a major upgrade in talent. 

[gr82be 14,519]

On 3/1/2023 at 2:39 PM, toddc said:

“We’re definitely going to rotate between TJ, and Robby, and Holden, but probably the first week I know we’re gonna rotate from drill to drill who goes with the one’s, who goes with the two’s,” Freeze said.

I thought that I read that there was no "first team" and it was an clean slate type of Spring. Was that just for the QBs? 

 

 

[Gowebb11 9,472]

15 hours ago, AUDevil said:

I can envision the ESPN 30 for 30…Freeze chases TJ down at the bus station as he’s about to ship off for obscurity in Louisiana only to have him come back and lead the ‘23 Tigers to a national championship.

Freeze never catches him if TJ is on his moped 🏍️ 

[Wareaglefastpitch 2]

3 hours ago, passthebiscuits said:

Y’all…if you’ve been here any time at all…you know that I’m realistic when it comes to our football team. I’m usually right…but that’s for another time. And let me say, before I state this…that I understand we haven’t played a game yet. But…

this team is going to be good. Maybe not top 10 good, but very very good. We are gonna win some ballgames. This OL is SOOOO much better. Our WRs have size and talent. Defense has depth. Dbacks are going to be top1-2 in the SEC. DLine with some speed. Man. 

my opinion, we still need a QB.  That’s the ceiling for us. 
 

but we messed around and somehow got us a coach/coaches and we got a major upgrade in talent. 

This gives me real hope!!!!

[aubiefifty 17,256]

2 hours ago, gr82be said:

I thought that I read that there was no "first team" and it was an clean slate type of Spring. Was that just for the QBs? 

 

 

you would be correct. i watched the video.

[cole256 17,084]

3 hours ago, passthebiscuits said:

Y’all…if you’ve been here any time at all…you know that I’m realistic when it comes to our football team. I’m usually right…but that’s for another time. And let me say, before I state this…that I understand we haven’t played a game yet. But…

this team is going to be good. Maybe not top 10 good, but very very good. We are gonna win some ballgames. This OL is SOOOO much better. Our WRs have size and talent. Defense has depth. Dbacks are going to be top1-2 in the SEC. DLine with some speed. Man. 

my opinion, we still need a QB.  That’s the ceiling for us. 
 

but we messed around and somehow got us a coach/coaches and we got a major upgrade in talent. 

You think you know everything......