Spring Practice Updates…

[aubiefifty 16,823]

7 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

Feel like either the transfer from Purdue or Maryland will be the DT over JJ whom seems to fit more in line with a NT...but it could be two heavy guys early on run downs.  We have a lot of depth options inside for the first time in a while and hopefully benefit from a lot of rotation.  I think all the sites putting out their Spring Depth Chart guesses had a variety mixes of players/positions.

Rogers, Jones and even Johnson can play the NT.  Kite seems more of 2/3.  I'm guessing Walker will be the 3rd DE and get limited time.

i have read a couple of times the maryland kid is a dawg and a monster. who knows. he teammates were sure singing his praises.

[aubiefifty 16,823]

as far as updates go freeze said they will scrimmage wednesday night and "get after" it a little bit. if this is true we should get some better indicators of what is going on since little is being put out. anyone else hear that?

[W.E.D 11,070]

6 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

as far as updates go freeze said they will scrimmage wednesday night and "get after" it a little bit. if this is true we should get some better indicators of what is going on since little is being put out. anyone else hear that?

That's a pretty quick turn around from the past scrimmage.  Lot of ppl say the 1st one was more of a 7v7 type.  I know we're not going to let our QBs go full "live", hopefully they make it as close as possible to get a better sense of it all.

IDK Hugh's vision, but hopefully we're doing 1v1

[toddc 13,194]

Why evaluating Robby Ashford reminds Hugh Freeze of Malik Willis

20 minutes ago

AUBURN, Alabama — Hugh Freeze knows his incumbent starting quarterback is itching to get out and run.

It's no secret Robby Ashford had his struggles throwing the football as Auburn's starter for nine games last season — and that his dynamism as an offensive weapon comes when he can open up defenses with his legs. But as Auburn enters its third week of spring practices, there obviously aren't many opportunities — yet — for Ashford to flex his entire skill set.

It reminds Freeze of another mobile Auburn quarterback from a few years ago.

When Malik Willis arrived at Liberty after transferring from Auburn in 2019, he was in a similar situation in Freeze's spring practices. He attempted only 14 passes in two years at Auburn before leaving when he was cut out of the QB competition between Bo Nix and Joey Gatewood, and it was tough for Freeze to fully gauge his progress as an all-around quarterback when the bullets weren't flying.

"There was no significant snaps of him doing what we wanted to do in the college game," Freeze said Monday. "I think he had like 15 snaps in his tenure here, and they were all pretty much zone-read. So, you get him and there are people that practice really, really well, and then there are people that don't practice as well. I've had those before."

While Freeze had seen Willis' athleticism on display in mop-up duty at Auburn — with 11 yards per carry in two seasons — it was his throwing mechanics and fundamentals that received the most attention for the first several months he was on campus, since Freeze doesn't let his quarterbacks get hit until the fall.

"Truthfully, going into that fall camp with Malik, I had no clue if he was going to be a complete player because you just don't evaluate that portion of the game," Freeze said.

Willis' transfer waiver for immediate eligibility was denied, so it wasn't until 2020 that the future third-round pick got to show his abilities. Freeze said it was in his very first game as a starter that his running ability made a big impact — something that just wasn't always quantifiable in practice settings.

Ashford has plenty to work on throwing the ball before the Tigers' staff wants to focus on his legs — he tossed seven touchdowns to seven picks, with the worst completion percentage for an Auburn starting QB since the late '90s — but there's no denying Ashford is the biggest home-run threat in the run game of the Tigers' current crop of signal-callers. His 709 rushing yards and seven touchdowns were second last season among SEC quarterbacks behind only LSU's Jayden Daniels.

"I think it's very hard to evaluate just how good he can be, practicing the way we do," Freeze said.

Freeze has been honest in his evaluations of every position group since practice started, and didn'T pull any punches on his quarterbacks after the first two weeks. The first-year head coach said the QBs and receivers are maybe the two groups lagging behind the most at the moment, and that it's even affecting the staff's offensive install in a negative way.

"I wish we were further along after watching Friday's tape, but it's certainly not from a lack of want-to — and I'm not even sure it's a lack of can-do," Freeze said. "I think we've got to coach it better. Hopefully we'll see a turn toward a better understanding of what we're trying to do this week."

The Tigers scrimmaged for the first time last Friday, though it was more of a situational walkthrough in the indoor facility. The heat will be cranked up further this Friday in a traditional scrimmage setting.

"We'll have SEC officials here Friday — so we've got a lot of work to do before we get to that point," Freeze said. "But hopefully it turns out to be a good day."

 

[toddc 13,194]

Freshman Keldric Faulk may 'have to play early' on Auburn's defensive line

Ellie Oldham•about 19 hours

Keldric Faulk (Photo Credit: Cole Pinkston On3)

AUBURN — With defensive standout Derick Hall not longer on this Auburn roster, there is a large position that needs to be filled at edge.

On Wednesday afternoon, Hugh Freeze pointed out that Auburn needs to improve their pass rushing defense in order to be successful this season. One of the names that he mentioned would be getting a chance to have some impressive playing time as a freshman was Keldric Faulk.

The Alabama native led Highland Home High School to the AHSAA 2A State Semifinals this past season and made the ASWA first team all-state. The four-star recruit was also rated as high as the No. 79 player in the country. 

“I think he’s going to be a phenomenal player and I think he’s going to have to play early,” Freeze said. “He’s a great kid to coach, a prized recruit for us in that first class. We’re very pleased with him… he’s just gotta to learn now.”

The 240 freshman’s role has not been set yet, but Freeze told the media on Monday that Faulk looks like a solid option for the edge position if he is able to pick up on all of their responsibilities.

Luckly, the six-foot-six freshman moved onto campus a semester early and his getting in solid reps to be able to make an impact early. In the first scrimmage this past week, he showed great quickness at the line and lots of raw talent.

 

“That position on our defense does a lot, so it’s a learning curve,” Freeze added. “It’s great that he’s here this spring to get these 15 practices so that he goes into this summer with a better understanding but we’re excited about the future for him.”

[dilligas 581]

8 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

as far as updates go freeze said they will scrimmage wednesday night and "get after" it a little bit. if this is true we should get some better indicators of what is going on since little is being put out. anyone else hear that?

He said they’ll scrimmage Friday and get after it a bit and then again on Wednesday (of next week) before A-Day.

[dilligas 581]

8 hours ago, toddc said:

Why evaluating Robby Ashford reminds Hugh Freeze of Malik Willis

20 minutes ago

AUBURN, Alabama — Hugh Freeze knows his incumbent starting quarterback is itching to get out and run.

It's no secret Robby Ashford had his struggles throwing the football as Auburn's starter for nine games last season — and that his dynamism as an offensive weapon comes when he can open up defenses with his legs. But as Auburn enters its third week of spring practices, there obviously aren't many opportunities — yet — for Ashford to flex his entire skill set.

It reminds Freeze of another mobile Auburn quarterback from a few years ago.

When Malik Willis arrived at Liberty after transferring from Auburn in 2019, he was in a similar situation in Freeze's spring practices. He attempted only 14 passes in two years at Auburn before leaving when he was cut out of the QB competition between Bo Nix and Joey Gatewood, and it was tough for Freeze to fully gauge his progress as an all-around quarterback when the bullets weren't flying.

"There was no significant snaps of him doing what we wanted to do in the college game," Freeze said Monday. "I think he had like 15 snaps in his tenure here, and they were all pretty much zone-read. So, you get him and there are people that practice really, really well, and then there are people that don't practice as well. I've had those before."

While Freeze had seen Willis' athleticism on display in mop-up duty at Auburn — with 11 yards per carry in two seasons — it was his throwing mechanics and fundamentals that received the most attention for the first several months he was on campus, since Freeze doesn't let his quarterbacks get hit until the fall.

"Truthfully, going into that fall camp with Malik, I had no clue if he was going to be a complete player because you just don't evaluate that portion of the game," Freeze said.

Willis' transfer waiver for immediate eligibility was denied, so it wasn't until 2020 that the future third-round pick got to show his abilities. Freeze said it was in his very first game as a starter that his running ability made a big impact — something that just wasn't always quantifiable in practice settings.

Ashford has plenty to work on throwing the ball before the Tigers' staff wants to focus on his legs — he tossed seven touchdowns to seven picks, with the worst completion percentage for an Auburn starting QB since the late '90s — but there's no denying Ashford is the biggest home-run threat in the run game of the Tigers' current crop of signal-callers. His 709 rushing yards and seven touchdowns were second last season among SEC quarterbacks behind only LSU's Jayden Daniels.

"I think it's very hard to evaluate just how good he can be, practicing the way we do," Freeze said.

Freeze has been honest in his evaluations of every position group since practice started, and didn'T pull any punches on his quarterbacks after the first two weeks. The first-year head coach said the QBs and receivers are maybe the two groups lagging behind the most at the moment, and that it's even affecting the staff's offensive install in a negative way.

"I wish we were further along after watching Friday's tape, but it's certainly not from a lack of want-to — and I'm not even sure it's a lack of can-do," Freeze said. "I think we've got to coach it better. Hopefully we'll see a turn toward a better understanding of what we're trying to do this week."

The Tigers scrimmaged for the first time last Friday, though it was more of a situational walkthrough in the indoor facility. The heat will be cranked up further this Friday in a traditional scrimmage setting.

"We'll have SEC officials here Friday — so we've got a lot of work to do before we get to that point," Freeze said. "But hopefully it turns out to be a good day."

 

Malik spent the Spring at Auburn and transferred in the Summer to Liberty so Freeze didn’t have him until Fall.

[dilligas 581]

Just now, dilligas said:

Malik spent the Spring at Auburn and transferred in the Summer to Liberty so Freeze didn’t have him until Fall.

And as the Article says he did have to sit out the 2019 season.  The 2020 Spring was shut down due to COVID.

[toddc 13,194]

Auburn reserve LB Kameron Brown to transfer

10 minutes ago

Auburn has its first outgoing transfer of the calendar year.

Reserve linebacker Kameron Brown is entering the portal as a grad transfer, he announced on social media Wednesday. The younger brother of former All-American and 2019 SEC defensive player of the year Derrick Brown graduates with a degree in business this spring.

"This has been a difficult decision because of the love of Auburn in my heart and my family," Kameron Brown said.

A former 3-star recruit from Sugar Hill, Georgia, Brown came to Auburn in 2019 and played in just one game in his career with the Tigers, when he was part of the kick coverage unit in Week 2 against Alabama State in 2021.

Auburn's linebacking corps is plenty deep, with eight scholarship players still in the room this spring after Brown's departure.

The Tigers are set for their ninth day of spring practice Wednesday.

[W.E.D 11,070]

Was he on scholarship or was he a walk on?  Thought the later.  Cool he got his degree, hopefully he can find a school where he can get some playing time this fall

[toddc 13,194]

3 hours ago, W.E.D said:

Was he on scholarship or was he a walk on?  Thought the later.  Cool he got his degree, hopefully he can find a school where he can get some playing time this fall

I’m pretty sure he was on a scholarship 

[aubiefifty 16,823]

4 hours ago, W.E.D said:

Was he on scholarship or was he a walk on?  Thought the later.  Cool he got his degree, hopefully he can find a school where he can get some playing time this fall

 

1 hour ago, toddc said:

I’m pretty sure he was on a scholarship 

guys i would love to see him play at jax state. they have RR as their coach and they are looking to move up unless they already have.

[toddc 13,194]

Auburn QB Holden Geriner impresses former teammates at pro day

8 hours ago

AUBURN, Alabama — It was probably a surreal feeling for Auburn quarterback Holden Geriner to throw alongside Cam Newton at the team’s pro day.

But the redshirt freshman wasn’t there by accident. 

His former teammate, tight end John Samuel Shenker, was given the option to select his quarterback for receiving drills in the latter portion of the day. It’s obviously vital to have accuracy when being tested on route-running in front of NFL scouts. And of the QBs available on the roster, Shenker chose the youngest one. 

“I was able to choose who I got to throw today,” Shenker said. “I think he’s a great quarterback, and it was a lot of fun to throw with him today.”

Geriner first tossed to Shenker, running back Tank Bigsby and receivers Shedrick Jackson and Caylin Newton, as a scout from the Denver Broncos ran them through footwork drills. 

In the final hour of the day, the field was cleared for Newton and Geriner. Newton threw to his brother and Jackson, and Geriner to Shenker and Bigsby. The players would run a couple routes apiece on one end of the field, then jog to the other to mirror — everything from short out routes to slants to post routes to deep shots. 

“He's one of the most accurate quarterbacks I've ever met, and he's a good guy,” Bigsby said. “And I'm sure that's why they had him throwing today.”

Bigsby said he noticed a difference from Geriner in just a few months removed since they shared a practice field together at the end of last season.

“He's a mature guy,” Bigsby said. “He looked at me today before we started throwing. He said 'Hey, I ain't a freshman no more.' I said, 'Hey, you don't look like it.'” 

Under Auburn’s new-look offensive staff, Geriner is competing for a spot in the quarterback competition, behind upperclassmen T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford. 

As a true freshman, Geriner’s only game experience was a couple drives against Missouri, when he checked in after Ashford sustained a minor injury. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound Geriner was the No. 18 quarterback recruit in the 2021 class.

As Auburn chugs through its third week of spring practices, Hugh Freeze said this week — as he continues to evaluate his roster honestly — that the quarterbacks have a “long way to go.” The first full scrimmage of spring camp Friday should provide a litmus test for the group, which Freeze admitted has limited some of the offensive install because of their inconsistencies.

“I've liked their attitude and I've liked their work ethic and I've liked the way they desire to be coached,” Freeze said Monday. “I don't like the inconsistencies that I've continued to see through six games. Again, I want to say that I think part of that is on us, the staff, to get fixed. I've challenged myself and the quarterback coaches to — let's get some of this fixed. These inconsistencies. And see if it's — I don't want those inconsistencies to be because of indecisiveness or lack of understanding, that falls in our lap.”

[toddc 13,194]

A lot different opinions from what we have heard about spring ball on him.

[toddc 13,194]

Fairweather 'loving Auburn' as he adjusts to first spring with the Tigers

50 minutes ago

 

 

AUBURN, Alabama—A basketball player growing up in the Miami area, Auburn transfer tight end Rivaldo Fairweather admits he messed around playing the sport as a young kid, but he didn’t play his first real down of football until his sophomore year of high school. Now settling in at Auburn after playing his first three years at Florida International University, Fairweather said the first half of his first spring at Auburn has gone very well to this point.

“It's been going great,” he said. “This is probably the best spring I've ever had. I'm loving this new coaching staff, loving Auburn.”

Having to learn a new offense with a new coaching staff, Fairweather said he’s a fast learner and that has helped him get up to speed on learning the meshed system of Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery. That ability to learn quickly has also helped him get more out of his football career despite his lack of experience.

What was the hardest part of the transition from basketball to football for him?

“I’d probably say, because I come from basketball, probably the physicality of football,” Fairweather said. “That was probably the hardest. I remember I was always a physical player, so it wasn’t really that hard. I really transitioned well into it because I come from a tough home. I got an older brother and siblings, so we used to all fight and stuff, and I was always aggressive.”

A talented athlete that chose Auburn in part because of Freeze’s history of using the tight ends and making them a part of the offense, Fairweather said this spring has been the best he’s gone through in his college career. The reason why is because of the way the team has responded to change and something new.

“It's not even about my performance, it's about the team performance,” he said. “It's just our playbook, our offensive scheme and stuff, I really like it. I feel like there's a lot of ways the whole team can get involved and I feel like this coaching staff puts us in positions to make plays for the team.”

3COMMENTS

Getting ready for his first year on the Plains, Fairweather said he’s hoping to bring a playmaker to the Auburn offense that will help the Tigers become a more explosive passing team in 2023.

“I'd say I bring an athletic, playmaker, team-player, someone that just wants to win no matter what it takes,” he said. “Even if it's just I'm blocking all game, I'll do that or if they want to put me out there and catch passes, that's what I'm good at. Just being a team-player and someone that wants to win, wants to flip the script of Auburn.”

[Old fan 47 773]

1 hour ago, toddc said:

A lot different opinions from what we have heard about spring ball on him.

Seems like it. I don’t put a ton of stock into spring camp, but HF did not sound very confident about any of the 3 QB’s so far. Like a poster said earlier, we really aren’t hearing a lot, but our QB situation has to improve quite a bit obviously. It’s early so come fall camp, hopefully things are improved and there is a transfer in here with experience to push them even harder. 

[AUGoo 2,664]

Shenker and Bigsby both believe him to be super accurate.  So, I  can only guess that he is not picking up the O as quickly as the coaches would like.  Glimmer of hope for HG for me.

[NoALtiger 3,867]

So possibly the last chance for Shenker to impress a scout and have a chance to further his football career, and he chooses Holden because he thinks that’s the best available option he’s got?? 👀 Man that is telling to me. Kid has played ball all his life and I’m sure would love for it to continue if possible- has a lot riding on this and that’s his choice eh. Interesting. 

Edited March 23, 2023 by NoALtiger

[toddc 13,194]

Auburn linebacker Desmond Tisdol to enter transfer portal

23 minutes ago

Auburn has lost two linebackers to the transfer portal in less than 12 hours. 

Redshirt junior Desmond Tisdol intends to transfer from the program, he announced on social media Wednesday evening. Earlier in the day, senior Kameron Brown also announced his intentions to transfer.

Tisdol has two years of eligibility remaining.

 

2COMMENTS

A former 4-star recruit from Rochelle, Georgia, in the 2020 class, Tisdol appeared in 25 games in his Auburn career and contributed 17 tackles.

The Tigers still have seven scholarship players left in the linebacking corps. Tisdol and Brown are the first outgoing transfers for Auburn this calendar year.

[bigbird 60,573]

6 hours ago, W.E.D said:

Was he on scholarship or was he a walk on?  Thought the later.  Cool he got his degree, hopefully he can find a school where he can get some playing time this fall

 

3 hours ago, toddc said:

I’m pretty sure he was on a scholarship 

Gus signed him to get DB to return. Good deal for both

[W.E.D 11,070]

46 minutes ago, bigbird said:

 

Gus signed him to get DB to return. Good deal for both

One roster management decision we can't say he was bad at

[Win4AU 4,054]

Was there a scrimmage tonight or is that tomorrow?

[aubiefifty 16,823]

16 hours ago, toddc said:

A lot different opinions from what we have heard about spring ball on him.

it is my understanding tank is not real big on robby. i know they got into on the sideliens last year.

[Mikey 16,643]

15 hours ago, toddc said:

Auburn linebacker Desmond Tisdol to enter transfer portal

23 minutes ago

Auburn has lost two linebackers to the transfer portal in less than 12 hours. 

Redshirt junior Desmond Tisdol intends to transfer from the program, he announced on social media Wednesday evening. Earlier in the day, senior Kameron Brown also announced his intentions to transfer.

Tisdol has two years of eligibility remaining.

 

2COMMENTS

A former 4-star recruit from Rochelle, Georgia, in the 2020 class, Tisdol appeared in 25 games in his Auburn career and contributed 17 tackles.

The Tigers still have seven scholarship players left in the linebacking corps. Tisdol and Brown are the first outgoing transfers for Auburn this calendar year.

I don't think either of these two LB's were going to contribute anything to the Auburn team. Hopefully they'll catch on with another school where they can play a lot and help win games.

[AUnCullman 601]

20 hours ago, toddc said:

A lot different opinions from what we have heard about spring ball on him.

In Mondays presser, CHF seemed to say that the QB's are having a hard time with where their eyes are supposed to be and there was something else he touched on I can't remember. I took it as they are either struggling with RPO's or reading the defense and where to look Pre-snap. Either way, much different than throwing to a guy with no DB or DL to look at. And knows specifically where his receiver is going or going to be. Thats my take anyway.