11.30.23 Football Articles

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si.com

 

Auburn Briefing: Auburn MBB still struggling to put two halves together

Daniel Locke

2–3 minutes

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Auburn was able to get the job done against Virginia Tech last night, but the Tigers still did not look strong throughout the entire game.

Auburn did its part in the first annual ACC/SEC Challenge by beating Virginia Tech, but it was not 40 minutes of dominant basketball like the Tigers were hoping.

Auburn got off to a strong start in the first half and remained in the driver's seat for most of it. The Tigers struggled out of the gate in the second half, however, and let the Hokies make it a game.

This has been a consistent problem for Auburn so far this season. If this issue is not ironed out by the beginning of conference play, the Tigers could find themselves in trouble.

The transfer portal will open soon and Auburn will likely be shopping for a quarterback.

Duke quarterback Riley Leonard is a candidate, but Auburn will face strong competition. 

Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall could be another option. Auburn pursued McCall last season, but due to non-transferable credits it did not end up happening.

Auburn women's basketball update

The women's basketball team will be back in action against the Clemson Tigers tonight. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT and the game can be found on SEC Network.

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Auburn extends offer to Central-Phenix City WR Dylan Gentry

JD McCarthy

1–2 minutes

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The early signing period is rapidly approaching for the 2024 recruiting class but Auburn’s coaches are still extending offers.

On Tuesday the Tigers issued a preferred walk-on offer to Dyaln Gentry, who plays wide receiver for Central-Phenix City in nearby Phenix City, Alabama.

Gentry is the third Red Devil wide receiver that Marcus Harris and Auburn have offered. They are heavily pursuing five-star Cam Coleman and 2025 prospect Dylan Upshaw.

Measuring in at 5-foot-9 and 155 pounds, Gentry projects as a slot receiver at the next level. He has caught 27 passes for 504 yards and 7 touchdowns during his senior season.

Extremely Blessed To Receive An Offer From Auburn University🦅🐅@CoachDavisWR @CHSREDDEVILS @CoachHughFreeze pic.twitter.com/DGfSuXDoZ7

— Gods Child✝️ (@DylanGentry6) November 28, 2023

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15

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si.com

 

Auburn’s DL and OL Recruiting Looks Fantastic ‘On the Hoof’

Brian Smith

4–6 minutes

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For Auburn Tigers football fans, the saying “On the hoof” is a phrase you need to know if it’s not already a part of your vocabulary. Why?

Because the look test for the prospects that Hugh Freeze and his entire coaching staff brought in for the Iron Bowl is much different than what’s been making unofficial and official visits to the Plains. Allow me to explain, starting with a prime example.

It’s one thing to be blessed by having reached 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds. It’s quite another to be a junior in high school and look like Auburn’s 2025 defensive line commitment Malik Autry did this past Saturday. Take a look at the photo I took of Autry prior to kickoff:

Yes, technique, effort, and play-calling impact games. At the end of the day, it’s still primarily the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s that decide the final outcome more than anything else. That’s the essence of “On the hoof.”

Here’s another key point.

I was taking photos during the Iron Bowl right in front of the AU student section and underneath the goalpost. When either team drove into the red zone, it was a great chance to measure Auburn’s size against Bama’s size. A few notes.

There’s no JC Latham on Auburn’s offensive line (few college football teams have an offensive tackle as imposing as Latham), but Auburn’s offseason efforts in the Transfer Portal combined with several former prep and junior college prospects being coached up showed promise; so did Auburn’s 244 yards rushing against the Tide.

Here's a podcast that I joined Locked On Auburn host Zac Blackerby discussing the Auburn recruits during the Iron Bowl:

That’s also where I am excited for Auburn’s future, and Tigers fans should be as well, with the offensive line recruits heading to Auburn. They're heading towards having defensive and offensive lines similar to Alabama and Georgia.

While AU fans probably do not know much about 2025 commitment Spencer Dowland, he’s another sturdy 6-foot-6 frame heading to the Plains. The future Auburn offensive tackle is already 290 pounds and he’s honestly lean.

315, perhaps even 325 pounds, yes, Dowland can reach those measurements if the strength and conditioning staff prefers he gains that much. Then, there’s the behemoth.

One cannot completely define 2024 Auburn offensive line recruit DeAndre Carter without actually having a face-to-face conversation. While an extremely positive and happy young man, he’s not one a person should tick off. He looked about 300-to-310 pounds to me. I was wrong.

“I’m probably about 340 pounds right now,” Carter said with a smile. Trust me, that’s a well-put-together 340 as Carter’s chest is huge, and his high school film at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei is incredible.

Here’s a picture of Carter with Dowland in the background:

DeAndre Carter (center) and Spencer Dowland (left), Iron Bowl

Brian Smith/Auburn Daily

I would be remiss if there was no discussion about Malik Blocton. The Pike Road (Ala.) High School defensive lineman is a unique player with his ability to play outside or inside despite being 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds.

Blocton let it be known that Auburn’s coaches expect him to be a defensive tackle, long-term. That being said, the frame of Blocton is rangy despite the obvious girth. I think he could play 5-technique – at least in short-yardage situations – for Auburn. Do not take my word for it, however.

Elite 2025 wide receiver recruit Ryan Williams told me after the Iron Bowl that his Saraland (Ala.) High School squad hosts Blocton and Pike Road in their next game. I then told Williams to stay far away from Blocton, half kidding (but not really). Williams was in agreement.

"We're going to put, three, maybe four guys on him," Williams said with a laugh. You can read more about Williams' recruitment, along with Auburn's must-get 2024 wide receiver prospect Cam Coleman as well, right here.

Here’s Blocton at the Iron Bowl:

Malik Blocton, Iron Bowl

Brian Smith/Auburn Daily

Auburn’s football team is already pretty good in the trenches, and it’s about to get much better. Seeing Auburn's recruits “On the hoof” proved that point.

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Recruiting Pages to Bookmark

2024 Auburn Tigers Commitment List and Evaluations

2025 Auburn Tigers Commitment List and Evaluations

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al.com

 

Report: Auburn, Notre Dame early favorites to land Duke transfer QB Riley Leonard

Updated: Nov. 29, 2023, 5:02 p.m.|Published: Nov. 29, 2023, 4:57 p.m.

4–5 minutes

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Duke's Riley Leonard (13) looks to pass the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Clemson in Durham, N.C., Monday, Sept. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)AP

The college football transfer portal chaos continued to bleed into Wednesday afternoon as Duke quarterback Riley Leonard announced that he’d be entering his name into the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining.

And since announcing his decision to transfer on his personal Instagram account, preliminary reports have already pinned Auburn and Notre Dame as the early favorites to land Leonard.

Pete Nakos of On3.com reported that both Auburn and Notre Dame could be destinations of note for Leonard.

“The Fighting Irish want to add a quarterback,” Nakos wrote Wednesday. “An Alabama native, playing in the SEC would be attractive. An official timetable has not been set yet by Leonard’s camp, but he is expected to take official visits.”

One interesting detail about Leonard’s announcement is the fact that he entered the portal with a “do not contact” tag, indicating that interested schools can’t reach out to the soon-to-be-former Duke quarterback on their own volition. This likely hints at the fact that Leonard already has a shortlist of destinations mapped out.

Before enrolling at Duke, Leonard was rated a 3-star prospect out of Fairhope High School. Leonard went on to commit to the Blue Devils after receiving offers from the likes of Ole Miss, Nebraska, Tulane and Vanderbilt, among others. Leonard was never offered by Bryan Harsin’s staff at Auburn.

Last season, Leonard started all 13 games for the Blue Devils and threw for 2,967 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions on 63.8% passing. He added another 699 yards and 13 touchdowns with his legs in 2022.

This past season, Leonard played in seven games before being sidelined with a toe injury. Through those seven games, Leonard tallied 1,102 passing yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions on 57.6% passing. He added 352 yards and four touchdowns on the ground this fall.

While Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze hasn’t indicated that he and the Tigers are in the market for another quarterback, he hasn’t indicated the alternative, either.

As it currently sits, Auburn’s quarterback room in 2024 is set to feature Robby Ashford, Jackson Barkley, Hank Brown, Holden Geriner, John Colvin, Holden Geriner, Sawyer Pate and Payton Thorne. The Tigers are also expected to welcome 4-star quarterback commit Walker White to The Plains.

As many recall, Auburn’s quarterback situation was a bit of a doozy during the regular season this fall as Thorne and Ashford split snaps in the front half of the season.

Towards the back half of the season, Thorne reasserted himself as the Tigers’ starter — a distinction he initially earned in fall camp.

Thorne finished his season having passed for 1,671 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions through 12 games — all while completing 62.3% of his passes.

Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall, who reportedly had mutual interested in transferring to Auburn last year, also announced his intentions to transfer on Wednesday.

The transfer portal officially opens for business on Dec. 4 and will remain open until Jan. 2.

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slow day folks......................have a good one!

[SaltyTiger 7,853]

Good morning from a cloudy and rain threatening morning in NOLA Fiddy. Have a great day.

[Swamp Eagle 5,144]

51 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said:

Good morning from a cloudy and rain threatening morning in NOLA Fiddy. Have a great day.

I’m a little northwest of ya near Alexandria. Supposed to get ugly in some parts…stay safe!

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55 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said:

Good morning from a cloudy and rain threatening morning in NOLA Fiddy. Have a great day.

you can suck the head and eat the tail of some crawfish salty?

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22 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

you can suck the head and eat the tail of some crawfish salty?

Not crawfish season yet but do love them.