12.5.23 Football Articles

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Who was Auburn's most productive true freshman in 2023?

Taylor Jones

4–5 minutes

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Auburn hired Hugh Freeze in November of 2022, and he immediately got to work.

Freeze saved a class that was destined to finish below No. 60 in 247Sports rankings and brought them up to No. 19 following the February signing day.

Freeze’s efforts led to Auburn fans coining the phrase “flipmas”, as he snagged several key recruits from other programs such as Florida State, Ohio State, Miami, and Michigan State. A total of 18 high school recruits signed with Auburn as part of the 2023 signing class, with several earning key playing time throughout the season.

How many of Auburn’s 2023 high school signees made an impact on the season? Here is a look back at the 2023 recruiting haul, organized by their 247Sports ranking.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics

Keldric Faulk became Auburn’s top signee after flipping from Florida State to Auburn ahead of signing day. He appeared in all 12 games for Auburn during the 2023 season, playing in 403 snaps. He ended the regular season with 32 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 13 hurries.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics

Kayin Lee is another player that saw significant playing time this season in the Auburn secondary. Lee played in 12 games and made 17 tackles with five pass breakups. Opposing receivers caught 13-of-24 passes thrown while being covered by Lee for a catch rate of 54.2.

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Four-star safety Tyler Scott only played in one game this season, playing nine snaps in Auburn’s 45-13 win over Samford on Sept. 16. He did not record any stats in the game, and will be eligible to redshirt.

The Montgomery Advertiser

Four-star running back Jeremiah Cobb played a key role in Auburn’s run game this season. He rushed for 168 yards and a touchdown in 10 games this season. According to PFF data, he earned an additional 96 yards after contact and had five runs of 10 yards or greater.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics

Connor Lew only played in nine games this season, but was Auburn’s highest-graded lineman when it came to pass blocking. He earned an 81.9 from PFF after just three pressures in 365 snaps at center.

Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

Sylvester Smith is another player who is eligible for redshirt status after appearing in two games this season. His most productive game was against Samford on Sept. 16, when he participated in 15 snaps. In the game, he did not allow a completion in two attempts.

The Montgomery Advertiser

Terrance Love has lost his redshirt status after participating in nine games this season. He saw the field for a total of 42 snaps and recorded six tackles with one pass breakup as a safety.

The Montgomery Advertiser

Colton Hood was used sparingly during the 2023 season. Pro Football Focus shows that Hood played in 11 total snaps over three games this season, which makes him eligible to redshirt.

The Montgomery Advertiser

JC Hart, a local product from Loachapoka High School, played in the Samford game this season for a total of 11 plays.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics

Tyler Johnson appeared in three games this season, playing all 36 snaps at left tackle. He allowed just one pressure this season.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Opelika native Brenton Williams appeared in two games this season on the defensive line, totaling 11 snaps.

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

• QB Hank Brown
• DL Stephen Johnson
• OL Bradyn Joiner
• OL Clay Weiden
• CB CJ Johnson
• DL Wilky Denaud
• DL Darron Reed Jr.

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247sports.com

 

Auburn Transfer Portal Live Tracker

Christian Clemente

13–17 minutes

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Live updates and tracking all things Auburn in the 2024 portal cycle.

The transfer portal is officially opened up now, with players having until Jan. 3 to enter their name in and then find a new home. For Auburn, it won't be as busy as the 2023 cycle with Hugh Freeze and his staff getting 20 additions and trying to completely rebuild the roster. This year it's about adding veterans and more top-end talent to the roster rather than just completely having to load up.

While players have already begun to announce their intent to enter the transfer portal over the past week, unless a coaching change occurred at their school, they were moving up from the FCS level or were a grad transfer, Monday is the first chance for most to enter the portal. With recruiting open until Dec. 18, too, coaches will be able to hit the road and visit with their top portal targets.

Auburn Undercover is tracking all of the updates for Auburn's departures, Auburn's additions and potential Auburn targets. Note: The names we're tracking do not directly reflect Auburn's board.

You can follow every player that enters the transfer portal across college football HERE. You can follow all of Auburn's portal movement HERE. 

 

LIVE UPDATES

 

10:24 p.m. (12/4): Auburn has offered former San Jose State OT Fernando Carmona. A name we've been tracking today.

7:00 p.m. (12/4): Auburn has offered Kansas State CB transfer Will Lee III. After starting for the Wildcats this season following a stint at the JUCO ranks, Lee has been one of the more sought-after defensive backs in the transfer portal, with offers from LSU, Ole Miss, USC and Washington, among others.

6:05 p.m. (12/4): Bucknell grad transfer CB Ethan Robinson has been offered by Auburn. With two years of eligibility left, Robinson could help offset the loss of both D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett in Auburn's secondary.

4:00 p.m. (12/4): Former Vanderbilt WR Will Sheppard has announced an offer from Auburn. Someone that we mentioned Auburn would likely pursue when he first entered the portal. LSU will be a team to monitor for the Louisana native.

1:00 p.m. (12/4): Auburn WR Malcolm Johnson Jr. has entered the transfer portal, a source told Auburn Undercover. Our story on his departure can be found HERE.

12:55 p.m. (12/4) Georgia Tech edge transfer Kyle Kennard is one to track. 247Sports' Allen Trieu confirmed that and noted that he may visit Auburn.

12:45 p.m. (12/4): Georgia QB Brock Vandagriff has entered the portal. The former 5-star quarterback will be one to monitor.

12:13 p.m. (12/4): Arkansas LB transfer Chris Paul has been offered. Auburn Undercover's Phillip Dukes mentioned him as a potential target last week.

11:14 a.m. (12/4): Auburn WR Jyaire Shorter has entered the portal. He arrived at Auburn from North Texas last year, but only caught one pass. He'll spend his last year of eligibility elsewhere. Our story on his departure can be found HERE.

10:15 a.m. (12/4): Georgia State WR Robert Lewis has been offered by Auburn. Caught 70 passes as a redshirt junior in 2023.

10 a.m. (12/4): Vandy WR Will Sheppard is in the portal. Expect Auburn to pursue him, but LSU will be tough to beat for the Louisana native.

9:58 a.m. (12/4): After being offered, former Vandy DE Nate Clifton told Auburn Undercover: "We'll see if it's in the works" about a potential visit. 

9:34 a.m. (12/4): Auburn offers former Vanderbilt DE Nate Clifton. This is a guy that Jeremy Garrett knows from when he was an off-the-field coach with the Commodores.

9:15 a.m. (12/4): Auburn offers former Michigan State DL Derrick Harmon. Close to 70 career tackles in three years.

(12/4): Auburn jack LB/edge Stephen Sings has entered the portal. Came over from Liberty and was mostly a depth piece for the Auburn defense.

(12/4): Stephen Johnson has officially entered the portal.

(12/1): Auburn WR Omari Kelly announced his intention to enter the transfer portal when it opens up. Reserve receiver who combined for five catches during his two years on the Plains. Our story on his departure can be found HERE.

(11/29): Auburn offered Shorter OL transfer Alan Herron. He's received a ton of interest so far. Our story on him can be found HERE.

(11/28): Reserve freshman DT Stephen Johnson announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. He did not play as a freshman. Our story on his departure can be found HERE.

(11/27): Reserve redshirt freshman DT Enyce Sledge announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. Our story on his departure can be found HERE.

(11/27): North Dakota offensive line transfer Easton Kilty was offered by Auburn. He is a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining, with experience all across the offensive line. Our story on him can be found HERE.

(11/27): Southern Miss offensive line transfer Gerquan Scott was offered by Auburn and plans to officially visit the weekend of Dec. 8. Scott is an Alabama native with three years starting experience as a guard. Our story on him can be found HERE.

 

Quarterback

 

Transferring out: N/A

Looking to add: 0-1

Names we're tracking: Cameron Ward (Washington State), Riley Leonard (Duke), Brock Vandagriff (Georgia)

Auburn is set to return 2023 starter Payton Thorne for another season. What happens with backups Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner will be a big factor in Auburn's pursuit of a quarterback this cycle. Should Geriner return and with the arrival of freshman Walker White, Auburn would have four scholarship quarterbacks in Thorne, Geriner, Hank Brown and White.

But Auburn has also been kicking the tires on Ward, who is the No. 2 ranked quarterback in the transfer portal. The Alabama native in Leonard is another name worth watching, but Notre Dame has been viewed as the heavy favorite since the second he entered the transfer portal.

 

Running back

 

Transferring out: N/A

Looking to add: 0

Names we're tracking: 

If Jarquez Hunter, Damari Alston, Brian Battie and Jeremiah Cobb all return, Auburn may not add a running back this cycle. Transfer portal or high school. 

 

Wide Receiver

 

Transferring out: Omari Kelly, Jyaire Shorter, Malcolm Johnson Jr.

Looking to add: 1+

Names we're tracking: Will Sheppard (Vandy), Robert Lewis (Georgia State), Deion Burks (Purdue), Ja'Mori Maclin (North Texas)

What happens at wide receiver in the portal will likely depend on Auburn's chances with 5-star Alabama wide receiver commit Ryan Williams, who appears set to reclassify and then sign with a program in February. If Auburn feels good about its chances with Williams, that'd be five high school wide receivers on the way in. It will also depend some on the rest of Auburn's receiver room, and the attrition there alongside Kelly.

In all likelihood, Auburn will need to add a veteran or two to get some experience in the room.

 

Tight End

 

Transferring out: N/A

Looking to add: 0-1

Names we're tracking: Daequan Wright (Virginia Tech)

Depending on what happens with Auburn's efforts in the high school ranks and who all returns, Auburn may turn to the portal for a young pass-catching tight end. Luke Deal has already announced his intention to return, and the same seems likely for Brandon Frazier. Both being blocking tight ends for Auburn. Rivaldo Fairweather also seems likely to return as the primary pass-catcher. The status of Tyler Fromm is still up in the air. 

Auburn and tight ends coach Ben Aigamaua may look to add some youth to the room alongside Micah Riley.

 

Interior Offensive Line

 

Transferring out: N/A

Looking to add: 1-2

Names we're tracking: Gerquan Scott (Southern Miss)

With Gunner Britton, Avery Jones and Kam Stutts out of eligibility, Auburn will look to add one or two to continue bolstering the inside of its offensive line. So far, the Alabama native in Scott has emerged as the main name to track.

 

Offensive tackle

 

Transferring out: N/A

Looking to add: 0-1

Names we're tracking: Easton Kilty (North Dakota), Alan Herron (Shorter), Fernando Carmona (SJSU)

Auburn is hoping to add an offensive tackle — an elite one at that — and move Dillon Wade inside to guard for the 2024 season, if Wade does opt to return. If Wade were to head to the NFL, it become an even bigger priority for Auburn in the portal cycle.

 

Defensive line

 

Transferring out: Stephen Johnson, Enyce Sledge

Looking to add: 2+

Names we're tracking: Nate Clifton (Vanderbilt), Derrick Harmon (Michigan State)

Auburn is going to shift its defensive line room around some, and that's already been evident with the departures of Johnson and Sledge. Look for Auburn to go try and add truly elite talent to upgrade the room going into 2024. 

Young talent and experience will both be targeted.

 

JAck LB

 

Transferring out: Stephen Sings

Looking to add: 1

Names we're tracking: Kyle Kennard (Georgia Tech)

Auburn will return starter Jalen McLeod and reserve Stephen Sings V. Touted freshmen Joe Phillips and Jamonta Waller are also set to arrive. However, look for Auburn to add a player with two or three years of eligibility to try and layer the depth chart and bridge the gap some to the younger guys.

 

Linebacker

 

Transferring out: N/A

Looking to add: 1+

Names we're tracking: Chris Paul (Arkansas)

Auburn will lose Larry Nixon III as he's out of eligibility, while Eugene Asante is a candidate to go to the draft but that decision is still up in the air. Expect to see Auburn pursue adding at least one true middle linebacker to bridge the gap to DJ Barber while he develops. On the outside, Auburn feels pretty good about that position.

 

Cornerback

 

Transferring out: N/A

Looking to add: 1-2

Names we're tracking: Ethan Robinson (Bucknell), Will Lee III (Kansas State)

With D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett heading to the NFL, Auburn landed a loaded class of cornerbacks in the 2023 cycle. And some of that has already come to fruition in the emergence of Kayin Lee. Still, though, Auburn will likely look to add one veteran to the room. Two could be possible depending on attrition of the current roster.

 

Safety/Nickel

 

Transferring out: N/A

Looking to add: 1-2

Names we're tracking: 

Similar to the cornerback spot, Auburn will look to add a veteran piece or two to try and bolster the 2024 roster.

Transfer portal special: 60% off Auburn Undercover subscription

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al.com

 

Auburn offers SEC transfer wide receiver, current Tigers players offer their endorsement

Published: Dec. 04, 2023, 5:46 p.m.

3–4 minutes

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Vanderbilt wide receiver Will Sheppard (14) makes a catch as Auburn cornerback Keionte Scott (0) defends in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)AP

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze was busy Monday as the transfer portal officially opened its doors for business.

Between the days leading up to Monday and Monday itself, the Tigers saw six players enter the transfer portal — three of which were wide receivers. And considering Auburn has a pair of 2024 5-star wide receivers committed in Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson, those departures — who saw limited use in 2023 — didn’t come as a surprise.

However, Freeze proved that he’d still like to add some experience to his wide receiver corps as Vanderbilt wide receiver and transfer portal entrant Will Sheppard announced that he’d been offered by Auburn Monday afternoon.

Sheppard spent the last four seasons at Vanderbilt and was successful in each of them.

Sheppard will end his career as the Commodores’ seventh-leading receiver of all time with 2,067 career passing yards and really broke out during his junior season when he tallied more than 770 yards and hauled in nine touchdowns. In 2023, Sheppard recorded 684 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 47 receptions.

With those numbers, Sheppard would’ve been Auburn’s leading receiver by nearly 300 yards both seasons.

That said, it doesn’t come as a surprise that members of Auburn’s current roster would be more-than-thrilled with the addition of Sheppard, should he make his way to The Plains.

Auburn running back Damari Alston reposted Sheppard’s announcement with the comment, “1of1.”

Auburn Jack linebacker Elijah McAllister, who previously played with Sheppard at Vanderbilt, also seemed to have issued his endorsement in posting “Mr. Go up & Get it” shortly after Sheppard announced his offer.

Before Auburn’s visit to Vanderbilt early last month, Freeze was sure to issue his respect for Sheppard, despite the struggles of the Commodores’ offense.

“That receiver is special,” Freeze said of Sheppard.

Out of high school, Sheppard was rated a 3-star prospect. Now as a a 6-foot-3, 200-pound transfer, Sheppard is rated a 4-star and the seventh-best wide receiver currently in the transfer portal.

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si.com

 

Auburn has offered former Vanderbilt receiver Will Sheppard

Andrew Stefaniak

2–3 minutes

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The Auburn Tigers just offered an extremely talented wide receiver.

Will Sheppard is a wide receiver for the Vanderbilt Commodores who has had an outstanding career in the SEC East. 

This season, Sheppard had 47 receptions for 684 yards and eight touchdowns. 

Vanderbilt dealt with banged-up quarterbacks all season, but still, with the QB carousel, Sheppard managed to have a solid season. 

Sheppard put his name in the transfer portal early this morning, and Hugh Freeze was quick to get on the phone and reach out as he posted that Auburn offered just a few minutes ago. 

While Vandy isn't a great football team, Sheppard is a really good player that could work his way into the NFL with a good 2024 season. 

Auburn has been a school associated with Sheppard, and man would this be a good get for Coach Freeze. 

He will likely be pursued by multiple schools all over the country, so Auburn needs to get in and make a big impression quickly. 

Sheppard would be the perfect player to help mentor the young 2024 wide receivers who will be on the Plains next season. 

Auburn fans need to bookmark the name Will Sheppard because if Auburn leads him, he could be the team's leading receiver next season. 

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saturdaydownsouth.com

 

Hugh Freeze ‘searching for consistency’ at Auburn, says Alabama and Georgia are the standard

Grant Bricker | 19 hours ago

2–3 minutes

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Hugh Freeze is trying to build something special at Auburn and that starts with consistency.

Freeze talked with SEC Network’s Laura Rutledge about what it takes to build a consistent program. For Freeze, that starts with recruiting.

The games against Georgia and Alabama are the standard that Freeze is hoping to have at Auburn.

“We’re searching for consistency and the only way that you find that is through competition every day to the standard that you set,” said Freeze. “How do you do that? You go recruit. We’re doing really well with that, there’s obviously a few weeks left in our 1st recruiting cycle, but we can say that these 2 games are the standard right now and we’re not far off.”

Building a special team on The Plains ?@SECNetwork | @CoachHughFreeze pic.twitter.com/GKh7hNYJRD

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) December 4, 2023

Freeze is glad to have the resources of Auburn in his arsenal. He points to the Georgia and Alabama games in recruiting and looks for those who want to be difference makers.

“We need some help for sure, to create that competition and consistency in chasing a standard, but you can look at the environment that we provide at Jordan-Hare.” said Freeze. “Our support, our administration, and our resources that we have. We point directly to these 2 games in recruiting and say, ‘Look, you can be the difference maker and be a trend setter here.'”

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Malcolm Johnson Jr. becomes third Auburn WR to enter the transfer portal

JD McCarthy

~2 minutes

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Auburn’s wide receiver room is undergoing some massive renovations as three wideouts have entered the transfer portal. Malcolm Johnson Jr. is the latest to enter, joining Omari Kelly and Jyaire Shorter, according to a report from Auburn Undercover’s Nathan King.

Johnson signed with Auburn as a member of the 2020 recruiting class under Gus Malzahn. He was the No. 212 overall player and No. 38 wide receiver in the 247Sports composite ranking.

He redshirted in 2020 before appearing in 10 games in 2021, catching six passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. He caught two passes for 28 yards in six appearances in 2022, appearing in every game last season, he snagged six passes for 89 yards.

The trio of Kelly, Shorter and Johnson are the only offensive players to enter the portal so far with defensive linemen Stephen Johnson, Enyce Sledge and Jack linebacker Stephen Sings V having also entered.

You can keep up with all of Auburn’s departures with Auburn Wire’s Transfer Portal Tracker.

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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[aubiefifty 16,871]

 

[aubiefifty 16,871]

 

[aubiefifty 16,871]

sorry i was late folks. had a sleep study. i quit breathing 94 times in one hour. sleep apnea is no joke. it damages your heart. it effects things memory and puts a huge strain on your health. if you have this issue i hope you get it checked. the doc told me i would feel better today just from a half night on oxygen and he is correct.

[bostic up the middle 80]

30 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

sorry i was late folks. had a sleep study. i quit breathing 94 times in one hour. sleep apnea is no joke. it damages your heart. it effects things memory and puts a huge strain on your health. if you have this issue i hope you get it checked. the doc told me i would feel better today just from a half night on oxygen and he is correct.

Hey fiddy, I am glad you are on the path to handling that for your health. Those numbers are crazy and scary. Be well sir!

[aubiefifty 16,871]

1 hour ago, bostic up the middle said:

Hey fiddy, I am glad you are on the path to handling that for your health. Those numbers are crazy and scary. Be well sir!

thank you! it is one less worry for me and i laughed at the test until the doc talked to me. he told me to hit the oxy in the afternoons for a pick me up so i am looking forward tomit. but i am not gonna lie.......i look like hannibal lecter with the oxygen mask on...............grins.

[aubiefifty 16,871]

 

al.com

 

Behind the scenes of how the Music City Bowl, Auburn made a selection Sunday match

Updated: Dec. 05, 2023, 6:43 a.m.|Published: Dec. 05, 2023, 6:32 a.m.

8–9 minutes

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It’s not often he wakes up on this particular Sunday with clarity. And it wasn’t the way he woke up this year either. But the pool of SEC teams isn’t typically this small, Music City Bowl President Scott Ramsey told AL.com. So he woke up thinking about Auburn, and in a not-all-too-common occurrence, things went to plan.

Auburn was selected Sunday to play in the Music City Bowl against Maryland. It’s the culmination of a complicated process that turns weeks, months even, of preparation, projecting and watching games to all whittle down to a match between an SEC team and a Big Ten team.

The whole process of placing teams in bowl games is a sort of domino effect. It starts at the top with the four teams in the College Football Playoff ranking and trickles its way down through the New Year’s Six games and into the bowl ties of the tiers below.

The Music City Bowl is considered to be one of the SEC’s pool of six bowls, including itself, the Gator Bowl, the ReliaQuest Bowl, the Liberty Bowl, the Mayo Bowl or Vegas Bowl in alternating years and the Texas Bowl. Those six bowl committees work among themselves as well as in conjunction with the SEC and individual institutions to place teams in logical locations while avoiding certain factors including repeating a team in the same location to frequently or repeating a recent matchup or one upcoming in the immediate future.

In the SEC, teams are first put in the College Football Playoff if any are deemed worthy, then teams are placed in other New Year’s Six games. The Citrus Bowl gets the top pick of SEC teams after the New Year’s Six and then the pool of six get their turn. This year, with just nine bowl-eligible SEC teams, it did not seem likely the SEC would have enough teams to fill all of the six pool games after the Playoff, New Year’s Six and Citrus were all organized. That makes for day-of trading of spots among conference and bowl games.

But through the process, Ramsey said Auburn was always near the top of his list.

The day started for Ramsey arrived at his office around 10 a.m. after getting up early Sunday morning to drive back from Atlanta where he’d gone to the SEC Championship game.

There’s not much he can do in finalizing bowl selections until the New Year’s Six field is announced. Beside an office whiteboard full of hypothetical scenarios and which puzzle pieces fix together, Ramsey sat down to watch the selection show.

At 11:26 a.m., he watched Alabama be put in the Playoff over Florida State — a decision that does have, eventually, an impact on Ramsey’s process.

By 2 p.m., Ramsey got confirmation putting Florida State out of the top four and into the Orange Bowl pushed Louisville out of a potential New Year’s Six spot because of bowl tie-ins, and instead allowed for an SEC team, Ole Miss, to slide up into the Peach Bowl. Four of the nine bowl-eligible SEC teams had made a New Year’s Six spot: Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and Ole Miss.

Ramsey, and most bowl projections, expected Ole Miss to be the choice for the Citrus Bowl before Sunday. That meant other SEC teams would move up a spot and meant five SEC teams remained for the Citrus Bowl and the six pool games.

At 2:17 p.m., Tennessee announced it would get the Citrus Bowl spot.

Four teams — Auburn, Kentucky, LSU and Texas A&M — and six bowl spots remained. Finally, Ramsey could put the hypotheticals he’d drawn out into action.

“You’re trying to play jigsaw puzzle,” Ramsey said. “Obviously, you’re going to express your preference that year based on who you’ve had and all that kind of thing. So we felt we felt pretty confident on Auburn this year.”

Music City Bowl President Scott Ramsey prepares to hand the Bowl's trophy to then-Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn after Auburn beat Purdue in the Music City Bowl NCAA college football game Friday, Dec. 28, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Auburn won 63-14. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)AP

This year, though, didn’t have many hypotheticals. Ramsey woke up Sunday morning knowing Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and likely Ole Miss were already ruled out. LSU was then likely for the ReliaQuest Bowl, Ramsey said.

Then, he had to sort through which remaining teams could be a fit. Kentucky played in the Music City Bowl last year and Tennessee played two years ago.

Texas A&M was the other possible option.

“A&M you felt like was a pretty good fit for Houston this year with the coaching change and staying close to home sometimes when that happens is preferable,” Ramsey said. “Wasn’t locked in but preferable.”

That left Auburn. It was one of the team’s Ramsey submitted to the SEC offices in the weeks leading up to selection day.

The SEC side of the bowl matchup was relatively easy from the process of elimination. The Big Ten side of the matchup was more difficult. Whereas the SEC works more with the schools and the bowls as a unit to place teams, the bowl gets much more say in picking their Big Ten team along with an ongoing contract with the Big Ten stating the bowl must take five different teams in six years.

Ramsey likes to treat the Big Ten pick and the SEC pick as two entirely different processes. And contractually, they largely are.

“You get a little you get a little cross-eyed by the time you’ve done that for six, seven days just to make sure you’re ready for Sunday,” Ramsey said. “I mean, you can’t start that process at two o’clock on Sunday and be ready to roll out all the information that you gotta be ready for in today’s world.”

What Ramsey wasn’t sure about entering the day is where the Music City Bowl would pick. Based on how New Year’s Six bowls played out, it was possible that the Big Ten would give up its spot in the ReliaQuest Bowl to a team like independent Notre Dame. That would have given the Music City Bowl the second choice of Big Ten teams with only the Citrus Bowl going ahead of them.

That hypothetical, though, did not happen. Wisconsin was put in the ReliaQuest Bowl against LSU and slotted the Music City Bowl another run down the pecking order. That’s how Maryland ended up being Auburn’s opponent instead of Wisconsin.

For all those hypotheticals, the Big Ten and the SEC avoided most of the chaos in the trickle-down from the Playoff. The ACC’s side of bowl selections lasted for hours into the evening after it entered a period of gridlock in reaction to Florida State falling out of the top four.

It created uncertainty in all bowls involving ACC teams and to an extent what other Power 5 teams might still be available as opponents for all the other bowls to consider.

Football’s selection Sunday is a complex, ever-changing and impossible-to-predict day of dealing and decisions made with fit and finance in mind. In the end, it’s all a marketing product made for fans and television.

So Ramsey sat back when it all settled, thankful his day, unlike so many others, actually went to plan.

“You want chalk,” Ramsey said. “If things get upset, it’s just a scramble. It may be for the better, sometimes. I say the better from a more unique matchup, a team that hadn’t been here. Maybe the team that your group wanted to select that particular year that you didn’t think you could and then they came. Hey, everything’s happened in the 26 years I’ve been here. We’ve had all kinds of crazy stuff at the last minute. For your stomach’s help, it’s a little bit easier if it’s not chaotic.”

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

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[aubiefifty 16,871]

 

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4 Auburn football players earn AP All-SEC recognition

Published: Dec. 04, 2023, 3:24 p.m.

5–7 minutes

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Two Auburn defensive players were named to the Associated Press All-SEC first team and two offensive players were named to the second team, according to a press release from the AP on Monday.

Safety Jaylin Simpson and defensive lineman Marcus Harris both received first-team nods. Simpson started off the season strong with four interceptions in Auburn’s first five games. His high rate cooled off as the season went on, finishing the year with just those four interceptions. But that still set him with the third most in the SEC.

From an interior spot on the defensive line, Harris led Auburn with seven sacks this season — three off the SEC lead. Harris also led Auburn with 11 tackles for loss.

Tight end Rivaldo Fairweather and offensive line utility man Gunner Britton were each named to the second team. Both transferred to Auburn for this season.

Fairweather came from FIU, and got better as the year went on to lead Auburn with 349 receiving yards. It’s the second-highest mark among tight ends in the SEC after Georiga’s Brock Bowers. His six touchdowns were tied with Bowers for most in the league among tight ends.

Britton played multiple spots along the offensive line this season after doing the same at Western Kentucky, his previous school. Britton was named the SEC offensive lineman of the week twice during this season.

Below is the full list of the All-SEC teams. A “u” in front of a player’s name signals a unanimous selection.

Offensive Player of the Year — u-Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

Defensive Player of the Year — Nathaniel Watson, LB, Mississippi State

Coach of the Year — Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri

Newcomer of the Year — Caleb Downs, S, Alabama

FIRST TEAM

Offense

WR — u-Malik Nabers, LSU, 6-0, 200, Jr., Youngsville, Louisiana

WR — Luther Burden III, Missouri, 5-11, 208, So., St. Louis, Missouri

T — Javon Foster, Missouri, 6-5, 319, grad, Detroit

T — JC Latham, Alabama, 6-6, 360, Jr., Oak Creek, Wisconsin

G — Tate Ratledge, Georgia, 6-6, 310, Jr., Rome, Georgia

G — Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6-5, 352, So., New Haven, Connecticut

C — u-Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia, Jr., 6-4, 310, New Orleans

TE — u-Brock Bowers, Georgia, 6-4, 240, Jr., Napa, California

QB — u-Jayden Daniels, LSU, 6-4, 210, Sr., San Bernardino, California

RB — u-Cody Schrader, Missouri, 5-9, 214, graduate, St. Louis, Missouri

RB — Ray Davis, Kentucky, 5-10, 216, Sr., San Francisco

PK — Will Reichard, Alabama, 6-1, 194, grad, Hoover, Alabama

All-Purpose — Ainias Smith, Texas A&M, 5-10, 200, grad, Missouri City, Texas

Defense

DE — James Pearce Jr., Tennessee, 6-5, 242, So., Charlotte, North Carolina

DE — Darius Robinson, Missouri, 6-5, 296, grad, Southfield, Michigan

DT — Marcus Harris, Auburn, 6-3, 295, Sr., Montgomery, Alabama

DT — Deone Walker, Kentucky, 6-6, 348, So., Detroit

LB — Dallas Turner, Alabama, 6-4, 252, Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Florida

LB — Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M, 6-3, 230, Jr., Covington, Louisiana

LB — Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State, grad, 6-2, 245, Maplesville, Alabama

CB — Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri, 5-11, 178, Jr., Mobile, Alabama

CB — Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama, 6-1, 195, Jr., Birmingham, Ala.

S — Malaki Starks, Georgia, 6-1, 205, So., Jefferson, Georgia

S — Jaylin Simpson, Auburn, 6-1, 178, Sr., Brunswick, Georgia

P — Matthew Hayball, Vanderbilt, 6-1, 187, grad, West Adelaide, Australia

SECOND TEAM

Offense

WR — Xavier Legette, South Carolina, 6-3, 227, Sr., Mullins, South Carolina

WR — Brian Thomas, LSU, 6-4, 205, Jr., Walker, Louisiana

T — Will Campbell, LSU, 6-6, 325, So., Monroe, Louisiana

T — Gunner Britton, Auburn, 6-6, 312, Sr., Conway, South Carolina

G — Joshua Braun, Arkansas, 6-6, 348, Jr., Live Oak, Florida

G — Cam’Ron Johnson, Missouri, 6-4, 305, Jr., Houston

C — Cooper Mays, Tennessee, 6-3, 305, Sr., Knoxville, Tennessee

TE — Rivaldo Fairweather, 6-4, 251, Jr., Lauderhill, Florida

QB — Jalen Milroe, Alabama, 6-2, 220, So., Katy, Texas

RB — Quinshon Judkins, Mississippi, 5-11, 210, So., Pike Road, Alabama

RB — Jaylen Wright, Tennessee, 5-11, 210, Jr., Durham, North Carolina

PK — Harrison Mevis, Missouri, 5-11, 243, Sr., Warsaw, Indiana

All-Purpose — t-Barion Brown, Kentucky, 6-1, 166, So., Nashville; Xavier Legette, South Carolina, 6-3, 227, Sr., Mullins, South Carolina

Defense

DE — Princely Umanmielen, 6-5, 255, Jr., Manor, Texas

DE — Landon Jackson, Arkansas, 6-7, 281, Texarkana, Texas

DT — Justin Eboigbe, Alabama, 6-5, 292, Sr., Forest Park, Georgia

DT — Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia, 6-3, 320, Sr., Stone Mountain, Georgia

LB — Jett Johnson, Mississippi State, 6-2, 230, grad, Tupelo, Mississippi

LB — Chris Braswell, Alabama, 6-3, 255, Sr., Baltimore, Maryland

LB — Debo Williams, South Carolina, 6-1, 232, Jr., Smyrna, Delaware

CB — Terrion Arnold, Alabama, 6-0, 196, So., Tallahassee, Florida

CB — Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky, 6-0, 196, So., West Bloomfield, Michigan

S — Javon Bullard, Georgia, 5-11, 195, Jr., Milledgeville, Georgia

S — Caleb Downs, Alabama, 6-0, 203, Fr., Hoschton, Georgia

P — Jeremy Chrawshaw, Florida, 6-4, 200, Jr., New South Wales, Australia

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

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[aubiefifty 16,871]

 

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What moves did Auburn make in the transfer portal on Day 1 and what could they mean?

Updated: Dec. 05, 2023, 10:07 a.m.|Published: Dec. 05, 2023, 10:07 a.m.

7–8 minutes

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FAYETTEVILLE, AR - NOVEMBER 11 - Auburn Head Coach Hugh Freeze during the game between the (24) Auburn Tigers and the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, AR on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn TigersZach Bland/Auburn Tigers

On3′s Pete Nakos reported that more than 1,100 FBS football players had entered their names into the transfer portal by 10 p.m. ET of the portal’s opening day.

And while it’s unlikely there be another day of mass exodus like Monday, that number will surely continue to swell as the transfer portal stays open for another 29 days before the window closes on Jan. 2.

And while there’s still plenty of time to play and so much remaining uncertainty surrounding what could take place in the transfer portal in the weeks to come, Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers made their fair share of moves throughout Monday’s chaos.

RELATED: Keep track of all roster moves using AL.com’s Auburn roster tracker here.

Here’s a recap and what it could mean for the Tigers moving forward.

A look at Auburn’s outgoing transfers

• Omari Kelly, sophomore WR
• Jyaire Shorter, senior WR
• Malcolm Johnson Jr., junior WR
• Stephen Johnson, freshman DL
• Enyce Sledge, freshman DL
• Stephen Sings V, junior LB

What’s it mean?: What is there to make of Auburn’s six outgoing transfers? Well, truth be told, not a ton. Obviously the wide receiver room is slated to take a bit of a hit in terms of bodies, but not so much in production. Kelly, Shorter and Johnson Jr. combined for just nine receptions, 144 yards and zero touchdowns. And considering the blue-chip wide receiver class Freeze is set to bring in after signing day, it’s likely safe to assume that guys like 5-star wide receiver Cam Coleman and 5-star wide receiver Perry Thompson could be Day 1 starters or at least Day 1 contributors.

As for the trio of outgoing defensive transfers, again, there isn’t a ton to make of it. When talking about how he’d handle discussions in regards to players transferring, Freeze simply said that he’d be transparent about it. Sometimes that means telling a player that there might be better opportunities for him elsewhere, while other conversations mean asking for patience.

Who in the portal did the Tigers offer on Day 1?

A quick preface: The following names are only players who made their offers public on social media. It’s important to note that most of your “big name” portal targets aren’t unveiling every offer they receive, if they unveil any at all. So take that for what it’s worth.

Nonetheless, there are a handful of guys who reported receiving offers from Freeze and the Tigers on Day 1. Here’s who they are:

• Deion Burks, Purdue WR
• Robert Lewis, Georgia State WR
• Will Sheppard, Vanderbilt WR
• Easton Kilty, North Dakota OL
• Alan Herron, Shorter OL
• Gerquan Scott, Southern Miss OL
• Fernando Carmona Jr., San Jose State OL
• Nate Clifton, Vanderbilt DL
• Derrick Harmon, Michigan State DL
• Chris Paul Jr., Arkansas LB
• Ethan Robinson, Bucknell DB
• Will Lee III, Kansas State DB

What’s it mean?: A couple things to note here, starting with the wide receivers. Though there’s no question Freeze has confidence in the young, high school wide receivers he’s set to bring in, he realizes that they will be just that when they arrive to The Plains: young. As such, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Auburn might be looking to add some experienced depth to that position room. And with guys like Purdue’s Burks and Vanderbilt’s Sheppard, the Tigers would be doing just that. Burks tallied 47 receptions for 629 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023, while Sheppard, ironically, also tallied 47 receptions in 2023, but for 684 yards and eight touchdowns. The numbers of both Burks and Sheppard would’ve made them Auburn’s lead receiver through the offseason.

As for the offensive line, it’s an area Freeze was expected to hit hard in the portal as three of Auburn’s main pieces along the offensive front are out of eligibility in Gunner Britton, Avery Jones and Kam Stutts. Not to mention, having a crowded offensive line room is never a bad problem to have considering the position is so injury prone. Each of the aforementioned starters spent some time dinged up through the regular season, so Freeze is looking to add a bit of depth and could find a few key pieces in doing so. Kilty, Scott and Herron make up three of 247Sports’ top-five available offensive tackles in the transfer portal. And according to each of their social media accounts, Freeze and the Tigers extended offers to them on Day 1. Auburn’s offer to Carmona Jr. out of San Jose State is another notable one as he earned an 82.0 grade on 765 snaps, via Pro Football Focus.

Defensively, Freeze had griped throughout the season about the Tigers not having enough depth along the defensive front and guys like Marcus Harris having to play too many snaps. Auburn’s offers to Clifton and Harmon look to be an effort to remedy that, while possibly finding a starter or two. Though Harris still has one year of eligibility remaining, it’s possible he looks toward the NFL Draft. In that scenario, the need to beef up the defensive line becomes even greater. Together, Clifton and Harmon combined for 70 tackles, seven sacks, a forced fumble and an interception in 2023.

Meanwhile, should Auburn land a guy like Arkansas’ Paul Jr., the Tigers’ linebacker room would get an immediate boost as Paul comes with two seasons of SEC experience in which he combined for 136 total tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss and six sacks. Paul also boasts the upside of having multiple years of eligibility remaining. The Tigers are set to lose linebackers Elijah McAllister and Larry Nixon as the pair have run out of eligibility.

On the backend, Auburn’s offers to a pair of defensive backs in Robinson and Lee point to the Tigers looking to add experience to the defensive secondary as guys like Nehemiah Pritchett and DJ James have run out of eligibility. And it’s possible Auburn sees other veteran defensive backs depart, should they declare for the NFL Draft. Nonetheless, the Tigers have a solid foundation with young defensive backs like Kayin Lee, Sylvester Smith and Colton Hood — all blue-chip DBs from last year’s recruiting class. But the addition of players like Robinson and Lee would bring experience to that room as the two combine for four years of playing experience, 134 total tackles, seven interceptions and 20 pass break ups.

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[autigeremt 6,661]

[SaltyTiger 7,853]

7 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

thank you! it is one less worry for me and i laughed at the test until the doc talked to me. he told me to hit the oxy in the afternoons for a pick me up so i am looking forward tomit. but i am not gonna lie.......i look like hannibal lecter with the oxygen mask on...............grins.

Glad you are doing as needed. Saw the articles late and needed to go do a few things this morning. Hit the o2 and have articles ready in time for coffee going forward please.

Thanks,

Salty

Edited December 6, 2023 by SaltyTiger