12.10.23 Football Articles

[aubiefifty 16,888]

 

auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

College football insider believes Zac Etheridge is a candidate at Troy

JD McCarthy

1–2 minutes

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Zac Etheridge has been one of Auburn’s top assistants ever since he joined the coaching staff in 2021 as cornerbacks coach. He has shined as both a recruiter and a developer, and in 2022 was promoted to associate head coach.

After excelling in his time on the Plains, his name has been connected to several openings. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman believes he is a “name to keep an eye on” for the Troy head coaching job.

While Auburn is his alma mater and where he won a national championship in 2010, he has several ties to Troy that make it a great opportunity for the 35-year-old to take the next step in his career.

He is from Troy and has experience in the Sun Belt, serving as Louisiana’s cornerbacks coach in 2018, helping lead them to an appearance in the conference championship.

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 has reached out to Freshman All-American in the transfer portal

Zac Blackerby

~2 minutes

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Auburn has offered several offensive linemen that have entered the transfer portal.

According to Hayes Fawcett of On3, Former Texas A&M Aggie and Freshman All-American Chase Bisontis has heard from the Auburn Tigers. In a graphic posted on social media by Fawcett, Auburn is one of 26 schools to reach out to Bisontis since he entered the portal.

Those schools are: Auburn, LSU, Notre Dame, Clemson, Ohio State, Oregon, Missouri, Oklahoma, USC, Michigan, Tennessee, Michigan State, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Penn State, Syracuse, South Carolina, Rutgers, Kansas State, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Miami, Boston College, Nebraska, and SMU.

Bisontis is one of several Texas A&M players to enter the portal since the Aggies fired Jimbo Fisher and have since hired former Duke head coach Mike Elko to take over the reins. 

Auburn has clearly made the offensive line a priority for the second year in a row. After adding several offensive linemen last December, Hugh Freeze and his staff have already hosted Indiana'a Matthew Bedford and are expecting visits from Southern Miss' Gerquan Scott and Memphis offensive tackle Mak Pounders.

Auburn will lose Gunner Britton from a season ago due to graduation and eligibility. Britton is expected to be a draft pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. 

Recruiting Pages to Bookmark

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Auburn to host Miami tight end Jaleel Skinner for official visit

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

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Auburn snagged a tight end from the Miami area last season from the transfer portal in Rivaldo Fairweather. They will try their hand at landing another this season by hosting another tight end this month.

Jaleel Skinner, formerly of Miami, will take a visit to Auburn during the weekend of Dec. 15-17 according to a report by Jeffrey Lee of Auburn Live.

Skinner entered the transfer portal after spending the first two seasons of his college career at Miami. As a Hurricane, he hauled in 10 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. He was more productive as a freshman in 2022 when he hauled in nine passes for 129 yards and a score.

His sophomore campaign was not as active, as he made just one catch for nine yards. According to Pro Football Focus, he only appeared in two games and played a total of 25 snaps in 2023.

Despite not having aundefined productive start to his career, Skinner was once a high-profile recruit. As a member of the 2022 recruiting cycle from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, Skinner was a four-star tight end according to 247Sports composite rankings. He was the No. 3 tight end and the No. 102 overall player for the class.

Auburn tight end Rivaldo Fairweather became Auburn’s leading receiver this season by reeling in 39 passes for 349 yards and six touchdowns. He has one season of eligibility remaining. Tight end Brandon Frazier has announced that he will return to Auburn while tyler fromm has declared his intent to enter the transfer portal.

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 Taylor on Twitter

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Auburn offers former Florida defensive tackle Chris McClellan

JD McCarthy

1–2 minutes

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Auburn is looking to shore up its defensive line through the transfer portal and would love to add some experienced players. One of their latest targets is Chris McClellan, a former top-150 recruit who spent the past two seasons at Florida.

The Oklahoma native was a rotational piece for the Gators, making 46 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 25 appearances. The Tigers extended him an offer on Thursday but they are far from his only offer. FSU, Oklahoma, Colorado, Arkansas and Mississippi State have also offered him.

Jeremy Garrett’s defensive line needs some experienced contributors to help shore up the depth at McClellan would be a great fit. The 6-foot-3, 320-pounder can play multiple positions and has several seasons of eligibility remaining, an added bonus.

Auburn offered‼️ pic.twitter.com/xPeVjnq2Xd

— Chris McClellan 7️⃣🦍 (@ChrisDMac10) December 7, 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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al.com

 

Josh Bynes thanks Auburn, Ozzie Newsome upon retirement

Updated: Dec. 10, 2023, 8:11 a.m.|Published: Dec. 10, 2023, 8:00 a.m.

5–6 minutes

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The Baltimore Ravens will honor Josh Bynes as their Legend of the Game when they play the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

Bynes announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday. Among those receiving thanks during the linebacker’s farewell press conference were Auburn University and former Alabama All-American Ozzie Newsome, who served as the Ravens’ general manager for most of Bynes’ time in Baltimore.

• Josh Bynes thanks Auburn, Ozzie Newsome upon retirement
• Sunday night showdown for Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia
• Jalen Hurts on Jalen Milroe: ‘All my support goes to him’

Auburn, Newsome and Bynes’ retirement intersected on Friday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.

“Josh Bynes is announcing his retirement as a Raven today,” Harbaugh said. “His whole family’s here. His beautiful family’s here with his amazing wife and kids. I know they’re walking around here right now. He has a couple of sons that will probably be looking at Michigan here in a couple of years. Ozzie was trying to recruit them for Alabama already. Josh said, ‘Absolutely not,’ because where did Josh go to school? Auburn. War Eagle.”

Bynes was the leading tackler for the Auburn team that posted an undefeated record and won the BCS national championship for the 2010 season.

“I’d just like to thank Auburn University first – War Eagle,” Bynes said during his retirement remarks. “… Just for giving me an opportunity -- a kid out of Fort Lauderdale just trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life then. And to take an opportunity to give me an opportunity to meet my wife, who also went to Auburn as well, so that’s been a huge thing. I appreciate Auburn for that.”

Bynes entered the NFL as undrafted rookie in 2011. He didn’t survive the roster cut between the preseason and the regular season, but that wasn’t the end of the relationship for Bynes and Baltimore.

“This is crazy,” Bynes said. “I don’t think I’ve told anybody this story. I had just interviewed for a job down in Fort Lauderdale as an academic advisor, and I still had on my suit and everything. Ozzie called me literally just as I walked in the door. Called me, I was like, ‘Hello?’ He was like, ‘It’s Ozzie, with the Ravens.’ I was like, ‘Oh, OK.’ He was like, ‘Do you want to come back to be with the Ravens?’ I was like -- I think I said, ‘You sure? I think I said that first.’ He was like, ‘Yes.’ I was like, ‘Uh, I just got done with a job interview.’ He was like, ‘You don’t have to do the workout or anything. Just come on. We’re on going to bring you back.’

“And I kid you not, I started crying, because -- at the time, I was just 20, whatever it was, 21, 22, at the time, trying to figure out, ‘OK, what’s my next phase?’ Football is over at the time. And to go from that to, obviously, playing 12 years is insane. And I’ve got to give a thank you to Ozzie for that phone call. I appreciate you.”

Bynes played one game for the Ravens in 2011, the first of 138 regular-season and seven playoff games in his NFL career, even though he was released seven times. Bynes played 59 regular-season and five playoff games with Baltimore.

“To me, Josh is a person, player, man who epitomizes the opportunity that football represents – the true meritocracy we like to talk about in football,” Harbaugh said. “That no matter where you come from, no matter where you’ve been, your background, whatever it is, how heralded you are or you are not, how much you’re talked about, whatever it might be, the content of your character, your talent, your work ethic, your ability just to find a way to get the job done and produce in whatever the job may be, to me, that’s what Josh Bynes represents. An undrafted free agent -- people probably weren’t betting on him to make the team even way back then. …

“Past the football stuff, which you have to do. You have to produce. But the locker room, the mentorship, the example that he sets for the guys by the type of a family man he is and the father and husband that he is. I think guys look at that, and it makes a difference. I know he’s been there for guys just to talk to them and make a difference in their lives. That’s what a Hall of Famer is to me. He’s that kind of a player that deserves that kind of recognition in terms of being -- all the accolades that he’s accomplished as a football player -- but a Hall of Famer in life and relationships. That’s the beauty of football to me is someone like that.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

[aubiefifty 16,888]

slim pickings this morning folks...................

[maryland tiger 616]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

 

al.com

 

Josh Bynes thanks Auburn, Ozzie Newsome upon retirement

Updated: Dec. 10, 2023, 8:11 a.m.|Published: Dec. 10, 2023, 8:00 a.m.

5–6 minutes

---

The Baltimore Ravens will honor Josh Bynes as their Legend of the Game when they play the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

Bynes announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday. Among those receiving thanks during the linebacker’s farewell press conference were Auburn University and former Alabama All-American Ozzie Newsome, who served as the Ravens’ general manager for most of Bynes’ time in Baltimore.

• Josh Bynes thanks Auburn, Ozzie Newsome upon retirement
• Sunday night showdown for Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia
• Jalen Hurts on Jalen Milroe: ‘All my support goes to him’

Auburn, Newsome and Bynes’ retirement intersected on Friday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.

“Josh Bynes is announcing his retirement as a Raven today,” Harbaugh said. “His whole family’s here. His beautiful family’s here with his amazing wife and kids. I know they’re walking around here right now. He has a couple of sons that will probably be looking at Michigan here in a couple of years. Ozzie was trying to recruit them for Alabama already. Josh said, ‘Absolutely not,’ because where did Josh go to school? Auburn. War Eagle.”

Bynes was the leading tackler for the Auburn team that posted an undefeated record and won the BCS national championship for the 2010 season.

“I’d just like to thank Auburn University first – War Eagle,” Bynes said during his retirement remarks. “… Just for giving me an opportunity -- a kid out of Fort Lauderdale just trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life then. And to take an opportunity to give me an opportunity to meet my wife, who also went to Auburn as well, so that’s been a huge thing. I appreciate Auburn for that.”

Bynes entered the NFL as undrafted rookie in 2011. He didn’t survive the roster cut between the preseason and the regular season, but that wasn’t the end of the relationship for Bynes and Baltimore.

“This is crazy,” Bynes said. “I don’t think I’ve told anybody this story. I had just interviewed for a job down in Fort Lauderdale as an academic advisor, and I still had on my suit and everything. Ozzie called me literally just as I walked in the door. Called me, I was like, ‘Hello?’ He was like, ‘It’s Ozzie, with the Ravens.’ I was like, ‘Oh, OK.’ He was like, ‘Do you want to come back to be with the Ravens?’ I was like -- I think I said, ‘You sure? I think I said that first.’ He was like, ‘Yes.’ I was like, ‘Uh, I just got done with a job interview.’ He was like, ‘You don’t have to do the workout or anything. Just come on. We’re on going to bring you back.’

“And I kid you not, I started crying, because -- at the time, I was just 20, whatever it was, 21, 22, at the time, trying to figure out, ‘OK, what’s my next phase?’ Football is over at the time. And to go from that to, obviously, playing 12 years is insane. And I’ve got to give a thank you to Ozzie for that phone call. I appreciate you.”

Bynes played one game for the Ravens in 2011, the first of 138 regular-season and seven playoff games in his NFL career, even though he was released seven times. Bynes played 59 regular-season and five playoff games with Baltimore.

“To me, Josh is a person, player, man who epitomizes the opportunity that football represents – the true meritocracy we like to talk about in football,” Harbaugh said. “That no matter where you come from, no matter where you’ve been, your background, whatever it is, how heralded you are or you are not, how much you’re talked about, whatever it might be, the content of your character, your talent, your work ethic, your ability just to find a way to get the job done and produce in whatever the job may be, to me, that’s what Josh Bynes represents. An undrafted free agent -- people probably weren’t betting on him to make the team even way back then. …

“Past the football stuff, which you have to do. You have to produce. But the locker room, the mentorship, the example that he sets for the guys by the type of a family man he is and the father and husband that he is. I think guys look at that, and it makes a difference. I know he’s been there for guys just to talk to them and make a difference in their lives. That’s what a Hall of Famer is to me. He’s that kind of a player that deserves that kind of recognition in terms of being -- all the accolades that he’s accomplished as a football player -- but a Hall of Famer in life and relationships. That’s the beauty of football to me is someone like that.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

Really proud of Josh and the career he carved out for himself. Dude is a True Auburn Man and it has been a pleasure watching him play at Auburn and in the NFL. Wish him nothing but the best! Yes, we want his sons at Auburn!!!! 

[LPTiger 5,173]

41 minutes ago, maryland tiger said:

Really proud of Josh and the career he carved out for himself. Dude is a True Auburn Man and it has been a pleasure watching him play at Auburn and in the NFL. Wish him nothing but the best! Yes, we want his sons at Auburn!!!! 

Josh has to be a future coaching candidate if he wants to be.    As for his sons, both mom and dad went to AU.   I like our chances😀 

[TeamZero77 1,785]

12 hours ago, LPTiger said:

Josh has to be a future coaching candidate if he wants to be.    As for his sons, both mom and dad went to AU.   I like our chances😀 

I remember during our 2010 national championship season, both Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens played every snap that season. I'm not sure I've ever seen a player do that, let alone 2 linebackers on the same defense. So happy for Josh and what he has accomplished.