12.23.23 Football Articles

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auburntigers.com

 

‘Never lose faith’: Fairweather looks forward to first bowl game

Auburn University Athletics

7–9 minutes

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AUBURN, Ala. – On Monday, it marked one year to the day that Rivaldo Fairweather announced he was transferring to Auburn. He played his first three seasons at Florida International, winning a total of five games in that span, and he entered the transfer portal with the hopes of elevating his game to another level. 

Fairweather found that at Auburn. The 6-foot-4, 251-pound tight end led the Tigers in receptions (33), receiving yards (349) and receiving touchdowns (6) in 2023 and was voted Second Team All-SEC by the league's coaches earlier this month. 

"A year ago, I was in the portal," Fairweather said. "Coming here and being a part of Auburn and being a part of this Auburn Family, it's just a blessing. I'm thankful. It just shows all the hard work you put in in the offseason and you put in during the season, it's going to pay off. You just have to trust God and know that it's God's timing and never lose faith. 

"Next year, I'm going to go come back 10 times harder and be First Team All-SEC and be the No. 1 tight end in the nation."

1️⃣3️⃣ is BACK 🙌⚡️@rivaldo_f13 pic.twitter.com/c4NnDOuGEd

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) December 18, 2023

Fairweather made it official Tuesday, announcing his intentions to return to Auburn for the 2024 season. He's looking forward to having a full offseason to work with Payton Thorne, something the Auburn quarterback is looking forward to as well. 

"He's been vital to our offense," Thorne said. "He's come down with some big plays for us this year and been a good target on third down as well. I'm excited to get a full offseason with him. I thought we got a lot of work in during the summer, but having a full offseason with him is going to help a lot. We're going to work on some things together, and we should be even sharper next year. Valdo is a great guy. I love playing with him. His future is bright."

First up, however, is the bowl game. Auburn has been practicing all week and getting ready to face Maryland in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. Ironically, Maryland was one of the other main schools who recruited Fairweather while he was in the portal. 

For Fairweather, it will be the first bowl game of his college career. 

"I'm really excited to go out there in Nashville and have my family there and have fun," he said. "But the main thing is just getting the win."

There have been a lot of firsts this year for Fairweather. First game at Auburn. First SEC game. First Iron Bowl. With a little help from fellow tight end Luke Deal, who has also announced he's returning next year, Fairweather has taken it all in stride. 

"It's just like how our season goes," Deal said. "You open up with a game, the home crowd is there. He never experienced that at FIU. That was a huge step for him, getting in front of that big crowd. And then you go first SEC game, first Iron Bowl. I feel like each time we talked about, 'OK, this is going to be a little bit different for you.' You could tell he was shocked at first, but he lived in the moment and performed better and better each time. 

"Now he's kind of seen it all except for a bowl game. I've been very pleased to see how he's grown from spring ball to fall camp to now."

The last time Auburn played in Nashville, a road game at Vanderbilt earlier this season, Fairweather hauled in a 53-yard touchdown reception. The Tigers won 31-15 in front of a pro-Auburn crowd at Vanderbilt's FirstBank Stadium. 

This time, the Tigers will get to play in Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans, and Fairweather knows the Auburn Family will once again show up. 

"I expect greatness from the Auburn Family," he said. "A couple days ago I went to the basketball game. We're not even in school and just seeing the stadium being packed out and having all the students there and having all the fans there, it was amazing to me.  

"I thank the Auburn Family for always showing up. It's just different. I've never been a part of this big fan base. Me being here is just great. It's a blessing from God. The fans are amazing. I know they're not going to disappoint. The tickets are already sold out. I already know it's going to be an Auburn home game for us."

Auburn and Maryland will kick off at 1 p.m. CT on Dec. 30. Tickets are still available through SeatGeek. The game will be televised on ABC.

Players Mentioned

#86 Luke Deal

TE 6' 5" Senior Education

#13 Rivaldo Fairweather

TE 6' 4" Junior Liberal Arts

#1 Payton Thorne

QB 6' 2" Junior Education

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247sports.com

 

What Auburns new transfer signees bring to the table

Nathan King

9–11 minutes

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Auburn signed its three early transfer pickups Wednesday

Wednesday’s signing day wasn’t just about building for the future.

Auburn also inked its three transfer commitments from the 2024 cycle so far — including a surprise addition announced by Hugh Freeze during his press conference: former Duke linebacker Dorian Mausi. The Tigers’ transfer trio is now composed of Mausi, Kansas defensive lineman Gage Keys and Georgia State receiver Robert Lewis.

Losing former North Texas transfer Larry Nixon III, who was a starter for the Tigers this season, Auburn had been searching the transfer portal for some linebacker experience the past couple weeks. It hosted Mausi and former Georgia All-American Jamon Dumas-Johnson last weekend, but Dumas-Johnson signed with Kentucky on Wednesday.

So Auburn gave the green light to Mausi, who started 24 games over the past three seasons at Duke. A former 3-star recruit from Detroit, Mausi amassed 193 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks with the Blue Devils.

Freeze said Wednesday he was the one to target Mausi initially out of the portal and is excited for how he’ll fit within the defense as a fifth-year senior in 2024. At 6-foot-2 and 233 pounds, Mausi gives the Tigers another experienced depth piece at inside linebacker, and his addition could allow Cam Riley, who’s flirted with playing on the edge the past couple seasons, to make the move full time and use his athleticism at 6-foot-5 to be a pure pass-rusher.

Auburn had one of the better linebacker classes in the country, with top-50 recruit Demarcus Riddick and top-120 recruit Joseph Phillips, but Freeze knew the defense would need an experienced addition from the transfer ranks to help bridge that gap.

“Mature, played a lot of football, solid, smart, understands fits,” Freeze said. “I put him on the board. He understands it all. He played in a similar system (at Duke). He gives you a heavier Mike backer, 240ish, that we really don't have built quite like that. I'm so excited to get his maturity there. I think that gives us some flexibility with he and Austin (Keys) at the Mike and now, you know, maybe Eugene (Asante).

“Then maybe move Cam to a jack where we can rush the passer a little better. So it just gives us, I mean, Cam needs to be a part of it. I don't know if it's at will or jack. But gives us some flexibility, along with those young guys to bring along.”

Mausi joins Keys as a pair of Power Five pickups along Auburn’s defensive front. Keys is an intriguing player, after not seeing the field at all in two seasons at Minnesota, then transferring to Kansas, where he played less than 100 snaps his first season.

During the 2023 campaign, though, Keys generated some buzz for himself, as he appeared in every game and was third on the team in QB pressures, despite not starting a single game and playing the seventh-most snaps of any player on Kansas’ defensive front.

At 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds, Auburn would like for Keys to bulk up a bit this offseason and play a purely interior role. The Tigers obviously have a big void along the defensive line with the departure of three-year starter Marcus Harris.

“Length on the inside, levers,” Freeze said of what he and the staff liked about Keys. “Needs to gain a little weight probably. But I thought we liked his activeness and would expect him to be in that rotation of inside guys.”

The first transfer commitment of the cycle for Auburn was Lewis three weeks ago, coming over from Georgia State after tallying more than 1,300 career receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.

Freeze likes Lewis’ versatility, after the 5-foot-11 receiver spent most of his time in the slot in 2022, then when he stepped into a bigger role this season and had a breakout year, Lewis played only 21.0 percent of his receiver snaps in the slot, per Pro Football Focus.

“I think he can play inside, outside, has some length to him,” Freeze said. “Has done well against good competition.”

Auburn wants another transfer receiver this cycle — another example of a position group where the staff wants to bridge the gap between an elite 2024 class with some experienced pieces. In terms of other needs in the portal, Freeze said he wanted to first focus on closing out the 2024 class, then reassess the team’s transfer board. The dead period reopens in early January for transfer visitors.

“If we don’t get everything we need (in the 2024 class), which you typically don’t, then you’re hoping that the weekend in January provides you with a few of those possibilities to fill the gaps in the portal,” Freeze said. “... And you don’t know how many more people are going to go in it, but I guess I’ve already put my chips in saying I’m pretty all-in on trying to sign this high school class and would like to see it through and then go from there.”

*** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more ***

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al.com

 

Auburn flips 4-star Saraland defensive lineman Antonio Coleman away from Alabama

Updated: Dec. 22, 2023, 2:27 p.m.|Published: Dec. 22, 2023, 2:07 p.m.

~3 minutes

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1. Auburn Football

Hugh Freeze, Auburn flip 4-star 2025 defensive lineman Antonio Coleman from Nick Saban, Alabama

Saraland’s Antonio Coleman celebrates after making a play during a preps football game, Friday, August 25, 2023, in Saraland, Ala. (Scott Donaldson/al.com)Scott Donaldson/al.com

After stringing together an impressive 2024 signing class through the first two days of the early signing period, Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers haven’t let off the gas.

Antonio Coleman, a 4-star defensive lineman in the 2025 recruiting class, announced Friday afternoon that he’d be flipping his commitment from Alabama to Auburn, giving Freeze and the Tigers a significant boost to their 2025 class, which ranked as the fifth-best in the country prior to Coleman’s flip.

As of Friday afternoon, Auburn holds the third-best 2025 recruiting class in the nation — just one spot behind Alabama, per 247Sports.

Coleman, who measures 6-foot-2 and 285 pounds and comes by way of Saraland High School, ranks as the eighth-best defensive lineman in the 2025 cycle and is the ninth-best prospect in the state of Alabama, according to 247Sports.

After previously committing to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sept. 11, Coleman is now set to join Auburn’s 2025 class, which also features the commitments of 4-star Opelika defensive lineman Malik Autry and 4-star Parker defensive lineman Jourdin Crawford.

During his junior season with Saraland, where he was teammates with Alabama’s 5-star wide receiver commit Ryan Williams, Coleman helped the Spartans to a 14-1 record in 2023 while contributing 62 total tackles, 22.5 tackles for a loss and four sacks.

Having flipped Coleman, Freeze and the Tigers’ coaching staff have now flipped a player away from their rival program in Tuscaloosa in back-to-back recruiting cycles. In the 2024 cycle, Auburn successfully flipped 5-star wide receiver Perry Thompson away from Alabama.

Coleman’s commitment also serves as Auburn’s second flip in two days after the Tigers flipped 4-star defensive lineman Amaris Williams away from the Florida Gators on Wednesday, adding to their seventh-ranked 2024 signing class.

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saturdaydownsouth.com

 

Hugh Freeze gives prediction for QB signee Walker White, shares recruiting expectations

Grant Bricker

~3 minutes

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Hugh Freeze has high hopes for quarterback signee Walker White and Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class as a whole.

Freeze spoke to the media on Early Signing Day. It’s safe to say that Freeze is excited about what White brings to the table. White is a 4-star quarterback out of Little Rock Christian Academy in Arkansas.

“Walker White, I think, is going to be a star,” said Freeze. “… I think he’s a true Auburn man. … I think he’s got all the skillsets to do that.”

Auburn HC Hugh Freeze on his QB commit: “Walker White, I think, is going to be a star. … I think he’s a true Auburn man. … I think he’s got all the skillsets to do that.”

— Richard Silva (@rich_silva18) December 20, 2023

Freeze knows what it takes to win in the SEC. He needs a lot from his 2024 and 2025 classes. Auburn currently has the 8th overall ranked 2024 class, per 247Sports.

“The goal was to have a top 10 class in year one and a Top 5 class in year two,” said Freeze. “That’s what is needed to win in this conference.”

Hugh Freeze: The goal was to have a top 10 class in year one and a Top 5 class in year two. That’s what is needed to win in this conference

— Bryan Matthews (@BMattAU) December 20, 2023

Lastly, one area that Freeze wanted to prioritize was the offensive line in the portal. The Auburn coach seemed disappointed that Auburn didn’t have much progress there. However, he’s still hopeful.

“The offensive line is one position in portal we probably needed and missed on the two guys we wanted in portal,” said Freeze. “Like the two we got in the ’24 class and there’s still two out there we’re battling for. Hopefully, there will be a few in portal we’ll go on.”

Freeze: The offensive line is one position in portal we probably needed and missed on the two guys we wanted in portal. Like the two we got in the ’24 class and there’s still two out there we’re battling for. Hopefully, there will be a few in portal we’ll go on

— Bryan Matthews (@BMattAU) December 20, 2023

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[aubiefifty 16,791]

Not a lot out there folks. i guess folks are gearing up for christmas. With that said i wish everyone a very merry christmas or happy holidays if you prefer that.

[gr82be 14,425]

14 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

Not a lot out there folks. i guess folks are gearing up for christmas. With that said i wish everyone a very merry christmas or happy holidays if you prefer that.

Merry Christmas to you too fifty. 

[saminbama 740]

Merry  Christmas to you as well, Fifty.  Thanks for all your hard work.

Oh yeah.  Shocking news.  Ole Gus lost another bowl game.

Edited December 23, 2023 by saminbama

[aubiefifty 16,791]

9 minutes ago, saminbama said:

Merry  Christmas to you as well, Fifty.  Thanks for all your hard work.

Oh yeah.  Shocking news.  Ole Gus lost another bowl game.

yes he did.i watched it. i started to pull for tech but folks hated them back in the day more than we hated bama. gus needs a d guy and his qb wasnot very good.

[gr82be 14,425]

9 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

yes he did.i watched it. i started to pull for tech but folks hated them back in the day more than we hated bama. gus needs a d guy and his qb wasnot very good.

From the highlights I saw it looked like Kobe Hudson had a good game. 

[aubiefifty 16,791]

Just now, gr82be said:

From the highlights I saw it looked like Kobe Hudson had a good game. 

i am not gonna lie i was snockered on gummies. i kept watching gus make frowny faces and pick his noses. i wasthinking he was frowning because he couldnot dig out anything ya know.lol you would think someone would tell him about that. hey G can i get a prayer? i have to brave walmart in a few to pick up meds.............

[SaltyTiger 7,808]

3 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

i have to brave walmart

You are much braver than me. 
 

[aubiefifty 16,791]

Just now, SaltyTiger said:

You are much braver than me. 
 

i honestly have no choice. i need my meds. i take 3 BP's and would probably kill over.but yes i normally never go to walmart this time of year.

[SaltyTiger 7,808]

12 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

i honestly have no choice. i need my meds. i take 3 BP's and would probably kill over.but yes i normally never go to walmart this time of year.

Good luck Fiddy. Sitting here feeling sorry for you and Mrs. Salty handed me a list. Tasked me with a grocery store run. Rather visit my dentist and have a molar drilled. 

[gr82be 14,425]

43 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

i am not gonna lie i was snockered on gummies. i kept watching gus make frowny faces and pick his noses. i wasthinking he was frowning because he couldnot dig out anything ya know.lol you would think someone would tell him about that. hey G can i get a prayer? i have to brave walmart in a few to pick up meds.............

I went in early Thursday morning and got in and out quickly. Kinda surprised me. 

[aubiefifty 16,791]

1 minute ago, gr82be said:

I went in early Thursday morning and got in and out quickly. Kinda surprised me. 

i need to go and i am putting it off.people get rude at christmas and i always leave mad or irritated..............

[Ausburn2 487]

3 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

i need to go and i am putting it off.people get rude at christmas and i always leave mad or irritated..............

Merry Christmas!  May your nest wish come true.

[aubiefifty 16,791]

1 minute ago, Ausburn2 said:

Merry Christmas!  May your nest wish come true.

merry christmas to you and yours!

[aubiefifty 16,791]

Walker White earns a spot on On3’s 2024 Quarterback Superlatives list

Taylor Jones

Thu, December 21, 2023 at 3:28 PM CST·2 min read

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Auburn landed its best wide receiver class in history on Wednesday.

Hugh Freeze earned the signatures of five-stars Perry Thompson and Cam Coleman and four-stars Malcolm Simmons and Bryce Cain on the opening day of the early signing period. For a unit that needs immediate improvement, the addition of these four players will help Auburn in its effort to compete for an SEC championship.

The next question surrounding Auburn’s receiver unit is, “Who will throw them the football?”

 

Hugh Freeze has expressed his intent to keep Payton Thorne as Auburn’s quarterback for next season, but he also signed the quarterback of the future during the 2024 cycle in Walker White.

White is considered the No. 3 overall player from the state of Arkansas, and On3 considers White to be one of the top quarterbacks for the 2024 class.

In their 2024 Quarterback Superlative list, On3 gives White the title of “Most Physically Developed” quarterback of this year’s cycle.

At 6-foot-3.5 and around 220 pounds, Walker White has long-been one of the more physically-developed and impressive 2024 signal callers. White owns a big, muscular build that is more college ready than the vast majority of his peers. The Auburn signee is a physical, tough player who is able to shrug off defenders in the pocket and lower his shoulder to pick up extra yards as a runner. The On300 prospect led his Little Rock (Ark.) Little Rock Christian Academy team to a state title game appearance as a senior.

White is the No. 3 overall prospect from Arkansas for the 2024 cycle according to On3, and the No. 7 overall quarterback. He is apart of Auburn’s 2024 haul that ranks No. 7 overall according to On3’s rankings.

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 @TaylorJones__

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

 

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Auburn’s wide receiver class named the best in the country by 247Sports

JD McCarthy

Fri, December 22, 2023 at 7:00 AM CST·1 min read

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Prior to Wednesday, Ben Obomanu was the only composite five-star wide receiver to sign with Auburn. The number has now grown to three with Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson both signing with Hugh Freeze and Auburn during the early signing period.

But they weren’t the only receivers that wide receivers coach Marcus Davis landed, four-star prospects Bryce Cain and Malcolm Simmons both inked their letters of intent to complete the impressive haul.

The Tigers were the only program to land multiple five-star wide receivers and 247Sports believes the class is the best in the country. With national recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna believing all four have the ability to play in the NFL.

“(Freeze) has done a tremendous job. I talked about it, if you’re looking at Auburn and how they’re going to be different and separate themselves over the next couple of years, look no further than this receiver position.”

 

The Tigers are not done at wide receiver either, they are firmly in the mix for five-star Alabama commit Ryan Williams. The Auburn legacy has been committed to the Crimson Tide since October 2002 but recently reclassified to the 2024 cycle and won’t sign with a program until February.

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

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

 

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Hugh Freeze compares Cam Coleman to former Ole Miss receiver

Taylor Jones

Fri, December 22, 2023 at 4:00 PM CST·2 min read

 

 

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Recruiting and developing receivers such as Evan Engram and DK Metcalf is what put Hugh Freeze on the map during his time as the head coach at Ole Miss.

Freeze is looking to copy, or even build on, his success in developing receivers at Auburn. He is well on his way to doing that after signing what is considered to be the best receiver haul in program history.

Auburn earned the signatures of five stars Perry Thompson and Cam Coleman and four-stars Bryce Cain and Malcolm Simmons during the first day of the early signing period on Wednesday.

 

Coleman was the last piece to the puzzle, as he flipped from Texas A&M to Auburn on Dec. 1. He originally committed to the Aggies on July 5, but backed off his pledge following the dismissal of Jimbo Fisher from the program.

Despite being committed to another program, Coleman remained heavily pursued by Auburn. Freeze described his chase of Coleman as “a long process” but is one that he is happy worked in his favor.

Coleman is also seen as a receiver that can help the Tigers’ offense immediately. Freeze described what he sees in Coleman, and even compared him to a receiver he coached during his time at Ole Miss.

“Cam tracks the ball as well as any I’ve seen,” Freeze said during a recent interview with SEC Network. “I’m reminded of when we took over at Ole Miss and tried to turn that program. That first full class we had? I was able to sign a guy by the name of Laquon Treadwell that really transformed what we could do offensively. I see Cam in that same light.”

Treadwell played for Freeze at Ole Miss from 2013-15. During that time, he caught 202 passes for 2,393 yards and 21 scores over 35 games.

Can Coleman replicate Treadwell’s success at Auburn?

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 @TaylorJones__

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

 

[WarTim 3,456]

Merry Christmas Fifty. God bless!!!

[aubiefifty 16,791]

4 minutes ago, WarTim said:

Merry Christmas Fifty. God bless!!!

the same to you and yours mr tim!