12.27.23 Football Articles

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247sports.com

 

10 Tigers with the most to gain in the Music City Bowl

Jason Caldwell

~3 minutes

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There's set to be a heavy Auburn representation in Orlando, Florida, for the Under Armour All-America Game and San Antonio, Texas, for the All-American Bowl to celebrate the 2023 high school football season.

Players will report to Orlando on Dec. 29, getting in practice on Dec. 30, 31, Jan. 1 and Jan. 2 before playing in the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 3. The game is set for 3 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN.

Meanwhile, players will report to San Antonio for the All-American Bowl on Jan. 2 before the game kicks off on Jan. 6. The All-American Bowl, which was formerly the Army All-American Bowl, is presented by NBC and streaming on Peacock.

Auburn will have quite a few signees representing in both games:

UNDER ARMOUR ALL-AMERICA GAME

* 5-star WR Cam Coleman | Central (Ala.)

* 5-star WR Perry Thompson | Foley (Ala.)

* 4-star EDGE Jamonta Waller | Picayune Memorial (Miss.)

* 4-star DB A'Mon Lane-Ganus | Moody (Ala.)

* 4-star DB Jalyn Crawford | Parkview (Ga.)

* K Towns McGough | Auburn High (Ala.)

NOTE: 5-star wide receiver flip target Ryan Williams will also play in the Under Armour All-American game.

ALL-AMERICAN BOWL

* 4-star QB Walker White | Little Rock Christian (Ark.)

* 4-star IOL DeAndre Carter | Mater Dei (Calif.)

* 4-star DL Amaris Williams | Clinton (N.C.)

* 4-star LB Demarcus Riddick | Chilton County (Ala.)

* 4-star DB Kensley Faustin | Naples (Fla.)

* 3-star OT Favour Edwin | Eagles Landing Christian Academy (Ga.)

Auburn's five representatives in the All-American Bowl ties a program record, which was set in 2023 when Connor Lew, Kayin Lee, Keldric Faulk, Tyler Scott and Darron Reed all played in the game. Auburn did not have any representation in the Under Armour game, though. This year, Auburn will have 10 of its scholarship signees and an 11th in touted preferred walk-on kicker McGough playing in the games before enrolling at Auburn.

Coleman, Waller, Crawford, McGough, White, Williams, Riddick and Faustin are all early enrollees and will move in at Auburn on Jan. 7 — except for Riddick, who is already moved in and went through bowl practices. Thompson, Lane-Ganus and Carter will arrive in the summer.

Auburn's early signing period class finished at No. 7 in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings.

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auburntigers.com

 

Asante & Keionte: Vets lead Auburn defense into Music City Bowl, 2024 season

Auburn University Athletics

8–10 minutes

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Auburn's 2024 defense received a boost this month when two of its leaders announced their intentions to remain on the Plains next season.

Meet 'Asante and Keionte,' the defense firm that seeks to represent Auburn's prospects of making the expanded 12-team playoff a year from now.

Auburn's leading tackler with 84 stops, linebacker Eugene Asante and defensive back and punt returner Keionte Scott will provide productivity and leadership for the 2024 Auburn Tigers.

"I want to build something special here," said Asante, referencing previous Auburn SEC championship teams from 2004 and 2010. "I really do believe we could do something like that. I'm working toward that personally and I'm going to demand that out of the team."

Asante ranks No. 7 in the SEC averaging seven tackles per game. He's one of four players in the conference with at least 80 tackles, eight tackles for loss and five sacks.

"This offseason we're going to put our best foot forward and be the best we can be for Auburn. This place deserves that. The fans deserve it," said Asante, who's led the Tigers in tackles in five games this season. "I want to win and I think we can do that and be a historic team. I'm grateful to be back to build this thing for next year."

Eugene Asante (left) and Keionte Scott both scored touchdowns this season

'Asante and Keionte' don't just prevent the other team from scoring, they also produce points themselves. Scott returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown vs. Arkansas while Asante returned a fumble 67 yards for a touchdown against Texas A&M.

"I'm really glad that people like Keionte and Eugene are coming back to help lead us," Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. "They'll be great for our young kids as two great leaders and captain-material guys who can help set the culture for our defense next year. I'm thrilled that they're back."

After considering entering the NFL Draft, Scott chose to return for his third season at Auburn for athletic, academic and professional reasons.

"The chance to excel," said Scott, who's made 41 tackles and two tackles for loss this season while returning 12 punts. "I feel like I have some more in my tank to get better. I had some more to show."

Switching from nickel to cornerback allows Scott to showcase his coverage skills, while completing his Auburn University degree will make him a first-generation college graduate.

"Being able to get back on that island," Scott said. "That was my first home. I'm very excited to get back outside and get back on Key Island. I'm looking forward to being able to show my versatility this year. I'm excited to get some sideline help and get my eyes on the ball.

"Being able to walk across the stage and get my degree is good for me and my family. I'm trying to be the first one in my family to do so.

"I believe in what Coach Hugh Freeze is building. I'm 100 percent bought into it. I want to be able to say I was a part of turning the program over."

With cornerbacks Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James opting out of the bowl game to prepare for the Senior Bowl and the NFL Draft, Scott will mentor a less-experienced secondary Saturday at Nissan Stadium.

"We've seen some younger guys really step up. Everybody understands what has to happen now," Scott said. "You're seeing some guys elevate."

Auburn's opponent in Saturday's TransPerfect Music City Bowl, the Maryland Terrapins, will also feature players looking to optimize their opportunity after teammates opted out of the game, including Taulia Tagovailoa, the Big Ten's career passing leader.

"We're looking at it as a chance to showcase our DB room," Scott said. "We're excited to see if we can gel together during these practices and be able to play to the standard of the room."

Leaders in 2023, 'Asante and Keionte' hope to earn a bowl victory to give Auburn a winning record in Freeze's first season, further building on the momentum established with last week's top 10 recruiting class.

"It starts with this bowl game," Scott said. "Some of the leaders are talking about different ways we can get it set earlier. We want to gel in the spring; that way we're going into the season together as one, understanding what the standard is and everything that needs to be done to generate the outcomes we want."

"It's going to be a great challenge and we're excited," said Asante, who participated in the 2021 Orange Bowl at North Carolina before transferring to Auburn. "It's momentum leading into next year. Those types of things help you develop confidence into the next season.

"Even for the young guys who haven't gotten reps all season, playing in a bowl game can really propel them into next year. So lay it on the line for your brothers and play the best game you can play."

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer

Players Mentioned

#18 Nehemiah Pritchett

CB 6' 1" Senior Education

#4 D.J. James

CB 6' 1" Junior Liberal Arts

#9 Eugene Asante

LB 6' 1" Junior Liberal Arts

#0 Keionte Scott

CB 6' 0" Junior Liberal Arts

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al.com

 

Who will Auburn turn to in its bowl game against Maryland after opt-outs and transfers?

Published: Dec. 26, 2023, 6:00 a.m.

4–5 minutes

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Auburn's Hugh Freeze previews Music City Bowl against Maryland

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze made it his goal in Year 1 to get the Tigers back to a bowl game after they missed the bid in 2022. And with Auburn’s sixth win of the season coming against Arkansas on Nov. 11, Freeze and the Tigers punched their ticket to the postseason.

Now, the focus becomes turning a 6-6 season to a 7-6 season as Auburn looks for a postseason win over the Maryland Terrapins in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl on Saturday.

However, when the Tigers and Terps kickoff from Nashville, Auburn’s roster will likely look much different after a handful of players have decided to transfer or opt-out of the bowl game.

The most impacted position groups are at wide receiver and in the defensive secondary as four receivers have decided to transfer away from the program, while a pair of Auburn’s veteran defensive backs are expected to opt out of the bowl game.

So what might Auburn’s depth chart look like in those two position groups?

Wide receiver

Ja’Varrius Johnson, Malcolm Johnson Jr., Omari Kelly and Jyaire Shorter have each announced their intentions to transfer since Auburn’s last regular season game against Alabama on Nov. 25. Of those four, Ja’Varrius Johnson is the biggest loss as he recorded 19 receptions for 347 yards and three touchdowns during the regular season, making him Auburn’s second-leading receiver in 2023.

Auburn’s receiver room is left with Camden Brown, Caleb Burton, Jay Fair, Shane Hooks, Nick Mardner and Koy Moore.

Burton, Fair and Brown are likely to be Auburn’s starters against Maryland as the most productive receivers through the regular season.

In 2023, Burton hauled in 11 receptions for 148 yards, while Brown caught eight passes for 78 yards. Meanwhile, Fair leads the way in terms of returning production after tallying 30 receptions for 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Fortunately for the Tigers, they also return tight end Rivaldo Fairweather, who was Auburn’s leading receiver with 33 receptions, 349 yards and six touchdowns.

Defensive backfield

With DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett both expected to opt out of Saturday’s game against Maryland, the Tigers will be without a lot of experience against the Terrapins.

The good news for Auburn is it doesn’t lack young talent in the secondary and even features a handful of players who saw action during the regular season.

Without James and Pritchett, the Tigers will be forced to start new players at both cornerback spots. Auburn junior Keionte Scott, who announced his intentions to return for his senior season on Dec. 11, plans to move to the cornerback spot for the rest of his time on The Plains, beginning in the bowl game.

With Scott filling one of Auburn’s cornerback vacancies, it’s likely Freeze looks to a mix of Kayin Lee, JD Rhym and Colton Hood to fill the second. In the case of Lee, he appeared in all 12 of Auburn’s regular season games.

At safety, the Tigers won’t look a ton different as senior Jaylin Simpson and Zion Puckett both announced their intentions to play in the bowl game, despite them heading to the NFL at the end of the season.

However, with Freeze hoping to use the bowl game as an opportunity to get younger players some playing time, it’s likely that sophomore Caleb Wooden and freshman Terrance Love also see the field against the Terps.

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al.com

 

A tale of the tape for Auburn vs. Maryland in the Music City Bowl

Published: Dec. 26, 2023, 6:32 a.m.

4–5 minutes

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Auburn's Hugh Freeze previews Music City Bowl against Maryland

It’s an Auburn football game week.

Auburn will face Maryland in the Music City Bowl at 1 p.m. on Dec. 30 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Auburn and Maryland have three all-time matchups, with Auburn leading the series 2-1. All three games have been played in the state of Alabama. Maryland beat Auburn in 1952 in Birmingham. Auburn then beat Maryland in 1958 in Auburn and beat the Terps again in 1983 in Auburn.

The 1983 game featured No. 7 ranked Maryland and quarterback Boomer Esiason against No. 3 ranked Auburn and running back Bo Jackson. Jackson was one of three Auburn players to rush for more than 100 yards in the win.

In 2023, opt-outs are going to have a big impact on this game, especially as Maryland will be without starting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa — the all-time leading passer in Big Ten history.

Auburn will be without key defensive pieces in cornerbacks DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett as well as defensive tackle Marcus Harris.

As a result, team statistics for the course of the 2023 season may not be completely reflective of what the bowl game will look like.

Keep that in mind as we take a look through the tale of the tape in Auburn’s upcoming bowl game matchup. All rankings are Auburn’s standing nationally among 130 FBS teams.

2023 Auburn stats

Record: 6-6 (3-5)

Total offense ranking: 88th, 355.5 yards per game

Scoring offense ranking: 65th, 27.2 points per game

Passing offense ranking: 122nd, 157.1 yards per game

Rushing offense ranking: 14th, 198.4 yards per game

Total defense ranking: 50th, 361.1 yards allowed per game

Scoring defense ranking: 35th, 21.9 points allowed per game

Passing defense ranking: 30th, 201.7 passing yards allowed per game

Rushing defense ranking: 80th, 159.4 rushing yards allowed per game

Leading rusher: RB Jarquez Hunter with 896 yards. Hunter averages 5.9 yards per carry and has seven touchdowns.

Leading receiver: TE Rivaldo Fairweather with 349 yards. Fairweather has found the endzone six times and has 30 catches.

Other key stat notes: Third downs have been a key point for Auburn. Defensively, Auburn is among the best getting off the field, allowing third-down conversions just 32% of the time. That’s the 16th-best rate in the nation. Conversely, Auburn’s offense has been bad on third down. Its conversion rate is 34%. That is 109th nationally.

2023 Maryland stats

Record: 7-5 (4-5)

Total offense ranking: 55th, 393.8 yards per game

Scoring offense ranking: 52nd, 29.6 points per game

Passing offense ranking: 20th, 284.8 yards per game

Rushing offense ranking: 114th, 108.9 yards per game

Total defense ranking: 34th, 336.9 yards allowed per game

Scoring defense ranking: 46th, 23.2 points allowed per game

Passing defense ranking: 40th, 207.3 yards allowed per game

Rushing defense ranking: 33rd, 129.6 yards allowed per game

Leading rusher: RB Roman Hemby with 663 yards. Hemby averages 4.9 yards per carry and has scored four touchdowns.

Leading receiver: WR Jeshuan Jones with 741 yards and four touchdowns. WR Tai Felton is close behind with 723 yards but two more touchdowns.

Other key notes: Maryland is being hit much harder with transfers and opt-outs than Auburn. Maryland has five crucial players who will not be taking part in this game wether it be for the NFL or the transfer portal. Beyond Tagovailoa, Maryland will be without its starting tight end (Corey Dyches), its best linebacker (Jaishawn Barham) and two elite defensive backs (Tarheeb Still and Corey Coley Jr.). Tagovailoa certainly is the biggest loss, but the core of what has been a very good Maryland defense will not be taking part in the bowl game.

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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247sports.com

 

Scott taking on leadership role in preparation for 2024 season

Jason Caldwell

9–11 minutes

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Auburn’s coaching staff has a much-deserved Christmas break, but after the bowl game, Hugh Freeze and crew will refocus on the transfer portal.

Freeze admitted he put more of his time and effort since the end of the regular season toward securing an elite 2024 class, and it paid off in the form of the No. 7 class in the country after last week’s early signing period.

Auburn’s brought in three transfers so far — Duke linebacker Dorian Mausi, Kansas defensive tackle Gage Keys and Georgia State receiver Robert Lewis — but still have at least a few positions of need.

The portal is open until Jan. 3, and that ensuing weekend will end the visit dead period (for transfers only), giving schools an opportunity to get last-minute transfer targets on campus, committed and enrolled before the start of the spring semester — so they can participate in spring practices. Classes start back at Auburn that following Wednesday, Jan. 10.

So what did Freeze and his staff put on their transfer wish list this Christmas? Let’s break down some of Auburn’s biggest needs when the staff redirects their attention to the portal soon.

GOOD FORTUNE ON THE O-LINE

Auburn thought it had its two offensive line transfers lined up a couple weeks ago.

Freeze said last week that Auburn’s two biggest offensive line targets committed elsewhere before visiting the Plains, and they obviously never made it to campus for their previous scheduled trip after that point. He was referencing Toledo guard Vinny Sciury and San Jose State offensive tackle Fernando Carmona. Offensive line coach Jake Thornton had heavily targeted both, even making multiple in-home visits to see Carmona, but they had other visits set up before Auburn. So Texas Tech and Arkansas, respectively, were able to land them, so the Tigers went into the holiday break without any O-line transfers.

It’s not as if Auburn is scrambling for help up front, though. The staff made sure that wouldn’t be the case last year when they brought in 10 newcomers on the offensive line. Seth Wilfred, the No. 4 offensive tackle in the JUCO ranks, will also enroll for spring practices within the next few weeks, and Auburn believes he could contend for a starting job at tackle right away.

Dillon Wade will likely move from left tackle to guard, so the true vacancies in terms of 2023 starters will likely be at left tackle and right guard. And Auburn still has players like Jaden Muskrat, Jeremiah Wright, Tyler Johnson and Dylan Senda that will be eyeing starting jobs in 2024. Johnson, a rising sophomore, could be a sleeper candidate at left tackle, while Muskrat was a versatile backup this season who can play tackle or guard.

In short, Auburn isn’t panicking about its transfer outlook on the offensive line, but it does hope to get some good fortune soon. The Tigers targeted Georgia transfer Joshua Miller within the last week, but he committed to Syracuse. With the winter transfer window open for another nine days, Freeze and Thornton hope there will be a few options available for them to get on campus for an early January visit, so they can be with the team before spring ball, but even if Auburn has to wait until after the spring, it won’t be in a bad spot at the position.

“Hopefully there’ll be a few that go in the portal that we can try to get in on,” Freeze said last week. “There’s no question, that one position has been the biggest challenge for me to try to figure out and for Jake to try to figure out. We’re still trying to figure that one out, truthfully.”

MORE EXPERIENCE AT RECEIVER

Both numbers- and production-wise, no position group has been hit harder for Auburn in the portal than wide receiver.

Three of the Tigers’ four entries didn’t make much impact, as Malcolm Johnson Jr., Jyaire Shorter and Omari Kelly combined for only nine receptions this season. But when Ja'Varrius Johnson entered the portal, it served as Auburn’s biggest transfer loss of the cycle by far, as the fifth-year senior led the receiving corps in yards and touchdowns this season. Auburn is now left with seven scholarship receivers in the bowl game.

Of course, Auburn not only has one transfer receiver on board in Georgia State’s Robert Lewis, but it also just signed the highest-rated receiver haul in the 2024 class. The goal is for that group’s immense talent to catalyze a success facelift for the passing game. But that may not be right away in 2024; they’ll just be true freshmen, after all. So Auburn is still keeping its eyes peeled for another transfer to take some pressure off those youngsters; quarterback Payton Thorne said himself last week that the team is still doing so.

FAU transfer Lajohntay Wester is the big fish right now, after he had nearly 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

Much like the offensive line, Auburn doesn’t feel like it’s under pressure to get another receiver in the portal, and rolling with the current group in 2024 wouldn’t change much of the offensive staff’s plans — especially if that player can’t arrive until the summer, and freshmen like Cam Coleman and Bryce Cain will be early enrollees.

ANOTHER PIECE FOR THE D-LINE

Here’s the top of Freeze’s list to Santa. Auburn needs at least one more difference-maker on the interior defensive line — especially if starting nose tackle Justin Rogers decides to head to the NFL after the bowl game.

With first team All-SEC pick Marcus Harris off to the draft, there is a significant void of experience for next season. Flipping top-50 overall recruit Amaris Williams from Florida was a big step in the right direction, but in terms of returning players at defensive tackle, Auburn is thin on production right now.

Lawrence Johnson is out of eligibility, so when excluding the nose tackles, the only returning pieces on the interior are Darron Reed Jr. and Quientrail Jamison-Travis, with the former not appearing in a game this season, and Jamison-Travis only playing two games in mop-up duty. Keys comes over from Kansas after posting 21 tackles and 13 QB pressures this season.

Standout true freshman Keldric Faulk should be even more capable of kicking inside with another full offseason bulking up in the strength program, but he’s also the team’s best returning defensive end.

Auburn’s lone transfer visitor along the defensive line was Michigan State’s Derrick Harmon two weekends ago. He then visited Oregon and Ohio State before the end of the dead period, and there’s since been steam that an NIL push from Michigan State could pull him out of the portal and bring him back to the Spartans.

As is the case at most transfer positions for Auburn after the dead period, this feels like a spot where the Tigers will be resetting their board with upcoming transfer entries. At least one addition will be needed for position coach Jeremy Garrett’s group.

BRIDGING THE SECONDARY GAP

Auburn has an army of young and talented defensive backs on the roster, now with eight 247Sports Composite 4-star signees over the past two cycles — and that doesn’t even include 3-star safety Laquan Robinson, the No. 1 JUCO safety in the 2024 class whom Auburn’s staff thinks can compete for one of the two starting vacancies at safety right away.

The most-utilized youngsters in the secondary this season were cornerback Kayin Lee, who started three games at the beginning of the season due to an injury and Nehemiah Pritchett, and held down the No. 3 cornerback job for the rest of the season, and safety Terrance Love, who played in five games and was one of the team’s highest-graded defenders despite limited snaps.

But with Pritchett, fellow cornerback starter D.J. James, and starting safeties Jaylin Simpson and Zion Puckett all off to the NFL, Auburn knows it shouldn’t start from scratch at all four spots. Keionte Scott’s upcoming move from nickel to outside cornerback solves a big piece of the puzzle, giving Lee an experienced, NFL talent as his starting counterpart, plus Donovan Kaufman will be entering his fourth season at Auburn and has plenty of experience playing and starting at nickel.

Still, some of Auburn’s most common transfer targets in the early stages of the winter window were corners and safeties. The most popular name right now is Georgia’s A.J. Harris, a former 5-star recruit from right down the road in Phenix City who visited Auburn last weekend just two days after entering the portal.

Caleb Wooden and Robinson would likely be the starters at safety if the season began today, but Auburn would prefer to add some experience into that competition via the portal. The Tigers kicked the tires on some of the top safeties in the portal, like Liberty’s Preston Hodge and Oregon State’s Akili Arnold, but weren’t able to lock in any visits or commitments. Auburn’s staff will be looking closely at some of the top defensive back transfer entries over the next few weeks.

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[aubiefifty 16,793]

 

[aubiefifty 16,793]

 

[SaltyTiger 7,808]

Thanks and good morning from beautiful East Alabama Fiddy. Cold weather moving in but know where some fish are that need catching. Invited for golf with my sons this afternoon but I don’t play and they know it. Go figure.

[LPTiger 5,164]

Look at the first pic of EA and KS.   Those dudes got some skinny legs😀

[aubiefifty 16,793]

1 hour ago, SaltyTiger said:

Thanks and good morning from beautiful East Alabama Fiddy. Cold weather moving in but know where some fish are that need catching. Invited for golf with my sons this afternoon but I don’t play and they know it. Go figure.

i hope ya catch something besides a cold. did you get the bikini thong i sent you?

Edited December 27, 2023 by aubiefifty

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