12.28.23 Football Articles

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247sports.com

 

Music City Bowl notebook Tigers back on the practice field

Jason Caldwell

4–5 minutes

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All present and accounted for

After practicing in Auburn for a week before taking some time off around Christmas, Auburn arrived in Nashville on Tuesday night and hit the field at Vanderbilt on Wednesday afternoon at full strength, or at least as full as the Tigers can be following the opt-outs of D.J. James, Nehemiah Pritchett and Marcus Harris along with the losses to the transfer portal. With everyone healthy and ready to go as the Tigers gear up towards Saturday’s kickoff, this is a team that has plenty of bodies for the game but will count on young players at several positions to shore up some depth issues. By my count, Auburn has 64 scholarship players available for the game. That doesn’t walk-ons who were put on scholarship before or during the season.

Decision to make for Rogers

Early on Wednesday morning, the East-West Shrine Game tweeted out that Justin Rogers had accepted an invitation to play in their all-star game. That is partially true, from what we have been told. Rogers did accept an invitation, but still hasn't made a final decision on whether or not he'll return for the 2024 season. We have heard that Rogers has been leaning towards coming back for the Tigers, which would be big with the loss of Marcus Harris from this year's team. A decision isn't expected from Rogers until sometime after the bowl game. Speaking of Harris, he was at practice on Wednesday to support his teammates even though he decided not to play in the game.

Bug going around

Payton Thorne said he practiced just one day on campus last week while dealing with flu-like symptoms and that has continued with the team getting to Nashville. Hugh Freeze said the team is dealing with several players that have had sickness and that included two that were left at the team hotel instead of practicing on Wednesday morning at Nashville.

“Yeah, we've had a run of sickness,” Freeze said. “We actually left two guys at the hotel today, too. We had a run, last week, of guys missing practice with flu-like symptoms. He seems to be feeling good, but it's really good to let him get outside and hopefully get him today and tomorrow. I haven't seen the weather for tomorrow, but this is a good day for him to have a good practice, for sure, because he did miss — shoot — last week, I think every day but one.”

Newcomers continuing to work 

Auburn had several early enrollees on campus for bowl practices and they have continued that in Nashville. Defensive lineman Malik Blocton, linebackers DJ Barber, Joe Phillips and Demarcus Riddick, defensive back Kaleb Harris and wide receiver Bryce Cain were all practicing with the team and going through individual reps. The coaches said they’ve been pleased with the early work the group has shown as they get a crash course in learning the defense and offense.

Tight ends back to full strength

After Luke Deal, Rivaldo Fairweather and Brandon Frazier were all having to share a ton of reps during bowl practices last week in Auburn, the group welcomed back Micah Riley-Ducker to full contact reps on Wednesday. That’s a big deal for the offense with the lack of wide receivers available in this game. Auburn could use two or more tight ends at times against Maryland, and without Tyler Fromm that meant a whole lot of work in practice settings for the three older tight ends.

Young DBs getting work

In the viewing periods we had for Wednesday’s practice, the young defensive backs were heavily involved across the board with Kayin Lee, Tyler Scott, Colton Hood and JC Hart all getting reps at cornerback. Scott also got some work at the nickel position for the Tigers along with Champ Anthony. At the safety spot, Sylvester Smith and Terrance Love worked in getting some significant reps along with Caleb Wooden while seniors Jaylin Simpson and Zion Puckett coached them up in between reps.

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs. Maryland

Brian Hauch

4–5 minutes

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The 6-6 Auburn Tigers return to action for the first time since losing the Iron Bowl later this week when they take on the 7-5 Maryland Terrapins in the Music City Bowl on December 30.

Auburn finished the regular season with back-to-back losses but managed bowl eligibility in the first season under new head coach Hugh Freeze.

On the other side, Taulia Tagovailoa and Maryland had an up-and-down season in the Big 10, winning 7 games in 12 tries.

The all-time leading passer in Big 10 history has opted out of this game, giving Auburn a significant edge according to oddsmakers. The Tigers are currently a full touchdown favorite on BetMGM.

ESPN FPI believes this game should be much closer, as Hugh Freeze’s squad has just a 52.4% chance to win according to the model.

Will the tale of the tape show us this game will be a Dixieland Delight for Auburn fans, or will Maryland fans be singing the Victory song on Broadway after the Music City Bowl?

As always we’ll start with the quarterbacks.

Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne initial season on the Plains was much like a Sky Dog at 2 AM. The junior was a bit disappointing, but ultimately got the job done for the most part.

Thorne finished the regular season with 1,671 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions as Auburn’s QB1(a).

Hugh Freeze’s QB1(b), Robby Ashford, has joined thousands of other players in the transfer portal, leaving Thorne with the keys to the Honda Accord that is the Auburn offense.

With Ashford all but gone and incoming four-star recruit Walker White cooking in the background, Thorne has one final chance in game action to prove he can lead the Tigers into 2024.

As for the team up in Maryland, senior sensation Taulia Tagovailoa has chosen to opt out of this game, leaving sophomore quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. and freshmen Cameron Edge as the lone signal-callers on the Terps roster.

Both players combined for just 13 passing attempts this season although Edwards Jr. was used as a goal line quarterback, most notably rushing for 3 touchdowns against No. 1 ranked Michigan.

Maryland’s passing offense was explosive this season but the loss of Tagovailoa gives the edge to Thorne and the Tigers.

The skill positions across the offense are a different story. Auburn holds the edge at running back thanks to the electrifying Jarquez Hunter but the wide receiver gap is larger than Old Line State’s obsession with Old Bay.

Maryland often employs three-reciever sets with Jeshaun Jones, Tai Felton, and Kaden Pranther. Those three combined for nearly 500 more receiving yards than Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne had in passing yards this season.

The Terrapins fourth target, tight end Corey Dyches, would have paced all Auburn pass-catchers as well.

Auburn tight end Rivaldo Fairweather had a solid season but the edge clearly goes to Maryland, especially considering the Tigers will be without Ja'Varrius Johnson in this one.

Auburn’s defense is clearly the better unit on that side of the ball, but defensive coordinator Ron Roberts has some work ahead of him due to opt outs.

Cornerbacks D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett as well as defensive lineman Marcus Harris won’t be availbile for this one, leaving the 21-ranked defense according to ESPN FPI shorthanded in Nashville.

James and Harris were arguably Auburn’s two best players on the defensive side of the ball this season. It helps that linebacker Jalen McLeod and cornerback Keionte Scott are staying on the Plains and will be playing, but the loss of Harris, James, and Pritchett will be felt.

Maryland’s defense on the other hand isn’t great but it’s not anemic either. The Terps were solid all year long, but did give up an average of over 30 points per game in losses this season.

Head coach Mike Locksley isn’t dealing with any major opt-outs on that side of the ball, making the gap between these two teams closer than the stats say.

Still, Auburn gets the edge here.

There is a reason ESPN FPI has these two teams ranked next to each other in overall ranking. While the loss of Taulia Tagovailoa gives Auburn an edge in this game, the Music City Bowl could very well come down to the wire.

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

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si.com

 

LOOK: Incoming freshman LB Demarcus Riddick practices with Auburn before bowl game

Lance Dawe

2–3 minutes

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Riddick is participating in bowl practices with the Tigers.

Some of Auburn's incoming freshmen are already practicing with the team.

Demarcus Riddick, a four-star linebacker in the Tigers' 2024 class, is participating in Auburn's bowl practices in Nashville.

Matt Cohen of Al.com posted a video of Riddick practicing to Twitter.

Here's a breakdown of Riddick as a recruit:

Demarcus Riddick

Size: 6-foot-2, 215 pounds

Position: Linebacker/ATH

High School: Clanton (Al.) Chilton County

Recruitment: Originally a Georgia Bulldogs commitment, Riddick made the official flip to Auburn on July 26, 2023. Offers galore for this man, as Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, Florida State, Oregon, Florida, Tennessee, and Notre Dame are just some of Riddick’s other football scholarship offers.

Athleticism: Notice above where it says “Linebacker/Athlete” after position? That’s not by coincidence. He used his hands as a big-bodied receiver for Chilton County and scored touchdowns in the process, just as one example.

Riddick’s tremendous lateral mobility, hitting top gear quickly, and his hand-eye coordination, and quick hands, are some of his best physical attributes. He could play numerous sports and be successful.

Not that he’s interested, but as a mixed-martial arts competitor, Riddick would be a stud. The quickness, speed, size, and power are obvious.

In particular, Riddick shows the quickness to maneuver away from offensive linemen and he could do the same in the octagon.

Auburn (6-6, 3-5 SEC) will face off against Maryland (7-5, 4-5 Big Ten) in the Music City Bowl this Saturday, December 30th. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ABC/ESPN+.

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saturdaydownsouth.com

 

Payton Thorne speaks to balancing bowl game with 2024 preparations

Kevin L. Smith | 13 hours ago

2–3 minutes

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Auburn is currently preparing to face Maryland in the Music City Bowl this weekend.

As the Tigers gear up for a showdown against the Terrapins, the anticipation of the 2024 season seeps in.

For junior quarterback Payton Thorne, prep work for a bowl game and looking ahead to 2024 has been “hard to balance.”

“You have that time off, and obviously with the portal opening up and the high school guys having signing day and recruiting, us players are trying to do our part,” Thorne said in an interview on Wednesday.

 

Thorne is looking forward to what the 2024 campaign has to offer, but knows the Tigers have to finish up 2023 first.

“It’s weird because you’re looking so much into next season and talking about next season,” Thorne said. “We still have to finish off this season, so we can focus back up here at practice and be ready to go on Saturday.”

During the regular season, Thorne had 1,671 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. On the ground, the junior ran for 520 yards and three scores on 125 carries.

Auburn (6-6) had a roller coaster regular season. After a 3-0 start, the Tigers lost 4 straight then won 3 in a row. Auburn’s regular season was capped with a heartbreaking 27-24 loss to Iron Bowl rival Alabama.

The Tigers will take on Maryland in the Music City Bowl on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on ABC.

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wrbl.com

 

Former Tiger linebacker optimistic about Auburn’s future

Rex Castillo

~3 minutes

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by: Rex Castillo

Posted: Dec 27, 2023 / 09:20 AM EST

Updated: Dec 27, 2023 / 09:20 AM EST

Auburn, Al. – Hugh Freeze’s first regular season on The Plains is in the books. The season could be described as a transitional year for the Tigers. Auburn finished the regular season with a 6-6 overall record, but the expectations are still high for the Tigers. Former players like linebacker Antarrious Williams-Neal say the future is bright for Freeze’s team.

“You know I think I’m really excited about what Hugh is doing. I wish we had more wins this year. I mean we had 3 or 4 really close games I wish we could have won, versus Alabama and versus Georgia. We really were in those games and would have liked to have won those games. All in all I think we’re definitely heading in the right direction,” said Williams-Neal.

At the end of the early signing period, Auburn brings in a top 10 recruiting class in the country. With that kind of talent heading to Freeze’s roster, Williams-Neal believes the bright future for the Tigers won’t be too far away.

“I think you better ready for Auburn now. I think we’re going to see a much better team and much improved team. As soon as we get the quarterback room tightened up and the way that Hugh Freeze wants it to be. We’ve got receivers coming in. If we can do that I can believe fans are going to be excited about what happens next year,” said Williams-Neal.

Currently the Tigers are gearing up for the first bowl game under head coach Freeze. While it’s not in the College Football Playoff, Williams-Neal wants his Tigers to embrace the opportunity to play in the Music City Bowl against Maryland.

“It’s a reward for your hard work throughout the season. You get to kick back and relax and enjoy a new city. I’ve been to the Music City Bowl a couple of times and I was there in Auburn. We love going to Nashville it’s a great city to be a part of,” said Williams-Neal.

And moving forward Williams-Neal wants to remind everyone, do not sleep on Auburn.
“You can already tell by what we’re doing from a recruiting stand point. With the NIL and the transfer portal we’ll be exactly where we need to be quicker than what people think,” said Williams-Neal.

The Auburn Tigers square off against the Maryland Terrapins in the Music City Bowl on December 30th.

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247sports.com

 

Back in Nashville can Auburn reverse its recent bowl woes

Nathan King

3–4 minutes

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Nashville is the last place anyone wearing orange and blue saw a bowl win.

As the Tigers return to the Music City Bowl as touchdown favorites over Maryland, most of the team — non-transfers, at least — is looking for its first-ever bowl victory in an Auburn uniform. Aside from offensive linemen Kam Stutts and Jalil Irvin — both of whom were part of the 2018 class and are sixth-year seniors with the program — there haven’t been any bowl wins to speak of.

“I feel like Coach Freeze and his staff have everything moving in the right direction, and I definitely have a lot of faith in them,” Stutts said. “So ending my career with a W and continuing that path would mean a lot.”

Auburn is 0-3 in bowl games since its last trip to Nissan Stadium, when it plastered Purdue 63-14. That win set a number of bowl records that stood until Georgia eviscerated TCU in last year’s national championship game.

But Auburn may have used up too much of its postseason magic that chilly afternoon. In 2019, Auburn fell just short of 10 wins by losing to Minnesota in the Outback Bowl. A shorthanded Tigers team without its head coach lost to Northwestern in the Citrus Bowl in 2020. And Bryan Harsin’s only trip to a bowl game as Auburn’s coach ended in a loss, after Houston scored a go-ahead touchdown with 3:27 remaining.

Gus Malzahn went 2-6 in bowl games, including an 0-5 record against ranked teams.

So even fifth-year seniors like Zion Puckett, who will be playing his last game at Auburn along with his starting mate at safety, Jaylin Simpson, haven’t been part of a bowl win.

“It means a lot because this is both of our last game,” Puckett said. “And I think the right way is just to finish out strong for Auburn and the family here. I think that’s going to mean a lot to both of us.”

If Auburn is defeated by Maryland on Saturday, it will mark four straight bowl losses for the first time in program history.

Auburn’s bevy of transfer players on this year’s roster combine for much more bowl victories in their careers. And they know it can be a real momentum-booster to end a season on a high note — and especially if they can do so in convincing fashion.

“It kind of gives you momentum going into the next year, especially if you can dominate it,” offensive guard Gunner Britton said. “For us to be able to win it would be huge. It’s always nice finishing above .500, 7-6 instead of 6-7.”

Those transfers — like pass-rusher Elijah McAllister, who never saw a bowl win at Vanderbilt, either — won’t be around for the fruits of Freeze’s improvements of the program moving forward. But they know they have one last chance to add to a brief but impactful stint on the plains.

“I think bowl game aside, I think I definitely have and we definitely have,” McAllister said of whether he thinks the program improved this season. “But the bowl game win will solidify that and make us feel a little bit better about ourselves going into next season.”

Auburn reported to Nashville on Tuesday and will begin on-site bowl practices Wednesday afternoon.

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al.com

 

Observations from Auburn’s Nashville practice ahead of the Music City Bowl

Updated: Dec. 27, 2023, 6:06 p.m.|Published: Dec. 27, 2023, 3:50 p.m.

4–5 minutes

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Hugh Freeze speaks to media as Auburn holds 1st Nashville practice for Music City Bowl vs. Maryland

Auburn held an open viewing period for reporters Wednesday at its first practice in Nashville ahead of the Music City Bowl. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.

Auburn is using Vanderbilt’s football practice facility — which is not currently obstructed by any of the ongoing construction next door at the football stadium.

It was a largely light practice. Head coach Hugh Freeze has previously said he didn’t want to overwork his team in advance of the bowl game and wanted the trip to Nashville to be more fun than grueling. He said he’s had his most success in previous bowl games when he had lighter practice schedules.

Freeze is 6-2 in bowl games as a head coach.

Here are a few notes from Auburn’s practice. Auburn also held an open viewing window on campus last Wednesday. This session at Vanderbilt was the second of two open periods ahead of the Music City Bowl.

- QB Payton Thorne is practicing and appears good to go. He missed all but one practice, according to Freeze, before Auburn’s team broke for Christmas because he had flu-like symptoms. Freeze said he believes there is a “run of sickness” running through the whole Auburn team ahead of the bowl game.

- C Avery Jones did not participate in practice. He was present but wearing sweats off the side of the other offensive lineman.

- Most of the remaining offensive line as the same as it has been for weeks. Connor Lew is still the center, a job that by this point he has appeared to earn for good. Jeremiah Wright and Kam Stutts rotated at the right guard spot while Gunner Britton played left guard. Izavion Miller was the right tackle and Dillon Wade was the left tackle.

- A growing group of signees in Auburn’s 2024 class are participating with the team. None of these players are allowed to play in the bowl game, but getting extra practices with Auburn and traveling with the team to its bowl game is a valuable experience. At this point, the group of signees practicing includes DT Malik Blocton, LBs Demarcus Riddick, Joe Phillips and DJ Barber, WR Bryce Cain and S Kaleb Harris

- Speaking of Blocton, his older brother and Auburn star defensive tackle Marcus Harris was present at practice despite opting out of the game. He was helping and supporting the remaining defensive lineman while in street clothes. Among those defensive linemen practicing was Justin Rogers, who accepted an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl. Rogers does not appear to be opting out and because he is not required to enter the NFL Draft after the Shrine Bowl, could still return to Auburn next season.

- Jaylin Simpson and Zion Pucket are both off the NFL and practicing with Auburn too. Or at least minimally. They were there and in pads. They didn’t do many drills. Same could be said for another Auburn veteran in Elijah McAllister. It appeared to get younger players some experience.

- So, who is getting the benefit of Auburn resting some of its starters? Sophomore Caleb Wooden and freshman Terrance Love both played together at safety when Simpson and Puckett were off to the side. Both have received a lot of praise throughout bowl practices.

- Auburn doesn’t have many wide receivers available for the game — Jay Fair, Nick Mardner, Shane Hooks, Koy Moore, Caleb Burton and Camden Brown were all present at practice — but it appears generally healthy. It is helpful to have Cain joining in with practice to balance out some reps.

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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al.com

 

Auburn DT Justin Rogers to play in East-West Shrine Bowl, still practicing with team

Published: Dec. 27, 2023, 3:33 p.m.

3–4 minutes

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Vanderbilt quarterback Ken Seals (8) and Auburn defensive lineman Justin Rogers (52) dive for a loose ball in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)AP

Auburn defensive tackle Justin Rogers accepted an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl, according to a post from the Bowl’s account on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The East-West Shrine Bowl will be played this year on Feb. 1, 2024, in Frisco, Texas. It is an all-star showcase of college players pursuing NFL futures and generally is a path to the NFL Draft.

Though while Rogers is accepting an invitation, he is not required to enter the NFL Draft and it is not completely clear if he intends to leave school. Rogers has one more year of eligibility remaining.

Regardless of his future prospects, he does appear on track to play in the Music City Bowl with kickoff set for 1 p.m. Saturday in Nashville. Rogers was seen practicing Wednesday with Auburn during its on-site practice at Vanderbilt’s football facility.

Rogers played fellow defensive tackle Marcus Harris’ spot. Harris has already announced he plans to enter the 2024 NFL Draft and will opt out of the Music City Bowl.

Before Wednesday’s news of Rogers’ potential to leave school after this season, he appeared the obvious candidate to take Harris’ spot on the defensive front. He had already started multiple games for Auburn this season.

Should Auburn lose Harris and Rogers after this season, it will be left with a young and inexperienced defensive line.

Auburn brought in defensive lineman Gage Keys as a transfer from Kansas and will get back starter Jayson Jones. Outside of those players, Auburn’s defensive line is expecting to bring in four freshmen and effectively five with DJ Reed who redshirted this season.

Reed has been mentioned by both head coach Hugh Freeze and various Auburn players as a young face on the roster who has looked good in bowl practices. He and the crop of new defensive linemen could be looked at as a group Auburn will need early contributions from, given its roster construction for next season.

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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al.com

 

Auburn Music City Bowl forecast: Dry but chilly

Published: Dec. 27, 2023, 1:02 p.m.

2–3 minutes

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Auburn is scheduled to take on Maryland on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 1 p.m. in Nashville in the Music City Bowl. Nashville could see a few snowflakes on Friday, but conditions are expected to improve by Saturday, with no precipitation expected. Above is the forecast for noon on Saturday.National Weather Service

Auburn is gearing up to take the field this weekend in the Music City Bowl, but will the weather work in the Tigers’ (and fans’) favor?

Auburn is scheduled to face Maryland on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 1 p.m. CST in the Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

Auburn is the favorite to win the game.

What is not exactly favorable is the weather forecast, which will be on the chilly side.

The National Weather Service in Nashville is forecasting the temperature to be around 46 degrees at 1 p.m. CST for kickoff. Temperatures are forecast to peak at 48 degrees by 3 p.m. and fall to 46 degrees again by 4 p.m., when things could be winding down.

The weather service is forecasting wind chills to be in the low 40s to upper 30s. Winds should be just under 10 mph for the duration of the game.

The good news is that there is no precipitation of any kind expected during the game. The same can’t be said for Friday, when the Nashville area could see a few snowflakes.

The weather service expects rain chances to decrease starting early Saturday morning and be next to nothing (5 percent) by game time.

Skies are forecast to be partly cloudy on Saturday afternoon in the Nashville area. Here is the sky cover forecast for noon on Saturday:

Nashville is expected to have partly cloudy skies on Saturday afternoon. Above is the sky cover forecast for noon Saturday.NWS

Overnight lows are forecast to dip into the low 30s by Sunday morning.

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al.com

 

Broncos pulling Russell Wilson for Jarrett Stidham at QB

Updated: Dec. 27, 2023, 12:14 p.m.|Published: Dec. 27, 2023, 12:03 p.m.

6–7 minutes

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For the second straight NFL season, quarterback Jarrett Stidham is moving into the starting lineup with two games left on the schedule.

Last year, it was with the Las Vegas Raiders. This year, Stidham is going into the lineup for the Denver Broncos. On Wednesday, NFL Network and ESPN reported Denver coach Sean Payton had told his players that Stidham would replace Russell Wilson in the lineup when the Broncos play the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday afternoon.

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After losing its first three games of the 2023 season, Denver got its record to 6-5. But the Broncos have lost three of their past four games, including a 26-23 setback on Sunday night, when the New England Patriots earned their fourth victory of the season.

“So many times, when we look at some of that stuff, it’s self-inflicted problems,” Payton said after the game. “That has to get cleaned up. That’s communication. That might be having to reduce -- is there too much in? Right now, we’re average to below average in a lot of things offensively, and it’s not good enough.”

A nine-team Pro Bowler, Wilson has completed 297-of-447 passes for 3,070 yards with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions and run for 341 yards and three touchdowns on 80 carries in 2023.

Among the NFL’s 32 teams, the Denver offense ranks 16th in points and 25th in yards.

A former Auburn standout, Stidham has taken four snaps for the Broncos this season.

In 2022, Stidham started the final two games of the season for the Raiders.

Stidham completed 53-of-83 passes for 656 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions and ran for 84 yards on 14 carries against two of the NFL’s best teams as the Raiders lost 37-34 to the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 1 and 31-13 to the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 7.

Stidham became the second player in NFL history with at least 350 passing yards and three touchdown passes in his first start.

Stidham took over for Derek Carr, who was sent home for the last two weeks of his ninth season with the Raiders. With a 6-9 record, Las Vegas was trying to keep Carr healthy. With Carr’s 2023 salary of $32.9 million plus $7.5 million of his 2024 salary set to become guaranteed in the offseason, the Raiders needed the quarterback to remain healthy to retain their option to cut him, which they did.

But Las Vegas did not re-sign Stidham in the offseason, turning to Jimmy Garoppolo instead. Stidham joined the Broncos in free agency for a two-year, $10 million contract.

“There were a couple of directions at that position,” Payton said after Stidham joined the team. “There were a handful of No. 2s that either I had worked with or we felt comfortable with. But in this case, I think it’s a No. 2 that his arrow is moving in a direction where we feel like he can become an NFL starter in our league, so the evaluation was pretty crystal clear for all of us. …

“I think there’s upside in this player. I think there’s certain players that we saw in free agency, you know they’re a 2. Can they come in and play and start? Yes. I think you get that with Jarrett. But I also think you get a player who’s still ascending. If you watch the 49er game, that’s impressive against a good defense. And so he was a priority for us, like, quietly, and fortunately it worked out where we were able to get him.”

Wilson’s salary of $37 million for the 2025 season becomes guaranteed if he’s still on the Broncos’ roster after the NFL’s 2024 fiscal year starts in March. It’s already guaranteed against injury.

“I’m just worried about next week and playing great football,” Wilson said when asked about his future in Denver after Sunday night’s loss. “I came here to win and win a championship for us and to find a way to do that. I obviously love being here with these guys, these teammates. I’m excited to keep playing ball and playing hard for us.”

After two seasons at Auburn, Stidham joined the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. In his first NFL preseason, Stidham completed 61-of-90 passes for 731 yards with four touchdowns and one interception as he led the AFC in passing yards and beat out veteran Brian Hoyer to serve as Tom Brady’s backup during the three-time NFL MVP’s final season with New England.

Stidham played in three NFL regular-season games in 2019 and five in 2020, when he backed up Cam Newton.

But in 2021, Stidham never got in a game after sustaining an offseason injury as New England went with rookie Mac Jones as its starting quarterback and Hoyer as the backup. Stidham had surgery on July 28, 2021, because of a back injury and spent the first nine weeks of the season on the reserve/physically-unable-to-perform list.

Stidham joined the Raiders in May 2022, when Las Vegas sent a sixth-round choice in the 2023 NFL Draft to the New England Patriots for the quarterback and a seventh-round pick. The trade reunited Stidham with Las Vegas coach Josh McDaniels, his offensive coordinator for three seasons with the Patriots.

In 14 NFL regular-season games, Stidham has completed 77-of-131 passes for 926 yards with six touchdowns and seven interceptions and run for 89 yards on 14 carries.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S 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.

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good morning my fellow aubiens! i hope everyone has an outstanding day!

[gr82be 14,425]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

Early on Wednesday morning, the East-West Shrine Game tweeted out that Justin Rogers had accepted an invitation to play in their all-star game. That is partially true, from what we have been told. Rogers did accept an invitation, but still hasn't made a final decision on whether or not he'll return for the 2024 season. We have heard that Rogers has been leaning towards coming back for the Tigers, which would be big with the loss of Marcus Harris from this year's team. A decision isn't expected from Rogers until sometime after the bowl game. Speaking of Harris, he was at practice on Wednesday to support his teammates even though he decided not to play in the game.

Sounds promising on Justin Rogers. We now have an environment where staying is a desirable option. 

[gr82be 14,425]

44 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

good morning my fellow aubiens! i hope everyone has an outstanding day!

You too fifty. 

[gr82be 14,425]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

If Auburn is defeated by Maryland on Saturday, it will mark four straight bowl losses for the first time in program history.

We have to win, we have enough of the dubious distinction games this year already. Please win this game Auburn. 

[aubiefifty 16,791]

Auburn adds former Cal QB Sam Jackson V from transfer portal

Taylor Jones

Thu, December 28, 2023 at 6:00 AM CST·1 min read

 

 

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In a surprising move, Auburn has added a former Pac-12 quarterback to its transfer portal haul… as a wide receiver.

Sam Jackson V, who played 5 games as a quarterback at Cal last season, is set to transfer to Auburn to begin his transition to wide receiver.

Jackson originally signed with TCU and was a three-star quarterback according to 247Sports from the 2021 recruiting cycle. He was the No. 32 quarterback of the cycle and was the No. 7 overall recruit from the state of Illinois. He was once a high school teammate of Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne at Naperville Central High School. Before transitioning to quarterback, Jackson was a wide receiver for Thorne.

 

As a quarterback, Jackson passed for 681 yards and five touchdowns between his stops at Cal and TCU. This season at Cal, he completed 51-of-96 passes for 556 yards and five touchdowns while splitting snaps with Fernando Mendoza and Ben Jackson. He was the Golden Bears’ highest-graded quarterback with a 71.2 according to Pro Football Focus.

Jackson joins Robert Lewis as transfer receivers that have signed with Auburn since the transfer portal window opened earlier this month. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

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

 

[SaltyTiger 7,808]

2 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

good morning my fellow aubiens! i hope everyone has an outstanding day!

Good morning from cold and beautiful Auburn Fiddy. Thanks and have a great one. Good here because all Christmas decorations and tree coming down. Usually day after Christmas but commitment’s did not allow.

with GTB on please win.