1.7.24 Football Articles

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Hugh Freeze likely to take over play calling for Auburn in 2024

Brian Hauch

2–3 minutes

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Auburn Football’s major staff shakeup has continued.

Just a day after parting ways with offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery, head coach Hugh Freeze will reportedly be taking over the play-calling for the Tigers in 2024.

Freeze took a more hands-on approach to the offense after Auburn started the 2023 SEC season 0-4. Payton Thorne and the running game immediately took a step forward, winning three straight games while averaging over 35 points per contest.

Auburn’s offense was also great in the Iron Bowl loss as the trio of running backs Jarquez Hunter, Damari Alston, and quarterback Thorne combined to rush for just under 250 yards.

The Tigers’ head coach decided to take a step back from play-calling for the Music City Bowl to focus on recruiting.

The offense was anemic in Nashville.

Scoring only 10 points against a Maryland defense that didn’t have a great season, Auburn brass decided to ultimately part ways with Montgomery.

Auburn’s head coach is also expected to promote analyst Kent Austin to the quarterbacks coach. Austin was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Freeze at Liberty.

While Freeze is set to take over the play-calling, Auburn will surely be looking for a new offensive coordinator over the coming weeks.

With the transfer portal still heating up and the new recruiting class slowly finding their way to the Plains, it would help the Tigers if they could find one sooner than later.

Final decision hasn’t been made yet, but Hugh Freeze is likely to take over offensive play-calling for Auburn, sources tell @247sports.

It’s also currently looking likely that Tigers analyst Kent Austin is going to end up getting promoted to QB coach, per sources. Austin was… pic.twitter.com/U4wen8EoUK

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 5, 2024

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

 

Auburn transfer tackle target has arrived on campus

Zac Blackerby

~2 minutes

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According to reports, a top SEC tackle target has arrived at Auburn.

According to multiple reports, Mississippi State transfer offensive tackle Percy Lewis has arrived at Auburn on an official visit.

Lewis arrives at Auburn after a visit to Arkansas earlier in the week. Lewis has emerged as a top target for the Tigers with the expectation to start in 2024. Lewis was an Auburn target when he was a juco player at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He chose Mississippi State over Auburn.

Lewis is listed at 6-foot-8, 345 pounds. He started seven games in 2023. 

Auburn has actively hosted and spent time with transfer offensive linemen in search of a potential starter at tackle. The assumption is that it will allow Auburn to scoot Dillon Wade inside to guard and play next to Connor Lew at center. Izavion Miller would be the other tackle. 

According to PFF, Lewis played 491 snaps at Mississippi State last season. Almost all of his offensive snaps were at left tackle. He took six snaps at inline tight end to help in the running game.

Auburn has added wide receiver Robert Lewis, wide receiver SamJackson V, defensive lineman Gage Keys, and linebacker Dorian Mausi via the transfer portal this portal window. Auburn is looking for more help in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

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al.com

 

Watch as incoming Auburn QB tosses deep touchdown pass early in All-American Bowl

Updated: Jan. 06, 2024, 12:53 p.m.|Published: Jan. 06, 2024, 12:51 p.m.

2–3 minutes

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1. Auburn Football

Watch as incoming Auburn QB Walker White tosses 51-yard touchdown pass in the All-American Bowl

Auburn commit Little Rock (Ark.) Christian Academy quarterback Walker White passes the ball during the Hustle Up 7on7 national tournament at the Hoover Met Complex in Hoover, Ala., on Friday, July 14, 2023. (Dennis Victory | preps@al.com)

Wearing the black, No. 15 jersey for Team West in Saturday’s All American Bowl is recent Auburn quarterback signee Walker White.

Ahead of Team West’s opening drive, it was White who jogged out onto the field to take the first snaps under center.

In White’s opening play, he faked a screen pass to the right before bringing the ball back down and keeping it himself for a gain of two yards, bringing up 2nd-and-8, well inside Team West’s own half of the field.

On the very next play, future Georgia running back Nate Frazier snuck out of the backfield and was sent streaking down the left sideline, where White found him with a 51-yard touchdown pass that left little to be desired as Frazier never broke stride en route to the endzone.

And as evident by social media reactions, plenty of White’s future teammates — both incoming and returning — were watching Saturday’s All American Bowl.

Perry Thompson — one of Auburn’s pair of 5-star wide receivers — took to X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, to issue his support for White.

Damari Alston, one of Auburn’s returning running backs, also took to X to let everyone know he was tuned in.

Though Team West has three other blue-chip quarterbacks on its roster, after White’s brilliant opening drive, it was he who jogged back out onto the field for Team West’s second drive.

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