1.11.24 Football Articles

[aubiefifty 16,803]

pay article but the headlines tell the story.

 

247sports.com

 

5star Auburn WR target Ryan Williams backs off Alabama pledge

Christian Clemente

4–5 minutes

---

 

[aubiefifty 16,803]

 

auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Five-star WR Caleb Cunningham schedules visit to Auburn

JD McCarthy

1–2 minutes

---

Five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham is one of the most coveted prospects in the 2025 recruiting cycle, boasting over 30 scholarship offers from all across the country.

The Mississippi native is a major target for Auburn and Marcus Davis and they will get a chance to host him on an unofficial visit later this month. According to On3’s Chad Simmons, he will be visiting the Plains on Jan. 20. That will be his third visit to Auburn, including to watch the Tigers take on Ole Miss.

Cunningham is the No. 10 overall player and No. 2 wide receiver in the On3 industry ranking. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder is also the No. 1 player from Mississippi.

Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class is off to a great start, ranking No. 7 in the country but the Tigers are still looking for their first wide receiver commitment.

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

[aubiefifty 16,803]

 

si.com

 

Auburn Briefing: Brian Battie's return could mean a lot for the running backs room

Zac Blackerby

~2 minutes

---

Brian Battie pulled his name from the transfer portal.

Unless something changes, Auburn is set to enter into 2024 with the same running back room as a year ago.

Entering 2023, Auburn's deepest position was running back and the fact that Auburn will bring back Brian Battie after he tested the waters in the transfer portal, could mean a ton in an offense that may still need to run the ball a fair amount.

Battie joins Jarquez Hunter, Damari Alston, and Jeremiah Cobb in a stacked running backs room that was a top-five rushing attack in the SEC.

Auburn was fifth in the SEC in rushing yards (2457), fifth in total rushing attempts (513), and fourth in rushing yards per game (189). Depending on play calling and scheme, Auburn should be in a position to run more plays in 2024.

Latest Podcast

On today's Locked On Auburn, we look at why Chris Kiffin should be the favorite to be Auburn's next defensive coordinator. His relationship with Hugh Freeze, recruiting history, and time in the NFL should be a huge plus in what he could bring to the Auburn staff if the Tigers went in that direction.

You can check the show out below, on the Locked On Auburn YouTUbe page, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recruiting Pages to Bookmark

[aubiefifty 16,803]

 

al.com

 

'The bad man is gone': Auburn student reacts to Nick Saban's retirement

Updated: Jan. 10, 2024, 8:16 p.m.|Published: Jan. 10, 2024, 7:06 p.m.

4–5 minutes

---

1. Auburn Football

‘The bad man is gone’: Auburn students take to Toomer’s Corner to celebrate Nick Saban’s retirement

 

Time-lapse: Auburn fans roll Toomer's Corner as news of Nick Saban's retirement spreads

Luke Leatherman, a freshman aviation management student at Auburn, had just returned to his room from the university’s student center when the notification came across his phone.

A YouTuber he follows on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, penned a post saying “An era is ending.”

“I looked and I see Saban’s retiring and I just screamed in my room and said, ‘What happened?’,” Leatherman said. “The bad man is gone. Finally, after 17 long years, we can finally be rid of him.”

For Leatherman, Wednesday’s news of Saban’s retirement felt like a win on all accounts.

“I’ve waited almost as long as I’ve been alive for this moment,” Leatherman said as he stood beneath the rolled oak trees on Toomer’s Corner, roll of toilet paper in hand.

For Leatherman, a lifelong Auburn fan, Saban has been at the root of plenty of heartaches in late November.

At the same time, Leatherman understands he’s watched history unfold.

“I must say... I don’t want to say I hate him. I have a lot respect for him,” Leatherman said. “He’s done a lot for the game of college football. He’s proven he’s one of, if not the greatest, college football coaches of all time. I just wish it was for a different school.”

The feeling of wishing Saban coached at a different school might’ve come at an all-time high for Leatherman this past November as the Crimson Tide beat the Tigers on a last-second touchdown on 4th-and-31 to come from behind and win the game.

“Fortunately and unfortunately, yes,” Leatherman said when asked if he was at Jordan-Hare Stadium for this past Iron Bowl, adding that it was the fourth Alabama-Auburn game he’d been able to attend in person.

However, unlike many of his peers at Auburn, Leatherman has had the luxury of witnessing Auburn knock off Saban and the Crimson Tide twice. Both times, Leatherman rushed the field with Tigers’ fans.

“I really do wish it for my friends,” Leatherman said. “Or especially a lot of the freshmen that have come over. That was their first Iron Bowl. For them and what could’ve been, it was an amazing Iron Bowl experience. But what could’ve been the best day of their lives... it turned into that.”

But in true Auburn fan-fashion, Leatherman managed to find a silver lining in November’s narrow defeat.

“Hey, in hindsight, when you look at it, all it did was it prevented Georgia from going on a three-peat,” Leatherman joked.

After learning of Wednesday’s news, Leatherman immediately texted a group of his classmates from one of his aviation classes and asked they come to Toomer’s Corner and bring toilet paper.

Leatherman extended the invite on Auburn’s university-wide Snapchat story before arriving to Toomer’s Corner with a handful of friends, only to see that others had already taken to the iconic oaks with toilet paper before their arrival.

“This is a time to celebrate,” Leatherman said. “This is a win — not just for Auburn, but for college football in general.”

And how do Auburn fans celebrate wins? By chucking toilet paper at the oak trees on the corner of College Street and Magnolia Avenue.

“So War Damn Eagle,” Leatherman said as he cocked back his right arm, which was armed with a roll of toilet paper.

“And Bama, we’ll see you next year,” he added as he let another piece of toilet paper fly.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

[aubiefifty 16,803]

 

[aubiefifty 16,803]

 

[aubiefifty 16,803]

al.com

 

Auburn’s Hugh Freeze reacts to news of Nick Saban’s retirement

Updated: Jan. 10, 2024, 8:44 p.m.|Published: Jan. 10, 2024, 5:08 p.m.

~2 minutes

---

Alabama head coach Nick Saban talk with Mississippi head coach Hugh Freeze before the start of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) AP

After 17 years at Alabama and six national championships, Nick Saban is retiring, ESPN’s Chris Low first reported Wednesday afternoon.

For Auburn first-year head coach Hugh Freeze, news of Saban’s retirement doesn’t just mean a rival head coach is retiring — it also means a longtime friend and mentor of Freeze’s is retiring.

“Hard to express how much Nick and Ms. (Terry) have meant to Jill and I as friends and you have forever set the mark for many to chase in this profession,” Freeze wrote in a post to X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter. “Enjoy retirement!!”

Back in July, as Freeze returned to SEC Media Days in Nashville for the first time since his bumpy exit from Ole Miss in 2016, the first-year Auburn head coach recognized Saban as “the king.”

“I want to measure ourselves against the gold standard,” Freeze said of comparing Auburn to Alabama during SEC Media Days.

Meanwhile, when asked of the new coach down on The Plains, Saban was complimentary of Freeze.

“When the game is over, you’re still friends and that’s the way it will be probably with this,” Saban said of Freeze during SEC Media Days.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

[aubiefifty 16,803]

 

[aubiefifty 16,803]

 

[aubiefifty 16,803]

 

[aubiefifty 16,803]

have a great one folks!

[aubiefifty 16,803]

Ryan Williams to Auburn? Expert picks are trending towards the Tigers

Taylor Jones

Thu, January 11, 2024 at 6:00 AM CST·1 min read

 

 

Five-star wide receiver Ryan Williams backed off his pledge to Alabama on Wednesday following the stunning announcement of Nick Saban’s retirement.

The news of Williams’ de-commitment could be a great sign for the Auburn Tigers, who want to complete the “The Freeze Five” puzzle and may have a shot to reel in the missing piece.

Williams announced in December that he would visit Auburn during the weekend of Feb. 3. Does Auburn have a shot to land his commitment? Two experts from 247Sports have recently submitted crystal ball predictions favoring Auburn.

 

Josh Edwards of CatPause and national recruiting expert Bud Elliot both predict that the Tigers will land Williams with 6-out-of-10 confidence.

Williams re-classified to the 2024 class in December and will announce his college plans on Feb. 7, which begins the spring signing window. He was set to officially visit Alabama on Feb. 20, but it is unclear if he still plans to take the trip to Tuscaloosa. He will also visit Texas on Jan. 27.

Williams, a wide receiver from Saraland High School in metro Mobile, is the No. 12 overall recruit for the 2024 cycle according to 247Sports, and is the No. 4 overall wide receiver for the class. He is the No. 2 recruit from the state of Alabama, trailing only Auburn signee Cam Coleman for the top spot.

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

 

[aubiefifty 16,803]

 

[aubiefifty 16,803]