2.28.24 FoorballArticles

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al.com

Former Auburn DT Marcus Harris reacted to new DT coach Vontrell King-Williams

Published: Feb. 28, 2024, 12:35 p.m.

3–4 minutes

Auburn Football

Auburn promoted DT coach Vontrell King-Williams. Here’s what a former player thought.

Auburn QBs compete on first day of Spring practice; Payton Thorne, Walker White, Hank Brown

Former Auburn defensive tackle Marcus Harris got to know him as an analyst, but since he won’t get Vontrell King-Williams as his defensive line coach, Harris called his brother Malik Blocton on Tuesday.

Blocton, a freshman defensive tackle at Auburn, went through his first spring practice with King-Williams, and quickly got a good review.

“He loves the new coaching staff, especially with Coach Vontrell stepped in for Coach Garrett,” Harris told AL.com at the NFL Combine on Wednesday. “He feels like it’s not a step off of Coach Garrett. He loves him. I just called him last night asking him how his first fall practice was. He said it went great. I can’t wait to see him shine this season.”

Auburn promoted King-Williams to be its new defensive tackles coach on Feb. 9. He took the place of Jeremy Garrett, who left his defensive line job at Auburn for the same role with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“When I sat down and interviewed him, the thing that stood out right away was his confidence and his attention to detail,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson told AL.com about Garrett on Tuesday. “That’s who I am as a coach. You pay attention to the little things. That’s what drew me to him, allowed me to hire him and get him on staff.”

After Garrett’s departure, Auburn’s staff shifted including King-Williams’ promotion, linebackers coach Josh Aldridge moving to coach the edge rushers and new defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin given charge of the inside linebackers.

Yet with so many new faces entering Auburn’s coaching staff this year, Harris said King-Williams’ promotion was a welcome piece of continuity.

“He’s a great coach,” Harris said Wednesday. “Great energy. Great leader. Just the best coach, I feel like, for the job because a lot of players knew him, a lot of players respected him and he was a great coach while I was there.”

King-Williams was an analyst with Auburn in 2023. He followed head coach Hugh Freeze to Auburn after coaching under him at Liberty.

“I was happy because a lot of coaches don’t get the opportunity to be an assistant,” Harris said. “I was just happy for him because he most definitely put in that work for it. Players respect him for that.”

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

An inside look at Auburn football’s first practice of spring camp

Published: Feb. 27, 2024, 5:35 p.m.

~4 minutes

Auburn QBs compete on first day of Spring practice; Payton Thorne, Walker White, Hank Brown

Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers officially got spring camp underway at Auburn’s Woltosz Football Performance Center Tuesday afternoon. The media was permitted to watch 20 minutes of Tuesday’s practice, of which mainly consisted of positional drills.

As is the case during the regular season, Auburn’s offense and defense practiced on separate fields for much of the viewing window.

And while it’s hard to make much out of 20 minutes of football practice, at the very least, it gave an inside look at who was practicing where and with who, as well as our first look at Auburn’s new faces.

A few observations:

True freshman WR Cam Coleman looks like a man among boys

Auburn’s 5-star wide receiver signee Cam Coleman is tough to miss, folks.

Listed as 6-foot-3 and 188 pounds, Coleman appears to tower over a lot of the other receivers in the position group, not to mention he turns heads with the build he’s got on him.

Freshman WR Cam Coleman during Auburn's first spring practice on Feb. 27, 2024 at Auburn's Woltosz Football Performance Center.Patrick Greenfield

During his first college practice, Coleman ran through a few agility drills before running routes for Auburn’s quartet of quarterbacks.

Again, it’s tough to make anything of what Coleman’s role might be come the fall, but at the very least, he looks well-equipped physically and athletically.

Four different quarterbacks take reps

As expected, four different guys shared reps at the quarterback spot Tuesday.

For the majority of the viewing window, the quarterback order appeared to be fifth-year Payton Thorne, sophomore Holden Geriner, redshirt freshman Hank Brown and then 4-star freshman Walker White.

The four arms opened the viewing period doing hand-off drills with Auburn’s stable of running backs, followed by passing drills with the running backs.

In the back half of the viewing window, Auburn’s quarterbacks passed to the wide receivers.

White did spend some time getting coached up by Kent Austin, who was recently elevated to quarterbacks coach after spending the 2023 season as special assistant to the head coach.

Joe Phillips works with edge rushers

Now listed as Auburn’s defensive edge coach after being the program’s linebackers coach last season, Josh Aldridge oversaw the Tigers’ Jack linebackers and defensive ends during Tuesday’s viewing window.

And joining that group, despite being listed as a linebacker, was 4-star freshman Joe Phillips.

Joining Phillips in working with Auburn’s edge rushers was fellow 4-star freshman edge rusher Jamonta Waller, redshirt freshman Jack linebacker Brenton Williams, senior Jack linebacker Jalen McLeod, sophomore defensive lineman Keldric Faulk, 4-star freshman defensive lineman Amaris Williams and 4-star freshman defensive lineman TJ Lindsey.

Newly elevated defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams was vocal in leading his drills with Auburn’s interior defensive linemen, while newly hired defensive coordinator DJ Durkin oversaw the Tigers’ group of linebackers.

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theplainsman.com

4-star cornerback Devin Williams commits to Auburn

~3 minutes

Hugh Freeze continues to build Auburn football’s class of 2025 with the commitment of 4-star cornerback Devin Williams Monday evening.

Williams announced his commitment to the Tigers on X.

Williams joined a seventh-rated overall class in the country and became the ninth commit of the class, along with the first defensive back of the group. 

The 14th-rated cornerback per 247Sports in the class held many offers, including the reigning national champions Michigan and SEC rivals Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State and others. 

The native of Buford, Georgia, attends Buford High School and is listed at 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds. Williams is the 113th overall prospect in 2025 and the 18th-best prospect in the state of Georgia.

Williams was recruited by defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff and co-defensive coordinator Charles Kelly and becomes the sixth Tiger in the class of 2025 on the defensive side of the ball. 

In 2023, the defensive back flashed versatility playing both ways for the 11-1 Buford Wolves, getting playing time at wide receiver with 5-star Nebraska commit Dylan Raoila. He also has experience running track, participating in the 100 and 200-meter dashes.  

Freeze adds another piece in what could be another top-10 class for Auburn football.

Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.

Craig Noyes | Sports Writer

Craig Noyes is a junior from Kensington, Maryland, majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in January 2023.

Twitter: @craignoyes58

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al.com

Spring football in Auburn: Notes and quotes on the quarterback room ahead of spring camp

Updated: Feb. 27, 2024, 8:20 a.m.|Published: Feb. 27, 2024, 6:45 a.m.

5–6 minutes

The second spring camp of the Hugh Freeze era at Auburn is just around the corner as it’s set to get underway Tuesday.

The Tigers will then proceed to hold 13 spring practices in preparation of Auburn’s spring game — also known as A-Day — which is set to be played on April 6 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Before spring practices get underway, AL.com will take a position-by-position look at the Tigers’ roster. The last one of the series? A dive into Auburn’s quarterback room.

Who did the Tigers lose in the quarterback room?

In a decision that shocked few, former Auburn quarterback Robby Ashford made the decision to enter his name into the transfer portal on Dec. 15.

He has since gone on to land at South Carolina.

Ashford’s decision came at the conclusion of the 2023 regular season, which saw him spend much of the year caught in the middle of an unorthodox two-quarterback rotation between he and Payton Thorne, who transferred in from Michigan State last spring.

Freeze vowed all season that Ashford was too athletic not to see the field and would always have a role. And for the better part of the season, that was the case. However, as Auburn’s offense continued to sputter, Freeze decided to put his foot down and move forward with Thorne as the main option at quarterback.

By the conclusion of the 2023 season, Ashford had appeared in 10 of Auburn’s 13 games and had logged 247 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, while having only passed for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Who are the Tigers returning to the quarterback room?

With Ashford being the lone departure from the offseason, the Tigers are set to return fifth-year senior Payton Thorne, sophomore Holden Geriner and redshirt freshman Hank Brown.

Thorne enters spring camp as Auburn’s incumbent starter, who passed for 1,755 yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 61% passing last season.

And as Thorne enters his second season on The Plains, Freeze anticipates the rising fifth-year senior to improve.

“There’s no doubt,” Freeze said in a press conference on Dec. 16. “I just think Year 2 for him, after going through a season and a spring practice and having another fall camp, I think there’s going to be a drastic difference. And obviously getting a few other pieces around him.”

However, that said, after a rough outing against Maryland in the Music City Bowl, Freeze said Auburn’s quarterback position would be “wide open” come the spring. And that’s where Geriner, Brown and the additions to Auburn’s quarterback room come into play.

Geriner appeared in five games last season, primarily after the game was well in hand. He finished the season with five completions for 75 yards.

Brown, meanwhile, played in just one game last fall, but certainly capitalized on the opportunity.

Checking in as Auburn’s third quarterback of the day against Maryland in the Music City Bowl, Brown went 7-for-9 through the air, good for 132 yards and a head-turning performance.

“I think Hank has something to him for sure,” Freeze said following the bowl game loss. “The guy threw 42 touchdowns and one pick his senior year in high school. There’s something to that.”

Given Auburn’s offensive struggles last fall — particularly in the passing game — Freeze has often been questioned about whether or not he’s considered bringing in another transfer quarterback.

And while Freeze says that seems to be the “cool” thing to do, he wants to follow through with his current room.

“I believe that if we get the right pieces around (Payton) and Holden and Hank, I think our quarterback room is going to be fine next year,” Freeze said on Dec. 16. “That is my belief. It’s what drives me to get the right pieces around them.”

Who did the Tigers add to the quarterback room?

Auburn’s only addition to its quarterback room comes by way of 4-star signee Walker White, who signed his letter of intent with Auburn after being committed for 10 months and never wavering.

The arrival of White adds an intriguing piece to the Tigers’ “wide open” quarterback race as Freeze has long been high on White’s potential.

“Walker White, I think, is going to be a star,” Freeze said during his national signing day press conference on Dec. 20. “I think he’s got all the attributes of what a quarterback should like. I think he’s a true Auburn man. Obviously don’t know how quick he will adjust to this game, but I think he’s got all the skill sets to do that.”

In his senior season at Little Rock Christian Academy in Little Rock, Ark., White piloted the Warriors to a 10-3 record as he passed for 2,660 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions with a 62.8% passing percentage. With his legs, White added another 530 yards and nine touchdowns.

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al.com

Spring football in Auburn: Notes and quotes on the WR room ahead of spring camp

Updated: Feb. 27, 2024, 3:41 p.m.|Published: Feb. 27, 2024, 6:00 a.m.

5–6 minutes

The second spring camp of the Hugh Freeze era at Auburn is just around the corner as it’s set to get underway Tuesday.

The Tigers will then proceed to hold 13 spring practices in preparation of Auburn’s spring game — also known as A-Day — which is set to be played on April 6 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Before spring practices get underway, AL.com will take a position-by-position look at the Tigers’ roster, this time with a dive into Auburn’s new-look wide receiver room.

Who did the Tigers lose in the wide receiver room?

Auburn’s wide receiver room saw no shortage of turnover at the conclusion of last season as the Tigers will be without six of the faces they finished the 2023 season with.

Of the six departures, three ran out of eligibility in Jyaire Shorter, Shane Hooks and Nick Mardner. Together, that trio logged just 11 receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns last fall.

Meanwhile, Auburn saw three other receivers leave via the transfer portal as Omari Kelly, Ja’Varrius Johnson and Malcolm Johnson Jr. all made the decision to transfer away from Auburn.

Of the three transfers, the loss of Ja’Varrius Johnson was the most surprising and hit the Tigers’ wide receiver room the hardest as he hauled in 19 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns across 10 games — making him Auburn’s second-leading receiver in terms of yardage behind tight end Rivaldo Fairweather.

Ja’Varrius Johnson has yet to announce his transfer destination.

On the other hand, Kelly, who has transferred to Middle Tennessee State, and Malcolm Johnson, who has transferred to Bowling Green, combined for eight receptions for 134 yards last season.

Who are the Tigers returning to the wide receiver room?

Despite losing a handful of receivers from last season, Auburn is still set to return a few familiar faces to the wide receiver room come the start of spring practices on Tuesday.

Fifth-year senior Koy Moore, junior Jay Fair, junior Camden Brown and sophomore Caleb Burton III are all set to return to The Plains in 2024 after being a part of Auburn’s wide receiver room last fall.

Of the returning quartet, Fair comes back with the most production after hauling in 31 catches for 324 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Next in line is Burton, who transferred in from Ohio State ahead of last season. In 2023, Burton logged 16 receptions for 226 yards.

“From the moment I got here, you could tell he’s a route-runner,” Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne said of Burton last season. “He’s not just a guy who can run fast or who shows flashy catches, he’s a route-runner and he’s a technician and he works hard at it.”

Brown and Moore round out the Tigers’ returning receivers and enter the spring on the heels of a season that saw them combine for 13 receptions, good for 129 yards.

Who did the Tigers add in the wide receiver room?

Now this is where things get exciting if you’re an Auburn fan.

Thanks to the recruiting efforts of Freeze and Auburn wide receiver coach Marcus Davis, the Tigers reeled in a historic class of wide receivers as they landed a pair of 5-star receivers in Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson, in addition to a pair of 4-star receivers in Bryce Cain and Malcolm Simmons.

“It’s no secret, we needed to get some difference-makers at the receiver position,” Freeze said during his national signing day press conference on Dec. 20. “To land two of the top 10 in the nation in Perry and Cam and then two others that I think are sleepers — they are ranked in, what, the top 150 in the country? Bryce and Malcolm.”

Of the four signees, Simmons and Thompson are the only ones who did not enroll early, meaning they won’t be around for spring camp.

The other two, however, will be getting their first taste of college football this week.

In addition to the rookies Auburn has coming in, the Tigers also added a pair of transfers in Georgia State transfer Robert Lewis and Cal transfer Sam Jackson V.

Lewis comes in as the more traditional transfer after having recorded 70 receptions, 877 yards and seven touchdowns for Georgia State in 2023.

The transfer of Jackson, on the other hand, was a bit of a surprise considering he played quarterback at Cal last season.

However, Jackson does have experience at the wide receiver spot, which is where he lined up in high school and was on the receiving end of passes from Payton Thorne when the two were at Naperville Central High School.

“It’s a risk probably, but I think he’s one heck of an athlete,” Freeze said of Jackson’s addition in a press conference on Dec. 29. “I watched all of his high school receiving stuff and he caught all those balls from Payton Thorne. There’s chemistry there.”

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si.com

Four Reasons Auburn Fans Should Love The Latest Recruiting Commitment

Brian Smith

~2 minutes

Through recruiting, the Tigers are building a great football roster

Winning big recruiting battles never goes out of style.

The Auburn Tigers are ending up on the good end of more and more of those battles of late. Auburn's 2025 class now has nine recruiting commitments including five in the 247 top 250. The latest addition to the class is Buford (Ga.) High School's Devin Williams.

With four primary points, the following information is a microcosm of why Auburn recruiting is on the rise.

1) Anytime the Tigers land a recruit with offers from the likes of Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State, it's obviously a sign that the prospect is talented. For the record, Williams is now Auburn's third commitment from the state of Georgia.

2) It's better to utilize Williams on Auburn's roster as opposed to playing against him. Think about the following question for a moment. How many times did AU go after top-notch defensive backs in recent years only to see them sign with Bama or UGA and the Tigers ended up playing against them?

3) The Tigers are now sitting with three Peach State recruits on their commitment list. That's great news because the state of Georgia is #1 for producing pro talent going by the 2023 NFL Draft per capita data from the NFL's Play Footbll website.

4) Auburn has just three cornerbacks from the last two recruiting classes because Kayin Lee already left the Plains. Having one cornerback already committed is a great start to signing two or three cornerbacks in the 2025 class.

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[3rdgeneration 6,469]

God love ya, fifty! I’m impressed! 😂

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