3.11.24 Football Articles

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good grief! how long is spring break? Almost nothing to report.

[Mikey 16,615]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

good grief! how long is spring break? Almost nothing to report.

When I was a student it wasn't long enough!

[aubiefifty 16,803]

si.com

Former Auburn Coach Says Freeze Has Not Reached Out Since Landing NFL Job

Auburn Daily Staff

~2 minutes

The former Auburn coach shared in an interview that he has not heard from Hugh Freeze.

The Auburn football staff went through a lot of changes this offseason.

Hugh Freeze needed to replace both coordinators. He brought on Derrick Nix to lead the offense and DJ Durkin to take over the defense. They also had to replace Zac Ethridge, who took a job at Houston, and former Auburn Interim Head Coach and running backs coach Carnell Williams, who stepped down from his position.

Williams is now with the Las Vegas Raiders and working for Antonio Pierce. In a phone conversation with Roy S. Johnson of AL.com, Williams was asked if he had heard from Freeze since joining the Raiders.

“No, I haven’t,” Williams responded.

“I am rooting for Coach Freeze, the program, along with those players,” Williams told AL.com.

Williams was, and is, a fan favorite among the Auburn fanbase. When Bryan Harsin was fired, there was a celebration for Williams when he became the interim head coach. Auburn fans showed up in full force to support him and the football program when he led Auburn to a win in Jordan Hare Stadium against Texas A&M. 

Williams is now focused on helping the Raiders win games and based on his conversation with AL.com, he seems to like it. 

“They just go over and beyond to extend kindness and support," Williams told AL.com. "That’s super big, especially for me being a country boy from Alabama way out here in Las Vegas. Everybody is working together. It truly appears like a family atmosphere.”

The Auburn football team returns to practice this week after taking last week off due to spring break.

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si.com

SEC Recruiting News

Brian Smith

5–6 minutes

SEC recruiting battles are heating up with scheduled commitments that will change the recruiting rankings.

Before delving into the actual prospects that are about to announce their college intentions, several programs from college football's most recognizable conference are already doing well along the recruiting trail. This is evidenced by the national recruiting rankings. The 2025 recruiting class sees 247 with five of its top 15 teams coming from the SEC. That leads to the SEC recruiting competition.

SEC Recruiting Rankings

Recruiting is a marathon and not a sprint. That being the case, here are the current SEC recruiting rankings from 247:

1) LSU

2) Oklahoma

3) Auburn

4) Georgia

5) Tennessee

6) Texas

7) Florida

😎 Texas A&M

9) Arkansas

10) Kentucky

11) Alabama

12) Mississippi State

13) Ole Miss

14) South Carolina

15) Vanderbilt

Scheduled Commitments

Two key prospects could pick SEC football programs. Vero Beach (Fla.) High School linebacker Tarvos Alford will pick between a host of offers. Rivals has Alford as its 161st recruit in the land. 

Florida, Miami, Florida State, Ohio State, Auburn, Georgia, and many more programs would happily take Alford in their 2025 classes. He is set to announce his decision on March 30.

The other recruit with a scheduled commitment date that could end up in the SEC is a signal-caller. Husan Longstreet hails from Corona (Calif.) Centennial, known for possessing one of the best prep passing offenses in the country.

According to a post on X, Longstreet is down to Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Auburn, Louisville, Michigan, Oregon, UCLA, and Miami. Longstreet also has an unofficial visit stretch that will help him make his college choice, which he discussed with Max Torres of Ducks Digest:

"I'm going to Auburn first (March 22)," Longstreet said of his visit slate. "Then I'm going to A&M (March 29), Oregon (April 5), and then Ole Miss (TBD)."

There's been buzz for different schools with Longstreet's recruitment with the Aggies being the latest. 247's Steve Wiltfong recently logged a crystal ball for A&M. Remember, those unofficial visits are still looming as well.

Georgia Recruiting Is Rolling

As it stands on March 9, Georgia has an excellent chance to once again land a top-three recruiting class. UGA could end up being No. 1 once again. From 247's current national recruiting rankings, the Dawgs are the perceived leaders or in the hunt for 11 of 247's top 25 prospects. There is also movement among the SEC's top recruiting programs.

LSU Hosting Big Unofficial Visit Weekend

LSU is coming off of a 2024 class with a #7 finish, per 247. The Tigers are the hottest team in the nation of late and this weekend's unofficial visit list is off the charts. The Tigers are hosting the nation's top recruit and LSU commitment Bryce Underwood, a quarterback from Belleville (Mich.) High School. Perhaps that would be why so many pass catchers are also in Baton Rouge this weekend.

With their 247 ranking beside their names, Dakorien Moore (#4 - LSU commitment), Caleb Cunningham (#22), Jaime Ffrench (#30), and Cortez Mills (#186) will each be in Baton Rouge while Underwood is there, too.

Among several other talented recruits heading to the bayou this weekend is offensive lineman Micah DeBose. He's #176 on 247's list and is an extremely talented prospect with a high ceiling. Does not hurt to be 6-foot-5 and well over 300 pounds either. Auburn is probably the other team to watch with DuBose.

Auburn OL Recruiting On The Rise?

Switching gears towards Auburn specifically, on March 12 the Tigers will host the No. 15 recruit in the land with offensive tackle Andrew Babalola from Overland Park (Kan.) High School. 

Auburn is in dire need of top offensive tackle help and Babalola would be a welcome addition on the Plains. Auburn has several unofficial visitors coming throughout their spring practice session. Its biggest rival, Alabama, is going with a different approach.

Bama Has Massive Visit List

Much like LSU, the Crimson Tide are going with a big unofficial visitors list this weekend. A few of the top recruits include quarterback Julian "Ju Ju" Lewis (#9), defensive end Zion Grady (#56), linebacker Noah Mikhail (#76), safety Anquon Fegans (#92), defensive tackle Antonio Coleman (#97 - Alabama commitment), and cornerback Jontae Gilbert (#120) all coming to Tuscaloosa, among other big-time recruits.

In total, the Tide will likely host over 25 prospects. It's a mix of in-state recruits with prospects mixed in from California, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, and other states.

[aubiefifty 16,803]

this might or might not be a repeat because memory fails me.

 

yardbarker.com

Auburn Quarterback Signs With QB-Focused NIL Firm

Zac Blackerby

~2 minutes

The newest Auburn Tigers quarterback has signed with the same quarterback-focused NIL group as Bo Nix.

In the age of name, image, and likeness, college athletes, especially quarterbacks, are extremely viable options for businesses and brands to pair with to grow their business and Auburn's newest quarterback will more than likely benefit from that.

Auburn freshman quarterback Walker White has signed with QB Reps, a Nashville-based NIL agency that focuses on quarterbacks. The group is run by Peter Webb.

“QB Reps is a full-service agency providing NIL services to the nation’s leading quarterbacks,” QB Reps’ website reads. “We are with our QBs every step of the way, from high school to the pros, helping them maximize opportunities to generate revenue and build their brands, while navigating the changing NIL landscape.”

Former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix is one of several passers who teamed up with QB Reps. 

White is one of the four Auburn quarterbacks fighting for the starting job. The incumbent starter, Payton Thorne, sits as the most likely option to lead Auburn's offense. Hank Brown is looking to capitalize from a solid performance in the fourth quarter of the Music City Bowl. Holden Geriner has been at Auburn the longest of all the men under center. 

"He's so talented," Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze talked about White to the media on February 29. "His arm strength is phenomenal. He made some throws the other day that really take some strength to make. But he's swimming right now."

Auburn returns to practice this week after taking last week off due to spring break.

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yardbarker.com

Auburn Will Receive An Official Visit From Elite Offensive Lineman

Brian Smith

3–4 minutes

ATLANTA, Ga. - The 2025 Auburn recruiting class needs to be heavy on offensive line recruits, and the following player will trek to the Plains for an official visit.

Coming in at No. 112 from the Rivals national recruiting rankings, this powerhouse interior offensive lineman just put on a show at the Atlanta Pylon five-on-five lineman tournament, with the following video being four of several wins from his pass-blocking matchups:

The young man in question is Dontrell Glover from Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes, one of the best Peach State prep programs. Before playing yesterday for California Power's five-on-five team, Glover took a few minutes to discuss his recruitment. He began with his unofficial visit schedule.

"I go to Florida State on the 23rd (of March)," Glover began. "This upcoming weekend, I'm supposed to go to Missouri. I'll Keep everybody updated (for that visit.)

"April 6, I might be going to Tennessee to check out the campus for the first time."

As for official visits, Glover is close to having that lineup set as well.

"Then my official visit setup, that last week of May, (I'm) going to Georgia. Then the next week, I head to Tennessee. Then the week after that, I go back to Florida State. Then, they say we can't do official visits the last week of June. So, I'm going to try to get to Auburn in the middle of that last week just so I can go see what it's all about."

As for Glover's relationship with Auburn, he's quite familiar with the Tigers and one of their players.

"I've been going to Auburn since tenth grade (for unofficial visits). One of my former teammates goes there, Terrance Love. That's a good relationship there. 

"I've got a teammate that plays with me now, Tavaris Dice, Auburn is recruiting him heavily. So, that's a big move for me. Because if he goes there, I dreamed of playing with teammates (in college)."

As for which program is recruiting him the hardest, Glover has one team that comes to mind.

"I'd say Florida State. Yesterday, Tavaris Dice, he was at Florida State. He called me. Coach Alex Atkins is on the phone. Coach Atkins and I chopped it up. He said that when I get down there on the 23rd (of March), we're going to look at my Under Armour Camp film, the drills."

As for what position the 6-foot-3 and 311-pound Glover wants to play, he's open-minded.

"I really don't have a problem playing anything. I just want to get on the field my first year."  

Because he's one of the best prospects in the South, Glover's recruitment is going to be a tight recruiting race until the end.

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yardbarker.com

The Auburn Tigers Are Next To Host A Talented Wide Receiver Recruit

Brian Smith

2–3 minutes

Auburn's spring practice will aid it with another top football recruit.

The Tigers will be back on the practice field Tuesday to continue their 2024 spring practice. As a way to allow recruits to see what Hugh Freeze and the Tigers are building in Year 2, it's convenient to host recruits and allow them to watch from the edge of the field.

Tuesday's practice is when 2025 Rivals 4-star recruit CJ Wiley will be coming down from the Atlanta suburbs and Milton (Ga.) High School. Playing for Cam Newton's C1N team during Saturday's Pylon seven-on-seven tournament, here's what he said about his recruitment.

"I'm going to Auburn's practice on Tuesday," Wiley began. The 6-foot-4 and 198-pound receiver also discussed his relationship with AU.

"Coach (Marcus) Davis, he's a good coach. Plus, they recently got a new offensive coordinator from Ole Miss, coach (Derrick) Nix. Yeah, they've been keeping good contact with me." This is not his first time coming to Auburn for an unofficial visit. 

"I've been to Auburn. I was there last year for junior day."

He's also going to take in another SEC football program later in the week.

"Then I'm going to Georgia for Thursday's practice. Coach (James) Coley, he's the new wide receivers coach from South Carolina. He's been keeping in contact with me. We've made a good connection."

Wiley also has official visit plans beginning to take shape. While Wiley did not remember the dates he did offer one timeframe he's pretty sure about.

"My First one is USC (Southern California). It's like early June."

Georgia, Florida State, Michigan, and LSU are four others he's pretty sure will receive official visits.

As for a college decision timeline, Wiley commented on that as well.

"Summer. I want to get it done before the season."

Auburn will gain its chance to impress Wiley this Tuesday in an effort to secure an official visit of its own with Wiley. It's an important visit for the Tigers as they continue to build their wide receiver room.

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Auburn to host 2026 CB Nassir McCoy this weekend

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

---

One of the most popular prospects from the class of 2026 will kick off his round of spring visits this weekend by taking a trip to Auburn.

According to a report by On3’s Chad Simmons, 2026 cornerback Nassir McCoy will be on campus this weekend, his first of the spring. McCoy has also scheduled visits to Alabama, Ohio State, Tennessee, LSU, Georgia, Texas, and Oregon before the calendar rolls over to May.

Due to his age, McCoy has not received a ranking from any recruiting outlets. However, his offer list is respectable despite having two seasons of high school eligibility remaining. The front runners so far for McCoy’s signature are Alabama and Georgia. McCoy is intrigued by Alabama’s development of defensive backs while Georgia is McCoy’s favorite college team. It helps that his cousin, five-star safety KJ Bolden, recently signed with the Bulldogs.

McCoy, a 6-0, 180-pound safety, was ninth in tackles last season for Buford High School He racked up 38 total tackles with three for a loss. He also recorded two interceptions and deflected a pass.

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__

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al.com

Johnson: Man in black Cadillac Williams: ‘The good Lord’s got me where I’m supposed to be’

Published: Mar. 11, 2024, 6:00 a.m.

6–7 minutes

This is an opinion column.

He didn’t recognize the number, wasn’t even sure he wanted to answer. Carnell (Cadillac) Williams wasn’t much sure of anything on that day.

A month prior, he was an assistant coach at his beloved Auburn, a home-grown Tiger who stirred the navy-and-orange faithful as an All-American running back and years later ignited a rousing revival during a four-game stretch as interim head coach at the end of what had been a moribund 2022 season.

Expected to just keep the seat warm for yet another uninspired hire, ‘Lac—as his friends call him—filled hearts and seats at Jordan-Hare with a passion that had students and their grandparents waving their arms in the air like they cared.

Auburn, of course, didn’t make the inspired hire, yet Williams returned, loyal to his core, as an assistant head coach and running backs coach for Hugh Freeze, as the most beloved member of the staff.

Then he wasn’t.

Suddenly, shockingly to most, Williams abruptly resigned in early January—”to pursue other opportunities,” is almost all he said in a statement that left so much unsaid.

Weeks later, Willaims, a man of deep faith, wasn’t sure he wanted to answer the phone, the number he did not recognize.

Wasn’t even sure if he wanted to coach again anytime soon.

A few minutes later came the text message, from the number he did not recognize: “This is Antonio Pierce of the Las Vegas Raiders. Give me a call back when you get a chance.”

Williams, of course, called the number he had not recognized. Not long thereafter, the veteran of seven NFL seasons, joined Pierce, a nine-year NFL veteran, as the Raiders’ running backs coach—one of many ex-NFL under the first-year head coach.

“This is God-given,” he shared during a recent telephone conversation. “To be on a coaching staff with a lot of former players but also a head coach who believes in relationships, who believes in serving people in a genuine, authentic way, I couldn’t have written a better script.”

The young man who grew up in Gadsen is still getting acclimated to his glitzy new surroundings. He joined the Raiders coaches in Indianapolis last week for the NFL Combine. This week, his wife Evan and their two boys—eight and six—joined him in Las Vegas to look for a new home.

“That was the only negative about it,” Williams said. “I told my wife. ‘I’m so far away from home and had always been in the South. But just being part of this organization, A.P.’s staff, Raider Nation, everybody I’ve met, I mean, open arms: What can I do for you? How can I help you?

“They just go over and beyond to extend kindness and support. That’s super big, especially for me being a country boy from Alabama way out here in Las Vegas. Everybody is working together. It truly appears like a family atmosphere.”

Williams would not elaborate on the reasons for his abrupt departure. “To be honest with you, I just wanted to explore different opportunities and realign myself where God would place me for what he wanted for my life,” he said. “I always told my wife: As much as I love Auburn, I felt like in order for me to grow, to challenge myself, I would have to leave and step out on faith to see what’s out there where I could continue to grow as a person and work on me—work on who I am.

“I love Auburn without a shadow of doubt, but it was one of those situations in life when I felt there was more out there for me.”

I asked if he’d heard from Freeze since joining the Raiders.

“No, I haven’t.”

I asked if his relationship with Freeze could be—and this was my word—repaired.

“I am rooting for Coach Freeze, the program, along with those players,” he said.

“[Offensive coordinator and] running backs coach Derrick Nix is a guy I’m very familiar with, went to (Etowah) high school with, Williams added. “He made such an impact on my life [when I was] a ninth grader and he was a senior. I watched the guy get recruited, watched him work hard, he’s an outstanding person. I am rooting for the whole program.”

Williams leaned heavily on his faith in the darkest days after his departure. “God works in mysterious ways,” he said. “[Leaving] was a tough decision, but I became at peace with it.

“I was out of work for about a month,” he added. “To be honest with you, being around my two boys, taking them to school, having dinner with them, you forget those small things you don’t get to do [as a coach]. I was like, Man, this is what it’s all about, the family structure, my two boys.

“I honestly thought about taking a little time and really not try to jump into anything and just re-evaluate the things I want to. Then the call came.”

Williams would not rule out a return to college coaching. “I never say never, but I’m the type of person that really lives life in the present,” he said. “I try to be where my feet are. To have this opportunity to dive into the game on this level, working to enhance people’s lives, helping them compete at the ultimate level—it’s like returning to why I got into coaching.

“I believe the good Lord’s got me where I’m supposed to be.”

Though now a man in black, Williams will still wear orange and navy blue on Saturdays. Still wear the colors of the institution he infused with his full heart and soul. The colors of the football program he loves—and left.

“No doubt,” he said. “Auburn is and always will be a special part of my life.”

I’m a member of the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame and a Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary. My column appears on AL.com, as well as the Lede. Tell me what you think at rjohnson@al.com, and follow me at twitter.com/roysj, or on Instagram @roysj

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247sports.com

PMARSHONAU Auburn headed for basketballs big show but who knows where

Phillip Marshall

4–5 minutes

Football back at it

After a week off for spring break, Hugh Freeze and the football Tigers will get back on the field this week with three practices heading into the A-Day game on April 6 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Following a pair of workouts prior to the off week, this will be the time when things really start to shift into more of a high gear on offense and defense as the players and coaches start to get into more of a rhythm.

Everyone is going to keep asking about the quarterbacks, but it’s going to be a long, long time before anything is decided at that position. You could see a pecking order start to be established for practices, but I don’t think we’ll see anything written even in pencil this spring. There is no doubt in my mind (just like Freeze said) that Payton Thorne is the guy to beat at the moment. With his experience playing the position on this level and also his experience in learning and understanding college offenses, Thorne’s veteran presence gives him a big head start over the three other guys at the position. Does that mean any of the others can’t win the job? No, but I think it’s going to take someone making a move early to really push this competition to the next level. Someone is going to become the main challenger, the question is which one will it be?

Good setup for SEC Tournament

You never know how things will turn out because one bad game can send anyone packing in college basketball from now moving forward, but I like Auburn’s position in this week’s SEC Tournament heading into the week. Earning the No. 4 seed, the Tigers will play either South Carolina or the winner of Arkansas-Vanderbilt. No matter who that winds up being, those are pretty favorable matchups for this Auburn team based on how they played this season. Arkansas is playing much better basketball at the moment, but avoiding Florida is probably the best news for this Auburn team because of matchups. Basketball in tournament time is a whole lot about matchups and this week sets up pretty well for Bruce Pearl’s team, especially if they continue to play the way they have the last two weeks.

College basketball officiating

I’ll skip the easy part about the inconsistency and the number of fouls called in games. That’s just too easy to talk about because we’ve seen Auburn be a part of several games that pushed well over two and a half hours this season. That’s just ridiculous and unacceptable in the game of basketball.

What I want to talk about is something we witnessed on Sunday in the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament and something else I have noticed throughout this season. There’s way too much time spent by teams (Auburn included) belittling the opponent and taking shots at the other team. The most popular one is the ‘too small’ gesture when scoring in the paint or around the rim. 

I’m all for a little trash talk and it has always been a part of the game, but showing someone up just leads to trouble and we saw that happen in the South Carolina-LSU game. We almost saw one of the most disastrous things we have ever seen in a women’s sporting event because the officials let both teams get away with so many taunts that it finally came to a head. When you have a grown man coming out of the stands to try to get into a fight between two women’s teams, you could have had something go very, very wrong in that situation. Fortunately nothing more happened and things finally settled down, but it was almost really ugly.

I know I’m going to sound old school and behind the times to some and others will say ‘let them have some fun.’ I just don’t think there’s anything fun about taking shots at others on the court or the playing field and making it personal. Celebrate with your teammates and the crowd. If the officials will start calling some of those and less of the fouls 60 feet away from the basket that don't impact the game at all, it will be much more enjoyable to watch.

[Mikey 16,615]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

Former Auburn Coach Says Freeze Has Not Reached Out Since Landing NFL Job

This must be another Pete Thamel attempt to throw dirt at Auburn. Why is Freeze supposed to call former coaches?