4.25.24 Football Articles

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247sports.com

Athletic Kite ready to step up at corner for the Tigers

Jason Caldwell

~3 minutes

AUBURN, Alabama—While Auburn lost a pair of young cornerbacks to the transfer portal on Tuesday in Colton Hood and Tyler Scott, perhaps the most athletic player on the entire roster is ready to step into his role for the Tigers after finishing spring on a high note. Alabama transfer Antonio Kite is a player the Tigers added prior to the spring semester and while he quietly went about his business in the weight room and on the field, the two-time Class 4A Player of the Year in basketball from Anniston as well as a finalist for 4A Back of the Year in football is ready to show what he can do for the Auburn defense. 

"Antonio, he's extremely talented," new Auburn defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin said during the spring. "Natural movement and cover skills for a corner. I think Antonio, he's going to keep building his confidence. I see so much in him that maybe he doesn't always show outwardly that he sees in himself. He has a chance to be a really good player for us. He'll help us."

The guy who is coaching Kite this season believes the Tigers have a difference maker ready to step in at the cornerback position as he continues to develop and settle in at Auburn.

"He's long," Auburn veteran secondary coach Wesley McGriff said. "He can run. He's got a really good skill set. He brings some experience in. I like the tools he has. We just have to keep him trending in the right direction. 

"The thing we have to remember as coaches, when you have a guy that changes locations, their whole world is turned upside down. He has shown a lot of bright spots with his skill set and talent. Very, very knowledgeable. I'm excited to see him put it all together and take off."

With Keionte Scott and Kayin Lee expected to be the guys that get the first shot to be the starters for the Tigers when they get back on the field this fall, Kite has a huge opportunity this summer to continue to close the gap and get closer to being a huge part of the rotation. Getting some valuable experience last season at Alabama, the sophomore is someone that his teammates believe in and that's a valuable thing as he prepares for his first year with the Tigers.

"He's doing a great job in terms of being on that island when we're in a one-high defense and he's just locking down that side of the field," Auburn linebacker Eugene Asante said. "He's doing great things on that side. He's got range, can move, got great hips and is able to get out of his breaks."

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

Auburn loses a pair of cornerbacks to the transfer portal

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

Auburn football’s departing transfer portal class grew Tuesday as two young cornerbacks have elected to take their talents elsewhere.

Colton Hood and Tyler Scott, a pair of cornerbacks who signed with Auburn’s 2023 recruiting class, announced Tuesday that they will be entering the transfer portal. The duo joins defensive lineman Brenton Williams, wide receiver Jay Fair, linebacker Wesley Steiner, and cornerback JD Rhym as spring transfer portal entries.

Hood, nephew of former Auburn cornerback Roderick Hood, joined Auburn’s 2023 class as a three-star according to 247Sports. The McDonough, Georgia native was the No. 48 cornerback and the No. 45 overall recruit from Georgia.

A fellow Georgian, Scott signed with Auburn as a safety before moving to cornerback this spring. He was the nation’s No. 20 cornerback and the No. 19 prospect from Georgia, signing with Auburn out of Pebblebrook High School in Mableton.

According to Pro Football Focus, Hood and Scott combined to play 53 snaps over five games. Hood saw the most action between the two by appearing in four games with 44 total snaps played.

There are now seven cornerbacks on Auburn’s roster following the departures of Hood and Scott. Keionte Scott and Kayin Lee headline the position as returners while Antonio Kite joins the team as a transfer from Alabama.

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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si.com

Auburn Predicted To Land Penn State Transfer Portal Wide Receiver

Brian Smith

~2 minutes

Auburn is on a Transfer Portal recruiting roll

In this story:

After landing three top Transfer Portal defensive linemen, the Auburn Tigers are now the predicted team to beat for one of the best wide receivers.

According to Pete Nakos of On3, former Penn State Nittany Lion KeAndre Lambert-Smith will pick the Tigers. Going by 2023 statistics, Lambert-Smith is the best receiver from Penn State's team. CFBStats has him with 53 receptions, 673 yards, 12.7 yards per catch, and 4 touchdowns.

The 6-foot-1 and 185-pound wide receiver is going to be entering his fifth college football season. For his career, ESPN has Lambert Smith with 126 receptions, 1,721 yards, a 13.7 average, and 11 touchdowns.

Looking at his Pro Football Focus statistics, his 656 total snaps are a sign that Lambert-Smith is a hard player to take off the field. To that point, Lambert-Smith would provide Auburn with a receiver capable of playing in the slot or out wide. 30.8% of his 2023 snaps come from the slot and 69.2% from out wide. There's another key element to bringing the former Penn State player to the Plains.

With Auburn possessing four true freshmen at the wide receiver position, players like Perry Thompson and Cam Coleman will be able to learn from a proven veteran player. One of the concerns with Auburn's 2023 roster is so much inexperience to begin with, so Lambert-Smith helps in that regard as well.

If Auburn does indeed land the former Nittany Lion, there's a lot to like about this shifty wide receiver from the Transfer Portal.

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espn.com

Auburn lands Penn State receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith - ESPN

Adam Rittenberg

~2 minutes

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterApr 24, 2024, 07:01 PM ET

Close

College football reporter.

Joined ESPN.com in 2008.

Graduate of Northwestern University.

Reactions

Auburn's passing game received a big boost Wednesday when wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who led Penn State in receiving last season, signed with the Tigers.

Lambert-Smith entered the transfer portal April 15 after leaving team activities at Penn State toward the end of spring practice. Lambert-Smith, who is from Norfolk, Virginia, led Penn State with 53 receptions for 673 yards and four touchdowns in 2023.

He joins an Auburn offense that finished 121st nationally in passing last season and returns only one wide receiver with 10 or more receptions in 2023 (tight end Rivaldo Fairweather led the team with 38). Auburn has added notable incoming freshmen such as Cameron Coleman, ESPN's No. 5 overall recruit in the 2024 class, and top-60 prospect Perry Thompson.

The 6-foot-1, 184-pound Lambert-Smith started portions of the past four seasons for Penn State and ranks in the team's top 20 for career receptions (116) and receiving yards (1,598). He will have one year of eligibility left with Auburn.

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athlonsports.com

 

Former Penn State WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith Announces Commitment To SEC Program

Zach McKinnell

~2 minutes

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Former Penn State wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith announced his commitment to Auburn on Wednesday. The news was first reported by Hayes Fawcett of On3.

Lambert-Smith committed to the Tigers over Texas A&M. He will have one season of eligibility remaining.

Lambert-Smith was an All-Big Ten honorable mention after recording 53 receptions for 673 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns in 2023. He was named to the Reese's Senior Bowl watchlist ahead of last season.

Over four seasons and 48 career games, Lambert-Smith totaled 126 receptions for 1,721 receiving yards and 11 receiving touchdowns. His career receptions (126) and yards (1,721) rank top-20 all-time in Penn State history.

Penn State wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith (1) motions to the crowd after scoring a touchdown on a 57-yard reception late in the fourth quarter of an NCAA football game against Indiana at Beaver Stadium Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in State College, Pa. Lambert-Smith's touchdown broke a 24-24 tie and helped seal a 33-24 win for the Nittany Lions.

© Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Lambert-Smith signed with Penn State as a four-star prospect out of Norfolk, Virginia. He ranked as the No. 35 wide receiver and No. 4 player in Virginia, according to the On3 industry rankings.

The Tigers have now added four players from the NCAA transfer portal in the spring window. Arkansas State EDGE Keyron Crawford, USC defensive lineman Isaiah Raikes, and Indiana defensive lineman Philip Blidi all committed to Auburn this spring.

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247sports.com

Auburn CB Colton Hood enters transfer portal

Nathan King

8–10 minutes

An exciting young player is the secondary is on his way out

Auburn legacy Colton Hood has entered the transfer portal after just one season with the program, Auburn Undercover and 247Sports have learned.

A rising redshirt freshman at cornerback, Hood played in four games last season, including 33 snaps in the bowl game against Maryland, where opt-outs allowed him to move into the main secondary rotation. Hood continued to work as one of Auburn's primary options at cornerback this spring, seemingly at No. 3 on the depth chart behind only Kayin Lee and Keionte Scott.

Hood's father, brother, uncle and cousin all played at Auburn. 

Hood's departure isn't one that will affect the cornerback outlook much in terms of depth, considering the Tigers still have names like JC Hart, Jay Crawford, Tyler Scott and Antonio Kite in the mix for playing time this season. But Hood was a young player that many within the program were excited to watch develop, considering how many strides he had already taken in a year's time.

For the latest Auburn transfer movement, follow our portal tracker here.

Auburn Spring Transfer Portal Live Tracker

Live updates and tracking all things Auburn in the 2024 spring portal cycle.

The spring transfer portal is underway, opening on Tuesday, April 16th, for 15 days before closing at the end of the month. The second window has historically been less busy in terms of entrants, top-name guys in the portal and activity from schools shopping in the portal. That is set to be the case for Auburn after signing nine in the first window, it's likely the Tigers sign around half of that or maybe a little more in the spring window.

Hugh Freeze and his staff will mostly focus on plugging holes on the roster, along with potentially dealing with current roster attrition.

Auburn Undercover is tracking all of the updates for Auburn's departures, Auburn's additions and potential Auburn targets. Note: The names we're tracking do not directly reflect Auburn's board. You can follow every player that enters the transfer portal across college football HERE. You can follow all of Auburn's portal movement HERE. 

LIVE UPDATES

(4/23): Redshirt freshman Tyler Scott makes it two cornerback exits Tuesday, as the former 4-star recruit tells Auburn Undercover's Jason Caldwell that he will enter the portal.

(4/23): Cornerback Colton Hood becomes probably the most surprising departure so far for Auburn, as a legacy player and rising contributor in the defense transfers out after one year.

(4/22): Buck linebacker Keyron Crawford is Auburn's latest addition through the transfer portal. Signed during his visit.

(4/22): Linebacker Wesley Steiner is expected to enter the transfer portal, according to 247Sports' Matt Zenitz. 

(4/22): Former USC DL Isaiah Raikes has committed to Auburn. Second addition along the defensive line in as many days.

(4/21): Auburn has picked up its first portal commitment in Philip Blidi. More on his commitment HERE.

(4/21): USC transfer DL Isaiah Raikes will make a commitment on Monday. As of now, we expect Auburn to be the choice.

(4/20): Auburn Undercover caught up with former Penn State WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith on the heels of his visit. Subscribers can read that update on his visit HERE.

(4/20): Auburn WR Jay Fair is Auburn's second entrant into the transfer portal.

(4/18): Former Miami edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly is expected to officially visit Auburn next week. Our story on that visit can be found HERE.

(4/17): Former Penn State WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith is expected to officially visit Auburn this weekend, Auburn Undercover has learned.

(4/17): Auburn Undercover caught up with former Indiana DT transfer Philip Blidi following his official visit. Subscribers can read the VIP story on his visit, what other schools are in play, decision timeline and more HERE.

(4/16): J.D. Rhym is officially in the portal.

(4/16): Keyron Crawford and Nyjalik Kelly are both buck linebacker targets to watch in the portal.

(4/16): Auburn buck linebacker Brenton Williams is the first departure into the transfer portal. Appeared in two games as a freshman in 2023.

(4/15): Former Indiana defensive tackle Philip Blidi is set to arrive in Auburn for an official visit. He will depart on Wednesday. Also visited Washington and LSU already with plans to visit Oklahoma, too.

(4/12): USC defensive back Tre'Quon Fegans is set to enter the transfer portal. Originally recruited by Charles Kelly and signed with Alabama. A name to monitor.

(4/12): USC defensive tackle Isaiah Raikes is re-entering the transfer portal. The former Texas A&M Aggie visited in January before choosing USC, now a few months later, he's back in the portal.

(3/26): Auburn cornerback J.D. Rhym is no longer with the team and will enter the transfer portal when the window opens.

Quarterback

Transferring out: N/A

Looking to add: 0

Names we're tracking: 

As of right now, Auburn has four scholarship quarterbacks in Payton Thorne, Holden Geriner, Hank Brown and Walker White. If one were to leave Auburn would likely explore the portal for a depth piece. But if all four remain on roster, the Tigers will stand pat. 

Running back

Transferring out: N/A

Looking to add: 0

Names we're tracking: 

Similar to quarterback, Auburn has four strong running backs on scholarship currently. Brian Battie entered the portal during the first window, but opted to return. If he were to depart now or someone else were, the Tigers would likely explore adding one. Likely a younger one. But as of now, Auburn is set.

Wide Receiver

Transferring out: Jay Fair

Looking to add: 1

Names we're tracking: KeAndre Lambert-Smith (Penn State), Samuel Brown (Houston)

Even if Auburn doesn't have any current roster attrition — though some seems likely — receiver is a spot where Auburn will likely look to add another piece or two. Unlike last spring window when Auburn brought in FCS and mid-major transfers like Shane Hooks and Jyaire Shorter, Auburn looking for high-level transfers from bigger programs, more SEC ready will be key. Point being, Auburn will be picky about who it brings in at receiver.

Tight End

Transferring out: N/A

Looking to add: 0

Names we're tracking: 

Auburn added Rico Walker as a depth piece and for the future of the room in the first portal window. Barring an unforeseen entry, Ben Aigamaua has his room all ready to go.

Offensive Line

Transferring out: N/A

Looking to add: 0

Names we're tracking:

Auburn was focused on adding a left tackle in the first window and did just that with Percy Lewis. If the right name were to pop up it could always be a possibility or if roster departures occurred, but offensive line is in a pretty good spot going into the portal window.

Defensive line

Transferring out: N/A

Looking to add: 2+

Names we're tracking: 

ADDITIONS: Philip Blidi (Indiana), Isaiah Raikes (USC)

Auburn has now added two of its top targets in Blidi and Raikes through the portal. That will likely wrap things up in terms of interior defensive linemen.

Buck LB

Transferring out: Brenton Williams

Looking to add: 1-2

Names we're tracking: Nyjalik Kelly (Miami)

ADDITIONS: Keyron Crawford (Arkansas State)

With Jalen McLeod really the lone experienced piece at the buck position, it seems like a position where Auburn may try to add another veteran. Brenton Williams had a strong showing at A-Day and the Tigers signed some impressive young players in 2024, but might want a little more seasoning in the room for this fall.

Linebacker

Transferring out: Wesley Steiner

Looking to add: 0-1

Names we're tracking: 

While Auburn added Dorian Mausi in the first window, the Tigers have him, Eugene Asante and Austin Keys as the main three for this fall. Robert Woodyard had a strong A-Day and could be coming into his own, which helps things for the fall. But behind them, it's a lot of youth. If there were to be a spot open and the right name popped up, it's feasible that Auburn could add a linebacker.

Defensive back

Transferring out: J.D. Rhym, Colton Hood, Tyler Scott

Looking to add: 0-1

Names we're tracking: Tre'Quon Fegans (USC)

While the secondary is one of the deepest positions on the team, Auburn may add to the room after not only losing Rhym to a dismissal during the spring, but now with Hood and Scott also transferring out. An Alabama native who signed with the Crimson Tide before transferring to USC and now back in the portal, Fegans is the main one to track early on.

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i know he is not an auburn player but some of you like crain so here it is.