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auburnwire.usatoday.com Mississippi State WR Zavion Thomas schedules Auburn visit Taylor Jones 1–2 minutes Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers are continuing their efforts to beef up its wide receiver room ahead of the 2024 season. Zavion Thomas, formerly of Mississippi State, received an offer from Auburn on Dec. 7. He has a heavy interest in Auburn, as he has scheduled a campus visit. According to Jeffrey Lee of Auburn Live ($), Thomas will visit the Plains this weekend. Thomas was Mississippi State’s second-leading receiver in 2023 with 503 yards on 40 catches with one touchdown in 11 games this season, trailing just Tulu Griffin for the top spot. According to Pro Football Focus data, Thomas caught 40 of his 58 targeted passes this season with three drops and five contested catches. Auburn looks to revamp its receiving unit before next season. The Tigers have four wide receiver commitments in their 2024 recruiting class and have added Robert Lewis to the roster from Georgia State. 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__

al.com Some thoughts on SEC schedule spectacular, winners and losers Published: Dec. 13, 2023, 8:43 p.m. 6–8 minutes This is an opinion column. The Finebaum Show ends and rolls straight into the night’s special programming. It’s 6 p.m. in the Central time zone. We’ll be done by 8 because when the full 2024 SEC football schedule is released, 60 or 90 minutes wouldn’t cut it. The 120-minute special on the SEC Network followed the trend of creating entertainment products out of what used to be an email. Yet this is the dawn of a new era that extends beyond the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to what was already a gauntlet. Welcome to the Monopoly Era of SEC television programming. No longer will CBS throw a wrench in the ESPN empire’s scheduling machine. No more 2:30 p.m. game-of-the-week outside the family and that was subtly made clear this week. Even before the 7,200-second SEC Network reveal Wednesday night, the Disney tentacles were at work. You saw a few game dates revealed on ESPN’s broadcast of Monday Night Football. A few more were announced on the Manning Cast alternate broadcast of MNF over on ESPN2. Then, the Georgia at Alabama game date was unveiled on the Wednesday edition of Good Morning America on ABC. Even more notable, a kickoff time and network were attached to that unboxing. In the dark ages of last season, CBS would have had first dibs on this Tuscaloosa showdown between the two most dominant programs in the league over the past decade. Now that that deal’s expired, the four-letter network could safely announce that Sept. 28 game in Tuscaloosa will air at 6:30 p.m. CT on its three-letter father. No longer a midafternoon shoo-in, Alabama-Georgia will air in primetime on ABC -- the broadcast network in the same corporate family as ESPN. To keep the synergy going, the Missouri-Vanderbilt kick time should be revealed only to the winner of a Disney World scavenger hunt broadcast exclusively on the SEC Network +. Anyway, there’s some advantage for fans to this new absence of competition in the broadcast realm. You might actually get to plan your fall trips more than two weeks in advance if there isn’t the roadblock of CBS making its first pick. In fact, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on Nov. 30 said they expect to have “right around half” of the league’s complete schedule slotted in specific broadcast windows. “Working with ESPN, ABC, the SEC Network,” Sankey said in advance of the SEC Championship game, “the opportunity to know the noon eastern time kickoffs throughout the season will allow our campuses and our fans to plan rather than having those six-day and 12-day experiences around that early kickoff. “We’ll have some flexibility between the midday and the primetime games and some scheduling which is a bit of an hour differential rather than just waiting and wondering about the entire broadcast day. So great question, and really excited about the opportunity with Disney, ABC, ESPN, the SEC Network, and even the ESPN+ digital platform in the future.” So that’s good news. And now, a few more thoughts from the actual meat of what was announced on the SEC Network on Wednesday night. -- The Iron Bowl will have a whole new feel without the pastry appetizer. It became tradition to play a nobody the Saturday before the state championship game but the SEC scheduler had other plans. Alabama, instead of its customary dip in the FCS pool, will head to Norman to play Oklahoma seven days before Auburn’s visit. The Tigers, meanwhile, get a home date with a Texas A&M team they’ve beaten just once in the previous four seasons. Perhaps the Aggies will present a more respectable challenge than New Mexico State next November. -- The quirks of the calendar and the constellations creates one of those seasons with two open weeks for each team. With that comes a race to see who everybody gets a rest before playing who. Auburn didn’t catch much of a break by getting a break before heading to Missouri on Oct. 19 and before hosting Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 16. There’s a joke here but I’m taking the high road because it could cut either direction and nobody really wins. Alabama’s are timed more favorably. After playing at Wisconsin in Week 3, it gets to hit pause the following Saturday before Georgia visits Week 5. The other bye is wedged between an Oct. 26 home date with Missouri and a Nov. 9 trip to LSU. -- Everybody got screwed. -- Part of the deal that comes with the eight-team league schedule is a required Power 4-to-5 opponent. Which of the 16 teams has the most challenging step outside the family? Notre Dame at Texas A&M is spicy. Make that interesting. LSU vs. USC in Las Vegas sounds like trouble in more than one way. Cal at Auburn sounds about as entertaining as it did last year. Florida plays both Miami and Florida State to bookend the 12-game march for Billy Napier’s job. Georgia-Clemson in Atlanta likely sounded more exciting when they scheduled it. Ole Miss plays at Wake Forest. Alabama at Wisconsin will be a fun little clash of cultures. But it’s Texas at Michigan that takes the prize. Half of this year’s playoff field/a potential rematch of the national title game is a bold scheduling decision for Texas. You could have said the same this year but it was that win at Alabama that got the Longhorns into the semifinal. -- Georgia has more of a challenge on tap without the East Division and its gifts of Vanderbilt, South Carolina and, before this season, Missouri. Instead, road trips to playoff teams Alabama and Texas along with New Year’s Six bowl-participant Ole Miss will test the Bulldogs more than the pre-December schedule this season. There’s plenty more to discuss but you don’t need another 120 minutes snatched from your Wednesday. We have plenty of time to discuss this step into a new era of SEC football between now and Labor Day weekend. Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook. 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.

al.com Auburn football’s 2024 season unveiled: Who do Hugh Freeze and the Tigers play and when? Updated: Dec. 13, 2023, 6:29 p.m.|Published: Dec. 13, 2023, 6:28 p.m. ~3 minutes General view of Jordan-Hare Stadium during the first half of an NCAA football game between Georgia and Auburn on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)AP The wait is over. Auburn football’s 2024 slate is set in stone as the Tigers’ full schedule was released Wednesday night as part of the 2024 SEC Football Schedule Reveal, which aired on ESPN and SEC Network. The Tigers’ highly anticipated matchup against the new kids on the SEC block will come on Sept. 28 as Auburn hosts Oklahoma at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Sept. 28′s meeting will be the third ever between the two programs, with the Sooners holding a 2-0 record over the Tigers. However, Oklahoma has never paid a visit to Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn’s meetings with its pair of opponents in Georgia and Alabama will come during familiar parts of the season as the Tigers visit the Bulldogs in Athens for the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry” in Week 6 on Oct. 5. Meanwhile, Auburn heads to Tuscaloosa for the Iron Bowl in Week 14 on Nov. 30. Hugh Freeze and the Tigers’ non-conference slate features a season-opening home game against Alabama A&M on Aug. 31, followed by hosting Cal on Sept. 7. Auburn will then play a home home game against New Mexico on Sept. 14, followed by Louisiana-Monroe coming to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 23. In SEC play, Auburn draws home games against Arkansas, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M. Meanwhile, the Tigers’ conference road slate features visits to Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky and Alabama. Here is Auburn football’s full schedule for the 2024 season: Aug. 31 — vs. Alabama A&M Sept. 7 — vs. Cal Sept. 14 — vs. New Mexico Sept. 21 — vs. Arkansas Sept. 28 — vs. Oklahoma Oct. 5 — at Georgia Oct. 12 — OFF Oct. 19 — at Missouri Oct. 26 — at Kentucky Nov. 2 — vs. Vanderbilt Nov. 9 — OFF Nov. 16 — vs. Louisiana-Monroe Nov. 23 — vs. Texas A&M Nov. 30 — at Alabama 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.

si.com COLUMN: Auburn Football Got Hosed With Its 2024 Schedule Lance Dawe ~2 minutes The Auburn Tigers got the short end of the stick with their 2024 schedule. The Auburn Tigers got the short end of the stick with their 2024 schedule. Granted, it's difficult to conclude the Tigers have "won" with any schedule they've been dealt since forever, but their first season in a new, division-less SEC is going to be a rough one. Not only do the Tigers have to take a road trip to Georgia - winner of the last two national titles - but they also will travel to Kentucky and Missouri... All in a row. This is how the Tigers' 2024 schedule shakes out: Vs Alabama A&M Vs California Vs New Mexico Vs Arkansas Vs Oklahoma At Georgia At Missouri At Kentucky Vs Vanderbilt Vs ULM Vs Texas A&M At Alabama That four game stretch in the middle of the season - vs Oklahoma, at Georgia, at Missouri, and at Kentucky... all at once? With a road trip to Alabama still looming at the very end of the season? Auburn's schedule could have certainly been shuffled around to be more balanced, but this is exactly what happened this season. It's an uneven chaotic mess of a schedule that will likely frustrate fans. It's almost hard to wrap the mind around... three straight road games against three teams that finished 2023 above .500, two of which are currently ranked inside the top 10? Since when have the Tigers played three straight games on the road, much less like this? It's ridiculous.

sports.yahoo.com 4-star DL Amaris Williams: ‘Auburn has a big chance right now’ JD McCarthy ~2 minutes Hugh Freeze and Auburn’s coaching staff made several big additions last year during the early signing period and they are looking to do so once again. One of their top targets is four-star defensive lineman Amaris Williams, who has been committed to Florida since June. They have already shown the ability to steal a commit from the Gators, flipping four-star edge rusher Jamonta Waller earlier this cycle and following an official visit to the Plains, Williams admitted the Tigers could do so once again. “Auburn has a big chance right now,” Williams told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente. “Even though awhile back I told Coach JG (Jeremy Garrett) I wasn’t considering Auburn at the time, I feel like that’s just because I never visited and because of what I had already seen from other colleges. Actually being here today and seeing what it’s all about, it’s a really big chance I could come here.” Williams is the No. 84 overall player and No. 12 defensive lineman in the 247Sports composite ranking. The Clinton product is also the No. 1 player from North Carolina. It won’t be easy for Auburn to land Williams, Florida is fighting to hold onto him and Ohio State and Georgia are both pushing for a flip and can’t be counted out. 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 Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

al.com Why PGA TOUR U is reshaping how Auburn develops, recruits its top-ranked golf team Published: Dec. 13, 2023, 6:32 a.m. 11–13 minutes It’s a lonely game in the middle of the fairway, no caddy for guidance, only a small assortment of parents looking on from around the trees. It leaves a golfer with a club in their hand and a mind trying to compartmentalize their next shot, their opponent alongside them and how it all fits into the greater picture of that week’s team competition. Then add the money on the line and the future’s at play in a quickly evolving college golf world. It’s changed the composition of what swirls through a golfer’s mind and changed the job for Auburn head coach Nick Clinard. For all he’s built during his 15 years here, he has not ever seen change like the last three years. The objectives are different now. He recruits golfers who plan to play professionally. But the road there is arduous and complicated. Developing golfers to take their next step was done so knowing the math just doesn’t work in their favor. At least until 2020. While still a difficult process, the PGA Tour introduced PGA Tour University, meant to take advantage of an ever-growing talent pool in college golf during the sport’s biggest wave of growth in interest and capital in decades. It’s meant to provide both more and simpler options to reach the professional ranks. The priority for Clinard and his players is the team. But to say a team championship alone is a priority would be naive. College golf is evolving. “It’s all about the big picture, too,” Clinard said. “These guys want to play on Tour. It’s not about next week, it’s not about the week after, it’s about preparing these guys for life and the PGA Tour so when they leave here they’re ready to go.” What is PGA Tour U? There is so much talent in college golf these days, but the route to get that talent in front of the television audiences to appreciate it is complicated. Other sports have direct methods from college to the pros like the NFL Draft. Golf doesn’t. So Brendan von Doehren created PGA Tour University. “Golf never had that existed until PGA Tour University, that is the form of that,” von Doehren said. “It’s a direct connection between elite collegiate players and our system.” Drafts in other sports, von Doehren said, are subjective. While there are 259 players selected in the NFL Draft and each, should they sign their contracts, will immediately go practice with their new team in hopes of making the roster, PGA Tour U is a fully merit-based system. Throughout their college career, players accumulate points based on their performance in collegiate and amateur events. The final standings are recorded each year in May after the NCAA Championships and the top player in the ranking earns a PGA Tour membership card for the remainder of that ongoing season and the following year. In May 2023, Texas Tech’s Ludvig Aberg became the first golfer to earn his Tour card through PGA Tour U. Aberg then parlayed his play into a spot on the European Ryder Cup team in Rome this fall. The rest of the top five earn a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour for that year’s season and into the final stage of Qualifying School — a collection of tournaments used to earn membership on the PGA Tour. Those ranked No. 6-10 receive conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour and into the PGA Tour Americas. Players No. 11-25 just get into PGA Tour Americas as of a Dec. 12 update. Additionally, the Division II national player of the year will get the same benefits as Division I golfers finishing between No. 11-25. All players ranked No. 6-25 skip directly to the second round of Qualifying School. Those rankings, too, will only include seniors as the system is designed in that upperclassmen are likely to be the only ones capable of accumulating enough points. That said, von Doehren created an accelerated track for underclassmen in 2022. If a player reaches a 20-point threshold in that program, they get a PGA Tour card. In October 2023, Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent, a former Alabama high school state champion, became the first golfer to earn a card through the accelerated program. He is still playing for Vanderbilt this year. His PGA Tour card awaits whenever he chooses to turn professional. Golfer Gordon Sargent walks down the second fairway during the Par 3 contest on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) “As much (as) it’s strengthened pro golf and our PGA Tour, as we look at ourselves first, this has strengthened college golf tremendously,” von Doehren said. “This has changed the ballgame of why do you come to America. Do you come to get an education? Do you come because of PGA Tour U? Do you come because of that direct pathway? It’s keeping kids in school longer.” More elite golfers are going to college now, instead of directly joining the professional ranks out of high school solely in search of the PGA Tour. The choice now is similar to top high school baseball players going to college instead of the MLB Draft. Why spend time making very little money in minor league baseball compared to coming to college and having “the best resources, eat the best food, around the best competition and you’re not in a rush to get to into the real world of pro golf,” von Doehren said. It means a system where golfers are more prepared to play on Tour when they leave college. It means an improved world of college golf. The players are noticing. “Having the PGA Tour U, it’s unbelievable for guys like us,” Auburn junior Brendan Valdes said. “It proves guys like Ludvig, he can go out there and immediately be competing. He made the Ryder Cup. I feel like that’s really good for us, to show that we can do it.” A new golf world in Auburn He says he isn’t focused on it right now, but Jackson Koivun’s path is paved. The freshman is already a top-25 ranked amateur in the world, and was the top-rated high school player in his class. Koivun has only played one semester of college golf where he’s already been a two-time SEC Golfer of the Week. He beat Sargent at the SEC Fall Preview in 19 holes. Jackson Koivun during the match between the Auburn Tigers and the Vanderbilt Commodores at Country Club of Birmingham in Birmingham, AL on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023.Jamie Holt/Auburn Tigers For a player of his caliber, the name on the front of his collared shirt won’t matter much for his professional track. A golfer of his talent who began playing in tournaments when he was 5, playing professionally wasn’t a dream. A dream would imply it wasn’t realistic. He’s years off from competing for a PGA Tour card in the standard or accelerated program. So Koivun said his mind is more tuned to making his first Walker Cup team — a competition similar to the Ryder Cup between amateur American and British golfers. Koivun is trying to be a normal freshman, fitting laundry days into his schedule and showing a commitment to school. Part of why he picked Auburn, a school without a golf national championship, was its academic opportunities in case a golf career doesn’t work out. “I’m definitely paying attention to it,” Koivun said of PGA Tour U. “I think it’s going to be a little different by the time I get to junior, senior. I think there’s going to be even more opportunities than there are now because of how good some of the PGA Tour U guys are doing on Tour and how good the seniors are playing now. I think it’s going to open the eyes of people on the PGA Tour.” Koivun suggested the PGA should consider adding more than one Tour card at the end of a season. He’ll be there someday, but it doesn’t have to be top of mind now. Those rankings mean much more to an experienced golfer like senior J.M. Butler. .M. Butler during the match between the Auburn Tigers and the Vanderbilt Commodores at Country Club of Birmingham in Birmingham, AL on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023.Jamie Holt/Auburn Tigers As of the Nov. 29 rankings, Butler is 23rd — just outside of a qualifying spot. Butler made a deep run in the 2023 U.S. Amateur, taking a three-up lead to the back nine of his semifinal match against Ohio State’s Neal Shipley before losing five of the final seven holes. He said he plans to turn professional no matter what after his senior season. But right on the bubble of the top 20, he sits on the precipice of an opportunity to make his professional journey far easier. “That would be a big help, especially turning pro right away and not having to worry about Q School cause Q School can be very tough,” Butler said. If Butler fails to make the top 20, he joins every other golfer entering Q School through the pre-qualifying round. Should he advance through that stage, he’d also have to get through the first round just to get to the same round he’d gain automatic entry into by finishing in the PGA Tour U top 20. There’s time and money at stake. Being on that precarious border, Butler and other golfers emphasize trying to ignore the pressure of their future and focus just on their individual college events. Play well in those events, Butler said, and the rankings will take care of themselves. “They just know that there’s more money out there,” Clinard said. “I think guys will play professional longer maybe than they used to because of that reason. The end can be really, really good, the end game. The reality is just continuing to prepare them and give them statistics and give them the analytics of the PGA Tour. This is what these guys are able to do in this area of their games.” Compared to his team trying to stay focused on the season at hand, Clinard is more in tune with how to make his coaching means reach the players’ desired ends. “In my opinion, if he doesn’t prepare us to go pro, then we’re not going to be able to beat the other guys,” Valdes said. “If we’re not ready to go pro, then you’re not going to beat the top college guys. It’s a think that he almost has to do to make sure he can have the best team in the country.” Clinard said his recruiting pitch to players has changed with a focus now on not just winning, but how to get them on Tour. Once the players are in Auburn, he teaches them not just to be a better golfer, but how to manage their time, how to choose a place to live, how to pick an agent and how to build a life without the hand of a college program to guide. “It gives hope, it gives ambition for these people to go out and work hard. Anything is possible if they play well. I think Covid was a great thing for golf. It’s great for all the clubs across the country. I think they’ve really, really grown and a lot more people are playing golf. I think it’s been very healthy for our sports, it’s been healthy for growing the game.” Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

247sports.com 5star Williams added to AlabamaMississippi roster Jason Caldwell 2–3 minutes A busy week for 5-star wide receiver Ryan Williams got even busier on Tuesday with the announcement from the Alabama High School Athletic Association that the Saraland standout has been added to the roster for this weekend’s Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic. Currently committed to Alabama, Williams was originally in the 2025 class before reclassifying to 2024 on Monday. Alabama’s Mr. Football in 2022 as a sophomore, Williams capped off his Saraland career in style last Friday night in Tuscaloosa. In a losing effort to Clay-Chalkville in the 6A title game, he had 12 catches for 236 yards and two TDs, one rushing score and an 85-yard kickoff return for a fourth TD in the Spartans’ 31-28 loss to Clay-Chalkville in the 6A finals. His prep career totals include 72 catches this season for 1,324 yards and 19 TDs. In 39 games, he has caught 187 passes for 3,254 yards and 47 scores. He also has 24 career rushing TDs, three punt returns and kickoff for scores – giving him 71 total TDs. Williams will play alongside a trio of Auburn wide receiver commitments in Saturday’s game in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. Fellow 5-star Perry Thompson from Foley along with 4-stars Malcolm Simmons from Benjamin Russell and Bryce Cain from Baker High in Mobile will also be playing in the game with Williams for a loaded wide receiver group for Alabama. Clay-Chalkville wide receiver Mario Craver, a recent commitment to Mississippi State, is another one of the wide receiver in the game along with Jywon Boyd from Charles Henderson in Troy and Ja’Marcus Prince from Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa. Also scheduled to play in the game are Auburn commitments Malik Blocton and Kaleb Harris on the Alabama defense and Jamonta Waller for the Mississippi team. Following the noon kickoff on Saturday, several of the players are expected to travel to Auburn to attend the Sunday basketball game vs. USC at Neville Arena. Williams is among the players expected to be in town.

247sports.com Auburn center Connor Lew named 247Sports Freshman AllAmerican Nathan King 2–3 minutes One of Auburn's most anticipated offensive pieces for the future is closing out his first season with some big accolades. True freshman Connor Lew was named to the 247Sports Freshman All-American team on Tuesday. A native of Kennesaw, Georgia, Lew took over starting duties for the Tigers in the second half of the season and performed well in five starts. "Auburn was forced to throw Lew into the starting lineup in the middle of SEC play after center Avery Jones was injured," 247Sports' Chris Hummer said. "It worked out really well. Lew started the final five games of the season for the Tigers, allowing no sacks and three pressures during that five-game stretch. He also helped an excellent Auburn rushing attack to keep rolling." Jones, an East Carolina transfer, started the first seven games of the season at center before suffering a lower-body injury in the first half of Auburn's loss to Ole Miss in Week 8. Lew stepped in and ended being the highest-rated pass-blocker on the team, according to Pro Football Focus. He did not allow a sack and gave up only three QB pressures in six SEC games. Lew was a late flip from Miami by Hugh Freeze and his staff shortly after they were hired at Auburn. The Tigers have been on Lew's potential since he arrived on campus in the spring, and he was even able to garner some occasional first-team reps in preseason camp. "He's athletic, he's strong and he can do everything we have to do," guard Tate Johnson said this year. "And he plays super hard. I can't say enough good things about Connor and he's got such a bright future here." Even when Jones got healthier down the stretch of the season, Auburn stuck with Lew at center, and he's now positioned as the team's returning starter moving into the 2024 season. Starting tackles Dillon Wade and Izavion Miller are also back, and the Tigers are mining the transfer portal to help fill in the gaps at guard, where Gunner Britton and Kam Stutts are moving on.

theplainsman.com Auburn adds JUCO OT Seth Wilfred 2–3 minutes Auburn took a step in the right direction in retooling its offensive line Monday afternoon after landing the commitment of JUCO offensive lineman Seth Wilfred. Wilfred, who previously attended Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, announced his commitment to Hugh Freeze and the Tigers on social media. Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 295 pounds, Wilfred is listed as an offensive tackle according to recruiting websites and fielded other offers from Iowa State, Houston, Arizona State and others. Wilfred won't be the only player on next season's roster who joined the Snow College to Auburn pipeline as defensive back Keionte Scott, who announced his return to Auburn on Monday, also came to the Plains from Snow College. Wilfred joins 4-star interior offensive lineman DeAndre Carter as the two offensive line commitments Auburn has in the 2024 class. As for departures, guards Jalil Irvin, Kam Stutts and Gunner Britton are all out of eligibility as well as center Avery Jones. Auburn currently boasts the No. 11 nationally-rated recruiting class for the 2024 cycle according to 247Sports as the early signing day approaches on Dec. 20. 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.

saturdaydownsouth.com Auburn cornerback, former top 200 recruit, reportedly enters transfer portal Kevin L. Smith | 17 hours ago 2–3 minutes A former top 200 recruit has reportedly made his way into the transfer portal. According to 247Sports, Auburn cornerback Austin Ausberry has entered the transfer portal after 2 seasons with the Tigers. Auburn defensive back Austin Ausberry has entered the transfer portal, @chris_hummer and I have learned for @247sports. Was a Class of 2022 top-200 recruit.https://t.co/6Cw7NKmknb pic.twitter.com/jE2yfGOTcu — Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 12, 2023 Ausberry committed to Auburn on Dec. 13, 2021 and signed his letter of intent a couple of days later. He considered other SEC schools like Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, LSU and Kentucky before choosing the Tigers. In his 2 seasons with Auburn, Ausberry recorded just two tackles. Prior to his time with the Tigers, Ausberry was a 3-star recruit, according to 247Sports. The 6-foot defensive back was picked up by Auburn out of University Laboratory School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Auburn went 6-6 during the regular season. After a 3-0 start to the season, Tigers lost 4 straight then went on a 3-game win streak. Auburn proceeded to drop its final 2 games of the regular season, including a 27-24 heartbreaker to Alabama in the annual Iron Bowl on Nov. 25. Despite a roller coaster season, Auburn became bowl eligible. The team is scheduled to face Maryland in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 at 2 pm ET on ABC.

si.com Auburn Football 2024 Transfer Portal Commitments Lance Dawe 2–3 minutes The second offseason of the Hugh Freeze era is officially underway. The Tigers, who finished 6-6 in Freeze's first year at the helm, will look to build on the recruiting momentum the staff has begun to create. Auburn did a phenomenal job in the portal in 2023 after Freeze arrived last November. Its 2023 transfer portal class finished No. 5 nationally and climbed as high as No. 2. The Tigers nabbed a quarterback, receivers, and a multitude of linemen to help try and revamp a sputtering roster. They're likely going to try and land as many prospects as possible for both sides of the ball again. Here's a look at Auburn's 2024 transfer portal additions. We will continue to update this page as more commits come, so feel free to bookmark this article when future players are added. Transfer Portal Rankings 247Sports: No. 29 On3: No. 8 WR Robert Lewis (Georgia State) The former three-star prospect made Third-Team All-Sun Belt in 2023 after collecting 70 receptions for 877 yards and seven receiving touchdowns. Lewis' best performance of the season came early against Charlotte, where the 5-foot-11 wideout hauled in six passes for 220 yards and two scores. “I feel like Auburn is the right fit for me because of the scheme that they run could fit with me,” Lewis told On3. “While talking about football with Coach Davis, we were really on the same page about a lot of things regarding my tape. We were both saying the same thing but in different verbiage. Also with the role I will be tasked with while being in the receiver room, I feel like I could help boost them to another level.”

auburnwire.usatoday.com Toledo OL Vinny Sciury schedules visit with Auburn Taylor Jones ~2 minutes Auburn football is looking to boost its passing efficiency by adding wide receivers and possibly another quarterback from the transfer portal. The Tigers are also trying to add protection for pass plays to develop correctly. According to a report by Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover, former Toledo offensive lineman Vinny Sciury is set to visit the Plains this weekend. Sciury was considered to be the No. 67 overall recruit from Ohio during the 2020 recruiting cycle, and the No. 113 overall guard according to 247Sports. However, the Massillon, Ohio native has boosted his stock in the four seasons that he has been a part of the Toledo Rockets’ roster. Sciury was the Rockets’ top-graded pass blocker this season according to Pro Football Focus, with a grade of 89.4, which ranks No. 12 nationally. He was second on the team in snaps with 838, and he was involved in 378 plays where quarterback pressure could occur. He performed well in those situations by allowing just one sack and seven total quarterback pressures. Auburn had great success in boosting its offensive line last season through the transfer portal and is looking to continue that success this season. Auburn has added JUCO offensive line transfer Seth Wilfred to its 2024 class and has also hosted Memphis OL Mack Pounders for a visit. 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__

al.com Auburn defensive lineman Marcus Harris declares for NFL Draft Updated: Dec. 12, 2023, 7:59 p.m.|Published: Dec. 12, 2023, 7:58 p.m. 2–3 minutes After a first-team All-SEC season as one of the best interior defensive lineman in the nation, Marcus Harris announced he will enter the NFL Draft with a social media post Tuesday night. Harris transferred to Auburn from Kansas after the 2020 season and progressively improved as a three-year starter at Auburn leading to a breakout 2023 season. Harris led Auburn with seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss. His 40 tackles were by far the most among any Auburn defensive lineman. Harris did have the ability to return in 2024 for one final college season, but chose to go professional now after such a productive year. His post did not address if he will sit out Auburn’s upcoming trip to the Music City Bowl where it will face Maryland on Dec. 30. The defensive lineman was one of the key leaders on the Auburn defense under a new coaching staff. He was one of the biggest reasons for Auburn’s overall defensive turnaround this year — especially against the run which was expected to be a concern for Auburn this season. Pro Football Focus graded Harris as a top-20 defensive lineman in the nation this season. Losing Harris does leave Auburn with a thin defensive line as things stand going into next season. Justin Rogers will see a greatly increased role next season and reserves like Quientrail Jamison-Travis to step up and freshmen like Harris’ younger brother Malik Blocton to make an early impact. Auburn has also pursued interior defensive linemen in the transfer portal. Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com 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.

happy tuesday you beautiful people...........................