aubiefifty

i hope you boys enjoy the bo and derek stuff. it is kind of slow so i wanted to add to your reading pleasure. i got my mikes how honey yesterday so i will be trying it on a sausage biscuit. have a wonderful day AUFAM!

al.com Reports: Middle Tennessee set to hire Derek Mason as coach Updated: Dec. 05, 2023, 6:06 p.m.|Published: Dec. 05, 2023, 6:06 p.m. ~2 minutes Sports Middle Tennessee set to hire former Vanderbilt coach, Auburn DC Derek Mason, reports say Derek Mason, shown here in 2019 at Vanderbilt, is expected to be the next head football coach at Middle Tennessee State. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)AP By Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com Middle Tennessee State is expected to hire Derek Mason as its new head football coach, according to multiple reports Tuesday. The 54-year-old Mason was head coach at Vanderbilt from 2014-2020 and defensive coordinator at Auburn in 2021 and at Oklahoma State in 2022. He spent the 2023 season as a college football analyst for ESPN. At Middle Tennessee, Mason would replace Rick Stockstill, who was fired Nov. 27 after 18 seasons. The Blue Raiders reached bowl games in both 2021 and 2022, but fell to 4-8 this past season. Mason went just 27-55 at Vanderbilt, where his team never finished with a winning record. The Commodores went 6-6 during the 2016 and 2018 regular seasons before losing bowl games. In addition to his stints at Vanderbilt, Auburn and Oklahoma State, Mason has also coached at Utah, New Mexico State, Ohio, Stanford and with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. He was assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Stanford from 2011-13 before landing the Vanderbilt job. 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 Bo Nix wins 2023 Campbell Trophy as top scholar-athlete Published: Dec. 05, 2023, 10:45 p.m. 3–4 minutes Sports Bo Nix wins 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy, so-called ‘Academic Heisman’ Former Yale football player Jack Ford, left, presents University of Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with the William V. Campbell Trophy during the 65th National Football Foundation Awards Dinner Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)AP By Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com Oregon quarterback Bo Nix is the 2023 winner of the William V. Campbell Trophy, regarded as the academic equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. Nix, a Pinson Valley High School graduate, spent the first three seasons of his college career at Auburn before transferring to Oregon in 2022. He led the Ducks to an 11-2 record and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl this season, and is pursuing a Master’s in Communication at Oregon with a 3.91 grade-point average. “Bo Nix is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, and his competitive drive on the field extends to the classroom where he has already graduated magna cum laude and is currently working on a master’s degree,” National Football Foundation chairman Archie Manning said. “He embodies everything the Campbell Trophy represents, and we are extremely pleased to add his name to our history books.” Nix graduated magna cum laude from Auburn in 2021 with a 3.62 GPA. He was the 2023 Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, a Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll member in 2022 and a three-time Academic All-SEC selection while at Auburn. The Campbell Trophy carries with it a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship. Fifteen other finalists received $18,000 scholarship awards. “Bo and his fellow members of the 2023 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class represent more than just their standout athletic ability seen on the field,” NFF president & CEO Steve Hatchell said. “Their academic achievements and their contributions as leaders off the field send a powerful message about the young men who play our sport. They have taken full advantage of the educational opportunities provided by college football, and they have created a compelling legacy for others to follow.” On the field, Nix leads all FBS quarterbacks in completion percentage (77.2) and is tied for first in touchdown passes (40). He ranks second in passing efficiency (186.25), passing yards (4,145), passing yards per game (318.85), and total touchdowns (46). Past winners of the Campbell Trophy include Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning (1997), Florida quarterback Tim Tebow (2009), Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones (2012) and Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert (2019). Nix is also one of four finalists for the Heisman Trophy, which will be awarded on Saturday in New York. He was Alabama’s Mr. Football at Pinson Valley in 2018, while playing for his father, former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix. 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.

247sports.com Starstudded 7A title game kicks off Super7 Championships Jason Caldwell 4–5 minutes For the fourth time in six years, it will be Thompson vs. Central-Phenix City for the 7A state championship when the Super7 kicks off Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Coach Mark Freeman and the Thompson Warriors will be shooting for a fifth-straight state title while Patrick Nix and the Red Devils are going for title number three overall and their first since 2018. One of the top scoring teams in the state, Central is led by new Auburn 5-star commitment wide receiver Cam Coleman, but he’s far from the only weapon for the Red Devils. In 12 games this season, Coleman has 56 receptions for 1,229 yards and 17 touchdowns this season while getting plenty of attention from opposing defenses. He’s not alone outside however. Talented 2025 wide receiver Daylyn Upshaw has also done his share of damage, catching 58 balls for 1,174 yards and 15 scores. Also capable of making plays is 2024 wide receiver Dylan Gentry. Offered a walk-on spot at Auburn, Gentry has 27 receptions for 504 yards and seven touchdowns. Perhaps the key for Central has been the addition of transfer quarterback Andrew Alford. A 6-1, 185 junior, Alford has completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,384 yards and 44 touchdowns with just two interceptions. In the run game, Central has two very capable backs in senior Zack Simmons and junior Tristan Williams. They have combined for nearly 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. Up front, Central has plenty of dudes with 2025 offensive lineman Mal Waldrep, 2024 Alabama commitment Isaia Faga and 2027 prospect (Auburn offer) Tristan Lyles all guys to watch. The Red Devils are also strong in the secondary with Alabama commitment Rydarrius Morgan and Cincinnati commitment Jiquan Sanks both playmakers on the back end of a strong defense that allows just 12.1 points per game this season with 24 to Hewitt-Trussville in the season opener the most they’ve given up this year. On the other side, Thompson is usually known for its offense, but it’s the defense that has carried the Warriors this season. Allowing just 10.2 points per game this season, Thompson has only allowed more than 14 points once this year when 6A finalist Clay-Chalkville scored 36. The catalyst on defense for the Warriors is Auburn defensive back commitment Kaleb Harris. An active safety that can also play the nickel, Harris leads the team with a ridiculous 113 tackles and he also leads the way with 12 tackles for a loss. With three sacks and three interceptions, Harris has been on a mission his last season at Thompson. He’s joined in the secondary by one of the nation’s top juniors, five star Anquon Fegans. A former USC commitment, Fegans has 68 tackles and leads the team with five interceptions and 11 pass breakups. The top pass rusher is freshman Cam Pritchett. The 6-4, 210-pounder has 34 tackles and leads the team with six sacks. Offensively, freshman quarterback Trent Seaborn continues to be impressive for the Warriors. This season he has completed 73.4 percent of his passes for 2,388 yards and 25 touchdowns with only five interceptions. His top target is speedy Deuce Oliver, who has 72 receptions for 691 yards and three touchdowns, but the breakout performer has been sophomore Colben Landrew. Already with an Auburn offer in basketball, the 6-4 Landrew has 25 catches for 504 yards and 11 touchdowns. Kolby Hearn has 31 catches for 687 yards and seven touchdowns on the season. Thompson also features one of the state’s most underrated backs in AJ Green. The 5-8, 200 senior leads the team with 153 carries for 1,048 yards and 13 touchdowns.

si.com Auburn Recruiting: Five Questions For The 2024 Class Brian Smith 4–5 minutes The Auburn Tigers have been on a recruiting hot streak but there’s still work to be done. How well will Hugh Freeze and his staff finish off this recruiting class? Here are five questions that dig into that discussion. 1) Can Auburn flip Ryan Williams from Alabama? There’s been a lot of discussion about Ryan Williams signing with Auburn instead of Alabama, but will it happen? For those who do not know much about Williams, his Alabama State Player of the Year Award, as a mere sophomore in 2022, places his talents into perspective. The all-around talent is primarily a wide receiver, but he’s a wildcat quarterback, return man, and playmaker extraordinaire. His goal for next spring’s track season is to reach 10.1 in the 100 meters; he’s already a 10.3 sprinter. If Auburn can add Williams to what’s already one of the nation’s top wide receiver recruiting hauls, with Perry Thompson and Cam Coleman among them, it would probably be the Tigers' best-ever wide receiver class. Williams went to the Iron Bowl and had a blast. He’s also been tracking Coleman, Auburn’s most recent flip. As an interesting twist to Williams' recruitment, he's technically a 2025 recruit. Williams is on the fence about switching to the class of 2024. The Saraland (Ala.) High School prospect has tough decisions ahead. 2) Moving to defense, could the Tigers flip safety KJ Bolden from Florida State? Bolden is much like Williams in his well-rounded talents and will play multiple roles in the secondary for whichever school he signs with. The three teams most often discussed with Bolden would be FSU, Auburn, and Georgia. Despite being committed to the Seminoles, he’s been in contact with several schools for quite some time. As always, it’s still about following the visits. If Bolden has an in-home with Auburn and/or visits the Plains again, that’s a sign that Auburn has a true shot to flip the talented Buford (Ga.) High School safety. Bolden has a chance to play right away no matter which school he attends. 3) How many offensive linemen can the Tigers add? Make no mistake, future offensive guard DeAndre Carter is a tremendous prospect. He’s still one player. Auburn needs at least two more recruits along the trenches, and preferably three. One player to keep an eye on would be Favour Edwin from McDonough (Ga.) Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy. The 6-foot-6 and 295-pound offensive tackle is no stranger to visiting Auburn, including the Iron Bowl. Auburn is the favorite to land his signature on Dec. 20, National Signing Day. The Tigers are close to getting back to normalcy along the offensive line if they can finish out this class strong. A top-notch finish would provide more offensive line depth chart balance. 4) Will Auburn land a high school running back? As of right now, the Tigers do not have a running in the 2024 recruiting class. Much like the offensive line class, it’s about hitting certain numbers – to help keep roster balance – that allows Auburn to be a consistent football program moving forward. Maybe Auburn finds a Transfer Portal running back? Perhaps Freeze and his staff feel differently and are okay with not taking a running back in this cycle unless it would be a truly top prospect. Of note, Auburn is the favorite to land big-time 2025 running back Alvin Henderson from Elba (Ala.) High School. 5) How many recruits does Auburn want to sign? Balancing high school recruiting and the Transfer Portal is not as easy as it seems. Players come and go via the Portal. If Auburn is ultra-picky down the high school recruiting stretch, it could be a sign that the Tigers are going to hit the Transfer Portal hard. For reference, the Transfer Portal opened on Dec. 4 and will not close until Jan. 2.

auburntigers.com Auburn's Simpson, Hunter, Fairweather earn All-SEC honors Auburn University Athletics 6–7 minutes AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn's Jaylin Simpson, Jarquez Hunter and Rivaldo Fairweather earned All-SEC honors, the Southeastern Conference announced Tuesday. The Tiger trio was voted to the 2023 Second Team All-SEC by the league's coaches. Simpson intercepted passes in Auburn's first three games and another against Georgia to finish the season with four interceptions and 87 return yards including a pick-six vs. Massachusetts. The senior safety also recovered a fumble, made 1.5 tackles for loss and 28 solo tackles among 36 stops. Hunter led Auburn with 865 yards rushing on 146 attempts, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. The junior running back scored seven touchdowns and logged three consecutive 100-yard games in the Tigers' SEC victories over Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Arkansas. In his first season on the Plains, Fairweather made 33 receptions for 349 yards and six touchdowns. The junior tight end led Auburn receivers in all three categories. On Monday, Simpson and defensive lineman Marcus Harris earned first-team All-SEC honors by the Associated Press, while Fairweather and offensive lineman Gunner Britton were named to the AP's All-SEC second team. The Freshman All-SEC Team will be announced on Thursday. Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer Players Mentioned #50 Marcus Harris DL 6' 3" Senior Liberal Arts #27 Jarquez Hunter RB 5' 10" Junior Forestry, Wildlife & Environment #36 Jaylin Simpson S 6' 1" Senior Business #53 Gunner Britton OL 6' 6" Senior Liberal Arts #13 Rivaldo Fairweather TE 6' 4" Junior Liberal Arts

auburnwire.usatoday.com Auburn offers former All-SEC wide receiver Will Sheppard JD McCarthy 1–2 minutes Auburn is once again reshaping its wide receiver room and the latest name to know is former Vanderbilt wide receiver Will Sheppard. Sheppard would be a great fit for Hugh Freeze and Auburn, he is a bigger-bodied receiver at 6-foot-3 and has proven he can produce in the SEC, something Auburn desperately needs. He led Vanderbilt with 47 receptions for 684 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. His best season was in 2022 when the Associated Press named him second-team All-SEC after catching 60 passes for 776 yards and 9 touchdowns. Auburn will have plenty of competition to land Sheppard, he has already received offers from South Carolina, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. The Louisiana native will have one season of eligibility at his next school. Blessed to receive an offer from Auburn pic.twitter.com/LzgwsMguUT — Will Sheppard (@willshep20) December 4, 2023 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

al.com What moves did Auburn make in the transfer portal on Day 1 and what could they mean? Updated: Dec. 05, 2023, 10:07 a.m.|Published: Dec. 05, 2023, 10:07 a.m. 7–8 minutes FAYETTEVILLE, AR - NOVEMBER 11 - Auburn Head Coach Hugh Freeze during the game between the (24) Auburn Tigers and the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, AR on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn TigersZach Bland/Auburn Tigers On3′s Pete Nakos reported that more than 1,100 FBS football players had entered their names into the transfer portal by 10 p.m. ET of the portal’s opening day. And while it’s unlikely there be another day of mass exodus like Monday, that number will surely continue to swell as the transfer portal stays open for another 29 days before the window closes on Jan. 2. And while there’s still plenty of time to play and so much remaining uncertainty surrounding what could take place in the transfer portal in the weeks to come, Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers made their fair share of moves throughout Monday’s chaos. RELATED: Keep track of all roster moves using AL.com’s Auburn roster tracker here. Here’s a recap and what it could mean for the Tigers moving forward. A look at Auburn’s outgoing transfers Omari Kelly, sophomore WR Jyaire Shorter, senior WR Malcolm Johnson Jr., junior WR Stephen Johnson, freshman DL Enyce Sledge, freshman DL Stephen Sings V, junior LB What’s it mean?: What is there to make of Auburn’s six outgoing transfers? Well, truth be told, not a ton. Obviously the wide receiver room is slated to take a bit of a hit in terms of bodies, but not so much in production. Kelly, Shorter and Johnson Jr. combined for just nine receptions, 144 yards and zero touchdowns. And considering the blue-chip wide receiver class Freeze is set to bring in after signing day, it’s likely safe to assume that guys like 5-star wide receiver Cam Coleman and 5-star wide receiver Perry Thompson could be Day 1 starters or at least Day 1 contributors. As for the trio of outgoing defensive transfers, again, there isn’t a ton to make of it. When talking about how he’d handle discussions in regards to players transferring, Freeze simply said that he’d be transparent about it. Sometimes that means telling a player that there might be better opportunities for him elsewhere, while other conversations mean asking for patience. Who in the portal did the Tigers offer on Day 1? A quick preface: The following names are only players who made their offers public on social media. It’s important to note that most of your “big name” portal targets aren’t unveiling every offer they receive, if they unveil any at all. So take that for what it’s worth. Nonetheless, there are a handful of guys who reported receiving offers from Freeze and the Tigers on Day 1. Here’s who they are: Deion Burks, Purdue WR Robert Lewis, Georgia State WR Will Sheppard, Vanderbilt WR Easton Kilty, North Dakota OL Alan Herron, Shorter OL Gerquan Scott, Southern Miss OL Fernando Carmona Jr., San Jose State OL Nate Clifton, Vanderbilt DL Derrick Harmon, Michigan State DL Chris Paul Jr., Arkansas LB Ethan Robinson, Bucknell DB Will Lee III, Kansas State DB What’s it mean?: A couple things to note here, starting with the wide receivers. Though there’s no question Freeze has confidence in the young, high school wide receivers he’s set to bring in, he realizes that they will be just that when they arrive to The Plains: young. As such, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Auburn might be looking to add some experienced depth to that position room. And with guys like Purdue’s Burks and Vanderbilt’s Sheppard, the Tigers would be doing just that. Burks tallied 47 receptions for 629 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023, while Sheppard, ironically, also tallied 47 receptions in 2023, but for 684 yards and eight touchdowns. The numbers of both Burks and Sheppard would’ve made them Auburn’s lead receiver through the offseason. As for the offensive line, it’s an area Freeze was expected to hit hard in the portal as three of Auburn’s main pieces along the offensive front are out of eligibility in Gunner Britton, Avery Jones and Kam Stutts. Not to mention, having a crowded offensive line room is never a bad problem to have considering the position is so injury prone. Each of the aforementioned starters spent some time dinged up through the regular season, so Freeze is looking to add a bit of depth and could find a few key pieces in doing so. Kilty, Scott and Herron make up three of 247Sports’ top-five available offensive tackles in the transfer portal. And according to each of their social media accounts, Freeze and the Tigers extended offers to them on Day 1. Auburn’s offer to Carmona Jr. out of San Jose State is another notable one as he earned an 82.0 grade on 765 snaps, via Pro Football Focus. Defensively, Freeze had griped throughout the season about the Tigers not having enough depth along the defensive front and guys like Marcus Harris having to play too many snaps. Auburn’s offers to Clifton and Harmon look to be an effort to remedy that, while possibly finding a starter or two. Though Harris still has one year of eligibility remaining, it’s possible he looks toward the NFL Draft. In that scenario, the need to beef up the defensive line becomes even greater. Together, Clifton and Harmon combined for 70 tackles, seven sacks, a forced fumble and an interception in 2023. Meanwhile, should Auburn land a guy like Arkansas’ Paul Jr., the Tigers’ linebacker room would get an immediate boost as Paul comes with two seasons of SEC experience in which he combined for 136 total tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss and six sacks. Paul also boasts the upside of having multiple years of eligibility remaining. The Tigers are set to lose linebackers Elijah McAllister and Larry Nixon as the pair have run out of eligibility. On the backend, Auburn’s offers to a pair of defensive backs in Robinson and Lee point to the Tigers looking to add experience to the defensive secondary as guys like Nehemiah Pritchett and DJ James have run out of eligibility. And it’s possible Auburn sees other veteran defensive backs depart, should they declare for the NFL Draft. Nonetheless, the Tigers have a solid foundation with young defensive backs like Kayin Lee, Sylvester Smith and Colton Hood — all blue-chip DBs from last year’s recruiting class. But the addition of players like Robinson and Lee would bring experience to that room as the two combine for four years of playing experience, 134 total tackles, seven interceptions and 20 pass break ups. 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 4 Auburn football players earn AP All-SEC recognition Published: Dec. 04, 2023, 3:24 p.m. 5–7 minutes Two Auburn defensive players were named to the Associated Press All-SEC first team and two offensive players were named to the second team, according to a press release from the AP on Monday. Safety Jaylin Simpson and defensive lineman Marcus Harris both received first-team nods. Simpson started off the season strong with four interceptions in Auburn’s first five games. His high rate cooled off as the season went on, finishing the year with just those four interceptions. But that still set him with the third most in the SEC. From an interior spot on the defensive line, Harris led Auburn with seven sacks this season — three off the SEC lead. Harris also led Auburn with 11 tackles for loss. Tight end Rivaldo Fairweather and offensive line utility man Gunner Britton were each named to the second team. Both transferred to Auburn for this season. Fairweather came from FIU, and got better as the year went on to lead Auburn with 349 receiving yards. It’s the second-highest mark among tight ends in the SEC after Georiga’s Brock Bowers. His six touchdowns were tied with Bowers for most in the league among tight ends. Britton played multiple spots along the offensive line this season after doing the same at Western Kentucky, his previous school. Britton was named the SEC offensive lineman of the week twice during this season. Below is the full list of the All-SEC teams. A “u” in front of a player’s name signals a unanimous selection. Offensive Player of the Year — u-Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU Defensive Player of the Year — Nathaniel Watson, LB, Mississippi State Coach of the Year — Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri Newcomer of the Year — Caleb Downs, S, Alabama FIRST TEAM Offense WR — u-Malik Nabers, LSU, 6-0, 200, Jr., Youngsville, Louisiana WR — Luther Burden III, Missouri, 5-11, 208, So., St. Louis, Missouri T — Javon Foster, Missouri, 6-5, 319, grad, Detroit T — JC Latham, Alabama, 6-6, 360, Jr., Oak Creek, Wisconsin G — Tate Ratledge, Georgia, 6-6, 310, Jr., Rome, Georgia G — Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6-5, 352, So., New Haven, Connecticut C — u-Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia, Jr., 6-4, 310, New Orleans TE — u-Brock Bowers, Georgia, 6-4, 240, Jr., Napa, California QB — u-Jayden Daniels, LSU, 6-4, 210, Sr., San Bernardino, California RB — u-Cody Schrader, Missouri, 5-9, 214, graduate, St. Louis, Missouri RB — Ray Davis, Kentucky, 5-10, 216, Sr., San Francisco PK — Will Reichard, Alabama, 6-1, 194, grad, Hoover, Alabama All-Purpose — Ainias Smith, Texas A&M, 5-10, 200, grad, Missouri City, Texas Defense DE — James Pearce Jr., Tennessee, 6-5, 242, So., Charlotte, North Carolina DE — Darius Robinson, Missouri, 6-5, 296, grad, Southfield, Michigan DT — Marcus Harris, Auburn, 6-3, 295, Sr., Montgomery, Alabama DT — Deone Walker, Kentucky, 6-6, 348, So., Detroit LB — Dallas Turner, Alabama, 6-4, 252, Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Florida LB — Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M, 6-3, 230, Jr., Covington, Louisiana LB — Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State, grad, 6-2, 245, Maplesville, Alabama CB — Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri, 5-11, 178, Jr., Mobile, Alabama CB — Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama, 6-1, 195, Jr., Birmingham, Ala. S — Malaki Starks, Georgia, 6-1, 205, So., Jefferson, Georgia S — Jaylin Simpson, Auburn, 6-1, 178, Sr., Brunswick, Georgia P — Matthew Hayball, Vanderbilt, 6-1, 187, grad, West Adelaide, Australia SECOND TEAM Offense WR — Xavier Legette, South Carolina, 6-3, 227, Sr., Mullins, South Carolina WR — Brian Thomas, LSU, 6-4, 205, Jr., Walker, Louisiana T — Will Campbell, LSU, 6-6, 325, So., Monroe, Louisiana T — Gunner Britton, Auburn, 6-6, 312, Sr., Conway, South Carolina G — Joshua Braun, Arkansas, 6-6, 348, Jr., Live Oak, Florida G — Cam’Ron Johnson, Missouri, 6-4, 305, Jr., Houston C — Cooper Mays, Tennessee, 6-3, 305, Sr., Knoxville, Tennessee TE — Rivaldo Fairweather, 6-4, 251, Jr., Lauderhill, Florida QB — Jalen Milroe, Alabama, 6-2, 220, So., Katy, Texas RB — Quinshon Judkins, Mississippi, 5-11, 210, So., Pike Road, Alabama RB — Jaylen Wright, Tennessee, 5-11, 210, Jr., Durham, North Carolina PK — Harrison Mevis, Missouri, 5-11, 243, Sr., Warsaw, Indiana All-Purpose — t-Barion Brown, Kentucky, 6-1, 166, So., Nashville; Xavier Legette, South Carolina, 6-3, 227, Sr., Mullins, South Carolina Defense DE — Princely Umanmielen, 6-5, 255, Jr., Manor, Texas DE — Landon Jackson, Arkansas, 6-7, 281, Texarkana, Texas DT — Justin Eboigbe, Alabama, 6-5, 292, Sr., Forest Park, Georgia DT — Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia, 6-3, 320, Sr., Stone Mountain, Georgia LB — Jett Johnson, Mississippi State, 6-2, 230, grad, Tupelo, Mississippi LB — Chris Braswell, Alabama, 6-3, 255, Sr., Baltimore, Maryland LB — Debo Williams, South Carolina, 6-1, 232, Jr., Smyrna, Delaware CB — Terrion Arnold, Alabama, 6-0, 196, So., Tallahassee, Florida CB — Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky, 6-0, 196, So., West Bloomfield, Michigan S — Javon Bullard, Georgia, 5-11, 195, Jr., Milledgeville, Georgia S — Caleb Downs, Alabama, 6-0, 203, Fr., Hoschton, Georgia P — Jeremy Chrawshaw, Florida, 6-4, 200, Jr., New South Wales, Australia 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.

al.com Behind the scenes of how the Music City Bowl, Auburn made a selection Sunday match Updated: Dec. 05, 2023, 6:43 a.m.|Published: Dec. 05, 2023, 6:32 a.m. 8–9 minutes It’s not often he wakes up on this particular Sunday with clarity. And it wasn’t the way he woke up this year either. But the pool of SEC teams isn’t typically this small, Music City Bowl President Scott Ramsey told AL.com. So he woke up thinking about Auburn, and in a not-all-too-common occurrence, things went to plan. Auburn was selected Sunday to play in the Music City Bowl against Maryland. It’s the culmination of a complicated process that turns weeks, months even, of preparation, projecting and watching games to all whittle down to a match between an SEC team and a Big Ten team. The whole process of placing teams in bowl games is a sort of domino effect. It starts at the top with the four teams in the College Football Playoff ranking and trickles its way down through the New Year’s Six games and into the bowl ties of the tiers below. The Music City Bowl is considered to be one of the SEC’s pool of six bowls, including itself, the Gator Bowl, the ReliaQuest Bowl, the Liberty Bowl, the Mayo Bowl or Vegas Bowl in alternating years and the Texas Bowl. Those six bowl committees work among themselves as well as in conjunction with the SEC and individual institutions to place teams in logical locations while avoiding certain factors including repeating a team in the same location to frequently or repeating a recent matchup or one upcoming in the immediate future. In the SEC, teams are first put in the College Football Playoff if any are deemed worthy, then teams are placed in other New Year’s Six games. The Citrus Bowl gets the top pick of SEC teams after the New Year’s Six and then the pool of six get their turn. This year, with just nine bowl-eligible SEC teams, it did not seem likely the SEC would have enough teams to fill all of the six pool games after the Playoff, New Year’s Six and Citrus were all organized. That makes for day-of trading of spots among conference and bowl games. But through the process, Ramsey said Auburn was always near the top of his list. The day started for Ramsey arrived at his office around 10 a.m. after getting up early Sunday morning to drive back from Atlanta where he’d gone to the SEC Championship game. There’s not much he can do in finalizing bowl selections until the New Year’s Six field is announced. Beside an office whiteboard full of hypothetical scenarios and which puzzle pieces fix together, Ramsey sat down to watch the selection show. At 11:26 a.m., he watched Alabama be put in the Playoff over Florida State — a decision that does have, eventually, an impact on Ramsey’s process. By 2 p.m., Ramsey got confirmation putting Florida State out of the top four and into the Orange Bowl pushed Louisville out of a potential New Year’s Six spot because of bowl tie-ins, and instead allowed for an SEC team, Ole Miss, to slide up into the Peach Bowl. Four of the nine bowl-eligible SEC teams had made a New Year’s Six spot: Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and Ole Miss. Ramsey, and most bowl projections, expected Ole Miss to be the choice for the Citrus Bowl before Sunday. That meant other SEC teams would move up a spot and meant five SEC teams remained for the Citrus Bowl and the six pool games. At 2:17 p.m., Tennessee announced it would get the Citrus Bowl spot. Four teams — Auburn, Kentucky, LSU and Texas A&M — and six bowl spots remained. Finally, Ramsey could put the hypotheticals he’d drawn out into action. “You’re trying to play jigsaw puzzle,” Ramsey said. “Obviously, you’re going to express your preference that year based on who you’ve had and all that kind of thing. So we felt we felt pretty confident on Auburn this year.” Music City Bowl President Scott Ramsey prepares to hand the Bowl's trophy to then-Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn after Auburn beat Purdue in the Music City Bowl NCAA college football game Friday, Dec. 28, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Auburn won 63-14. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)AP This year, though, didn’t have many hypotheticals. Ramsey woke up Sunday morning knowing Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and likely Ole Miss were already ruled out. LSU was then likely for the ReliaQuest Bowl, Ramsey said. Then, he had to sort through which remaining teams could be a fit. Kentucky played in the Music City Bowl last year and Tennessee played two years ago. Texas A&M was the other possible option. “A&M you felt like was a pretty good fit for Houston this year with the coaching change and staying close to home sometimes when that happens is preferable,” Ramsey said. “Wasn’t locked in but preferable.” That left Auburn. It was one of the team’s Ramsey submitted to the SEC offices in the weeks leading up to selection day. The SEC side of the bowl matchup was relatively easy from the process of elimination. The Big Ten side of the matchup was more difficult. Whereas the SEC works more with the schools and the bowls as a unit to place teams, the bowl gets much more say in picking their Big Ten team along with an ongoing contract with the Big Ten stating the bowl must take five different teams in six years. Ramsey likes to treat the Big Ten pick and the SEC pick as two entirely different processes. And contractually, they largely are. “You get a little you get a little cross-eyed by the time you’ve done that for six, seven days just to make sure you’re ready for Sunday,” Ramsey said. “I mean, you can’t start that process at two o’clock on Sunday and be ready to roll out all the information that you gotta be ready for in today’s world.” What Ramsey wasn’t sure about entering the day is where the Music City Bowl would pick. Based on how New Year’s Six bowls played out, it was possible that the Big Ten would give up its spot in the ReliaQuest Bowl to a team like independent Notre Dame. That would have given the Music City Bowl the second choice of Big Ten teams with only the Citrus Bowl going ahead of them. That hypothetical, though, did not happen. Wisconsin was put in the ReliaQuest Bowl against LSU and slotted the Music City Bowl another run down the pecking order. That’s how Maryland ended up being Auburn’s opponent instead of Wisconsin. For all those hypotheticals, the Big Ten and the SEC avoided most of the chaos in the trickle-down from the Playoff. The ACC’s side of bowl selections lasted for hours into the evening after it entered a period of gridlock in reaction to Florida State falling out of the top four. It created uncertainty in all bowls involving ACC teams and to an extent what other Power 5 teams might still be available as opponents for all the other bowls to consider. Football’s selection Sunday is a complex, ever-changing and impossible-to-predict day of dealing and decisions made with fit and finance in mind. In the end, it’s all a marketing product made for fans and television. So Ramsey sat back when it all settled, thankful his day, unlike so many others, actually went to plan. “You want chalk,” Ramsey said. “If things get upset, it’s just a scramble. It may be for the better, sometimes. I say the better from a more unique matchup, a team that hadn’t been here. Maybe the team that your group wanted to select that particular year that you didn’t think you could and then they came. Hey, everything’s happened in the 26 years I’ve been here. We’ve had all kinds of crazy stuff at the last minute. For your stomach’s help, it’s a little bit easier if it’s not chaotic.” 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.

thank you! it is one less worry for me and i laughed at the test until the doc talked to me. he told me to hit the oxy in the afternoons for a pick me up so i am looking forward tomit. but i am not gonna lie.......i look like hannibal lecter with the oxygen mask on...............grins.

sorry i was late folks. had a sleep study. i quit breathing 94 times in one hour. sleep apnea is no joke. it damages your heart. it effects things memory and puts a huge strain on your health. if you have this issue i hope you get it checked. the doc told me i would feel better today just from a half night on oxygen and he is correct.

auburnwire.usatoday.com Malcolm Johnson Jr. becomes third Auburn WR to enter the transfer portal JD McCarthy ~2 minutes Auburn’s wide receiver room is undergoing some massive renovations as three wideouts have entered the transfer portal. Malcolm Johnson Jr. is the latest to enter, joining Omari Kelly and Jyaire Shorter, according to a report from Auburn Undercover’s Nathan King. Johnson signed with Auburn as a member of the 2020 recruiting class under Gus Malzahn. He was the No. 212 overall player and No. 38 wide receiver in the 247Sports composite ranking. He redshirted in 2020 before appearing in 10 games in 2021, catching six passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. He caught two passes for 28 yards in six appearances in 2022, appearing in every game last season, he snagged six passes for 89 yards. The trio of Kelly, Shorter and Johnson are the only offensive players to enter the portal so far with defensive linemen Stephen Johnson, Enyce Sledge and Jack linebacker Stephen Sings V having also entered. You can keep up with all of Auburn’s departures with Auburn Wire’s Transfer Portal Tracker. 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

saturdaydownsouth.com Hugh Freeze ‘searching for consistency’ at Auburn, says Alabama and Georgia are the standard Grant Bricker | 19 hours ago 2–3 minutes Hugh Freeze is trying to build something special at Auburn and that starts with consistency. Freeze talked with SEC Network’s Laura Rutledge about what it takes to build a consistent program. For Freeze, that starts with recruiting. The games against Georgia and Alabama are the standard that Freeze is hoping to have at Auburn. “We’re searching for consistency and the only way that you find that is through competition every day to the standard that you set,” said Freeze. “How do you do that? You go recruit. We’re doing really well with that, there’s obviously a few weeks left in our 1st recruiting cycle, but we can say that these 2 games are the standard right now and we’re not far off.” Building a special team on The Plains ?@SECNetwork | @CoachHughFreeze pic.twitter.com/GKh7hNYJRD — Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) December 4, 2023 Freeze is glad to have the resources of Auburn in his arsenal. He points to the Georgia and Alabama games in recruiting and looks for those who want to be difference makers. “We need some help for sure, to create that competition and consistency in chasing a standard, but you can look at the environment that we provide at Jordan-Hare.” said Freeze. “Our support, our administration, and our resources that we have. We point directly to these 2 games in recruiting and say, ‘Look, you can be the difference maker and be a trend setter here.'”

si.com Auburn has offered former Vanderbilt receiver Will Sheppard Andrew Stefaniak 2–3 minutes The Auburn Tigers just offered an extremely talented wide receiver. Will Sheppard is a wide receiver for the Vanderbilt Commodores who has had an outstanding career in the SEC East. This season, Sheppard had 47 receptions for 684 yards and eight touchdowns. Vanderbilt dealt with banged-up quarterbacks all season, but still, with the QB carousel, Sheppard managed to have a solid season. Sheppard put his name in the transfer portal early this morning, and Hugh Freeze was quick to get on the phone and reach out as he posted that Auburn offered just a few minutes ago. While Vandy isn't a great football team, Sheppard is a really good player that could work his way into the NFL with a good 2024 season. Auburn has been a school associated with Sheppard, and man would this be a good get for Coach Freeze. He will likely be pursued by multiple schools all over the country, so Auburn needs to get in and make a big impression quickly. Sheppard would be the perfect player to help mentor the young 2024 wide receivers who will be on the Plains next season. Auburn fans need to bookmark the name Will Sheppard because if Auburn leads him, he could be the team's leading receiver next season.

al.com Auburn offers SEC transfer wide receiver, current Tigers players offer their endorsement Published: Dec. 04, 2023, 5:46 p.m. 3–4 minutes Vanderbilt wide receiver Will Sheppard (14) makes a catch as Auburn cornerback Keionte Scott (0) defends in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)AP Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze was busy Monday as the transfer portal officially opened its doors for business. Between the days leading up to Monday and Monday itself, the Tigers saw six players enter the transfer portal — three of which were wide receivers. And considering Auburn has a pair of 2024 5-star wide receivers committed in Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson, those departures — who saw limited use in 2023 — didn’t come as a surprise. However, Freeze proved that he’d still like to add some experience to his wide receiver corps as Vanderbilt wide receiver and transfer portal entrant Will Sheppard announced that he’d been offered by Auburn Monday afternoon. Sheppard spent the last four seasons at Vanderbilt and was successful in each of them. Sheppard will end his career as the Commodores’ seventh-leading receiver of all time with 2,067 career passing yards and really broke out during his junior season when he tallied more than 770 yards and hauled in nine touchdowns. In 2023, Sheppard recorded 684 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 47 receptions. With those numbers, Sheppard would’ve been Auburn’s leading receiver by nearly 300 yards both seasons. That said, it doesn’t come as a surprise that members of Auburn’s current roster would be more-than-thrilled with the addition of Sheppard, should he make his way to The Plains. Auburn running back Damari Alston reposted Sheppard’s announcement with the comment, “1of1.” Auburn Jack linebacker Elijah McAllister, who previously played with Sheppard at Vanderbilt, also seemed to have issued his endorsement in posting “Mr. Go up & Get it” shortly after Sheppard announced his offer. Before Auburn’s visit to Vanderbilt early last month, Freeze was sure to issue his respect for Sheppard, despite the struggles of the Commodores’ offense. “That receiver is special,” Freeze said of Sheppard. Out of high school, Sheppard was rated a 3-star prospect. Now as a a 6-foot-3, 200-pound transfer, Sheppard is rated a 4-star and the seventh-best wide receiver currently in the transfer portal. 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.