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si.com Ryan Williams Drops a Hint on Social Media After Cam Coleman Flip Lance Dawe 2–3 minutes Could Williams be preparing to flip to Auburn alongside Cam Coleman? Auburn football just landed their third-highest recruit in program history. Cameron Coleman, a five-star wide receiver that was initially committed to Texas A&M, just flipped to Auburn. His commitment along boosted the Tigers' 2024 class from No. 17 nationally to No. 11. It's Hugh Freeze's third five-star commit in this upcoming class. What if Auburn didn't stop there? Ryan Williams is the No. 1 receiver in the 2024 cycle and is currently committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Auburn has been pushing for Williams to flip for quite some time, and immediately following Coleman's flip to the Tigers on social media, Williams posted a tweet of his own. "Start THE COUNTDOWN @Hayesfawcett3!" Williams posted with an screen shot of a countdown he posted to his Instagram story. The countdown reads "THE ANNOUNCEMENT," with 9 days, 20 hours, and 37 minutes until it ends. Could this mean Williams is preparing to flip to Auburn as well? Williams is the No. 4 player in the 2024 class and the No. 1 wide receiver, according to the 247Sports Composite ratings.

al.com Auburn sophomore WR Omari Kelly announces his intentions to enter transfer portal Published: Dec. 01, 2023, 9:40 a.m. ~2 minutes Auburn wide receiver Omari Kelly, right, catches a pass over Samford cornerback Kamron Smith (16) for a first down during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers have received news that sophomore wide receiver Omari Kelly will be entering his name into the transfer portal. Kelly announced his decision on Friday. After playing in every game as a true freshman in 2022 and recording just three receptions for 56 yards, Kelly’s role decreased this fall as he appeared in just eight regular season games and caught two passes for 45 yards. Both of Kelly’s receptions this season came in Week 3 against Samford — one for 40 yards and another for five yards. Kelly’s decreased role in 2023 came after Freeze hit the transfer portal hard to bring in more talent at the receiver spot. Freeze brought in five transfer pass catchers during the offseason, of which three finished with more receptions than Kelly. As a 4-star prospect out of Hewitt-Trussville High School in Trussville, Kelly received offers from the likes of Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Michigan, Tennessee and others. 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.

No. 1 WR Cameron Coleman flips from Texas A&M to Auburn - ESPN Tom VanHaaren ~2 minutes Tom VanHaaren, ESPN Staff WriterDec 1, 2023, 05:15 PM ET ESPN staff writer Joined ESPN in 2011 Graduated from Central Michigan Reactions Five-star wide receiver Cameron Coleman flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to Auburn on Friday, and is now the Tigers' highest-ranked commitment in the 2024 class. Coleman had been committed to Texas A&M since June, but head coach Jimbo Fisher was recently fired and former Aggies offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino now holds the same position at Arkansas. Coleman is the No. 6 prospect overall in the 2024 class and No. 1 receiver, according to ESPN. Despite his commitment to the Aggies, Coleman had been looking at other schools and recently visited Auburn. He's from Phenix City, Alabama, and is staying closer to home to play for the Tigers. His decommitment leaves a big hole in the class for the Aggies, as he was their top-ranked commitment and the only ESPN 300 receiver this cycle. He's also the third decommitment since October, following receiver Dre'lon Miller and offensive lineman Weston Davis. Auburn has two ESPN 300 receivers in the 2024 class: Coleman and Perry Thompson, from Foley, Alabama. Coleman is the Tigers' second five-star commitment, joining Jamonta Waller, the No. 4 defensive end and No. 18 recruit overall, per ESPN's rankings. Coleman is the second highly sought receiver to switch to Hugh Freeze and his staff, after they were able to flip Thompson from Alabama in July.

auburnwire.usatoday.com Who took the most snaps for Auburn in 2023? Taylor Jones 4–6 minutes The Auburn Tigers have wrapped up another regular season. While we wait on the kickoff of Auburn’s bowl game, let’s look back at some of Auburn’s key players. Auburn finished 6-6 in the first season under Hugh Freeze, and is preparing now to play in its first bowl game since the 2021 season. When looking back at participation stats from Pro Football Focus, we learned that 83 players took at least one snap this season. Offensively, the Tigers were on the field for 786 plays while Auburn’s defense was on the field for 790 plays. Who were the most consistent players for the Tigers this season? Here is a look at Auburn’s top players based on snap counts according to Pro Football Focus. Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics Total snaps: 526 A noticeable trend with this list is that it is filled with linemen. Kam Stutts kicks off the list by seeing the field for a total of 526 plays during the regular season. Stutts appeared in all 12 games for the Tigers, splitting his time between right guard, right tackle, and left guard. He spent most of his time at right guard, where he played in 500 of his 526 total snaps. Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers Total snaps: 534 We head to the other side of the line for our No. 9 player, Marcus Harris. Harris spent more time on the defensive line than anyone else this season, taking 43 more snaps than the next guy in line, Jalen McLeod. Harris made the most of his snaps, as he ended the regular season by leading the team in sacks (7.0) and tackles for loss (11.0). Wesley Hitt/Getty Images Total snaps: 534 Auburn’s leading receiver in production is also Auburn’s top receiver when it comes to snap counts. Tight End Rivaldo Fairweather caught 33-of-45 passes thrown his way for 349 yards and six scores. He recorded an additional 123 yards after catch and dropped six passes this season. Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Total snaps: 537 We jump back into the pool of offensive linemen by discussing one of Auburn’s most consistent linemen, Izavion Miller. Miller, otherwise known as “Too Tall”, played all but one of his 537 snaps at right tackle this season, with one snap being played at tight end. Jaden Muskrat also saw plenty of time at the position by registering 164 snaps. AP Photo/Stew Milne Total snaps: 587 Zion Puckett, just like two others on this list, barely came off the field for Auburn in 2023. In coverage, Puckett allowed 20 passes to be caught out of the 29 thrown his way, and he allowed four touchdowns while picking off two passes. John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports Total snaps: 623 Despite playing in a quarterback rotation for most of the season, Payton Thorne found a way to make it onto the field for 79% of Auburn’s offensive plays. Thorne passed for 1,671 yards and 15 touchdowns during the 2023 regular season. He was also pressured 80 times and sacked 29 times this season. The Montgomery Advertiser Total snaps: 651 Jaylin Simpson has been vital to pass coverage this season, which explains why he has been on the field so much. Receivers have caught 61.5% of passes while being covered by Simpson for just 155 yards and a touchdown. He has also picked off four passes and broken up four more. Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports Total snaps: 692 Four cornerbacks have taken at least 290 snaps this season, with D.J. James leading the way with 692 snaps. He has made 38 tackles, missing just eight. He has also allowed just 32 balls to be caught in 51 opportunities. Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Total snaps: 724 One of Auburn’s top needs last season was on the offensive line. Hugh Freeze found a solid contributor in Gunner Britton. Britton was a solid piece to Western Kentucky’s front before making his way to the Plains and has been productive at three positions this season: left guard, left tackle, and right tackle. Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Total snaps: 739 It is easy to see why Philip Montgomery pursued Dillon Wade out of the transfer portal last season. He was productive as a member of Montgomery’s offensive line at Tulsa and has been just as reliable at Auburn. He was on the field for 94% of Auburn’s offensive plays this season, spending 736 snaps at left tackle. He also played three snaps at right guard.

247sports.com Monster flip Auburn lands 5star WR Cam Coleman Christian Clemente ~2 minutes Hugh Freeze and Marcus Davis have already pulled in an elite wide receiver class. It just got even better. Five-star Cameron Coleman, the No. 8 player and No. 3 wide receiver in the country, has flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to Auburn. The Central-Phenix City product is the No. 1 player in the state of Alabama. “I like the way it’s just a family atmosphere,” Coleman said previously. “Just the tradition they have here and just that family atmosphere.” It’s been a rollercoaster recruitment, with Auburn looked at as the heavy favorite before a surprise commitment to the Aggies on July 4. Auburn stayed in constant pursuit, though, and capitalized after the dismissal of Jimbo Fisher. Coleman joins fellow 5-star wide receiver Perry Thompson, who Auburn flipped at Big Cat Weekend from Alabama. In-state 4-stars Bryce Cain and Malcolm Simmons also make up the receiver class. “We have one of the tightest relationships out of all the coaches that are recruiting me,” Coleman said. “Me and Coach Davis, we chop it up every day.” A constant visitor on campus, Coleman was in attendance for the Georgia game and back for several mid-week visits after that. After Auburn has struggled year after year to dip into Central, despite its close proximity to campus, Auburn’s new staff was determined to change things there. Now, Auburn has achieved that by landing one of the top players in the country. Auburn Undercover will continue to update this story.

al.com Roster tracker: How will Auburn’s roster have changed in 2024? Updated: Dec. 02, 2023, 7:02 a.m.|Published: Dec. 02, 2023, 6:40 a.m. 2–3 minutes Auburn's Hugh Freeze closes book on 2023 Iron Bowl, looks ahead to bowl season Cementing an 85-man roster is getting harder and harder in the new era of college football. In addition to the age-old reasons of departure such as declaring for the NFL Draft and running out of eligibility, college football coaches are now faced with players being tempted by the transfer portal. “I have no idea exactly how the makeup of the 85 will look and what we have to replace. Do we have to replace just 22? Do we have to replace 32? None of us know,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said Monday. “I think that’s become the biggest challenge for us coaches is, ‘Man, how do you even manage the 85?’” Freeze added that between lengthy transfer portal windows, early National Signing Day in December and the second National Signing Day in February, most coaches will still be constructing their 85-man roster well into the spring and summer months. That said, we’ll try to keep track of all of Auburn’s roster changes – both ingoing and outgoing – as they happen here on this roster tracker page. OUTGOING PLAYERS (15) Out of eligibility (13) Wide receivers Shane Hooks Nick Mardner Jyaire Shorter Offensive line Gunner Britton Jalil Irvin Avery Jones Kameron Stutts Defensive line Lawrence Johnson Mosiah Nasili-Kite Linebackers Elijah McAllister Larry Nixon III Defensive backs Nehemiah Pritchett D.J. James Name in transfer portal (3) Wide receivers Defensive line Declared for NFL Draft This will be updated as NFL Draft announcements are made INCOMING PLAYERS (19) Transferring in This will be updated as transfer announcements are made 2024 signees This will be updated as high school players sign their letters of intent 2024 commitments (19) Quarterbacks Wide receivers Athletes Offensive line Defensive line Linebackers Defensive backs All rankings are per 247Sports.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.

si.com What made Kensley Faustin decide on Auburn? Daniel Locke 2–3 minutes Auburn has a lot of talented defensive backs in its 2024 recruiting class. Among them is Kensley Faustin. What led Faustin to decide on Auburn? Auburn's 2024 recruiting class will be an important one in determining how successful Hugh Freeze ends up being as the program's head coach. The class includes multiple talented defensive backs. One of them is Kensley Faustin. Faustin, a safety from Naples, Florida, committed to Auburn in June. According to 247Sports, Faustin is a 4-star safety with a 0.8917 composite rating. He is the No. 440 player in the class, the No. 45 safety and the No. 58 player in the state of Florida. "Just the tradition and the environment," Faustin said on what made him decide to choose Auburn. "The coaching staff knows what they're doing. I like the fact that they will use me and the fact that I will play early." Faustin talked about Hugh Freeze and what he likes about the idea of playing for him. "I like that he's an honest man," Faustin said. "He tells you straight up, he doesn't try to sugarcoat everything. When I committed he said we've got work to do." Faustin was able to attend the Iron Bowl. He talked about how special it was to be a part of that environment. "That environment was one of a kind," Faustin said. "It's an experience that you only get one time and to be a part of that was just a blessing." The players in the 2024 class will impact the trajectory of Freeze's career at Auburn. Faustin is among the prospects who will be a difference-maker.

it is all about recruiting and the portal today. as an aside next monday night i do a sleepover at the hospital for asleep apnea study so tuesday's articlesmight be late asi have no idea what time they will release me. anyone wants to send flowers message me for an address................grins.

247sports.com SEC football preseason expectations revisited LSU Texas AM underachieve Missouri outperforms prediction Cody Nagel 12–15 minutes Not every team delivered on its preseason goals. The college football regular season is complete, but there is still plenty left to determine for the fate of the SEC with a critical conference title showdown between Alabama and two-time reigning national champion Georgia on Saturday in Atlanta. Overall, it was a disappointing regular season for the SEC, which struggled against signature non-conference opponents back in September. However, not all teams failed to reach expectations. Missouri is without question the biggest surprise team and overachiever in the SEC, perhaps even the entire Power Five landscape, this season after reaching 10 wins under coach Eli Drinkwitz. Others like Mississippi State and Texas A&M underachieved and opted for a change in leadership as a result with the firings of Zach Arnett and Jimbo Fisher. Preseason expectations can not become a reality for every team in the SEC. There will always be teams that underperform, while others take advantage. Unforeseen circumstances such as injuries can also derail a hopeful season. Get football and recruiting scoop on your favorite college team for $1 for first month. Below is how every SEC team fared relative to preseason expectations: Vanderbilt Commodores: Underachiever (Photo: Getty) Regular season record: 2-10, 0-8 There was optimism Vanderbilt could reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018, but a 10-game losing streak to close out Year 3 under coach Clark Lea resulted in disappointment. There was early momentum following back-to-back wins to open the 2023 campaign, but a blown 17-point lead in a loss at UNLV in Week 3 is where the snowball effect began. The Commodores went winless against SEC opponents for the third time in three seasons, two of which came under Lea, who is now 9-27 (.250) as head coach in Nashville. Missouri Tigers: Overachiever (Photo: Getty) Regular season record: 10-2, 6-2 Without question the biggest surprise team in the SEC, perhaps even the entire Power Five landscape, this season. Missouri reached double-digit wins for the first time in nine years and is in position for a New Year's Six bowl appearance. The only losses in the regular season for the Tigers came against two-time reigning national champion Georgia, 30-21, and SEC West contender LSU, 49-39. Momentum is building in Columbia for fourth-year coach Eli Drinkwitz, not only on the field, but off of it as well in recruiting. Mississippi State Bulldogs: Underachiever (Photo: Getty) Regular season record: 5-7, 1-7 The lone season as head coach at Mississippi State for Zach Arnett could be categorized as a disaster. The Bulldogs finished with their worst record against SEC opponents in 17 years as Arnett was fired in mid-November. Only one of the five wins in 2023 came against a team that reached bowl eligibility — Arizona. Mississippi State is in reset mode with the hiring of former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby as the next head coach and the departure of record-setting quarterback Will Rogers to the transfer portal. Kentucky Wildcats: Met Expectations (Photo: Getty) Regular season record: 7-5, 3-5 Kentucky is going to a bowl game for the eighth-straight season under coach Mark Stoops. The Wildcats lost five of their last seven games to close out the regular season, but still met expectations in what was expected to be a transition year with plenty of new transfers, including at quarterback and running back. Kentucky capped off the regular season with an upset against rival Louisville and ended their College Football hopes and Stoops announced his commitment to the Wildcats despite buzz of him becoming the next head coach at Texas A&M. Ole Miss Rebels: Overachiever (Photo: Getty) Regular season record: 10-2, 6-2 Ole Miss overcame a brutal September stretch, for the most part, on its way to a second double-digit win season in three years. The Rebels' only losses came on the road against the two teams playing for the SEC championship — Alabama and Georgia — this Saturday. Ole Miss has seven 10-win seasons in the history of its football program. Lane Kiffin has his name on two of those with an opportunity to reach 11 wins for the first time ever during bowl season. Auburn Tigers: Overachiever (Photo: Getty) Regular season record: 6-6, 3-5 Hugh Freeze led Auburn back to bowl eligibility in Year 1 as the new coach on The Plains. The Tigers were streaky this season, but just barely exceeded expectations given the circumstances of a rebuild. While the disappointment of the blowout loss to New Mexico State and late-game collapse against rival Alabama in the Iron Bowl stings, the fact that Auburn kept it close versus both the Crimson Tide and Georgia should hold some weight. However, expectations will be higher in 2024. South Carolina Gamecocks: Underachiever (Photo: Getty) Regular season record: 5-7, 3-5 South Carolina tried to close out strong, similar to what it did last season, but the Gamecocks dug themselves into too deep of a hole and were unable to reach bowl eligibility for the first time in three seasons under coach Shane Beamer. A winless October was difficult to overcome, even with the easier slate in November. Pressure is mounting on Beamer and South Carolina to make a jump in 2024. Arkansas Razorbacks: Underachiever (Photo: Getty) Regular season record: 4-8, 1-7 Year 4 for Sam Pittman at Arkansas was about as bad as any Razorback could imagine heading into the season. Expectations were bowl eligibility, but Arkansas did not come close to that with an 0-5 start to the SEC schedule — not to mention an early non-conference loss to BYU in mid-September. Pittman will remain in Fayetteville for at least another year, but the Razorbacks must show great signs of improvement in 2024. The development of star quarterback KJ Jefferson expected to enter the transfer portal is a setback. Florida Gators: Met Expectations (Photo: Getty) Regular season record: 5-7, 3-5 Believe it or not, Florida met expectations in Year 2 under coach Billy Napier despite not reaching bowl eligibility. The Gators are still trying to piece together a roster capable of competing in the SEC after losing five-straight games to close out the season. Momentum appeared to be building after a convincing win against SEC East division rival Tennessee back in mid-September, but two weeks later Florida followed that performance up with a blowout loss at Kentucky. The Gators need to find a solution to win on the road with a 2-10 (.200) record away from "The Swamp" under Napier. Texas A&M Aggies: Underachiever (Photo: Getty) Regular season record: 7-5, 4-4 Texas A&M is already moving on to a new era after the removal of Jimbo Fisher and return of Mike Elko to be the next head coach. But there is no ignoring the disappointment in College Station at failing to meet expectations yet again. The Aggies were forecasted to contend for an SEC West crown, but an 0-5 record against ranked opponents is never going to get the job done. A season-ending injury to starting quarterback Conner Weigman set the offense back, but there were plenty more issues than just that. Tennessee Volunteers: Underachiever (Photo: Getty) Regular season record: 8-4, 4-4 Tennessee was not going to be a College Football Playoff contender like it was in 2022, but the Volunteers experienced a drop-off further than what was expected. The loss at Florida in the SEC opener was an early setback. Tennessee also lost its pecking order in the SEC East with Missouri rising and handing the Volunteers an embarrassing 36-7 loss in mid-November. Alabama and Georgia both beat Tennessee by at least two scores. LSU Tigers: Underachiever (Photo: Getty) Regular season record: 9-3, 6-2 LSU was unable to defend its SEC West title despite Heisman Trophy-contending quarterback Jayden Daniels putting up record-setting numbers for the Tigers. It was the defense that underperformed drastically, ranking third-worst in the SEC in points allowed per game (27.8). All three of the losses for LSU came away from Baton Rouge with two of those defeats against College Football Playoff contenders. The Tigers can still reach 10 wins for the second time in as many years under coach Brian Kelly with a bowl victory. Alabama Crimson Tide: Overachiever (Photo: Getty) Regular season record: 11-1, 8-0 There was a lot of preseason doubt surrounding Alabama football and whether this was the beginning of the end for Nick Saban. But, ahead of the SEC Championship Game, the Crimson Tide have a chance to potentially clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff if they can knock off Georgia. Alabama was all but counted out of the Playoff picture with a non-conference loss to Texas in Bryant-Denny Stadium back in Week 2. Since then, the Crimson Tide rattled off 10-straight wins, including a late-game stunner at Auburn to close out the regular season. Georgia Bulldogs: Met Expectations (Photo: Getty) Regular season record: 12-0, 8-0 Georgia did what was expected in the regular season, but will ultimately be judged on how it performs in the postseason as it makes a run at a historic third-straight national championship. The Bulldogs won all 12 games by at least seven points, going 4-0 against ranked opponents. Quarterback Carson Beck emerged as a potential Heisman Trophy finalist in Year 1 as the starter and the defense ranks first in the SEC in points allowed per game (15.8). Now the real test begins with the SEC Championship Game against Alabama, which had previously won seven-straight against Georgia before the national championship two seasons ago.

al.com Auburn’s Freeze calls bowl-game opt-outs a ‘difficult deal.’ How will he handle them? Published: Nov. 30, 2023, 9:14 a.m. 5–6 minutes Temptation is plentiful these days in the world of college football. From the transfer portal to name, image and likeness, college football players have so much to flirt with during their playing careers. As of late, players who have their sights set on the transition to the NFL or who are planning to transfer are becoming more and more tempted not to play in bowl games, too. And while opting out of bowl games isn’t new — in fact, it’s grown in popularity the past few seasons — it is new to Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze. When Freeze was the head coach at Ole Miss from 2012-16, opting out of bowl games wasn’t really a “thing.” It wasn’t popular. After that, while Freeze was at Liberty from 2019-22, he didn’t have a player opt out, despite coaching the Flames in three bowl games. “This is new to me,” Freeze said when asked about the trend of players opting out. “That is a difficult deal for me. I’ve always believed you finish. You finish with your team. We signed up for this.” With that comment alone, Freeze — old-school in nature — said all that needed saying about his feelings toward the recent trend. However, Auburn’s first-year head coach does believe in everyone having their own unique circumstances. “There’s obviously some kids that probably will move on from here so our people need to know that,” Freeze said, seemingly referring to the transfer portal. “That’s the new world we live in.” Freeze said Monday his plan is to approach transfer portal-related conversations with transparency. If Freeze believes a greater opportunity for a player exists elsewhere, he’ll tell them that. If Freeze believes a player needs to consider being patient and trust the process at Auburn, he’ll them that, too. Auburn has seen just two transfer portal announcements as Enyce Sledge and Stephen Johnson, both young defensive linemen, announced their intentions to transfer earlier this week after not seeing the playing field much at all — if any — in 2023. And while it’s safe to assume more announcements could be coming, there’s no telling who or when. Nonetheless, though a player might put his name into the transfer portal, he technically can still play in Auburn’s bowl game. But the decision to let him play is left up to Freeze and the Tigers’ coaching staff. “Do you take to the bowl game those guys that are choosing to do that? Or do you not?,” Freeze said. “You certainly need to have some numbers to have — you want do well and you want to prepare well. So you gotta have some numbers to do that.” As for guys who might be looking to take their talents to the big league, there are a handful of names to consider — especially in the defensive backfield. Cornerbacks DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett both received Senior Bowl invites last year before announcing their return to The Plains. The tandem did that again this year, too. However, there is no coming back this time around as the pair has run out of eligibility. That said, regardless of whether James and Pritchett elect to play in Auburn’s bowl game or not, Freeze plans to make an effort to get some of the Tigers’ younger defensive backs some experience during the postseason. “We’ll try to get our young kids a lot of work, hopefully get them in the game some — particularly those (defensive backs),” Freeze said. “We need to get those young DBs a lot of reps in those games. We think they have a chance to be really good players: (Tyler) Scott, Kayin Lee, Terrance Love, Sylvester Smith, JC Hart, that group of kids. We all think they have a chance, and they’re going to have to play next year. We need to see them.” Auburn is set to learn who and where it will play in a bowl game on Sunday. In recent days, trends and chatter suggest the Tigers could be bound to see Oklahoma State at the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 in Houston or Northwestern or Wisconsin at the Music City Bowl in Nashville on Dec. 30. Between now and then, Freeze and Auburn’s coaching staff will be juggling a lot as they are left having to recruit their own roster, tie up loose ends on the recruiting trail before Early National Signing Day on Dec. 20 and play their part in the transfer portal, which will be open from Dec. 4-Jan. 2. Considering bowl opt-outs is just another thing on Freeze’s plate — and an unfamiliar thing, at that. “I’m going to have to really put a lot of thought and prayer and seek wisdom for if that becomes a case here,” Freeze said. “This is my first experience with it, believe it or not. I’ve never had to deal with it before. I’ll be learning through the process myself.” 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 team captain Luke Deal plans to return to Auburn for sixth year Published: Nov. 30, 2023, 12:35 p.m. ~2 minutes Auburn's Hugh Freeze closes book on 2023 Iron Bowl, looks ahead to bowl season In an interview with 247Sports’ Jason Caldwell, Auburn tight end and team captain Luke Deal said he plans to return to Auburn for his sixth year with the Tigers. Auburn tight ends coach Ben Aigamaua was quick to celebrate the news himself with a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. Deal did not have a catch in 2023, with Rivaldo Fairweather taking the lead tight end spot in an Auburn passing offense that struggled for the majority of the 2023 season. Though Deal’s role is much stronger off the field. As a team captain, Deal has been at Auburn through two coaching changes and served as a compass as Auburn transitioned into the new Hugh Freeze tenure with so many new faces on the roster. With Deal announcing his return, Auburn has six tight ends expected to be on the 2024 roster including 2024 commit Martavious Collins. Fairweather is expected to be back next season. 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.

si.com Auburn adds 2026 offensive line commitment Zac Blackerby ~2 minutes Kail Ellis has committed to the Auburn Tigers. Auburn has added the first commitment of their 2026 class. Cass High School offensive lineman Kail Ellis announced that he was committing to Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers. The Canton, Georgia prospect said "Auburn I'm home. 1000% committed," on social media. According to Auburn Live, Ellis attended three games at Auburn this season. Ellis is listed at 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, and is the first commitment of Auburn's 2026 class. The offensive line is a must for the future of the Auburn football program. Though it's several years out until Ellis will play a college snap, you can never have too many talented offensive linemen ready to play in the SEC. Looking at his frame, Ellis currently looks like an interior offensive lineman at the next level but with several years until he has to make the transition, his body could develop as a tackle during his high school career. According to Auburn Live's Cole Pinkston, Ellis plays both offensive tackle and center. Auburn has one offensive lineman committed in the 2024 class, DeAndre Carter. Hugh Freeze and the Tigers also have an offensive lineman committed in the 2025 class - Spencer Dowland. Perhaps Auburn's early start in the 2026 class will create more momentum as recruiting season is upon us.

auburnwire.usatoday.com 2026 OL Kail Ellis announces commitment to Auburn Taylor Jones 2–3 minutes It is never too early to begin building for the future. Hugh Freeze and Auburn football landed a big commitment on Thursday in Kail Ellis, a member of the 2026 class from Cass High School in White, Georgia. Due to his graduating year, he has not yet received a ranking from 247Sports, On3, or Rivals, but his size alone should have Auburn fans feeling excited. He stands 6-4, 285-pounds with two more seasons of varsity football ahead of him. According to 247Sports, Auburn was the eighth program to extend an offer to Ellis, doing so on June 8. Since receiving an offer from Auburn, he has received an offer from five other programs including College Football Playoff contenders Florida State and Georgia. Ellis recently told Jason Caldwell of Auburn Undercover that he feels that Auburn has the best chance to develop him as a lineman. “What Coach (Hugh) Freeze, Coach (Jake) Thornton and that staff has going on is so special and I wanted to be a part of it,” Ellis said in a recent interview with Auburn Undercover. “I feel Auburn can develop me more than anyone, academically and as a football player.” Ellis becomes the first member of Auburn’s 2026 commitment class. Auburn currently has one offensive line commitment for its 2024 haul in DeAndre Carter, and one in its 2025 class in Spencer Dowland. Auburn currently has a top 25 class for both the 2024 and 2025 cycles, and Ellis’ commitment is a great way for the trend to continue in 2026. Auburn I’m home…1000% COMMITTED #WDE @CoachThornton61 @AuburnFootball @CoachHughFreeze @CoachPMonty @CoachCox65 @AuburnMade @AuburnRivals @Gates_CassHC @adamgorney @ChadSimmons_ @SWiltfong247 @CClemente247 @AuburnU @CalebJ_Rivals @JeremyO_Johnson @ConnorGates77 @Velocity_FB pic.twitter.com/6aJTYvTCZ7 — Kail Ellis (@KailEllis78) November 30, 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 Taylor on Twitter

247sports.com The Real Deal Running it back to take care of unfinished business Jason Caldwell 6–7 minutes Auburn's Luke Deal plans to return for a sixth season. AUBURN, Alabama—For Auburn fifth-year tight end Luke Deal, Saturday’s loss to Alabama is still one that stings and he admits it won’t go away anytime soon. Pushing Alabama’s defense around for much of the game and putting themselves in a position to pull off the upset, the Tigers came up just short and now head into a bowl game at 6-6 on the year. While the game didn’t end like he or anyone else in orange and blue wanted, Deal said there are a ton of positives you can take from that game into the bowl game and next season. “We had talked all week long how much that game means to the people who had been here,” Deal said. “How much it means to the fans and this state. Those guys truly took that to heart and you could tell with the passion that they played with and the compassion that they played with. What I hate is for the guys that don’t have any eligibility left and especially the ones that have never felt that feeling of winning an Iron Bowl. Not happy about the result, but very proud of the guys who literally emptied the tank. Mark my words, it will be the foundation of this program for years to come. “We’ve talked about getting bowl eligible and how much fun it would be to be with each other for a bowl game, but after that last one I feel like we really don’t care who we play. We kind of want to take out our frustration on whoever it is, play a complete football game, and keep our foot on the gas for the entire four quarters. That’s what we’ve already started this week in the weight room and I have talked with the coaches and they feel the same thing.” Deal and the Tigers hope to use the bowl game to build momentum into the 2024 season. With Auburn’s last bowl victory coming in the Music City Bowl following the 2018 season, Deal said he believes a victory would be a springboard for next year. And he’s excited to run it back one more time to finish what he started. “There’s some unfinished business,” Deal said. “There’s a couple of games, the Georgia game and Alabama game, but especially the Bama game. That will stick in my mind for 364 days. That’s something I can’t quite let go yet. My wife and I are here and we love it here. I’m blessed with another year of eligibility. I’m ready to lead this team next year. We’re going to have some serious dudes and we’re going to win some serious ballgames next year.” Deal said that starts with the foundation that has been build in the last 12 months by Freeze and this staff. “It’s strong enough that I’m coming back for a sixth year,” he said. “We have tried to flip this program around. I think the older guys, the leaders of this team, how hard everybody played. All of these different factors go into building a firm foundation. That’s what we wanted to do. We talked about flipping the script this year from the spring all the way to now and being watchmen for this team and being watchmen for this program. The foundation has been laid. There might be some people that were upset about this or upset about that. Trust me, we are too, but there’s always growing pains when you lay a foundation. “I think about it like you’re doing a home project. You might have to go to Lowe’s a couple of times, but in the end you’re going to have something you can hang your hat on. That’s hopefully what we have for next year and I’m super excited for seeing it through and watching it unravel.”

you can suck the head and eat the tail of some crawfish salty?

247sports.com 5 takeaways from Auburns 7457 win over Virginia Tech Nathan King 8–10 minutes There's still more than a month before Auburn's conference schedule begins, but the Tigers are already 2-0 against the ACC. Auburn's defense led the way before Johni Broome dominated in a 74-57 win for the Tigers over Virginia Tech in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge. "Look, that one matters double, because it's the ACC/SEC Challenge," Bruce Pearl said postgame. "And if we're going to establish Auburn as one of the better teams in the SEC, then you've got to be able to be trusted and be able to deliver against that league." Here are Auburn Undercover's instant impressions, as the Tigers grab another home victory before playing away from Neville Arena for the next three games. TIGERS CREATE TURNOVER FRENZY Bruce Pearl didn’t think Auburn would be able to play its usual style of defense Wednesday night. The Hokies had one of the nation’s cleanest offenses entering the game, turning it over on just 14.7 percent of its possessions, and averaging just 10.3 giveaways per night. Fortunately for the Tigers, Pearl was wrong. From the opening minutes, it was clear Auburn was able to do what it’s done for the majority of the season. Its defense sped up Virginia Tech, forced the Hokies into mistakes and led to plenty of extra scoring opportunities for the Tigers. "It really builds up our confidence when we’re making them turn the ball over and us getting out in transition and executing and basically helping each other on defense," wing Chad Baker-Mazara said. "That’s something that we do a lot, I feel like. If we keep doing that it’s going to be really hard to score on us. As long as we have each other’s backs. I feel like the offense is going to build through from the defense." Virginia Tech surpassed its turnover average before the first half was even over, as the Hokies piled up five turnovers before five minutes had passed in the game. Nine early Auburn points off turnovers helped generate a double-digit lead that the Tigers kept command of for the majority of the first half. Virginia Tech had so many lost possessions that its fifth shot attempt of the night took nearly seven minutes of game time. Auburn scored 30 points off 21 turnovers in the game. The Hokies’ previous season high was 15 giveaways against Iowa State. Not only that, but 21 are the most for Virginia Tech as a team since the 2017-18 season. "The way the kids bought in and how hard they worked, that fits in with our depth," Pearl said. "It made it difficult offensively." Virginia Tech missed six of its first seven triples in the game but was able to hang around for a while in the second half while making 5-of-10 looks from deep after halftime. BROOME'S HUGE NIGHT The Tigers weren’t always cooking with gas offensively at several points of the night, but they were able to rely on their All-SEC big man in one of his best performances in an Auburn uniform. Johni Broome had a monster night, recording a 30-point, 13-rebound double-double. He surpassed his previous Auburn scoring high of 27 points at South Carolina last season, and notched the first 30-point game for an Auburn player since Jabari Smith against Vanderbilt in February 2022. Free throws have been shaky for Broome throughout his Auburn career, so a night like Wednesday — where he made 8-of-13 looks at the foul line — is always a welcome sight for the senior center. Broome was all over the floor for putbacks, too, with seven offensive rebounds in the game, leading the way for Auburn's 26 second-chance points. Broome also had three blocks. "Not only did he score and rebound, but he played great defense," Pearl said. "He kept the ball out of the post. When the ball went in there, he defended physically without fouling, and he protected the rim. He played like a first-team all-conference player tonight. Now, I've been on him pretty good. I think he went home, had some turkey, talked to his family and said, 'Look, if I'm the best player on the floor, I've gotta act like it. I've gotta play like it. I've gotta prepare like it.' And, obviously, he did. Now, you can do that sometimes and not get rewarded. But he got rewarded tonight. He was the best player on the floor." Elsewhere, Auburn went just 2-of-16 from beyond the arc, its lowest 3-point percentage (13 percent) in a game this season. Even star freshman Aden Holloway caught the shooting bug, missing all seven of his attempts. BAKER-MAZARA PROVIDES BENCH SPARK Baker-Mazara came off the bench and gave Auburn 9 early points before hurting his left shooting hand and having to head to the locker room. He came back to the bench later in the first half, with his hand heavily wrapped up to his wrist. But Baker-Mazara was still able to check back into the game, and seemed to play his usual minutes. He had several explosive moments for Auburn's offense the rest of the way, included an attempted putback dunk that would have crumbled Neville Arena. Baker-Mazara was effective all across the floor, finishing with 15 points, four rebounds and three assists. "We’re really good when he’s on the floor because he knows how to play," Pearl said. "He has stuff you can’t teach, so then my job is to utilize him in a lot of different ways. So, we’re putting the ball in his hands in many ways to make plays because he can, obviously, score, but he also can pass. Tonight he has three assists, no turnovers, two steals, he’s kind of a stat-sheet stuffer. I’m on him pretty good, but I have a high expectation for him.>" TIGERS DOMINATE LATE, BUT PEARL WANTS MORE Virginia Tech threatened a few times midway through the second half with mini scoring bursts, but Auburn had a response every time to keep the Hokies at a safe distance. A scoring run that featured 5 quick points by backup point guard Tre Donaldson, and his assist to Broome on the break for a two-handed dunk, gave Auburn a comfortable 17-point lead with 10:53 left. With three more forced turnovers over a four-minute span, Auburn continued to get out and run — namely with a steal-and-score by Baker-Mazara. Auburn shot much better after halftime, though, at 40.6 percent from the floor, helping extend its lead as large as 21 points. Still, Pearl wasn't pleased with how Auburn handled business for a large portion of the game, particularly around the rim. "They had 17 offensive rebounds, and we had 23 defensive rebounds," Pearl said. "So we've got to do a better job of keeping them off the boards when we're playing bigger, stronger, more physical teams. But I was worried about the physicality and how our guys would respond to it. They set good screens, they get through things, and our guys did fine. I think the teams that are going to be able to be the most physical teams in the SEC are the ones that are going to compete for the championship. Got a lot of really talented teams in our league. The champion's going to be a team that will embrace physicality." FOUL TROUBLE HELPS HOKIES HANG AROUND Virginia Tech was in the bonus with 11:28 left in the first half, as Pearl had to shuffle around his lineups, with both Jaylin Williams and Chaney Johnson picking up two early fouls at the four spot. Johnson and guard K.D. Johnson both had three fouls before the end of the first half, and K.D. Johnson played with four fouls for a large portion of the second half. He fouled out with a technical foul midway through the second half. Virginia Tech would have been able to cut into the lead early on if not for uncharacteristic free-throw shooting. A team that entered the game top 15 nationally in foul shooting started 2-of-6 from the line and had its second-worst free-throw game (74 percent) of the season. The Hokies had their fair share of fouls, too, sending Auburn to the foul line for 24-of-36 attempts. "For God's sake, we fouled incessantly," Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young said postgame. "... They’re active. We got to great lengths to not foul and make teams earn what they get." *** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more *** *** Get Auburn news straight to your inbox with the Auburn Undercover newsletter ***