aubiefifty

theplainsman.com Embracing frustration, Auburn football remains dedicated 5–6 minutes Ole Miss served Auburn its fourth consecutive loss on Saturday, so the Tigers have had time to process the loss and reflect on what they need to do this week to defeat Mississippi State. “It’s a great thing as a competitor going against teams that are highly ranked – Georgia, LSU (and) Ole Miss,” said linebacker Eugene Asante. “Because you want to see where you are – in terms of your standard of what you bring to the table…We just want to learn from those experiences and to continue to try to develop games where we’re playing our standard of football.” Head coach Hugh Freeze and his team have struggled in SEC play – going 0-4 against Texas A&M, No. 1 Georgia, No. 22 LSU and No. 13 Ole Miss. Although the back half of the schedule doesn't have as many ranked teams, the Tigers are up against the unpredictable nature of the SEC. “But at the end of the day, it’s (the) SEC…anybody can get beat,” said cornerback Jaylin Simpson. “Anybody can win…We really want to play in a bowl game, and that’s on the line right now – (if) we don’t get out (of) this mess together. So, we gotta win out.” Under constant pressure to win, frustration is inevitable. Quarterback Payton Thorne admitted that it is something he and his team are dealing with and are using it as fuel to continue improving. “It’s extremely frustrating – to be honest,” Thorne said. “It has been tough. You just got to keep showing up and keep working through, so, you know, I’m not going to be giving up this season or ever.” As a captain, Thorne emphasized that it is important for him to respond correctly, especially when things get rough. However, the Michigan State transfer admitted that being level-headed isn’t always the right response. “You know, you have to be able to respond the right way when things aren’t going great,” Thorne said. “I feel like being an older guy, I’ve had practice at that, honestly… It’s not always going to be calm, though. Some guys think that, 'Oh, you go to respond the right way. That’s being level-headed at all times,' and there’s an element to that for sure. But sometimes enough’s enough, you know, and some guys need to hear it.” It is crucial for players to learn from a loss and immediately transition to the next game, so they don’t waste time meditating on a “What could’ve been?” Freeze has emphasized responsibility and accountability to his players while practicing those qualities himself when processing a big loss. “That’s one thing Coach Freeze emphasized within the game – not hanging our head about our performance (and) just working on the things we have to work on as players and him working on things he has to work (on) as a coach,” Asante said. “So, you know, everyone takes responsibility, and everyone is accountable for their actions and what they bring to the table.” Freeze has remained dedicated to building a locker room built on trust and camaraderie. Offensive lineman Connor Lew highlighted that everyone is committed to competing for the people in that locker room and the Auburn Family. “Obviously, everybody in that locker room is a competitor, and we all want to win games,” Lew said. “We’ve realized we need to play for each other, so that’s kind of been the thing that we’ve been going forward – just play for each other, play for the man next to you, play for Auburn, play for the name on your back and the name on the front.” The Tigers have a big opportunity to change the course of the season this weekend on Oct. 28, and it all starts at home on the Plains at 2:30 p.m. CST. “We need some momentum, and it starts here in Jordan-Hare,” Simpson said. “It’s better to have it here than trying to start this on the road.” 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. Caitlyn Griffin | Sports Writer

247sports.com Lew ready if his name is called vs Mississippi State Jason Caldwell 17–22 minutes Auburn true freshman Connor Lew could get his first start this Saturday. AUBURN, Alabama—After taking over for an injured Avery Jones early in last week’s loss to Ole Miss, Auburn true freshman center Connor Lew could be in the lineup again this week when Mississippi State comes to town. Playing well against the Rebels, Lew would get his first career start if he’s on the field to open the game Saturday night. It’s something he’s already preparing for. “It hasn’t hit me yet,” Lew said. “Probably when I run through the tunnel, step out on the field for the first time is probably going to hit. But treating this week as I do every week. As normal as possible.” A true freshman making his first career start would be something that might scare most veterans counting on him in a game, but Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne said he and the team have the utmost confidence in Lew that he’ll get the job done. “He’s a hard worker,” Thorne said. “When you look at him, he doesn’t look like a freshman. He’s done everything he needs to, I feel like, in practice. He’s proven himself in practice and then he went out there and played well in the game, I thought. I didn’t look at his grade or anything. I wasn’t really watching him particularly on film, but I think people say as an offensive lineman if nobody mentions your name that’s usually a good thing. I don’t think anybody mentioned his name. I think he did his job while he was in there. I thought he played well.” A player that has been impressive since he stepped foot on campus in the spring, Lew said that experience has played a big factor in his development and ability to be ready when his name was called. “Definitely. I tell everybody that asks: ‘If you could do it all over again, would you still come in the spring?’ And I say, ‘No hesitation. I definitely would.’ Getting that experience to learn the offense with everybody, right? And then re-learning it again in the summer and then by the time we’re going into fall camp it’s my third time looking at all. So, it’s definitely helped me.” Something else that has helped Lew get prepared and will be a big benefit this week is having two of Auburn’s oldest and most veteran players alongside him this week, guards Kameron Stutts and Gunner Britton. “We’ve been watching film together as a unit overall,” Lew said. “I sit right next to Avery and then when I go out on the field, I’m right next to Gunner Britton, right next to Kam Stutts. So they’ve all been really helpful and just me preparing and stuff like that.” Facing a defense that will present some unique challenges because of the blitzing it does, Lew said getting that experience against a similar team last week vs. Ole Miss is a big help as he gets ready for this week. But, there’s nothing that helps like true game experience and now he’s got a little to lean on as he gets ready for Saturday. “I think it definitely is beneficial going forward,” he said. “Once you get your feet wet for the first time you just build off of it going forward and then feel better now that it’s not guessing, ‘Oh, I wonder what it’s like to be in the SEC game.’ Now I know what it’s like. Now I know when I’m practicing what I need to work on and just how to build from it going forward.”

saturdaydownsouth.com Hugh Freeze ‘pleased’ with player reactions after tough 4-game skid Andrew Peters | 14 hours ago ~3 minutes Despite a 4-game losing streak, Auburn’s players are staying positive. The Tigers have not won a game since their Week 3 bout with Samford, but they believe there are still plenty of games to be won this season. Hugh Freeze explained that during a life-talk session with his team Monday, his players has a positive reaction as they discussed dealing with unmet expectations. “I talked to our team on Monday and we do life talks on Monday and it was all about all of us face at some point or another closed doors or unmet expectations,” Freeze said during the SEC coaches teleconference Wednesday. “That’s never going to go away in life and how we handle them I think will really determine how we get through them and the challenge and temptation that most people have when they have an unmet expectation or closed door is they’ve become disengaged. And therefore just don’t get better and my challenge to our staff and our players this week has been let’s just get 1% better. Let’s clear the fog and play free and I thought we had one of our better Tuesdays. So I’m pleased to this point.” Freeze is hoping that Auburn is able to get back into the win column following a tough stretch of games. Looking at the Tigers’ remaining schedule, they will see Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Arkansas and UMass before closing out the season against Alabama. Auburn has had some promising results, like playing within a touchdown of Georgia and Ole Miss, so it is very likely the Tigers could find themselves in a bowl game this season.

Auburn shakes up depth chart for Week 9 matchup with Mississippi State JD McCarthy Tue, October 24, 2023 at 9:00 AM CDT·3 min read 0 Auburn returned two starters on defense last week and they are now back in the starting lineup ahead of Auburn’s Week 9 game against Mississippi State. Keionte Scott missed three games after undergoing ankle surgery but couldn’t be kept off the field against Ole Miss. He played 71 snaps and made five tackles and defended two passes and is back as the starting star cornerback. Middle linebacker Austin Keys also made his return after missing five games, playing 26 snaps and making four tackles. He and Larry Nixon III are both listed as the starting middle linebacker for Mississippi State, separated by an OR There was another change along the defense with Justin Rogers now listed as the starting nose tackle after backing up Jayson Jones all season, Jones is now the backup. Rogers actually started against Ole Miss and played a season-high 42 snaps. He made the most of his opportunity, making four tackles, including one for a loss. Hugh Freeze and Co. also tweaked the offensive depth chart, Jeremiah Wright is now listed as a backup right guard with Jalil Irvin. Wright was previously listed as the backup right tackle but has been replaced by Jaden Muskrat. Here is a look at the complete depth chart. Quarterback Photo by Jamie Holt/Auburn Tigers Starter: Payton Thorne Backups: Robby Ashford, Holden Geriner Running Back Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers Starter: Jarquez Hunter Backups: Damari Alston, Brian Battie, Jeremiah Cobb Tight End (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Starter: Rivaldo Fairweather OR Luke Deal Backups: Tyler Fromm OR Brandon Frazier, Micah Riley Wide Receiver Photo by Jamie Holt/Auburn Tigers Starter: Jyaire Shorter OR Omari Kelly Backup: Koy Moore Wide Receiver © Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK Starter: Jay Fair OR Ja’Varrius Johnson Backup: Caleb Burton III Wide Receiver © Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK Starter: Shane Hooks Backups: Camden Brown OR Nick Mardner Left Tackle Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Dillon Wade Backup: Jaden Muskrat Left Guard Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Gunner Britton Backup: Tate Johnson Center Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Avery Jones Backup: Connor Lew Right Guard Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Kam Stutts Backup: Jeremiah Wright OR Jalil Irvin Right Tackle Photo by Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers Starter: Izavion Miller Backup: Jaden Muskrat Defensive End Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers Starter: Keldric Faulk Backups: Zykevious Walker Nose Tackle Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers Starter: Justin Rogers Backup: Jayson Jones Defensive Tackle (Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images) Starter: Marcus Harris Backup: Lawrence Johnson Jack Photo by Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers Starter: Jalen McLeod Backups: Elijah McAllister, Stephen Sings V Middle Linebacker Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers Starter: Austin Keys OR Larry Nixon III Backup: Wesley Steiner Weakside Linebacker (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) Starter: Eugene Asante Backup: Cam Riley Fieldside Cornerback Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: D.J. James Backup: Kayin Lee OR Colton Hood Star (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) Starter: Keionte Scott Backup: Donovan Kaufman, Champ Anthony Field Safety Shanna Lockwood/AU Athletics Starter: Jaylin Simpson Backup: Caleb Wooden, Griffin Speaks Weakside Safety (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) Starter: Zion Puckett Backups: Marquise Gilbert, Terrance Love Boundary Cornerback Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Nehemiah Pritchett Backups: J.D. Rhym Punt Returner © Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK Starter: Koy Moore Backup: Jaylin Simpson Kick Returner (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) Starters: Brian Battie, Jarquez Hunter Specialist © Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK Punter: Oscar Chapman Place Kicker: Alex McPherson Holder: Oscar Chapman Long Snapper: Reed Hughes Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

i agree and i have been saying for a long time now and folks laugh............

i doubt it.i do not remember anything but my memory sux. who are you again? grins...............

i appreciate your feedback but i am not gonna diss robby. hell he is young. i was an idiot often at that age. shrugs.............

247sports.com Tigers hope focus on little things will pay off Jason Caldwell 6–8 minutes Auburn takes on Mississippi State this Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. AUBURN, Alabama—It’s not what Auburn Hugh Freeze and the current 2023 Auburn Tigers were hoping for when the season started, but through seven games there have been some ups and plenty of downs as they get ready to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. "Yeah, the things I've seen behind the scenes that you don't have the privilege of seeing, I think is establishing the culture," coach Hugh Freeze said. " One of those is playing hard. I think we've done that, except for maybe one game, up to the standard that we expect. Creating a standard of accountability and little things, because I really believe that long term for Auburn, to be where we want it to be, that the accountability of those little things have to — you can't slide on those. I think that's kind of, maybe when I got here, is something that they felt like they could. I see that getting better each week.” Now it’s time for that to show up on the field and get back in the win column. That won’t be easy for an Auburn team that is still searching for a way to make plays on offense. While it’s not ideal to be on a four-game losing streak, Western Kentucky transfer Gunner Britton said as a player all you can do is control the next game and how you prepare. “I mean, obviously it's really tough,” he said. “We've played, I want to say four ranked teams back-to-back-to-back. Tough stretch for any team, but Freeze said it in the pregame speech: 'this is what you do when you sign up to play in the SEC.' Even for me, when I came here, I knew the teams that I was going to be playing, so just got to look towards next week. There's nothing you can really do to change the game. You just got to go and watch the film, learn the film and move on from there.” There is a sense of urgency for a team that has a bunch of older players playing key roles, many of whom are transfers in their first season at Auburn. While the goal is to put the program in a better position and build a foundation for the future, it’s also to win now. Tight end Rivaldo Fairweather said that puts extra importance on Saturday’s home game against the Bulldogs. “It's very, very important,” he said. “We've got to win out the rest of these games. We're going to go back to practice and come up with a great plan to beat the next team we have up next. We've just got to have the next man mentality. This game, the offense struggled but our defense played amazing. I promised our defense we're going to find a way to execute out there as an offense.”

l.com Auburn’s QB rotation isn’t going away. Here’s how Thorne, Ashford are handling it. Published: Oct. 24, 2023, 4:15 p.m. 6–8 minutes As Auburn plunges into the back half of its SEC schedule it has found that, at this point, it may be stuck in the quarterback rotation between Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford. With Thorne still Auburn’s starter, at least for technical purposes, it was Ashford on the field first against Ole Miss in Saturday’s 28-21 loss. That’s just part of Ashford’s package, head coach Hugh Freeze said — something he maintains Ashford will have each week. But while Freeze assures Ashford does have a role in this offense, the package has and will continue to change each week. “They are doing two different things, truthfully, in the packages,” Freeze said Monday. “Whether that’s smart or not, I don’t know. We’ve got to figure that out. We obviously think it is, or have thought it is. When they’re doing two different things, I don’t think that’s an issue. They’re really confident in what you do: ‘Here’s your package, get really confident with that.’ It’s not like we’re asking one to go do the whole game plan right now, because there are two distinctively different packages.” Both quarterbacks spoke to local reporters Tuesday, and they’re both approaching this rotation differently. Thorne said he’s never experienced something like this before. He was an entrenched starter at Michigan State before transferring to Auburn this past spring. It was clear from Thorne’s press conference this back-and-forth isn’t something he’s enjoying, but instead had to accept and adjust to. He described his own package as more balanced between running and passing. And while Thorne has been productive running the ball — he is second on Auburn’s team in rushing yards this season behind running back Jarquez Hunter — but it’s clear Auburn coaches see him as the more reliable passer. He has 130 passing attempts to Ashford’s 26. He said the offense has not been on the same page throughout this season, and that’s the biggest thing holding the group back. Thorne kept his overall thoughts on the rotations largely reserved, saying instead that his job is just to execute whatever is called. But being in a position he has never known before, the learning curve can be, and has been, a challenge. “It’s a new challenge for me,” Thorne said. “I’ve never really seen anybody else do that either. So I don’t know if there’s anybody I can ask to learn from. Every time I’m in there, I’m trying to do what I’m supposed to do and do what I’m being coached to do and execute and make a play when we need it. You can’t get in there in a situation like that and try to do too much. I don’t feel like I’ve done that. So just keep going in there and executing the play that’s called. If it’s called to hand it off, hand it off. You can’t try to pull it and make something crazy happen.” Exactly what Thorne suggested — executing the correct play, handing the ball off when it is supposed to be — is an area where Freeze has critiqued Ashford. It happened on the very first series against Ole Miss with Ashford in the game. Ashford’s role has been more complicated. Often, he has brought more of a spark to the offense than Thorne, but also more inconsistency. He has seen the changing look at quarterback more than Thorne looking back to last year at Auburn playing alongside quarterback T.J. Finley. Ashford said that he knows his package is going to focus on running plays. Freeze has frequently said Ashford is one of the best athletes at quarterback he has ever coached and that often means keeping the ball in his hands. “I look at it as, right now, it’s me more of a running guy,” Ashford said. “But I know I can sit back there and throw the ball around the yard. I did it last year, before I got hurt. WIth me, it’s more downhill, trying to be more physical. With Payton, it’s kinda more of an air attack. I feel like we can both can run, both can air it around the yard.” Though, Ashford’s view on the rotation rests more on what he still wants to prove he can do: throw the ball. “I feel like it’s a stereotype that I can’t throw the football,” Ashford said. “But, I mean, that’s kind of whatever, because I was playing... you see Texas’ quarterback, he’s sitting out with the injury that I played nine games through. That should tell you, in itself, what I was going through. But people don’t really want to look at that. I don’t really care, because they’re not doing what I’m doing. They’re sitting on the TV, sitting behind a phone screen with all that.” Ashford’s criticism focused more on what is said about him on social media, but he took blame on himself for failing to execute what he described as good play calls and schemes from the coaches. He feels he has improved as a better thrower, something he has said at various media availabilities this season, while he plays behind Thorne. He also believes the offense has been pressing in games, and that’s why Auburn talks about practice successes not translating over into games. He has seen that in himself, almost willing himself to make a play for the team and that leads to a bad outcome. “We started playing when we were young, so why not take it back to those childhood memories when it was fun,” Ashford said. “It’s fun now, but the funnest times of your life when you were playing football when you were younger and not having a care in the world. You’ve got to have a care, but you’ve got to go out there with a carefree mentality. If you make a mistake, you’ve got to look at it as, ‘so what?’ Next play. That’s part of the game; we’re human. We’ve got to go out there, just relax and have fun and be the offense we know we can be because we’ve seen it happen so many times in camp and through now. Now we just go out there and put it on the field on Saturdays.” Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

Auburn QB Robby Ashford is ready to hush his doubters Updated: Oct. 24, 2023, 4:40 p.m.|Published: Oct. 24, 2023, 4:38 p.m. 5–6 minutes You name it and Auburn sophomore quarterback Robby Ashford has heard it. He’s only a running quarterback. He should’ve stuck with baseball. Maybe they should move him to wide receiver or running back. And perhaps his personal favorite: He can’t throw. “I feel like it’s a stereotype that I can’t throw the football,” Ashford said Tuesday afternoon. All the noise started during Ashford’s whirlwind-of-a-first-season on The Plains, where he took over the starting quarterback job midway through the season — beating out TJ Finley, who has since gone on to transfer to Texas State. Ashford finished last fall 123-for-250 through the air — good for a completion percentage of 49% while tallying 1,613 passing yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. Meanwhile, Ashford added 710 yards and seven touchdowns with his legs in 2022. Nonetheless, it was a lot for the then-freshman transfer to wrap his head around. “Last year was just all types of crazy,” Ashford said. “I mean, transferred in, the coach I committed to is gone, I didn’t even get a full year. So, it was all crazy, just a lot of ups and downs.” To top it all off, Ashford says he spent the last nine games of the 2022 season with the same injury Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers recently suffered. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Sunday that Ewers suffered a Grade 2 AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder and is expected to miss “some time.” “You see Texas’ quarterback? He’s sitting out with the injury that I played nine games through,” Ashford said Tuesday. “That should tell you, in itself, what I was going through. But people don’t really want to look at that.” As a result of his injury, Ashford said he wasn’t able to throw during the final five weeks of practice last season and was instead having to rely solely on “mental reps” to get him through the week and only throwing on Saturdays. But that isn’t an issue this season as Ashford has been full-go through fall camp and the first seven weeks of the regular season. And that alone has got him feeling more confident. “I feel a whole lot better. I feel way more confident. I mean, just with the guys we have, I have the utmost confidence in them,” Ashford said. “So just being able to get those physical reps instead of mental ones when I was hurt, it’s definitely paid off really big for me.” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has said all along that Ashford is too athletic not to see the field and that he’ll always have packages. And Freeze has been a man of his word as Ashford has played in each of Auburn’s seven games to this point and recorded his first start of the year last week against Ole Miss. However, Ashford still hasn’t been asked to throw the football much this season as he’s thrown just 26 passes, completed 14 of them and has recorded 145 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception. “I look at it as, right now, it’s me more of a running guy,” said Ashford, who has tallied 180 rushing yards on 40 carries and five touchdowns — tying with running back Jarquez Hunter as the Tigers’ leading scorer. “But I know I can sit back there and throw the ball around the yard. I did it last year, before I got hurt.” While it’s hard to say exactly when Ashford got hurt last fall, if you take away his final four performances in 2022 — playing off his comment of not being able to throw in the final five weeks of practice — Ashford averaged just more than 162 passing yards per game and a 52.6% completion percentage. In those final four games, Ashford averaged 78.5 passing yards per game and was completing passes at a 41.5% clip. And while it is worth noting there was a lot going on at Auburn in those final four games after the firing of former head coach Bryan Harsin and running backs coach Cadillac Williams taking over as interim head coach, it might be worth hearing Ashford out. As Auburn’s offense continues to sputter using this funky quarterback rotation between Ashford and junior Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne, Ashford sounds ready to try and silence the naysayers and prove he can throw the football. “I feel more comfortable as a whole,” Ashford said. “Whoever says I can’t play quarterback, I really don’t care. They couldn’t do half of what I do. They can sit behind a phone screen and type all they want. It’s never going to faze me.” And while Freeze hasn’t made mention of any significant changes to his approach at the quarterback spot, between his discontent with how the offense is currently operating and the fact that Ashford started last week’s game, it’s hard not to feel like there might be a shift happening. “I’ve said from Day 1 that I think Robby has a place,” Freeze said Monday. “Is his place every down? We’ll see this week.” 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 PMARSHONAU QBs provide a window into Auburns offensive frustration Phillip Marshall 3–4 minutes Auburn will pay its assistant coaching staff $6.91 million in Hugh Freeze’s first season leading the program, according to signed copies of the coaches’ contracts provided to Auburn Undercover this week via an open records request from the university. That figure is an increase from last year’s assistant salary pool, which saw Bryan Harsin’s 10 assistants owed $6.55 million. Three of Freeze’s 10 assistants signed three-year deals — both coordinators and associate head coach Cadillac Williams — with the rest on two-year contracts. Every assistant coach’s contract features a 100 percent buyout owed by Auburn if they are fired before the conclusion of their deal. Every contract features a mitigation clause — meaning Auburn’s buyout figure will be decreased by the compensation of the coach’s next job — with the exception of offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery, who would be owed the full amount of his remaining contract by Auburn if terminated. Defensive coordinator Ron Roberts has the most lucrative deal of the assistant staff. His base salary is $1.4 million annually for three years, but that number will increase by $100,000 on Feb. 1 of 2024 and 2025 if he is still employed at Auburn. Montgomery’s base salary is $1 million annually, with a yearly raise of $150,000 in 2024 and 2025. Williams is receiving a huge pay bump after his stint as interim head coach for four games last season, and his promotion to associate head coach under Freeze this year. He’s set to take home $900,000 this season, which is more than double his 2022 salary of $400,000. Offensive line coach Jake Thornton is the only other assistant with a raise structure in his contract. Coming over from Ole Miss, Thornton will make $600,000 if he’s still on staff next year after $500,000 this season. Freeze is set to make $6.5 million in the first season of his six-year contract at Auburn. Here’s a rundown of the total contract figures for Auburn’s assistant coaches — raises included — and how their annual compensation compares to what the Tigers had on staff last year under Harsin. • DC Ron Roberts: 3 years, $4.5 million Roberts will make $1.4 million in 2023; DC Jeff Schmedding made $1 million in 2022 • OC Philip Montgomery: 3 years, $3.45 million Montgomery will make $1 million in 2023; OC Eric Kiesau made $800,000 in 2022 • RB coach Cadillac Williams: 3 years, $2.7 million Williams will make $900,000 in 2023; he made $400,000 in 2022 • S coach Zac Etheridge: 2 years, $1.3 million Etheridge will make $650,000 in 2023; he made $600,000 in 2022 • CB coach Wesley McGriff: 2 years, $1.2 million McGriff will make $600,000 in 2023; Auburn did not have a cornerbacks coach last season • OL coach Jake Thornton: 2 years, $1.1 million Thornton will make $500,000 in 2023; OL coach Will Friend made $700,000 in 2022 • DL coach Jeremy Garrett: 2 years, $1.02 million Garrett will make $510,000 in 2023; DL coach Jimmy Brumbaugh made $625,000 in 2023 • LB coach Josh Aldridge: 2 years, $1 million Aldridge will make $500,000 in 2023; LB coach Christian Robinson made $525,000 in 2022 • TE coach Ben Aigamaua: 2 years, $850,000 Aigamaua will make $425,000 in 2023; TE coach Brad Bedell made $400,000 in 2022 • WR coach Marcus Davis, 2 years, $850,000 Davis will make $425,000 in 2023; WR coach Ike Hilliard made $600,000 in 2022

saturdaydownsouth.com Auburn lands commitment from in-state safety prospect in class of 2024 Spenser Davis | 1 day ago 1–2 minutes Auburn added to its 2024 recruiting class on Monday evening. The Tigers picked up a commitment from 3-star safety prospect Kaleb Harris. He chose the Tigers over programs such as Florida, South Carolina and Florida State. Here’s his announcement: Harris is a 3-star safety prospect in the class of 2024. He’s the No. 680 overall player and the No. 74 safety in the country for this cycle, per 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s also the No. 31 player from the state of Alabama. Harris attends Thompson High School and is from Alabaster, Alabama. He’s listed at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds. Auburn now has 17 commitments in the class of 2024. Harris is one of four defensive back prospects currently committed to the Tigers. Overall, Auburn’s class sits at No. 17 nationally, per 247Sports Composite rankings.