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247sports.com PMARSHONAU Auburn men share the wisdom of champions with another generation Phillip Marshall 9–11 minutes Cadillac Williams, Zac Etheridge and Marcus Davis have championship rings from their Auburn days. AUBURN, Alabama – Auburn running backs coach Cadillac Williams has lots of stories he can tell his players. He can tell them about that perfect season in 2004 when he and running mate Ronnie Brown were top-five picks in the NFL Draft. He can tell them about coming back from two season-ending injuries and from a disappointing season when hopes were high. He can tell them about an SEC championship and a national championship that he will always believe should have been. He can tell them about that 80-yard run on the first play from scrimmage against Alabama. But those aren’t Williams favorite memories now. Nine months later, he looks at last November as the highlight of his time at Auburn. For four games, he was Auburn’s head coach, even if it did have an interim tag. And the more time passes, the more special it becomes. “Whenever you’re in your job you just have tunnel vision so you don’t really have time to reflect on what you’re doing,” Williams said. But, wow, I got the opportunity to go out and recruit and go to high schools and read letters from different fans and people and it literally broke me down to just not myself but how much joy that we brought people. How much hope that we brought not only the Auburn family but people around the country. It was just crazy to hear.” Already an Auburn icon, Williams popularity is at another level now. “I had a lot more speaking engagements And appearances, and to honestly go out and be able to just share my experience, it’s so eye-opening for me to where I’m just, ‘God is good.’ This is definitely God because the Lord knows in some way I’m slightly an introvert, really don’t want to be out there in front. But I actually enjoy blessing others. … I’m just excited how much hope and how much joy that we brought people and showed people that when you’re united, you’re pulling together, magic can happen.” Williams, secondary coach Zac Etheridge and wide receivers coach Marcus Davis – the Auburn alumni on Hugh Freeze’s staff - all have Auburn championship rings. Williams was part of an SEC championship in 2004, Etheridge overcame a near-death experience on the field to help Auburn go 14-0 and win the 2010 national championship. Davis was a big-play freshman for the 2013 SEC champions that lost a heartbreaker in the BCS Championship Game. They know what it takes to be great. “Coach Freeze says it all the time: 'Man, you've got to act like a champion,” Williams said. “… To actually have guys in the room that won the SEC championship, national championship and lost in the national championship, won an SEC championship, to have guys in a room and know how it looks and be able to tell these guys, 'Guys, this is how it looks. That's powerful. That's powerful.” Williams, Brown, quarterback Jason Campbell and cornerback Carlos Rogers could have fled for the NFL after the 2003 team was ranked No. 6 in the preseason polls and staggered to an 8-5 finish. Instead, they returned to lead a team some would say was the best in Auburn history. And they were first-round draft picks. “I just think to be able to have Auburn guys who've played here and done been through it - I'm not saying that makes us better than anybody else on staff - but to be able to share that with guys that ‘This is how it looks. This is what we did. Even though times changed, this is how we got to where we got. At the end of the day, it's simple. Let's be selfless, let's work our tails off. Let's play efficient on offense, man. Defense, let's run to the football, let's knock heads. Special teams, let's play together and let's all be one and move in the same direction. Let's lean on the Auburn family -- the Auburn family at Jordan-Hare -- and magic can happen. It's proven. The proof is in the pudding. I honestly think that's huge." Etheridge joined Gus Malzahn’s staff in 2020. He was retained by head coach Bryan Harsin and again by Freeze. His mission is to help Auburn’s defense return to what it was in another day. He shares what it was like to celebrate the ultimate college football prize. “They have to be able to climb a barbed-wire fence with no shirt on,” Etheridge said, “just the strain and just understanding that they have to go. Just understand that this is Auburn football. I mean, it ain’t finesse. It’s hard-nosed, it’s physical. We want to run and hit. We want to swarm the football. So they see it. We put some clips on the tape, what it looks like as an Auburn defense to go out there and play, but it doesn’t matter what it is, just go swarm the football and go run and hit and play with each other to your left and to your right.” When Davis, then the wide receivers coach at Georgia Southern, got the call from Freeze with an offer to return to his alma mater, he didn’t hesitate. His mission is the same as Williams’ mission: Make a difference and teach his players what it takes to be champions. “Yeah, it would be great, because even if I wasn't on a coach on this staff and Auburn won a championship, I'm an Auburn guy through and through. Even if I wasn't on this staff, I would be a proud alum of Auburn. I love this place. But me being part of it makes me challenge the guys to go get it and get after it even more, because I know the benefits that you can get from it.” Expanded role expected for Fairweather and Auburn tight ends Auburn football could see more use from its tight ends this season. VIDEO: How has the Auburn O-line looked during camp? AUBURN, Alabama—While adding several talented wide receivers to the offense is expected to add some firepower for Auburn’s passing game, one of the most important pieces for Hugh Freeze and company came at another position when Florida International tight end transfer Rivaldo Fairweather joined the program in January. A former basketball player turned playmaker as a receiver at the tight end position, the 6-5, 245 Fairweather caught 54 passes for 838 yards and five touchdowns in three seasons with the Panthers. Showing the ability to make plays with the Tigers in the spring, Fairweather earned more responsibilities in the offense, said position coach Ben Aigamaua. “We are kind of putting more on his plate as far as the pass game and the RPO world,” the first-year tight ends coach said. “This spring, everyday, he’s doing something out there spectacular with the catches, taking the ball off the DB’s head, whatever it is. He’s been really, really impressive during camp with the work he’s doing in the passing game. Run-game wise, we’ve got to keep improving and keep getting stronger, but overall through fall camp he’s come a long way.” His teammates have also seen what Fairweather is capable of. After watching him in the spring, Malcolm Johnson Jr. said that the transfer tight end has only continued to improve. “I know that he's a real baller,” Johnson Jr. said. “He loves to compete, and he's definitely going to go and get the ball. He makes some spectacular catches, and I can't wait to see what he does in the future.” Fairweather coming to Auburn adds to an already deep tight end room with veterans Luke Deal, Tyler Fromm and Brandon Frazier along with redshirt freshman Micah Riley. Because of the different guys and different styles of play in the room, Aigamaua said they’ve added more for all of the tight ends as they look to make them an important part of the offense. “We ask those guys to do a lot of things, especially when we’re in our different sets of personnel or guys we need to get into the game,” Aigamaua said. “It has been really, really good to see those guys embrace the role of either being a receiver or being an inline tight end and just going with it with all of the techniques and different things we’ve got to do. “The biggest thing the guys are getting used to now is the amount of running they are doing out there now. From go-balls to corners to posts to digs, we’ve got a big route tree to run. I think that’s the biggest adjustment for them is just that they are in shape to do those things.” Everything centers around Fairweather. Athletic enough to play multiple spots in the Auburn offense, he’s someone that Aigamaua said holds a big key to what the Tigers want to do this season. “His role means a lot because we can do a lot of different things when he is in the game and when Luke's in the game or with (Brandon) and Tyler,” Aigamaua said. “Him and Tyler, they've got to be healthy for us because it creates a lot of mismatches, it creates a lot of problems. And defenses, they've got to figure how they want to play a two tight end system -- We'll even throw three out there and they've got to figure out how to do it... it's very valuable to have guys like him out on the field. “They've got to see -- do we want the nickel in the game to cover him, and if we get into our bigger sets do they want him to fit the run? I think that's where it's important, they've got to be able to do both in the system and not just be a one trick pony, we've got to be able to do both.”

Auburn’s transfer-heavy starting offensive line beginning to take shape Updated: Aug. 15, 2023, 7:13 p.m.|Published: Aug. 15, 2023, 6:31 p.m. 5–7 minutes When first-year offensive line coach Jake Thornton arrived to Auburn in December of 2022, he was immediately tasked with piecing together the Tigers’ offensive line. Except with the offseason Auburn had, imagine working on a puzzle but continuously being thrown new pieces. That was the case as Hugh Freeze and the Tigers continued to add offensive linemen via the transfer portal, the last arriving on July 30 in Northwestern transfer Dylan Senda. “Like any start of the season, you’ve got growing pains to start out with,” Thornton said Tuesday. “Guys are trying to shake off some rust from the summer and you’ve got new guys adding in there and kinda moving guys around to figure out what gels the best.” Auburn added 10 new offensive linemen during the offseason, including five out of the transfer portal. Preceding Senda from the portal was Western Kentucky transfer Gunner Britton, East Carolina transfer Avery Jones and Tulsa transfers Dillon Wade and Jaden Muskrat. Of those transfer additions, a majority could win starting jobs this fall. Britton was graded the third-best offensive lineman in the transfer portal by Pro Football Focus this offseason. As a junior last season, Britton allowed pressure in only 1.7% of his pass blocking snaps. “Gunner, in my mind, he’s a pro in every sense of the word,” Thornton said. “He takes care of his body, he does the technique we teach him to do, he’s always up there watching extra tape because he knows he wants to be perfect in that area of his game.” From what’s been said and seen during fall camp, Britton is likely a lock as Auburn’s starting right tackle. At the left tackle spot, it’s Wade who is looking like the Tigers’ eventual starter. Wade’s transfer to Auburn allowed him to reunite with Philip Montgomery, who was Tulsa’s head coach before coming to The Plains to be Freeze’s offensive coordinator. “D-Wade in the spring, he comes out there and he’s a great athlete. He’s just kinda out-athleting everybody,” Thornton said. “But as he’s started to face better competition, he’s really honed in on his technique and playing with better pad level, better hand placement. So he’s really devoted himself to that part of his game. Because now he can pair up technique with athletic ability and I think he’s got a chance to be a really good one.” Moving inside to the guard spots is where things get interesting on Auburn’s offensive line. At the start of camp, the Tigers had anywhere from four to five guys battling for either of two starting spots. However, Thornton sounds to be seeing some separation between contenders. Sixth-year senior Kam Stutts, who represented Auburn at SEC Media Days in July, has patiently waited for his opportunity on The Plains. After being a reserve offensive lineman in his first three seasons, Stutts finally made his way into the rotation last fall, sharing the duties of right guard with Keiondre Jones, who transferred to Florida State. “In today’s world where it’s so easy to leave and go other places, he stuck it out,” Thornton said. “He’s been through good and bad here. And in our room, man, there’s not a bigger presence for what it means to be an Auburn offensive lineman.” Come this fall, Stutts is slated to return as Auburn’s starter at right guard. At left guard, however, there seems to be an ongoing battle between juniors Tate Johnson and Jeremiah Wright — two guys who suffered recent injuries that hindered their preseason development. “They’re both competitors and the toughness level is there for both of them so they’re both growing as well,” Thornton said. “Jeremiah having not practiced in the spring and not getting any reps there and then Tate getting hurt in Practice 5 and not getting a ton of reps there, you know, both of those guys are starting to gel and are starting to figure it out.” At center, all signs point to Jones winning the starting spot. In 852 snaps as the starting center at East Carolina, Jones allowed just 12 pressures. But, as a center, equally as important as his on-field performance is Jones’ leadership capabilities, which Thornton says are improving as camp progresses. “He’s done a really good job this camp of being vocal,” Thornton said. “In the spring, he was trying to get comfortable, trying to find his place... I feel like he’s now trying to be more vocal and more in-tune with being that vocal leader in the middle because we’re putting so much on his plate at center.” While Auburn seems to be narrowing down their looks on the offensive line, it’s just as important to note that the Tigers won’t have any shortage of options behind the team’s starters. Thornton, who is coming off the same stint at Ole Miss, recognizes the importance of having depth along the offensive front. “This league is brutal physically,” Thornton said. “For us to say we’re going to stay healthy with the first five guys at the beginning of the year, that’s not going to happen. “The growth process of the offensive line doesn’t stop when you kick and ball off vs. UMass. It continues to develop all the way through the final game. I’m excited about what we have. Like every group we’ve got to continue to work and continue to get better. We’re not where we want to be but it’s two and a half weeks until game time and we want to get there.” If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

al.com Cadillac Williams and how to carry the weight of Auburn expectations Updated: Aug. 16, 2023, 8:31 a.m.|Published: Aug. 16, 2023, 6:00 a.m. 5–6 minutes Ask him a year ago — before he led the program he loves into the stadium where he became a star that magical night against the Aggies, before the speaking engagements and the extra recruiting visits, before he fueled and united a longing fanbase — well, ask him a year ago and Carnell ‘Cadillac’ Williams would say he’d never even thought of it. Even now, with months to reflect back, and he’ll still say he’s walking on air. “Yo, like I tell people, I am living life,” Williams said Tuesday. “I’m living the dream. Let’s call a spade a spade, I never grew up saying I want to be the head coach at Auburn. Even when I got done playing and I got into coaching, it never crossed my mind to be the head (coach). It never crossed my mind to be a head coach.” After a career Auburn where he rushed for more than 3,800 yards and an earned plaque on College Street, Williams was brought back in 2019 under Gus Malzahn as the running backs coach. Last season, Williams took over as the interim head coach after Bryan Harsin was first. Auburn played its most exciting football of the season over the four games led by Williams, including his memorable first victory over Texas A&M. Then, Auburn hired Hugh Freeze as the full-time head coach and kept Williams on staff as the associate head coach as well as the running backs coach. He carried the full weight of Auburn then. It’s not gone from his shoulders now as a position coach, but maybe just a little lighter. But now he’s had time to think about it all — about the job he never thought he’d have. As the head coach, Williams said he had “tunnel vision.” There were practices to run, games to coach, media availabilities and recruiting trips and Williams said yes to them all. Every second was worth it, Williams said, because he saw the hope he brought people. “I got the opportunity to go out and recruit and go to high schools and read letters from different fans and people and it literally broke me down to just not myself but how much joy that we brought people,” Williams said. “How much hope that we brought not only the Auburn family but people around the country. It was just crazy to hear.” Williams discussed using the speaking events an Auburn head coach gets slated for as a chance to talk about his faith and about Auburn. Sure, he’d also call himself an introvert, but in the moment that didn’t matter. He was living out this moment he’d never planned on. “To be in that role and for the powers that be at Auburn to have trust in me at the time and they called me, it makes me — it brings joy to me that somebody would think so much of me to lead this program,” Williams said. The end of the 2022 season was that joyride for Williams, even if Auburn only went 2-2 under his lead. Auburn seemed to play inspired football after Harsin was fired on Halloween. Down 21 points multiple times in Williams’ first game leading the program, Auburn came back to take the lead on the road against Mississippi State before ultimately losing in overtime. The legend reached a pinnacle the next week against Texas A&M when Auburn won 13-10 in front of one of the most energized crowds Jordan-Hare Stadium had seen in years. “When you’re united, you’re pulling together, magic can happen,” Williams said. “I’m still on cloud nine about it. Nobody can ever take that away from us, that 2022 team. Those 24 seniors. We had a blast. Like, a blast. Us explaining it and us telling you all how it was, it’s not doing it justice. Guys, we had a blast.” Still an associate head coach, Williams can now focus on what he was brought to Auburn to do in the first place, coach the running backs. He’s on a staff with other former Auburn players with championship rings like Zac Etheridge, a team captain on Auburn’s 2010 national championship team — Williams having only won an SEC title pounded the table with jealousy during his meeting with the media Tuesday. Now he has one of the deepest running back rooms Auburn has had in years. That’s what Williams had when we played for Auburn, and sure, he joked about the NIL deal for Cadillac cars if he could have played now. Now he’s on the other side of it as a coach. That too, is more than he could have asked for. “Let me tell you something: instant gratification to be honest with you,” Williams said. “Again, to see these young men in that room, I say to go back, really honing in and the things that we, from Coach Freeze’s vision of this team, from Coach (Montgomery) handling offense, to me being the leader in that room, for those guys to buy into that and have that concept of they are going to put team first and they gonna continue to work their tail off.” Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

al.com A-List No. 8: Joseph Phillips wants to create legacy at Auburn Updated: Aug. 16, 2023, 8:05 a.m.|Published: Aug. 16, 2023, 7:55 a.m. 5–6 minutes The A-List is AL.com’s ranking of the top 15 senior prospects in the state of Alabama. We will count down one each day until No. 1 is revealed Aug. 23. Booker T. Washington linebacker Joseph Phillips’ mind was made up earlier this summer. “I was going to Georgia,” the 4-star prospect said this week. That all changed quickly one morning, however. “My dad thought Georgia might be the best opportunity for me,” Phillips said. “But then one day, he just woke up and told me I would be crazy not to go to Auburn. I always wanted to go to Auburn anyway. “I just felt like the communication wasn’t there (last fall). I didn’t get that family feel. Georgia was giving me that. When I went to Auburn the last time, it was totally different. I like the opportunity. I’m a hometown kid. I feel like I can create my own legacy by going to Auburn.” Phillips committed to the Tigers on June 15 starting a busy summer for Freeze and company that also has included 5-star flips from Chilton County linebacker Demarcus Riddick and Foley wide receiver Perry Thompson into this 2024 Auburn class. “I feel like I kind of started a wave,” Phillips said. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound senior comes in at No. 8 on AL.com’s A-List of top players in the state of Alabama. As a junior, he finished with 75 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss and nine sacks. He also caught six touchdown passes on offense. His high school coach, Lawrence O’Neal, said Phillips has NFL potential. “He has speed, explosiveness,” O’Neal told AL.com this summer. “When he gets to the ball, he’s very violent. He’s also a smart kid. You might get him once, but you are not going to keep getting him with the same thing over and over again.” It wasn’t too long ago ironically that Phillips thought his future would be in basketball. Until his junior season, he hadn’t played football since the eighth grade. “I never lost the love of football,” he said. “I just wasn’t playing much, so I started playing basketball. It was my life – dunking, shooting. I loved it. I thought that was my way, but God blessed me in other ways.” O’Neal had a conversation with Phillips, telling him there weren’t too many athletes his size playing center on the next level. “But at his size in football, he was already a grown man,” O’Neal said. That is what Phillips needed to here. He came back out for football prior to his junior season and assumed a leadership role on the team. He started the season on the basketball team but decided not to finish. Football was his future now. “It was what I needed to hear,” Phillips said of his conversation with O’Neal. “I was waiting for someone to tell me, ‘Come do this.’ I felt like he was giving me the shot I always wanted. Once I got that shot, I was all in.” Phillips’ recruiting took off in a hurry. He is No. 6 among in-state seniors in the On3 rankings and No. 10 according to 247 sports. In addition to Auburn and Georgia, he has offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Florida, LSU, Penn State and Tennessee among many others. He said he may visit Knoxville for a Tennessee game this fall because he promised that staff he would. “I keep my promises,” he said. “But that would be the only place I would go. No reason to go anywhere else.” Phillips said he almost committed to Auburn under the previous staff. “In my head, I was already committed,” he said. “But the communication died down. I got a taste of Georgia and thought that might be the best option. Coach Caddy (Cadillac Williams) gave me the offer at first. Then they came and renewed it later.” He also had high praise for Freeze. “He’s the guy,” Phillips said. “I love talking to him. He’s the only coach I talk to, and it’s like talking to one of my home boys. That is the type of coach I like. He’s just like my high school coach. I can talk to them about anything.” A-LIST NO. 8: JOSEPH PHILLIPS, BOOKER T. WASHINGTON Position: Linebacker Height/weight: 6-3, 245 College status: Committed to Auburn Randy Kennedy’s scouting report: No prospect in the country has a better motor than Joseph Phillips. Whether he’s setting edge against the run or rushing the passer, Phillips is a maximum effort player. He could grow into a defensive lineman or be a middle linebacker. THE 2024 A-LIST No. 15: Josh Flowers, QB, Baker No. 14: Bobby Pruitt, LB, Theodore No. 13: JaCorey Whitted, TE, McAdory No. 12: Kevin Riley, RB, Tuscaloosa County No. 11: J’Marion Burnette, RB, Andalusia No. 10: William Sanders, OL, Brookwood No. 9: Jordan Ross, EDGE, Vestavia Hills No. 8: Joseph Phillips, LB, Booker T. Washington If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

247sports.com Expanded role expected for Fairweather and Auburn tight ends Jason Caldwell 4–5 minutes AUBURN, Alabama—While adding several talented wide receivers to the offense is expected to add some firepower for Auburn’s passing game, one of the most important pieces for Hugh Freeze and company came at another position when Florida International tight end transfer Rivaldo Fairweather joined the program in January. A former basketball player turned playmaker as a receiver at the tight end position, the 6-5, 245 Fairweather caught 54 passes for 838 yards and five touchdowns in three seasons with the Panthers. Showing the ability to make plays with the Tigers in the spring, Fairweather earned more responsibilities in the offense, said position coach Ben Aigamaua. “We are kind of putting more on his plate as far as the pass game and the RPO world,” the first-year tight ends coach said. “This spring, everyday, he’s doing something out there spectacular with the catches, taking the ball off the DB’s head, whatever it is. He’s been really, really impressive during camp with the work he’s doing in the passing game. Run-game wise, we’ve got to keep improving and keep getting stronger, but overall through fall camp he’s come a long way.” His teammates have also seen what Fairweather is capable of. After watching him in the spring, Malcolm Johnson Jr. said that the transfer tight end has only continued to improve. “I know that he's a real baller,” Johnson Jr. said. “He loves to compete, and he's definitely going to go and get the ball. He makes some spectacular catches, and I can't wait to see what he does in the future.” Fairweather coming to Auburn adds to an already deep tight end room with veterans Luke Deal, Tyler Fromm and Brandon Frazier along with redshirt freshman Micah Riley. Because of the different guys and different styles of play in the room, Aigamaua said they’ve added more for all of the tight ends as they look to make them an important part of the offense. “We ask those guys to do a lot of things, especially when we’re in our different sets of personnel or guys we need to get into the game,” Aigamaua said. “It has been really, really good to see those guys embrace the role of either being a receiver or being an inline tight end and just going with it with all of the techniques and different things we’ve got to do. “The biggest thing the guys are getting used to now is the amount of running they are doing out there now. From go-balls to corners to posts to digs, we’ve got a big route tree to run. I think that’s the biggest adjustment for them is just that they are in shape to do those things.” Everything centers around Fairweather. Athletic enough to play multiple spots in the Auburn offense, he’s someone that Aigamaua said holds a big key to what the Tigers want to do this season. “His role means a lot because we can do a lot of different things when he is in the game and when Luke's in the game or with (Brandon) and Tyler,” Aigamaua said. “Him and Tyler, they've got to be healthy for us because it creates a lot of mismatches, it creates a lot of problems. And defenses, they've got to figure how they want to play a two tight end system -- We'll even throw three out there and they've got to figure out how to do it... it's very valuable to have guys like him out on the field. “They've got to see -- do we want the nickel in the game to cover him, and if we get into our bigger sets do they want him to fit the run? I think that's where it's important, they've got to be able to do both in the system and not just be a one trick pony, we've got to be able to do both.”

al.com Damari Alston is throwing up ‘deuces’ and speaking up as a leader for Auburn Updated: Aug. 16, 2023, 10:29 p.m.|Published: Aug. 16, 2023, 9:16 a.m. 5–6 minutes It hasn’t taken long for Damari Alston to sound the horn as a vocal leader for Auburn. He’s only a sophomore, but Alston’s emergence this fall camp isn’t just due to the game-breaking runs he’s produced on the field. In a running back room he said can be quiet sometimes, he wants to be the loudest voice. That stretches off the field and onto Twitter often — like that time Alston asked if Longhorn Steakhouse is a good spot for a date. “Some little girls saying that Longhorn is not a date, and I’m talking to my girlfriend,” Alston said. “We like: ‘We love Longhorn,’ so we going to Longhorn.” And yes, Alston said it was her idea. “I’d never been to Longhorn, then she put me onto this ribeye, and I’m like ‘Oh, yeah’” Alston said. “I ain’t been in a minute, but we used to go like every week.” See, this is Alston joking around. That’s his personality on and off the field, with and without the team. He wants to be a go-to guy, to be vocal. Throughout fall camp, Alston’s name kept coming up when others were asked about leaders. Head coach Hugh Freeze said Alston was unanimously elected to Auburn’s “culture council.” Freeze said that demonstrated high praise for Alston from his teammates for them to all say the sophomore running back forwards the culture they want in this program. This was all a long-set goal for Alston. He said he learned how to be a leader from watching former Auburn running back Tank Bigsby last season. By the time summer workouts began, Alston began to feel comfortable as a leader for the first time. “You’re talking about a guy that’s selfless, you’re talking about a guy that’s always checking on his teammates, always trying to pour into others,” running backs coach Cadillac Williams said. “Guys know that you can count on Damari, from his support, from his help, from him showing the way, from his work ethic, from his grind. I’m excited about Damari this year.” Williams said Alston’s leadership comes from a childhood where he had to “grow up fast.” He called Alston humble, wise and a joy to watch. All of that, Williams said, is inspiring. And that even stretches into recruiting, where Alston has been seen online advertising Auburn to high school players and pushing for them to choose his team. “I feel like in order for us to get to where we want to be which is winning SEC championships, winning national championships, we have to get the top recruits in the nation,” Alston said. “Like we have to get them. I think we’re on a good start right now, we just have to keep it going.” That is just part of Alston’s role with Auburn. And on the field, he’s been one of the bright lights of fall camp. Alston initially saw first-team looks while Jarquez Hunter missed Auburn’s first bunch of practices. Though it’s not as if Alston doesn’t have a role with Hunter back. Williams said Alston has a “night and day” difference as an improved pass-catcher from a year ago. “I have so many notes written down in my notebook about just the things that he says to us, and I take it, and I run with it,” Alston said of learning from Williams. “And I just feel like taking notes from him definitely evolved the way that I approached the field, the way that I lead my team, for sure.” While Hunter may be the more all-around running back, Alston possesses top-end speed. That showed in the three “explosive” runs Freeze said Alston had in Auburn’s preseason scrimmage Saturday. Auburn has posted a few of those runs on Twitter, like his touchdown Saturday, and another in practice during the week leading up to the scrimmage. With his game-breaking runs the preseason, Alston may have found himself a new nickname, or at least a new celebration. When the fast-runner blows past defenders, he throws up the ‘deuces’ celebration, similar to one used by star NFL wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Alston hasn’t scored a touchdown yet in a game for Auburn. As a freshman, Alston had only 14 carries for 85 yards and caught one pass. So not only is Alston stepping up as a leader for Auburn during fall camp, but he too is stepping into a much larger role with this offense — he said his goal for this year is to rush for 1,000 yards. So he’s had some time to think about what that first touchdown celebration will be whenever it comes. “I mean, sometimes in my room I just think about, you know, what’s going to be my first touchdown celebration, but I mean I don’t have another one planned,” Alston said. “That was just kind of natural, because I was just blowing past a guy. I think I’m going to stick with that, and hopefully the crowd catch on, they throw up the deuces, too.” Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

si.com The Auburn quarterback battle continues to get more and more interesting Andrew Stefaniak 3–4 minutes At Tuesday's fall camp practice, Payton Thorne went out first for drills against air, then Robby Ashford went out first for team drills. After hearing many positive reports about Holder Geriner, he didn't go out first for drills at this practice. It really is starting to become a head-scratcher as to who will run out with the starters on September 2nd against UMass. Auburn fans should trust whoever Coach Freeze sends out there, but goodness, it is hard to tell who might be the guy. I still believe that Payton Thorne will win the job, but it is becoming harder and harder to get a feel for who the guy is every time we have a media viewing period. Here is the entire schedule for fall camp: Thurs, Aug 3 8:30 a.m. – Coach Hugh Freeze press conference (Woltosz multipurpose room) 9:30 a.m. – Practice starts – media viewing window time TBA (individual drill periods) Fri, Aug 4 9:30 a.m. – Practice starts – media viewing window time TBA (individual drill periods) 11:30 a.m. – Player interviews (Woltosz multipurpose room) Sat, Aug 5 – No practice Sun, Aug 6 9:30 a.m. – Practice – no media Mon, Aug 7 11:30 a.m. – Coordinator interviews after practice (Woltosz multipurpose room) Tues, Aug 8 9:30 a.m. – Practice starts – media viewing window time TBA (individual drill periods) 11:30 a.m. – Player interviews (Woltosz multipurpose room) Weds, Aug 9 – No practice Thurs, Aug 10 9:30 a.m. – Practice starts – media viewing window time TBA (individual drill periods) 11:30 a.m. – Defensive assistant coach interviews/not Coach Roberts (Woltosz multipurpose room) Fri, Aug 11 11:30 a.m. – Player interviews (Woltosz multipurpose room) Sat, Aug 12 9:20 a.m. – Scrimmage at stadium – media can view individual drill periods (time TBA) 11:30 a.m. – Coach Hugh Freeze interview (Jordan-Hare Stadium media room) Sun, Aug 13 – No practice Mon, Aug 14 11:30 a.m. – Player interviews (Woltosz multipurpose room) Tues, Aug 15 9:30 a.m. – Practice starts – media viewing window time TBA (individual drill periods) 11:30 a.m. – Offensive assistant coach interviews/not Coach Montgomery (Woltosz multipurpose room) Weds, Aug 16 – No practice – first day of class Thurs, Aug 17 4:00 p.m. – Coach Hugh Freeze press conference (Woltosz multipurpose room) 5:00 p.m. – Practice starts – media viewing window time TBA (individual drill periods) Fri, Aug 18 4:10 p.m. – Practice – no media Sat, Aug 19 9:50 a.m. – Scrimmage at stadium – no media viewing 11:30 a.m. – Coordinator interviews (location TBA) Engage with Auburn Daily on Socials!

saturdaydownsouth.com Auburn sees veteran lineman leave the program, latest departure from 2021 recruiting class Keith Farner 2–3 minutes Auburn’s 2021 signing class is now down to 1 player. The Tigers this week reportedly learned that Garner Lango of Ocala, Fla., who was a 3-star prospect out of high school and signed with the Tigers over the likes of Florida State, Duke, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Utah, has left the program. His bio page on the Auburn athletics web site is no longer available. In his 3 seasons at Auburn, Langlo had not played in a game, but during fall camp, he saw time at left tackle with the second-team offense. In Langlo’s absence during Tuesday’s practice, Tulsa transfer Jaden Muskrat reportedly filled in at left tackle with the second-team unit. His departure means that Jarquez Hunter is the only remaining player from the 2021 class. TRENDING 58,148 READS 51,772 READS 23,016 READS A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South. Follow on Twitter.

si.com Auburn football's most valuable players in 2023: No. 2 DJ James Lance Dawe 2–3 minutes James is one of the best cornerbacks in the SEC. We continue our countdown towards Auburn's 2023 season with a ranking of their most valuable players. At No. 2 we have cornerback DJ James, one of the best players in the nation at his position. DJ James' Bio Eric Starling/Auburn Daily - 6-foot-1 - 218 pounds - Senior - Previous school: Oregon DJ James was lockdown for the Tigers last season, and his Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade proves that statement. James has the third-best returning PFF grade in the SEC with an 82.3. DJ was graded behind only Kool-Aid McKinstry of Alabama at 82.5 and DeShawn Gaddie of Ole Miss (previously at North Texas) at 84.8. He's in for a big 2023 season that will likely shoot him up, draft boards. There's an argument to be made that James is the best corner in the league, competing with Kool-Aid for the top spot. He has massive value to the Tigers as their best shut-down corner. Auburn football's most valuable players in 2023: 3. Dillon Wade, OL 4. Jarquez Hunter, RB 5. Jayson Jones, DT 6. Avery Jones, C 7. Nehemiah Pritchett, CB 8. Gunner Britton, OL 9. Shane Hooks, WR 10. Alex McPherson, K 11. Larry Nixon III, LB 12. Rivaldo Fairweather, TE 13. Cam Riley, LB 14. Justin Rogers, DL 15. Keionte Scott, CB 16. Jyaire Shorter, WR 17. Elijah McAllister, JACK 18. Koy Moore, WR 19. Kam Stutts, OL 20. Ja’Varrius Johnson, WR 21. Austin Keys, LB 22. Zion Puckett, S 23. Camden Brown, WR 24. Marcus Harris, DL 25. Robby Ashford, QB Related stories Auburn football announces start time for 2023 fall camp Auburn football 2023 position preview: Quarterback Georgia beat writer says if Bulldogs don't play Auburn annually, 'that's not even college football' Auburn is voted sixth in the SEC West in SEC Media Days Poll Five Auburn Tigers make Preseason All-SEC teams Engage with Auburn Daily on Socials! Join the Locked on Auburn Discord Follow Auburn Daily on Twitter Like Auburn Daily on Facebook Subscribe to Locked On Auburn on YouTube

auburnwire.usatoday.com Auburn's persistance is key for 2025 QB Deuce Knight Taylor Jones 2–3 minutes Hugh Freeze and the Auburn coaching staff have locked in their quarterback for the 2024 cycle, four-star Walker White. Now, they are working towards landing one of the top options at the position from the 2025 class. Auburn has been on an upward trend for four-star quarterback Deuce Knight for quite some time. However, it may have been a recent act by Freeze that truly sparked his interest in Auburn. Knight, a 2025 recruit from Nashville, Tennessee, began fielding phone calls from college coaches on Aug. 1, the first day that coaches could begin contacting recruits in his class. Buy Tigers Tickets The first call of the day came from none other than Auburn’s head coach. “When that date happened and Coach Freeze hit me up at 5 in the morning — he was actually the first head coach to call me — a couple of head coaches had texted me and stuff. That meant a lot to me,” Knight tells 247Sports. “And them just keeping in contact every day, I’d say that does a lot for me because I’m big on the communication part.” The recruiting process is still early for Knight, but he says that he has built a bond with 2025 running back Alvin Henderson. Auburn has kept Henderson high on their radar, and his decision could play a role in where Knight ends up. “That’s my guy,” Knight said of Henderson. “We told each other we were going to talk every day until we both make a decision. Me and Alvin, we’re big on going to college together and being in the same backfield together. Just changing a program together. That’s one thing we’re big on. That’s my dog, we talk every day. It’d just be different if we team up.” Knight is a 6-4, 195-pound quarterback from Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, and was a high school teammate of Auburn freshman Hank Brown. Notre Dame is the current favorite to land Knight according to 247Sports, and Ole Miss is the forecasted favorite according to On3. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

i forgot my main point. over look the two quotes........... you think trump does not deserve his legal woes? i just want to understand here. are you outraged and think the gov is being mean?

that is just politics. trump had such success lying to you and his other minions ol sleepy joe decided to try it out himself to see if it works. no one can beat trump at that game right. we can try tho ..............

you smear him when folks say he stepped down and probably saved the country. but i expect no better.............

yahoo.com Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Trump Prosecutor Should Be Going After Rapists. Ahem. Ron Dicker ~3 minutes Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Tuesday griped about Fani Willis’ prosecution of Donald Trump on racketeering charges tied to the 2020 election, saying she should be “going after rapists.” (Watch the video below.) But to many observers on social media, that’s exactly what the Fulton County district attorney was doing. Writer E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a Manhattan department store in a lawsuit, and a jury found him liable for sexual abuse. A judge this month rejected Trump’s defamation counterclaim, saying Carroll’s insistence in a post-verdict TV interview that Trump raped her was “substantially true.” “Mr. Trump did in fact ’rape’ Ms. Carroll as that term commonly is used and understood in contacts outside of the New York Penal Law,” Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote in tossing Trump’s suit. At least 19 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct. All of this seemed to have escaped Trump diehard Greene as she blathered on about the fourth indictment against Trump ― the second for plotting to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. Greene criticized the crime rate of Atlanta (which is in Fulton County) and said the state of Georgia was rife with predators and traffickers. “Fani Willis should be going after murderers, rapists, car theft,” she said on Newsmax. MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan led the charge to rebut Greene, joking: “Who wants to tell her?” “She is,” media personality and former prosecutor Ron Filipkowski wrote of Willis. Check out other responses: at least one that we know of — Minister of Silly Walks 🌊 (@TrumpZombieCult) August 15, 2023 She absolutely is. 🤣😂 — Elizabeth Kim (Liz, Lizzy or 김혜성) 💫 (@zen4ever2us) August 15, 2023 …she is going after a rapist. So she’s doing her job. Glad @RepMTG agrees. — J (@AppleMacGenius) August 15, 2023 I feel another Biden commercial coming from her. — Machine Pun Kelly Redux (@backell) August 16, 2023 She should just stop talking. — Chris Wicklund Auroras (@Wicky_dubs_WX) August 16, 2023 That would still bring her back to Trump 🙄 — Zorek Richards (@zorekrichards) August 15, 2023

yahoo.com Where does USA TODAY Sports place Payton Thorne in its preseason QB rankings? Taylor Jones 11–14 minutes Payton Thorne transferred to Auburn from Michigan State in hopes of taking the starting quarterback role, thus easing the minds of Auburn fans. However, he has yet to win the job over incumbent quarterback Robby Ashford and redshirt freshman Holden Geriner. His presence has ramped up the battle, however, as head coach Hugh Freeze is still evaluating each candidate. “Yesterday, I had my mind made up. After today, I need to watch the film before I say (who wins),” Freeze said Saturday following Auburn’s first scrimmage of fall camp. All three quarterbacks had great scrimmages, with Ashford and Geriner throwing touchdown passes. Thorne nearly had two scores, but both were wiped off by officials according to Freeze. When it comes to preseason quarterback rankings, most outlets have taken the safe route by choosing Ashford as Auburn’s representative. USA TODAY Sports’ Blake Toppmeyer has gone another route by selecting Thorne for his personal SEC ranking. Does replacing Ashford with Thorne help Auburn’s case? Here’s a look at Toppmeyer’s preseason SEC quarterback rankings, featuring Payton Thorne. Graham Mertz, Florida Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun Mertz was named the official starter for Florida last week, and the former Wisconsin Badger is looking to find new luck in Gainesville by taking the place of first-round selection Anthony Richardson. Toppmeyers’s take: Mertz racked up 26 interceptions in three seasons starting for Wisconsin, and he hasn’t completed more than 60% of his passes since 2020. He endured loads of trouble against Big Ten opponents last year. He averaged just 11.3 completed passes in four November starts last season, and he struggled in Florida’s spring game. Coach Billy Napier talks up Mertz’s experience and leadership, but he’ll need to elevate his production. For more Florida football news, visit Gators Wire. AJ Swann, Vanderbilt Carly Mackler/Getty Images AJ Swann passed for 1,274 yards and ten touchdowns last season and is ready to lead Vanderbilt to a bowl game in year three of the Clark Lea era. If he can improve his 58% completion rate from last season, it may be enough to lift his team over the hump. Toppmeyer’s take: Swann grew determined this offseason to improve his mechanics after a freshman season that flashed promise, but he struggled mightily against some of the SEC’s better defenses. Vanderbilt’s SEC victories against Florida and Kentucky came while Swann was sidelined with injury. Coach Clark Lea likes Swann’s big-play ability, but he desires more consistency from the second-year starter. Brady Cook, Missouri AP Photo/Butch Dill Missouri brought in former five-star quarterback Jake Garcia this season from the transfer portal. However, after undergoing shoulder surgery this offseason, Brady Cook will have the chance to prove himself as QB1. Toppmeyer’s take: Cook is gritty, and he challenges opponents with his legs, but he’s been limited in his ability to take the top off the defense. He did supply a strong November, and he underwent offseason shoulder surgery, which presents the possibility that he’ll come back better this season. Coach Eliah Drinkwitz describes Cook as relentless competitor, and he likes his experience, toughness and speed. Payton Thorne, Auburn Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics Thorne has not won the starting quarterback spot for Auburn yet, but it is interesting to see a list that shows how Thorne stacks up against the rest of the SEC. He comes to Auburn after a three-year stint as a starter at Michigan State. He had an incredible season in 2021, can he reach that level again in Auburn? Toppmeyer’s take: Would the real Thorne please stand up? In 2021 at Michigan State, Thorne performed as one of the Big Ten’s best quarterbacks. Last season, he tumbled down the charts after the talent around him decreased. The biggest knock on him: He throws too many interceptions, 21 in the past two seasons. He’s hailed for his toughness and leadership, and he’s a good enough passer to make Auburn more dynamic. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports Weigman did not have the best debut season for a freshman quarterback in program history, but he ended the year on a high note by tossing two touchdowns in Texas A&M’s win over LSU to close the regular season. He has a new offensive coordinator this season, which could lead to an increase in stock. Toppmeyer’s take: Weigman’s last outing as a true freshman became his best, a steady-handed performance in a November upset of LSU. He’ll have a wealth of skill-position talent around him. Working with new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino should help his development. As a five-star recruit, he became highly regarded for his athleticism. Can he torch a defense with his arm? We haven’t seen that yet. For more Texas A&M football news, visit Aggies Wire. Jalen Milroe, Alabama Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images Here is another program that is still searching for a quarterback. The competition was between Milroe and Ty Simpson, then Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner joined the mix following spring practice. It is rare for Nick Saban to have questions at quarterback, but do not expect this position to have questions for much longer. Toppmeyer’s take: You won’t find many quarterbacks more athletic than Milroe, but he’s got work to do to secure Alabama’s starting job. Alabama needs more ball control, poise and consistency from Milroe than what he provided as Bryce Young’s backup or during the spring. Milroe’s raw ability could torment a defense, but it takes more than that to be Nick Saban’s quarterback. Watch Milroe’s burst on a read-option, though, and his tantalizing potential is evident. For more Alabama football news, visit Roll Tide Wire. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports Ole Miss brought in two talented transfers this offseason, Walker Howard and Spencer Sanders. However, it appears that Jaxson Dart is set to take the QB1 role at Ole Miss for the second straight season. Will he be able to make better decisions in 2023? Toppmeyer’s take: Like (Spencer) Rattler, the gap between Dart’s floor and his ceiling is bigger than most. He’s a hard-nosed runner, an asset to Lane Kiffin’s fastbreak system. And he’s strong-armed. But, his decision-making failed him too often in his first season as Ole Miss’ starter, and he faltered in the red zone. Kiffin brought in multiple transfer quarterbacks. Dart retained the job. His offseason progression must translate to fall Saturdays. Will Rogers, Mississippi State Justin Ford/Getty Images Will Rogers has been one of the most productive quarterbacks in the SEC over the last three seasons. He will transition to a new system in 2023. How will that affect his overall production? Toppmeyer’s take: Rogers threw for more than 10,600 yards in Mike Leach’s air raid. His arm strength won’t turn heads, and he didn’t stretch the field often, but he’s accurate. MSU is changing systems. Rogers will get the chance to incorporate run-pass option plays, more downfield throws and use his legs more. He welcomes the change, but it’s not yet clear whether this becomes a case of messing with a good thing or elevates Rogers’ ceiling. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports South Carolina pulled a few upsets last season, with Rattler being the main reason why. However, he has issues with consistency, which can make or break the Gamecocks. Toppmeyer’s take: Rattler’s production wildly varies. On days when he’s at his best, he could be No. 1 on this list. When he’s at his worst, he’d rank in the bottom third. Few match his ability, though, and he dialed it up throughout the final three games of last season, which included upsets of Tennessee and Clemson. Before mid-November, though, Rattler had thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. If Rattler unlocks consistency, he’s an all-conference talent. Carson Beck, Georgia Joshua L. Jones/Athens Banner-Herald via USA TODAY NETWORK The floor in Athens belongs to Beck after Stetson Bennett led the Bulldogs to two straight national titles. With the talent surrounding Beck at Georgia, college football fans will barely notice the transition year that he will experience. Toppmeyer’s take: Beck is a prototypical drop-back passer who is comfortable in the pocket. He proved accurate as Georgia’s backup to Bennett. He dazzled in Georgia’s spring game, suggesting he’s ready for a star turn. Being the starter puts a quarterback in different situations than mop-up duty, and, as Kirby Smart told ESPN, Beck must prove himself when defenses are “blitzing the hell out of” him. All indicators, though, point to Beck keeping Georgia’s offense humming. For more Georgia football news, visit UGA Wire. Joe Milton, Tennessee Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports The verdict is out on Joe Milton. Milton is set to take over the starting quarterback role at Tennessee for Hendon Hooker, which will be a tall task. Toppmeyer has him high, while others have him as a middle-tier QB. He has a great arm, but the verdict is still out on his accuracy. Toppmeyer’s take: Milton’s arm is the strongest in college football. In last season’s Orange Bowl, he showed the mechanics he’d previously lacked. And he’s mobile enough to keep defenses honest. Accuracy woes previously cost Milton starting roles at Michigan, then Tennessee, but UT’s staff insists Milton is a different quarterback than when he transferred in two years ago. If anyone can turn Milton from raw talent into polished passer, it’s Josh Heupel. For more Tennessee football news, check out Vols Wire. Devin Leary, Kentucky © Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK Kentucky found success with Will Levis at quarterback and has placed high expectations on NC State transfer Devin Leary. Leary is worthy of the hype, as he passed for 6,807 yards and 62 touchdowns in four seasons in Raleigh. Toppmeyer’s take: Leary dazzled two years ago at North Carolina State, and he garnered dark-horse odds last summer to win the Heisman Trophy. But, his 2022 season fizzled and got cut short by a pectoral injury. Now, a quarterback who logged a 35-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio in ‘21 is healthy and united with Liam Coen, a quarterback-friendly offensive coordinator. Leary lacks Will Levis’ NFL measurables, but he’s the better college quarterback. Jayden Daniels, LSU Chris Graythen/Getty Images Jayden Daniels led the LSU Tigers to an SEC West crown in his first season in Baton Rouge. There will be pressure to repeat his success this season, and he will have to do so against the likes of KJ Jefferson, Will Rogers, Jaxson Dart, and Jordan Travis. Toppmeyer’s take: In Daniels’ first game with LSU against Florida State, he was eager to tuck and run rather than stay in the pocket, read the field and beat defenses with his arm. That changed throughout his first season in Brian Kelly’s program. Few quarterbacks progressed more than Daniels from Week 1 to the season finale. No SEC quarterback matches Daniels’ running ability, and he’s developed into a true dual threat. For more LSU football news, check out LSU Tigers Wire. KJ Jefferson, Arkansas Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports Most lists would agree with Toppmeyer. Jefferson is the SEC’s best quarterback heading into the season due to his dual-threat ability. Last season, Jefferson gained a combined 3,276 yards and 30 touchdowns. Toppmeyer’s take: Jefferson combines accuracy with a 6-foot-3, 247-pound frame he uses to truck defenders. He throws a good deep ball. Jefferson flourished in Kendal Briles’ shotgun-based, up-tempo offense, compiling a 45-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio the past two seasons while completing 67.7% of his passes. Briles left to become TCU’s offensive coordinator, so Jefferson must adjust to Dan Enos’ pro-style system. He’ll be asked to go under center and polish his pre-snap decisions. For more Arkansas football news, visit Razorbacks Wire. Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

yahoo.com ‘Politicians have too much power’: Sen. Tommy Tuberville just disclosed $250K in futures trading in corn, wheat, soy and cattle — all while influencing agricultural policies Bethan Moorcraft 4–5 minutes United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has just disclosed $250,000 in futures trading in wheat, corn, soy and cattle. On August 14, Tuberville — who sits on the Senate Committee for Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry — reported multiple agricultural trades through June and July, all in the range of $1,000 to $15,000. Don't miss Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market — and are betting on these 3 assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds Worried about the economy? Here are the best shock-proof assets for your portfolio. (They’re all outside of the stock market.) Commercial real estate has outperformed the S&P 500 over 25 years. Here's how to diversify your portfolio without the headache of being a landlord The former college football coach’s trades caught the attention of Unusual Whales, a data hub leading the crusade to expose insider trading and conflicts of interest among U.S. politicians. “He literally influences agricultural futures via legislation and is trading it actively,” Unusual Whales wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter — before pointing out Tuberville has “previously, scored some big gains on futures in wheat, corn and soy.” The U.S. public have had enough This isn’t the first time Coach Tuberville, as his constituents call him, has been a target over his trades. In 2021, he violated federal transparency laws when he failed to properly disclose trades worth more than $1 million on time. His trades included the sale of stock options in the Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba around the same time that President Joe Biden issued an executive order targeting U.S. investments in Chinese companies. “It is not only him. Members of Congress have inside knowledge of transpiring trends in the stock market,” one X user wrote in response to the Unusual Whales post. Many high profile politicians — including Rep.Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE) — have been accused of using their connections, influence and insider information to score winning deals. Those alleged conflicts of interest have riled up the U.S. public, where there’s growing support for a total ban on stock trading among members of Congress, according to a recent survey by the University of Maryland’s Program for Public Consultation. “Any politician who uses their position of power to influence for personal and/or financial gain should immediately be removed from office and prosecuted,” one X user replied to Unusual Whales. “These positions are elected and/or paid for by the people. Federal politicians have too much power as is.” Read more: Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now use $100 to cash in on prime real estate — without the headache of being a landlord. Here's how Attempts to ban congressional stock trading Some lawmakers are trying to tackle this problem. A new bipartisan law was proposed in late July, which would ban members of Congress and the federal executive branch — including the president — from owning or trading stocks, even in blind trusts. However, two other bills on this matter — the TRUST in Congress Act and the PELOSI Act — have failed to move the needle this year, and it’s unclear if or when the new proposal will be debated and voted on. damn they are not even hiding it now..................

update on finley for those interested........... Texas State football coach GJ Kinne still deciding on starting quarterback John Hygh 3–4 minutes Published August 15, 2023 6:54PM TXST football GJ Kinne speaks on quarterback FOX 7 Austin's John Hygh talked to first-year head coach GJ Kinne about who the starting quarterback is this season. SAN MARCOS, Texas - Texas State's first-year football coach GJ Kinne brings a high-flying offense to San Marcos. But, he has yet to name his starting quarterback. FOX 7 Austin's John Hygh hit on that topic on Bobcat media day, and was joined by GJ Kinne, TJ Finley and Malik Hornsby. John Hygh: Alright coach, every year around this time, it seems like there's a quarterback battle going on down here in San Marcos. You got TJ Finley from Auburn, you got Malik Hornsby out of Arkansas, what's that competition been like so far? Coach GJ Kinne: Yeah, it's been back and forth. Just different skill sets, I would say, both have their good days and good parts of practice. TJ Finley: We push each other each and every day and I think we both get the best of each other at certain times and certain days. Malik Hornsby: He got a lot he can teach me, I think I can learn from him, I think he can learn from me in different aspects of the game. John Hygh: Earlier you said both have earned the right to start, how hard does that make your decision and when do you, what's ideal for you to make a decision? Coach GJ Kinne: Yeah, I think whenever is best for the team, we'll figure that out here pretty soon, and we'll start putting the pieces together, but yeah, they've both earned the right to start and they're both really good quarterbacks. So, it's a good problem to have, but at the same time you have to pick one and see what happens. Malik Hornsby: I think I want that starting job as bad as he wants the starting job, if not more you know, but If I don't get that starting job, you know, I'm always going to be helpful. TJ Finley: If I didn't want to be a starter, I could have gone Power 5 and just sat on the bench and just waited, quote, unquote waited your turn or whatever, but me coming here I came here for a reason, I came here for a purpose and that's to not only provide for my family, but win a Sunbelt Championship. I think I have one of the best arms in the country, I don't get credit for it because of my past, you know, I wasn't really able to spin it like I wanted to, but I think this offense will really be able to showcase my throwing ability and showcase my talents. Malik Hornsby: I bring speed to the table, I bring my play making ability, I bring my leadership to the table. Coach GJ Kinne: Both of them have been very explosive, they both have taken care of the ball, so it really is a tough decision. John Hygh: Now the most important question for me, I played here back in the 90s, I know you guys have some renovations going on, what's the update on my statue? Coach GJ Kinne: I think they're actually putting one up, where the old pavilion, they're going to move some things around and put it over there, so I'm looking forward to seeing that. Texas State scrimmages start Wednesday, August 16.

yahoo.com Hugh Freeze trying to revitalize Auburn program, quarterback play in his latest SEC stop JOHN ZENOR 4–5 minutes AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Having already rebuilt his career, Hugh Freeze is trying to do the same thing for Auburn's football program. The coach's return to the Southeastern Conference brought renewed hope to a demoralized fan base, along with some much-needed recruiting and transfer portal success. Freeze, whose successful tenure at Mississippi had ended in scandal, isn't promising instant success. But improvement seems likely after two lackluster seasons, mostly under Bryan Harsin, who was fired last October. Auburn has finished sixth in the SEC West each of the past two seasons, unfamiliar territory for a program whose last two coaches before Harsin had taken teams to national championship games with a title in 2010. “I did sense coming in that the faith in the whole family of Auburn football was fractured somewhat, and I think that is where I had to start trying to repair that,” said Freeze, who spent the past four seasons at Liberty. The other big priority was repairing a roster that had fallen well behind some of the Tigers' SEC rivals. Freeze closed the 2023 recruiting cycle strong, added a number of transfers for immediate help and has picked up some big commitments for next year. Freeze resigned from Ole Miss in the summer of 2017 after school officials uncovered a “pattern of personal misconduct” starting with a call to a number used by an escort service from a university-issued cellphone. The program ultimately landed on NCAA probation for 21 violations of academic, booster and recruiting misconduct mostly under Freeze’s watch. Now, he's back in the SEC with high expectations and a six-year deal worth at least $6.5 million annually. QB BATTLE The biggest imperative for this season was improving quarterback play, and eventually selecting a starter. Robby Ashford flashed playmaking abilities as a runner but completed just 49% of his passes last season. After the spring, Freeze added former Michigan State starter Payton Thorne to join Ashford and redshirt freshman Holden Geriner. Onetime starter T.J. Finley transferred to Texas State. The Tigers clearly need better play at the position after producing only nine passing touchdowns last season while ranking 119th in passing yards per game, averaging 173. “We've been able to do things with quarterbacks everywhere we've been and produce good enough results to win,” Freeze said. PORTAL PICKUPS Freeze brought in 20-plus transfers, loading up in particular with offensive linemen and wide receivers, two of the team’s weaker spots in recent seasons. He added 10 offensive linemen, including five from the transfer portal: Gunner Britton (Western Kentucky), Avery Jones (East Carolina), Dylan Senda (Northwestern) and Tulsa’s Dillon Wade and Jaden Muskrat. The defensive front seven also gets a boost from transfers, including several from within the SEC. RUNNING GAME Auburn must replace three-year starter Tank Bigsby, who ran for nearly 3,000 yards before heading to the NFL. Jarquez Hunter has been an explosive backup, but was held out at the start of fall camp for unspecified reasons. Hunter has averaged 6.6 yards on 193 carries over his first two seasons. It's a fairly deep group. Brian Battie ran for 1,186 yards last season at South Florida, and the 5-foot-7, 170-pounder earned some All-America honors as a kick returner in 2021. Freshman Jeremiah Cobb joins the mix as well. STRONG SECONDARY With players returning who started at least 11 games last season, Auburn didn't need much immediate help in the defensive backfield. The Tigers return a group led by cornerbacks Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James, along with Keionte Scott, Jaylin Simpson and Zion Puckett. SCHEDULE Auburn faces a very manageable nonconference game compared to the team's norm, with a Sept. 9 visit to California the most high profile. The Tigers do face three top SEC rivals, hosting No. 1 Georgia and No. 4 Alabama and visiting fifth-ranked LSU. ___ AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

i think i missed this yesterday..........

yahoo.com Reserve offensive lineman Garner Langlo is no longer with Auburn JD McCarthy 1–2 minutes Auburn offensive lineman Garner Langlo is no longer with the football team according to a report by Auburn Undercover’s Nathan King. He is no longer listed on Auburn’s online roster for the 2023 season. Langlo was entering his third season on the Plains after signing with Auburn as a three-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle. His departure means Jarquez Hunter is the only player from that class still on the Plains. Langlo was the No. 634 overall player and No. 43 interior offensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite ranking. From Inverness, Florida, he never appeared in a game for the Tigers and was practicing with the reserves during fall camp. The Tigers are less than three weeks away from their season opener against UMass on Sept. 2 in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15. Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

yes dang it. i am 68. i am shooting for ten more years minimum. i agree we need fresh tho i still like biden. i think he fell into a mess. i want to see someone come in and get better pay for our youngsters. if unemployment is close to a living wage i do think it screws us. if we gave folks better pay and separate it more from unemployment we would put more people to work. it sounds iffy to many but these young cats see billionaires and oil companies,etc make RECORD profits and not taking better care of the little people. i know some do but many do not.