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si.com How does Coach Hugh Freeze compare with the other head coaches in the SEC East? Joshua Collins 8–10 minutes How does Coach Hugh Freeze stack up in the SEC East? In this story: Auburn Tigers With the beginning of the 2023 college football season nearly upon us many teams and fan bases across the country are taking stock of their programs performance during the spring and fall camps while also evaluating the new recruits on their rosters. Actively weighing out their opportunities and making lofty predictions about their teams’ chances along the way. With a mostly brand-new coaching staff on the plains since the hiring of Coach Hugh Freeze in November of last year, many are asking how Coach Hugh Freeze compares to the other head coaches within the SEC. With this two-part article series, we will weigh Coach Freeze’s career winning ratio and the culture he brings with him to the Auburn family against that of the other head coaches in both the SEC West and the SEC East. We will cap-off this series with the SEC East, taking a brief look at the cadre of head coaches who lead arguably some of the best teams in college football today, providing some of the stiffest coaching competition for Coach Hugh Freeze to stack up with. Auburn Head Coach Hugh Freeze: Eric Starling/Auburn Daily As a faithful and diehard Auburn fan I will have to lead off with Coach Hugh Freeze and what he brings to the table as the 31st head coach of the Auburn Tigers football program. Coach Freeze comes to plains from Liberty University after a very impressive and successful 4 years as the head of their football program, where he led the Flames to four bowl game appearances and produced a 34-15 record at the helm. Coach Freeze brings with him 12-years’ worth of collegiate head coaching experience with an overall career win-loss record of 103-47 making for a 68-percent win ratio. More importantly Coach Freeze brings with him a culture of hope, tenacity, and hard work to make the changes so desperately needed within the Auburn football program to turn the page to a brighter and more successful future for not only the athletes and the student body but also the loyal Auburn fanbase. In quoting Coach Freeze in a recent Auburn media release, his message to the players on the team highlights so much about his character as a head coach and a mentor to these young men asking of his players “Will there be a fire burning inside you that’s hotter than any furnace that is put before you.” This sentiment speaks to the value Coach Freeze places on putting all your soul into this game we all know and love. This is the culture he brings to the plains, and I am excited to see it grow across the roster and across the fan base as his career begins on the plains. Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports Coming off back-to-back National Championship wins, Kirby Smart has proven his ability to coach at the highest level in college football. Looking to establish himself as one of the first coaches to three-peat a national championship Coach Smart should always be looked at as a threat on the gridiron. Boasting a career win-loss record of 81-15 making for an 84-percent win ratio, Coach Kirby is quickly establishing himself as one of the best coaches in the SEC. As an Auburn fan this is definitely a difficult pill to swallow, but I would be remiss to not mention it. Coach Smart values hardnosed play on the field and looks to power through his opponents. The Deep Souths oldest rivalry will always remain strong, especially while Coach Kirby Smart remains at the helm in Athens. Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel: © Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK Coach Josh Heupel is entering the 2023 season having accomplished an almost legendary defeat of the Crimson Tide last season at home. One of the younger head coaches in the SEC, Coach Heupel has a career win-loss record of 46-19, making for a 70-percent win ratio. Coach Heupel has taken the Volunteers from a dumpster-fire program to a relevant team within the SEC in only two years’ time, which in and of itself is a feat worth mentioning. Known for his fast-paced offensive schemes, Coach Heupel will be one to watch as his career progresses. Florida Head Coach Billy Napier: © Doug Engle / USA TODAY NETWORK Returning for his second season with the Florida Gators Coach Billy Napier is looking to produce a much better season than his last, managing only a 6-7 win-loss record. With this fire to remain out of the Gainesville hotseat you can guarantee he will be looking to make the best of the upcoming 2023 season. Despite his somewhat weak inaugural season, Coach Napier is no stranger to coaching winning football. Boasting a career win-loss record of 46-19 making for a 70-percent win ratio, Coach Napier is looking to return to his winning ways. Also known for fast paced offenses look for the Gators to reach to become a powerhouse team once more under Coach Napier’s leadership should the pieces fall together. South Carolina Head Coach Shane Beamer: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports Heading into his career third season as a head coach, Coach Shane Beamer is looking to looking to help the South Carolina Gamecocks relevant within the SEC again. Considering this is his first head coaching job, Coach Beamer has earned a career 15-11 win-loss record making for a 57-percent win ratio. Coach Beamer is known for being a special teams guru, and is also known for favoring smash-mouth defenses. Looking to continue with the momentum he has built at the program over the past two seasons, look for Coach Beamer to try to shake things up this upcoming season. Missouri Head Coach Eli Drinkwitz: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports Coach Eli Drinkwitz has made impressive strides with Missouri in his tenure as head coach thus far. Known for fielding physical and fast teams year-over-year, Coach Drinkwitz has been known to ruin some rivals chances for perfect seasons producing several upsets. Coach Drinkwitz has a career win-loss record of 29-20 making for a 59-percent win ratio. The Missouri Tigers and Coach Drinkwitz are a team and a coach fans of SEC football know better than to sleep on as they are always an upset away. Look for him to continue his coaching stride heading in to the upcoming 2023 football season. Kentucky Head Coach Mark Stoops: © Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK Coach Mark Stoops has become a staple of the Kentucky Wildcat fanbase with an almost cult like following. He has seen the Wildcats to some of their highest success since the days of Bear Bryant, and he is looking to maintain that momentum coming in to the 2023 football season. He is a crafty coach known for his incredible defensive prowess. Heading into his 10th season as Kentucky’s head coach, Coach Stoops has career win-loss record of 66-59 making for a 53-percent win ratio. You can rest assured he will have his team prepared to play this coming 2023 football season. Vanderbilt Head Coach Clark Lea: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports Heading in to his third season as head coach as well is the Vanderbilt Head Coach Clark Lea. Manning the helm of one of the lowest ranked SEC team consistently year-over-year, is no easy feat to accomplish. Coach Lea is looking to change this narrative across the board. Despite only having a career win-loss record of 7-17 making for a meager 29-percent win ratio, Coach Lea is working hard to increase recruiting with Vandy. Coach Lea has a long and difficult road ahead to accomplish this task, however Coach Lea is a hardnosed coach prepared to put in the work required to do so. In closing, it’s important to remember that although stat lines and win-loss ratios may pop out on paper, the most important qualities of these coaches are the values of hard work and perseverance each of these leaders of men work hard to instill in each of the young men that grace their locker rooms. Although each fan will argue that their head coach is the best fit for the job, it’s the players opinions of their leaders that really matters.

auburnwire.usatoday.com Social Media reacts to Auburn landing 4-star defenisve lineman TJ Lindsey JD McCarthy ~2 minutes Auburn has landed yet another blue-chip recruit. This time it’s four-star defensive lineman TJ Lindsey who picked the Tigers over Texas, Miami and Texas A&M Saturday afternoon. Lindsey is Auburn’s 16th commitment in the 2024 recruiting class, 14 of which are blue chips. He is the second commit that defensive line coach Jeremy Garret has landed, joining four-star Malik Blocton. Buy Tigers Tickets Originally from Arkansas, he is set to play his senior season at IMG Academy in Florida. He is the No. 304 overall player and No. 34 defensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite ranking. The addition of Lindsey fired up the Auburn fanbase which took to social media to celebrate, here are the top reactions. Gettin chilly 👀🥶📈🦅‼️ — Auburn FB Recruiting (@AuburnMade) August 12, 2023 Let’s go! Our family just got bigger and better 🦅#WDE — Logan Bradley (@CoachBradleyAU) August 12, 2023 Harsin set Auburn back so far I’m glad Hugh freeze is putting effort into recruiting and getting Auburn back to where they should be — CFBTalkDaily (@CFBTalkDaily) August 12, 2023

si.com Auburn football ranked a top 15 job in college football Lance Dawe 2–3 minutes 247Sports believes Auburn is one of the 15 best jobs in college football. There's a stigma out there that Auburn is an undesirable job in college football. Considering the Tigers' history, resources, and fanbase, it's hard to picture anyone looking down on Auburn as a bad place to be. Brad Crawford of 247Sports recently wrote an excellent piece ranking his top 25 jobs in college football. He ranked the Auburn Tigers at No. 15 in the nation. Here's what Crawford had to say about Auburn: "Auburn is a top 11 job with regards to recruiting prowess over the past two decades and the Tigers have a national championship to show for it along with an unbeaten season in 2004. Those who fund the program just paid Bryan Harsin to go away after one, unsuccessful season at a costly price after first attempting to sabotage his tenure in the widely-reported saga that unfolded over several months on The Plains. In that regard, it's not an easy job in the middle of the high-pressure SEC with three of the top 5 programs nationally as primary rivals, but you can win here. Jordan-Hare Stadium offers a unique environment and new coach Hugh Freeze is showing quickly after a few recent five-star flips that recruiting's of utmost importance and focus."

I apologize for any posts that have already been posted in other threads. I do not have time to go through every single thread to see what is posted and what is not so if you see a lot of the same this is why. hopefully between the different threads we get it all covered.

In Photos: Auburn's first scrimmage of fall camp JD McCarthy August 12, 2023 2:30 pm CT Hugh Freeze’s first fall camp at Auburn is in full swing and the Tigers completed their first scrimmage Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Freeze met with the media after the scrimmage and admitted that it has caused him to reevaluate some things about the battle between Payton Thorne, Holden Geriner and Robby Ashford to become Auburn’s starting quarterback. Buy Tigers Tickets “Yesterday, I had my mind made up,” Freeze said. “And after today I need to watch the film before I say.” Freeze also provided an updated injury report and the wide receiver group is currently down several expected contributors. Ja'Varrius Johnson and Camden brown were both unable to play in the scrimmage due to Johnson needing stitches in his mouth and Brown battling a hamstring injury. In addition, Koy Moore is limited due to an ankle injury and Malcolm Johnson Jr. is dealing with a shoulder injury. The Tigers will be off tomorrow before getting back into camp Monday as they get closer to the season opener on Saturday, Sept. 2 against UMass. Here is a look at the best photos from Auburn’s first scrimmage of fall camp. AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Quarterback Robby Ashford (#9) during a fall camp… more AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Quarterback Robby Ashford (#9) and Wide Receiver Nick… more AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Running Back Jeremiah Cobb (#23) during a fall… more AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Running Back Sean Jackson (#44) during a fall… more AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Running Back Justin Jones (#35) during a fall… more AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Linebacker Austin Keys (#6) during a fall camp… more AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Jack Linebacker Elijah McAllister (#11) during a fall… more AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Offensive Coordinator Philip Montgomery and Head Coach Hugh… more AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Head Coach Hugh Freeze during a fall camp… more AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Defensive Back Keionte Scott (#0) celebrates during a… more AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Defensive Back Sylvester Smith (#19) during a fall… more AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Quarterback Payton Thorne (#1) during a fall camp… more AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Offensive Lineman Dillon Wade (#52) during a fall… more AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Offensive Lineman Jeremiah Wright (#77) during a fall… more AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.12 - Fall Camp Scrimmage AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Head Coach Hugh Freeze speaks to the media… more

i missed this article so i am posting in case no one saw it. saturdaydownsouth.com Philip Montgomery speaks on Auburn QBs, shares traits that each have flashed Keith Farner ~3 minutes Philip Montgomery updated reporters on the Auburn quarterback competition as the Tigers look to decide on Robby Ashford, Payton Thorne and Holden Geriner. The offensive coordinator said all the quarterbacks have “flashed” so far, but there’s more to playing QB than that. He added that there is still a long way to go in this competition. Ashford has been a little more consistent on underneath throws and has hit some deep throws, and is working on fundamentals to be more consistent. About Thorne, Montgomery said, “You want to talk about a guy that is professional when he goes about his work … He wants top be on top of very detail that’s involved in our offense and he’s seeing things right now at a very good rate.” About Ashford, Montgomery said, “I honestly think Robby has thrown the ball better in fall camp, I’ve seen him progress in that manner. … His biggest progression has been the throwing side.” About Geriner, Montgomery said, “I’ll talk about his strengths: I think he is a natural thrower. I think he has the ability to do things with his feet.” Geriner also is mentally “on point.”

saturdaydownsouth.com Hugh Freeze rethinking decision to trim QB battle following scrimmage Paul Harvey Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football. Follow on Twitter. 3–4 minutes Hugh Freeze has a quarterback battle on his hands at Auburn, and he touched on that group after Saturday’s scrimmage. Speaking with the media, Freeze indicated he was prepared to make a decision on trimming that battle Friday. However, the performance of the players in Saturday’s scrimmage has him rethinking that decision. “Yesterday, I had my mind made up,” Freeze said. “And after today, I need to watch the film before I say.” The 3 QBs to see snaps in Saturday’s scrimmage were Robby Ashford, Payton Thorne and Holden Geriner. Ashford is the team’s top returning QB while Thorne stepped into the program after two seasons as the starter at Michigan State. Geriner saw very limited action as a true freshman in 2022. Freeze particularly noted a need to “take care of the ball” and “playing in the right space on given plays” as points of emphasis. Fortunately, he felt “all three did that fairly well today.” He pointed out all three did not turn the ball over on Saturday: “They all… they did not turn the ball over,” said Freeze. “That’s priority number one in offensive football, so that was good.” While the QBs looked good in the scrimmage, the same could not be said for Auburn’s receivers. Freeze pointed out “too many opportunities” of QBs making the right reads in the RPO game with receivers “loafing” or not on the same page as the QB. “We had some guy who had some good catches today, but we had way too many opportunities in the RPO game that the quarterback made the right decision to throw the ball and a receiver is… he’s either loafing, which we can’t have, or he chose to run the wrong route,” Freeze explained. “And you’ve got to look at us coaches first on that and be sure to get that cleaned up. But this week, I thought we took a step forward in the totality of that room.” At the end of the day, Auburn’s still searching for a starting QB, but all signs from Saturday’s scrimmage sound positive per Freeze. We’ll see if one player can create some separation and nail down the job in the weeks to come.

247sports.com True freshman 'like a young veteran' in Auburn secondary Nathan King 5–6 minutes "He's like — wow, that dude's, he's gonna be something. He is playing on the ball, man. He asks questions in meetings. He's on top of it, man. You can see the motor he has.” Auburn has plenty of young names to choose from at defensive back this preseason. Adding to a secondary that could already be the best unit on the roster, Auburn brought in eight newcomers in the secondary via the 2023 recruiting class — seven freshmen and JUCO cornerback Champ Anthony. Differing sizes, skill sets, play styles and positions, all now blended into an Auburn secondary that appears well stocked for years to come. While most all of them have been praised for their work thus far, one freshman in particular keeps hearing his name pop over the first couple weeks of camp, though. Not only has Colton Hood made early impressions on his coaches and fellow defensive backs, but members from other groups of the defense are noticing his impact as a true freshman, too. "Colton Hood," linebacker Austin Keys said Friday. “He's really standing out.” Keys then pondered for a moment and considered other names. Anyone better? Nope, still Hood. “Let me see — who else? Newcomers as far as fall camp — it’s Colton Hood," Keys said. “He made a little tough play on the wide receiver (during Friday’s practice). He's like — wow, that dude's, he's gonna be something. He is playing on the ball, man. He asks questions in meetings. He's on top of it, man. You can see the motor he has.” Hood was perhaps destined to wind up a Tiger in the 2022 recruiting class, where Michigan State was viewed as his other top contender. The 3-star prospect from McDonough, Georgia, is an Auburn legacy, after all: his dad, uncle, brother and cousin all played football at Auburn. His brother, Roderick Hood, played 47 games with the Tigers and eight years in the NFL. While being a summer enrollee isn’t unique to Hood among Auburn’s freshman defensive backs — only 4-star Kayin Lee was present for the spring — Hood seems to be picking up the defense quickly. Auburn’s coaches and players have mentioned several times that they don’t consider Lee a freshman because of his experience in the spring, and Hood is starting to hear his name carry the same sort of respect. “Young guys like K-Lee and Colton Hood, those are two guys that stand out to me,” fifth-year senior safety Jaylin Simpson said. “Especially Colton, he just got here. K-Lee is a guy. I tell him all the time, ‘You don’t need to walk around here like a freshman because you’re going to play.’ Colton has just been showing out.” In addition to his apparent playmaking ability in Friday’s practice, Hood also had a nice pass breakup against senior receiver Malcolm Johnson Jr. Perhaps most impressive of all was that safeties coach Zac Etheridge said Hood had two interceptions against the offense in Thursday’s practice. “He’s one of the freshmen that’s not afraid, in a full defensive unit meeting, to raise his hand and ask a question because it’s important for him to know what he’s doing,” Etheridge said. “Not just, ‘Hey, Coach, man, teach me why I’m doing it this way, how is it important,’ but any guy can tell you, he’s a guy that’s working every day — and you see it on the film. .. He’s kind of like a young veteran.” At 5-foot-11 and 183 pounds, Hood has been sticking at boundary corner, according to Simpson. In practice viewing windows so far, he’s been observed shadowing veteran Nehemiah Pritchett at that position. It may be tough for Hood to crack the rotation above names like Lee, Anthony and sophomore J.D. Rhym, but it certainly sounds as if the freshman is applying some pressure to those players as preseason camp rolls on. “Confident player,” senior cornerback D.J. James said. “He came in ready, confident, excited and ready to learn each and every day. He asks questions. And that's what I like about him.” Hood and Auburn’s secondary will get their biggest stage so far in Saturday’s scrimmage at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers will report to the stadium at approximately 9 a.m. CST on Saturday, and Hugh Freeze will summarize the day’s action with reporters following the scrimmage at 11:30 a.m. *** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more *** *** Get Auburn news straight to your inbox with the Auburn Undercover newsletter ***

247sports.com Quick Quotes Hugh Freeze recaps Auburns first scrimmage of camp Nathan King ~3 minutes Auburn's first preseason scrimmage is now in the books, after the Tigers played each other in front of more than 250 lettermen inside Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday morning. Auburn Undercover had live intel running on the message board for subscribers, but Hugh Freeze will also summarize the action with reporters at approximately 11:30 a.m. CST. Follow along here for updates from Freeze. * There was a "mixed bag" for Auburn on offense. "We ran the ball really well early on." * "We certainly weren't fresh today," Freeze said. Added it's been a hot camp, and the team needs the day off tomorrow. * "The defense dominated the latter part of the scrimmage." * The wide receivers "had an incredible week," but "not so much today." There were issues on RPO routes, Freeze said. * "Way too many times in the RPO game that the quarterback made the right decision to throw the ball," and a receiver ran the wrong route. * What was Freeze looking for in his QBs today? "Taking care of the ball." Freeze thought "all three did that fairly well." Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner threw touchdown passes, Payton Thorne did not, but he had two near-touchdowns that were ruled out of bounds. * Freeze on the quarterback competition: "Yesterday I had my mind made up. And now I need to watch the film and see." * Ja'Varrius Johnson had to get stitches in his mouth after a practice incident this week, per Hugh Freeze. Was in a non-contact jersey today. * Camden Brown did not scrimmage today, per Freeze. Receivers Malcolm Johnson and Koy Moore, and linebackers Austin Keys and Wesley Steiner are also dealing with injuries. * Freeze on Jarquez Hunter: "It's good to have him back in the room and on the team. He plays the game hard." * Freeze on the guard competition: "I don't give a rat's tail who's first or second team. We need all of them." * Freeze on the pass rush: "Jalen McLeod and Stephen Sings have changed that for the better. ... We're better than we were in the spring." * Freeze on the defensive backs: "We've got to tackle better. We did not tackle well when the running backs got to the second level." * Freeze continues to praise running back Damari Alston's leadership; the sophomore was elected to the team's leadership council. * Larry Nixon III "created the most negative plays" at linebacker.

247sports.com Auburn receivers hit with string of injuries in preseason camp Nathan King ~3 minutes VIDEO: The Perry Thomspon impact on Auburn recruiting | College Football Recruiting Show Auburn's first preseason scrimmage is now in the books, after the Tigers played each other in front of more than 250 lettermen inside Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday morning. Auburn Undercover had live intel running on the message board for subscribers, but Hugh Freeze will also summarize the action with reporters at approximately 11:30 a.m. CST. Follow along here for updates from Freeze. * There was a "mixed bag" for Auburn on offense. "We ran the ball really well early on." * "We certainly weren't fresh today," Freeze said. Added it's been a hot camp, and the team needs the day off tomorrow. * "The defense dominated the latter part of the scrimmage." * The wide receivers "had an incredible week," but "not so much today." There were issues on RPO routes, Freeze said. * "Way too many times in the RPO game that the quarterback made the right decision to throw the ball," and a receiver ran the wrong route. * What was Freeze looking for in his QBs today? "Taking care of the ball." Freeze thought "all three did that fairly well." Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner threw touchdown passes, Payton Thorne did not, but he had two near-touchdowns that were ruled out of bounds. * Freeze on the quarterback competition: "Yesterday I had my mind made up. And now I need to watch the film and see." * Ja'Varrius Johnson had to get stitches in his mouth after a practice incident this week, per Hugh Freeze. Was in a non-contact jersey today. * Camden Brown did not scrimmage today, per Freeze. Receivers Malcolm Johnson and Koy Moore, and linebackers Austin Keys and Wesley Steiner are also dealing with injuries. * Freeze on Jarquez Hunter: "It's good to have him back in the room and on the team. He plays the game hard." * Freeze on the guard competition: "I don't give a rat's tail who's first or second team. We need all of them." * Freeze on the pass rush: "Jalen McLeod and Stephen Sings have changed that for the better. ... We're better than we were in the spring." * Freeze on the defensive backs: "We've got to tackle better. We did not tackle well when the running backs got to the second level." * Freeze continues to praise running back Damari Alston's leadership; the sophomore was elected to the team's leadership council. * Larry Nixon III "created the most negative plays" at linebacker.

247sports.com Alston running game shine in Auburns first preseason scrimmage Jason Caldwell 4–6 minutes Auburn's running game was the strength of the team in the first scrimmage. AUBURN, Alabama—One of the things that showed up late in spring practice was a strong running game for Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers.Through one scrimmage of the preseason, that trend has continued with the offensive line paving the way for big days for the entire group of running backs. Led by sophomore Damari Alston’s big plays, USF transfer Brian Battie, big back Sean Jackson and true freshman Jeremiah Cobb, Auburn’s running backs showed up and showed out on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium even though Jarquez Hunter was limited to just a handful of snaps early in the day. “Brian showed up today in a big way,” Freeze said of Battie. “Damari had three explosive runs. Jarquez was solid of course. Sean had some good run. Jeremiah Cobb I think he’s gonna be a really good player. He's just a baby, but he's gonna be a really good player. I think we've got a solid room there.” The reason for success was because of a strong day up front by Jake Thornton’s offensive line group. A completely rebuilt unit since last season, Auburn’s front five has consistently improved since they stepped on the field in the spring. With tackles Dillon Wade and Gunner Britton consistently working with the first group and Avery Jones at center along with Kam Stutts at right guard, Auburn’s front has seen plenty of rotation with Tate Johnson and Jeremiah Wright working at left guard and newcomers Jaden Muskrat and Dylan Senda both coming on after arriving this summer. “We need all of them,” Freeze said of Auburn’s offensive line group. “If you're talking at guard, you’ve got Tate (Johnson) and you’ve got Jeremiah (Wright). Musky has had a really good camp, also. That was a good get. (Dylan) Senda is coming on as a young guy, too. Harris. We need all of them. We’re rotating them all in there. And Stutts, of course, is one of the leaders of the team. We’re going to need them all before it’s over.” When the dust settled on Saturday, the name that showed up as much as anyone was Alston. Getting limited work last season as the third guy behind Tank Bigsby and Hunter, Alston has taken his game to another level. With an offensive line that can open holes and a system that isn’t scared to run it, Hunter is someone that Freeze has already seen enough from to know he’s going to play a big role this season. “He’s been one of the leaders if you ask the team who one of the leaders are in that locker room right now,” Freeze said. “He was elected to the culture council unanimously. That speaks as high as any mark you could give when your team says this is a guy that drives the culture that we want.” Auburn receivers hit with string of injuries in preseason camp Auburn scrimmaged for the first time in camp on Saturday morning VIDEO: Hugh Freeze's prowess as a recruiter | College Football Recruiting Show A pair of probable starting receivers are dealing with injuries with Auburn now at three weeks until the 2023 season kicks off. Fifth-year senior Ja'Varrius Johnson and sophomore Camden Brown did not participate in the team's first scrimmage Saturday morning, Hugh Freeze told reporters after the action in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Brown has dealt with "a string of bad luck" in terms of injuries since the spring. He told reporters Friday he's dealing with a hamstring issue, after he also had to heal this offseason from an ankle injury from the spring. Johnson, the team's top returning player in the receiving corps after posting 493 yards and three touchdowns last year, had to get stitches in his mouth this week after taking a hit at practice this week, Freeze said. Johnson was not present during the media viewing window of Friday's practice, then was in a non-contact jersey Saturday. Two more receivers are also dealing with injuries entering the third week of camp: Koy Moore has been limited by an ankle issue at every practice so far, and Malcolm Johnson Jr. is still being bothered by his shoulder, after undergoing surgery in the spring, Freeze said. On defense, senior linebacker Wesley Steiner has been in a non-contact jersey for the past week of camp with a hamstring injury. Ole Miss transfer Austin Keys, who looks to be the team's starting middle linebacker at the moment, is limited at the moment with a shoulder issue. Check out notes from Freeze's post-scrimmage meeting with reporters here.

247sports.com Improved pass rush a highlight for Auburn defense in first scrimmage Nathan King 5–7 minutes As the day got hotter and Auburn’s first preseason scrimmage dragged on, the Tigers’ defense started winning more battles than not. Plenty of attention was affixed on Auburn’s quarterbacks and how they performed in Saturday morning’s scrimmage, but Hugh Freeze offered plenty of takeaways on the defensive side of the ball, too, where lineups should also be trimmed down in the coming days, entering the third week of camp. “I thought the defense dominated the latter part of the scrimmage,” Freeze said. “I've said this all the time: It's hard for me to leave a scrimmage or a practice feeling great because one side does well and well, we're not getting it done on the other side and vice versa.” With the backdrop of another heat advisory Saturday, the tempo of Auburn’s offense worked efficiently in the first half of the scrimmage, with a few touchdown drives early. Helped by a deep rotation on the defensive line, however, first-year coordinator Ron Roberts’ unit settled in — and that front line was “dominant” by the latter stages of the scrimmage. “Well, they’re playing like 15 guys, it feels like,” Freeze said of the defensive front. “And they’re just running them in and out. I think at the end of practice today, I thought they were dominant. They created negative plays on us that didn’t happen early in the game. Our edges have gotten better with (Keldric) Faulk and Jalen (McLeod) and Elijah (McAllister) and Stephen Sings. Inside we’re rotating a good group of guys there with Marcus (Harris) and Jayson (Jones) and Mo (Mosiah Nasili-Kite) and Bobby (Jamison-Travis) and Lawrence Johnson. (Zykeivous) Walker has gotten better. We’re rotating a lot of guys in there, so obviously that’s a good thing in this league, that you can rotate those guys up front. “The stuff we’re doing, it gives (the offense) problems at times. There’s a lot of movement that’s going on. I’d hate to forget somebody. But I’m pleased with how they’re working.” Auburn has an entirely new room at its “jack” pass-rusher spot this season, and the transfers — particularly McLeod (App State) and Sings (Liberty) — have garnered plenty of praise through the first couple weeks of camp. McLeod has been more of a speed rusher off the edge, while Sings brings more size and physicality to the outside linebacker spot. McLeod was described as having an “unbelievable” skill set by defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett, and the quick emergence of he and Sings has set the tone for a group that could be more polished than many expected, after Auburn lost Derick Hall and Eku Leota to the NFL. Auburn Undercover was also told Vanderbilt transfer McAllister had a strong showing in the scrimmage. “Jalen McLeod and Stephen Sings have changed that for the better for us,” Freeze said. “They can get after the quarterback. You've got to have some third-down packages where both of them are probably in the game because they probably are our most dynamic pass-rushers right now. So we're better than we were in spring. We'll see how good we are when it gets real, but I do know we're better than we were.” On the second level of the defense, Auburn thinned out a bit due to injuries. Senior linebacker Wesley Steiner has been in a non-contact jersey for the past week of camp with a hamstring injury, and Ole Miss transfer Austin Keys, who looks to be the team's starting middle linebacker at the moment, sustained a minor shoulder injury in the scrimmage. Freeze said he’d circle North Texas transfer Larry Nixon III as the most disruptive player in that room Saturday. “I’d say probably Nixon created the most negative plays,” Freeze said. “Not saying the others didn’t play well at times, but I just remember after we slowed things down, he seemed to be creating some negative plays for us.” While Freeze has addressed the fact that Auburn’s secondary could be argued as the most talented group on the roster from top to bottom, he’s challenged the likes of D.J. James, Nehemiah Pritchett, Jaylin Simpson, Keionte Scott and others to improve even further this preseason with their attention to detail and execution on a daily basis. The receivers they were lined up against had a rough outing in the scrimmage, Freeze said, where they too often ran the wrong route or made the wrong decision in a run-pass option setting. But the secondary wasn’t immune from criticism — particularly when ball-carriers like Damari Alston and Jarquez Hunter broke out of the front seven. “I think we’ve got to tackle better,” Freeze said. “We did not tackle well today when our (running) backs got in the second level. I do think we’re talented there with our first group. And I think our young kids are going to be good but they’ve got to come on — because we’re going to need them in Year 1. But I do think our first group is made up of a solid group of players for an SEC team. Obviously, the corners, I think, are talented. Our safeties are also, but we need depth there and we’ve got to bring those young kids on. But we didn’t tackle well today in the secondary.” Auburn has an off day Sunday to give the coaches time to review the scrimmage tape and apply it to the practice plan moving forward. Classes at the university start Wednesday. *** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more *** *** Get Auburn news straight to your inbox with the Auburn Undercover newsletter ***

247sports.com Commitment analysis What Auburn is getting in 4star TJ Lindsey Jason Caldwell 3–4 minutes VIDEO: Hugh Freeze's prowess as a recruiter | College Football Recruiting Show Hugh Freeze was close to trimming down Auburn's quarterback competition Friday. Less than 24 hours later, the battle seems to have been significantly impacted by what transpired Saturday morning at Jordan-Hare Stadium. “Yesterday, I had my mind made up,” Freeze said about cutting Auburn's QB race from three players to two. “And after today I need to watch the film before I say.” The Tigers scrimmaged for the first time this preseason on Saturday, closing the book of the second week of camp. The quarterback reps were trimmed down this week — leaving just the three expected competitors of Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner — and the staff hoped to continue to do so next week, as camp surges onward, now with exactly three weeks to go until the season opener Sept. 2 against UMass. Offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery said this week the main thing he wanted to see from his QBs was “somebody take control.” And after Saturday, there still doesn’t seem to be a leader in the clubhouse. None of the quarterbacks threw an interception, which Freeze said was the most important quality he was looking for Saturday: ball security. Ashford and Geriner both threw touchdown passes, Freeze said, while Thorne did not — though Thorne had a pair of near-touchdown throws, but the official ruled the receiver just out of bounds on both occasions. “Take care of the ball and play within the offense — and take what you should take on a given play,” Freeze said. “That the ball goes in the right spot, hopefully it's accurate when we do throw it. But accuracy, you know, hopefully will come. We’ve got to take care of the ball. We have to be playing in the right space on given the plays in our offense. I thought all three did that fairly well today.” “.. They all did not turn the ball over. That's priority No. 1 in offensive football. So that was good. Obviously, defensively we need to go get it. But I thought all three looked good at times today.” Some of the incompletions, Freeze said, stemmed not from an errant throw or read by a quarterback, but from the wrong route by a receiver. Freeze said the receiving corps — which is dealing with a handful of injuries at the moment — had “an incredible week of practice,” but “not so much today.” “Way too many opportunities in the RPO game that the quarterback made the right decision to throw the ball and a receiver is — again I haven't watched the film — but he's either loafing, which we can't have, or he chose to run the wrong route,” Freeze said. “Again, we have to look at us as coaches first on that and be sure we get that cleaned up.” Auburn has an off day Sunday during which the coaches will break down the film, then reassess their game plan for not only the quarterbacks, but every position group heading into next week’s slate of practices. Classes start at the university on Wednedsay. *** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more *** *** Get Auburn news straight to your inbox with the Auburn Undercover newsletter ***

al.com Rewinding what Hugh Freeze said after Auburn’s first preseason scrimmage Updated: Aug. 12, 2023, 1:49 p.m.|Published: Aug. 12, 2023, 11:00 a.m. 3–4 minutes Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze answers questions during a press conference before the first official practice, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023 in Auburn, Ala. (AL.com Photo/Stew Milne)Stew Milne The eighth practice of Auburn’s preseason moved from the Woltosz Football Performance Center to Jordan-Hare Stadium for a team scrimmage. It’s expected to be a day when Auburn begins to make depth chart decisions, three weeks away from the season opener on the same field against UMass. After the scrimmage, head coach Hugh Freeze addressed local reporters. Check below for live updates from Freeze’s press conference... - Freeze starts off saying his players are a bit tired. It’s been a hot fall camp and Saturday may have been the hottest day so far. He thought the offensive line played well, but the defense “dominated” the latter part of scrimmage. - Freeze said he thought the wide receivers had a very good week, but today he was not happy with the play from that group. Said some receivers had a few good catches but “way too many opportunities in the RPO game where the quarterback made the right decision to throw the ball and the receiver is either...loafing which we can’t have or he chose to run the wrong route.” - On the quarterbacks, Freeze said the most important thing for them today was taking care of the ball and he thought all three of Robby Ashford, Payton Thorne and Holden Geriner did that well. - Ashford and Geriner each had a touchdown pass in the game. Thorne did not. There were no interceptions, Freeze said. - Freeze said yesterday he had his mind made up on a final two quarterbacks, but he needs to watch the film because today may have changed his mind. This decision has been tougher than expected. - Injury update from Freeze: Wesley Steiner has been limited with a hamstring injury, Koy Moore continues to not practice with an ankle injury. Camden Brown is still dealing with injuries and a “string of bad luck.” Ja’Varrious Johnson had to get stitches in his mouth from an incident in practice and it’s hard for him to wear a chin strap right now. Malcolm Johnson Jr. and Austin Keys both are dealing with shoulder injuries that are not significant, according to Freeze. - Freeze said it has been good to have Jarquez Hunter back on the team. He returned to practice this week. Freeze was pleased with his running backs during the scrimmage and especially Jeremiah Cobb. - Freeze said the defense struggled to stop the tempo of the offense at first. Many of the players have talked throughout fall camp about the high pace. But Freeze said he told the offense to back off on the tempo, and at that point, the defense took over the scrimmage. - Freeze said tackling was poor in the scrimmage, especially when running backs got to the second level. - Freeze said he was especially impressed with North Texas transfer Larry Nixon in the scrimmage but needs to check the film for the other linebackers. 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.

al.com ‘Yesterday I had my mind made up’: Hugh Freeze remarks on Auburn’s QB battle following scrimmage Updated: Aug. 12, 2023, 1:01 p.m.|Published: Aug. 12, 2023, 12:23 p.m. 3–4 minutes First look at Auburn transfer QB Payton Thorne as Tigers open fall camp Auburn first-year head coach Hugh Freeze and the Tigers took to Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday morning for the team’s first fall scrimmage. As has been the case throughout fall camp, one of the first questions Freeze fielded in his post-scrimmage meeting with the media was in regard to the Tigers’ ongoing quarterback battle. At the start of fall camp, Auburn’s quarterback race featured four guys in true freshman Hank Brown, redshirt freshman Holden Geriner, sophomore Robby Ashford and junior Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne. As of Thursday, the competition had seemingly been trimmed to three as Brown wasn’t a part of the rotation during the media’s limited viewing window. In Saturday’s scrimmage, which wasn’t open to the media, Ashford, Geriner and Thorne all took snaps, Freeze said. “That the ball goes in the right spot and hopefully it’s accurate when we do throw it,” Freeze said when asked what he wanted to see out of his quarterbacks Saturday. “The accuracy hopefully will come, but we’ve gotta take care of the ball and we’ve have to be playing in the right space on given plays in our offense and I thought all three did that fairly well today.” Freeze added that both Ashford and Geriner threw touchdown passes Saturday. Meanwhile, while Thorne didn’t record a scoring throw, Freeze said the Michigan State transfer did complete two passes that were ruled just out of bounds. “They all... they did not turn the ball over,” Freeze said. “That’s priority number one in offensive football, so that was good.” Also factoring into Saturday’s quarterback play was the fact that Auburn’s wide receivers didn’t have their best stuff. Albeit having an “incredible week” coming into the scrimmage, Freeze said that wasn’t the case Saturday. “We had some guy who had some good catches today, but we had way too many opportunities in the RPO game that the quarterback made the right decision to throw the ball and a receiver is... he’s either loafing, which we can’t have, or he chose to run the wrong route,” Freeze said. “And you’ve got to look at us coaches first on that and be sure to get that cleaned up. But this week, I thought we took a step forward in the totality of that room.” With Auburn’s season opener against UMass just three weeks out, the clock is ticking for Freeze to name a starting quarterback, which he said he will do before the Tigers take Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 2. And instead of helping Freeze get closer to that decision, it sounded like Saturday’s scrimmage left him with more questions. “Yesterday, I had my mind made up,” Freeze said. “And after today, I need to watch the film before I say.” 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 Takeaway from Auburn’s preseason scrimmage? The Tigers may have a ways to go. Published: Aug. 12, 2023, 1:47 p.m. 5–6 minutes On a day when Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze thought he’d be able to make decisions about his depth chart — now three weeks out from the first game of the season — his press conference following the first scrimmage of fall camp was instead filled with questions and an understanding of a lot of work left to do. Media members were not able to view Auburn’s scrimmage, and Freeze’s account of it was filled with believed inconsistencies on how the team played. In his press conference, Freeze mentioned a number of position groups he thought underperformed in the game. The game itself was a literal tale of two halves. Freeze said the first half of the game was controlled by the offense. At that point, the group was using the high-tempo that has been talked about throughout fall camp. On Friday, Dillon Wade said that tempo is going to give Auburn a big advantage, and Freeze seemed to think it did during the scrimmage. But Freeze said he wanted to change things by lowering the pace, and see how the offense responded. They didn’t respond well. “I called that off and wanted to see if we could execute and then the defense pretty much dominated from that point forward,” Freeze said. The quarterback play also appeared inconsistent from Freeze’s remarks. Freeze said his trio of quarterbacks — Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner — all were reliable in taking care of the ball. The accuracy may not have been consistent, but Freeze said all three looked good “at times” on Saturday. Ashford and Geriner each had touchdown passes. Thorne did not, but Freeze said there were two passes Thorne threw where the receiver was ruled out of bounds. The quarterback play led Freeze now being at a point where he wants to re-think his decision on a final two — having made up his mind yesterday but now wanting to watch more film. The wide receivers struggled, Freeze added. That comes after the beginning of fall camp where Auburn had rotated so many wide receivers into the picture and seemed to have many options. Freeze said the receivers had been having a good camp, but that didn’t extend into Saturday. “But way too many opportunities in the RPO game that the quarterback made the right decision to throw the ball and a receiver is — again I haven’t watched the film — but he’s either loafing, which we can’t have, or he chose to run the wrong route,” Freeze said. And for a group that Freeze said underperformed, also facing injuries to Malcolm Johnson, Camden Brown, Koy Moore and Ja’Varrius Johnson doesn’t do any favors. While Freeze said the wide receivers took a step forward throughout this week, Saturday was certainly a step backward in his eyes. Freeze also mentioned struggles in the secondary, especially when it came to tackling. It’s not uncommon for a coach to note tackling struggles in the first time in full pads, which Saturday’s scrimmage was, but Freeze seemed especially frustrated. “I think we’ve got to tackle better, we did not tackle well today when our backs got in the second level,” Freeze said. “Obviously, the corners, I think, are talented. Our safeties are also, but we need depth there and we’ve got to bring those young kids on. But we didn’t tackle well today in the secondary.” Freeze did have positive reviews for the trenches on both sides of the ball and especially the running back room. Sophomore running back Damari Alston was a standout with three big runs, including a touchdown. Freeze also praised freshman Jeremiah Cobb as someone who, despite being a “baby” on this roster, is going to be a good player for Auburn down the road. Auburn’s new-look offensive line played well at the beginning of the scrimmage before getting worn out by a long week of practice on a few sweltering August days in Alabama in a row. There is no practice Sunday, which Freeze said the team needs. The tiring offensive line synced up with when the defense took over the game, and that started up front. “I think at the end of practice today I thought they were dominant,” Freeze said of the defensive line. “They created negative plays on us that didn’t happen early in the game.” Freeze specifically mentioned jack linebacker Stephen Sings V, who has been a big riser throughout fall camp. Jack linebackers Jalen McLeod and Elijah McAllister as well as defensive end Keldric Faulk have “gotten better,” Freeze said. “Yeah it was a mixed bag,” Freeze said of his team. “I‘ve said this all time, it’s hard for me to leave a scrimmage or a practice feeling great because one side does well and well, we’re not getting it done on the other side and vice versa.” 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.

not looking for a scuffle but why you hate jones so much? i do not understand.

i have not been this excited since i had to run to the bathroom and made it.........old age......little victories..............grins

second..........YOU are not a constitutional scholar like these folks saying this. i thought you loved the constitution mickey? whats the matter?

yahoo.com Comer says Kushner ‘crossed the line of ethics’ with Saudi deal Sarah Fortinsky 4–5 minutes House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said Thursday that Jared Kushner, former President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser while in office, “crossed the line of ethics” by accepting a $2 billion investment from the Saudi government in his private investment firm six months after he left the White House. In an interview on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” Comer acknowledged an argument made by 2024 GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie, who noted Kushner’s extensive work in the Middle East on behalf of the Trump White House and claimed in an earlier interview “the Trump family has been involved in grifting for quite some time.” Comer, however, sought to draw a distinction between Trump’s family business dealings and President Biden’s family’s, which Comer suggested he viewed as more severe. “I’ve been vocal that I think that what Kushner did crossed the line of ethics,” Comer said on CNN when asked to respond to Christie’s claim. “What Christie said — it happened after he left office. Still no excuse, Jake, but it happened after he left office. And Jared Kushner actually has a legitimate business. This money [to] the Bidens happened while Joe Biden was vice president while he was flying to those countries.” Rep. James Comer Jr., R-Ky., Chair of the Oversight and Accountability Committee, attends a committee hearing with IRS whistleblowers, Wednesday, July 19, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Comer has been leading the Oversight panel’s probe into the Biden family and has secured testimony claiming Hunter Biden, the president’s son, leveraged his father’s position as vice president to sell the “illusion of access” to help in his personal business dealings. The panel has not found evidence, however, that President Biden committed any crime. Kushner served his father-in-law in an official capacity as a senior adviser while Trump was president. He met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on behalf of the Trump administration and played a key role in defending the Saudi government after the U.S. concluded the crown prince had approved the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi for criticism of the kingdom. In 2022, the House Oversight panel, under Democratic leadership, launched a probe into the $2 billion investment Kushner secured from the Saudi Private Investment Fund (PIF), which is controlled by the crown prince. Top Stories from The Hill House GOP blasts appointment of Hunter Biden special counsel Judge forges middle path in battle over Trump sharing evidence in Jan. 6 case DOJ moves to dismiss Hunter Biden case to bring new charges 2024 Republicans visit Iowa State Fair: live updates “Your close relationship with Crown Prince bin Salman, your pro-Saudi positions during the Trump Administration, and PIF’s decision to fund the lion’s share of your new business venture — only six months after the end of your White House tenure — create the appearance of a quid pro quo for your foreign policy work during the Trump Administration,” former Oversight Chairman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) wrote in a letter to Kushner at the time. In the interview Thursday, Comer defended the probe of the Bidens and insisted the ultimate goal is to change the way Washington works so people cannot benefit from the high-powered jobs their family members have. “We’re trying to do that,” Comer said when asked about changing the way Washington works. “That’s been the goal from day one is to have a legislative fix. A lot of the President’s defenders, especially in the media, say that, ‘Well, this influence peddling is a cottage industry in Washington.’ Well, it needs to change.” For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.

i guess on weekends stuff drops late................