aubiefifty

si.com Auburn JACK Elijah McAllister: Keldric Faulk 'is a blessed young man' Lance Dawe 4–5 minutes The veteran transfer sees potential in Auburn's talented freshman. Auburn's Elijah McAllister has been around the SEC for quite some time. The Vanderbilt transfer had an opportunity to see a wide variety of talents across both lines of scrimmage come and go throughout his years with the Commodores, making him a great opinion on skill, potential, and raw talent. McAllister joined Zac Blackerby of the Locked On Auburn podcast during SEC Media Days and was asked about what he has seen out of Keldric Faulk, Auburn's newest JACK and their highest-rated player in their 2023 recruiting class. The reviews thus far have been amazing, both from players and from coaches. He's a blessed young man. God has given them giving him the ability to do a lot of different things and a lot of natural ability that some people just don't have, that you can't teach. As he continues to grow as a human being off the field and as a player on the field, he's gonna be able to be successful not only in this defense, but also in life for the University and for the program, and as he goes and he elevates as a player, the entire defense elevates. Which in turn allows our routine elevation. I'm excited for him in his future and not only the future but him right now. He has the ability to make an impact right now. Because he's that talented and he's also a kid that likes to work, it's a joy to work with him, teaching him and bouncing ideas off him as well. Faulk, a massive addition to the line at 6-foot-5, 270-pounds, has the ability to blossom into one of the better linemen Auburn has seen come through the program as of late - and that's saying something considering how solid the Tigers' d-line has been in recent history. Auburn DL Jayson Jones recently spoke on Faulk's abilities as well. "Finally, I think he's understanding and it's really good that he's understanding now rather than later how to be a pro, about stuff like taking care of your body, eating right and working out and conditioning and stuff like that," Jones said. Faulk, a massive addition to the line at 6-foot-5, 270-pounds, has the ability to blossom into one of the better linemen Auburn has seen come through the program as of late - and that's saying something considering how solid the Tigers' d-line has been in recent history. Hugh Freeze: Tigers' roster was 'far from what I believe an Auburn roster should look like' Auburn football announces start time for 2023 fall camp Daily Wire's Jake Crain predicts Auburn to finish third in SEC West Jayden Daniels shared his thoughts on playing in Jordan-Hare Stadium Jake Crain believes Auburn football can be 'sneaky' under Hugh Freeze SEC commissioner Greg Sankey discusses the elimination of divisions in future conference scheduling College football expert 'doesn't see' eight wins on Auburn football's 2023 schedule Hugh Freeze provides updates for Auburn players injured in the spring Auburn's Hugh Freeze says new QB Payton Thorne has impressed with his 'attention to detail' Hugh Freeze: 'Robby Ashford helps us win football games' Hugh Freeze provides timeline for Auburn football quarterback battle The Tigers kick off the 2023 season on September 2nd at home vs UMass at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN. Here's a look at the entire 2023 schedule: Sept. 2nd vs UMass Sept. 9th at California Sept. 16th vs Samford Sept. 23rd at Texas A&M Sept. 30th vs Georgia Oct. 14th at LSU Oct. 21st vs Ole Miss Oct. 28th vs Mississippi State Nov. 4th at Vanderbilt Nov. 11th at Arkansas Nov. 18th vs New Mexico State Nov. 25th vs Alabama 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

sorry folks i was hoodwinked. it was on an auburn site. i still think this is what they are planning. again if not i am sorry. i hate to waste peoples time.

i agree. and pretty stupid.

stoner aubie does it for me...............classic

it would appear in the comments some are complaining because they took parking places away? i have no idea.

i stumbled across this on reddit. what do you guys think about the new look?

yahoo.com How close is Auburn to ‘closing the gap’ in the SEC? Taylor Jones ~3 minutes Hugh Freeze has worked hard to prove that he is moving Auburn in the right direction, but how close is he to putting the program back on the map? Freeze has reeled in talented, useful additions from the transfer portal, and has gotten off to a great start in high school recruiting. In his short time at Auburn, does Freeze feel that his roster is comparable to the conference’s elite such as Alabama, Georgia, and LSU? He shared his thoughts earlier this week at SEC Media Days. He says that time will tell if Auburn is there or not. “Do I think we’ve improved Auburn with the additions that we’ve had since I’ve been there? Yes,” Freeze said Tuesday. “Does that mean we close the gap at all? I have no clue.” While he is not ready to say if his team can truly compete for a College Football Playoff bid or even an SEC Championship, but he is willing to say that Auburn could surprise people in year one. “I do know we improved Auburn, and I hope that means that we somehow close the gap enough to — if we have a good game plan, to be in some of those games in the fourth quarter and have maybe a shot to pull an upset,” Freeze said. “It’s too early for me to really say, but I do know we improved our roster. But at the same time, they’re constantly improving theirs it seems like.” If the gap has not been closed yet, when can Auburn fans expect to see the Tigers knock on the door of an SEC West title? Freeze also shared a timeline. “I do think that the ’24 and ’25 recruiting cycle will tell a large portion of my story there,” Freeze said. “I believe that. Maybe ’26. We might get three cycles, but we’ve got to start closing the gap on the elite program in the conference, and when you add Texas and Oklahoma, that only increases the competition also. But, there is a lot of good players. They all can’t go to the same school.” At the time of this post, Auburn is currently No. 38 in 247Sports 2024 recruiting rankings. Early signing day is set for Wednesday, Dec. 20. More Football! Dan Mullen discusses Hugh Freeze's offensive success Tennessee's punishment and the 2023 Pac-12 preview on the 'College 12-Pack' Auburn target Jaylen Heyward decommits from Georgia 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__ Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

247sports.com Transfer Rivaldo Fairweather 'fit right in' with veteran Auburn tight ends Nathan King 4–5 minutes NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Hugh Freeze’s first-year staff spent the better part of its first two couple months at Auburn tirelessly evaluating and scouting prospective transfers to help replenish and rework multiple positions of need on the roster. In the case of Rivaldo Fairweather, Freeze had some previous impressions to work with. In his freshman season at FIU, Fairweather’s team opened the year against Freeze and Liberty. Fairweather only had one reception in the game, but Freeze recalls his defensive staff highlighting the 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end as a player they needed to keep in check. “I do remember game-planning and then watching them and thinking, ‘Dang, that dude’s good,’” Freeze said Tuesday morning in a chat with local Auburn reporters, before his time on the stage on SEC Media Days. “So when he did go in the portal and we came here, we were on it in a hurry, because I think he’s a really talented kid.” Cut to just over two years later, and Fairweather was Auburn’s first transfer pickup of the Freeze era, committing in December and reporting to campus for winter workouts and spring practices. Under new position coach Ben Aigamaua, who comes over from Liberty after spending all four seasons under Freeze there, Fairweather brings strong production to one of the most experienced units on Auburn’s roster. In three years at FIU, Fairweather caught 54 passes for 838 yards and five touchdowns. He’s coming off his best season in which he racked up 426 yards and three touchdowns, en route to All-Conference USA honors. Rated as the No. 8 transfer tight end by 247Sports, Fairweather joins a position room at Auburn that’s arguably the most experienced group on the entire roster. Luke Deal and Tyler Fromm are both fifth-year seniors, while Brandon Frazier is entering his fourth year with the program. “We have a really tight room, a really close room, a really mature room outside of football,” Deal said at SEC Media Days. “And he’s fit in right there with that. … When you’re joining a group that’s so close, you cannot be on the outside and just do your own thing. He’s working hard, and he’s fit right in with our group.” Fairweather impressed in spring ball for the Tigers a few months back, with Freeze calling him the most consistent member of the passing game, regardless of position. It only took a few practices for him to become a fixture in the first-team offense. “It's not even about my performance — it's about the team performance,” Fairweather said in the spring. “It's just our playbook, our offensive scheme and stuff, I really like it. I feel like there's a lot of ways the whole team can get involved. And I feel like this coaching staff puts us in positions to make plays for the team.” Deal said Fairweather has the skill set to split out as a big slot receiver, similar to what Auburn deployed in small sample sizes from the now-departed Landen King over the past couple seasons. “He’s explosive, and he’s got really good hands,” Deal said. Freeze has a history of utilizing hybrid, big-bodied targets in the passing game, which Fairweather seems to fit the mold of. Most recently at Liberty, Johnny Huntley, who began his career as a wide receiver at Colorado, caught seven touchdowns across three seasons. Then there’s the prime example of a player like Evan Engram, a first-round draft pick, under Freeze at Ole Miss. Between Fairweather, the 6-foot-6 Nick Mardner, 6-foot-4 Shane Hooks and 6-foot-3 Camden Brown, the Tigers hope their added size and athleticism — both in red-zone settings and down the field — will pay off in 2023. “Well, for our offense, it’s vital,” Freeze said of finding playmakers in the passing game. “It just — it doesn’t work. If we’re truly going to be what we’ve always done, you’ve got to have guys that can win in one-on-one situations. Do we have that right now? I’m not sure. We’re going to find out soon. But I love the way that they’ve been working.” *** 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 ***

auburntigers.com Meet the Coaches: Auburn offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery Auburn University Athletics 6–7 minutes AUBURN, Ala. – Faith, family and football. For Philip Montgomery, that’s what matters. That’s what is important to him. As an offensive coordinator in the SEC, he spends a lot of his time in the office or on the football field or out on the road recruiting. But when he does get away, it’s all about family. “I wish I had more hobbies,” Montgomery said. “My wife tells me I need more hobbies. But honestly, when we get time away from here, I want to go spend it with my wife and my kids. Whether that’s going to the lake, watching a movie together, playing cards together, going out on the grill – it’s just spending quality time with my family.” Montgomery, who accepted the Auburn offensive coordinator job in December, comes to The Plains from Tulsa where he was the head coach for the last eight seasons. His time at Tulsa might not have ended the way he had hoped, but Montgomery is proud of the work they did there. In eight seasons, he led the Golden Hurricane to four bowl games, including a 10-3 record in 2016 and back-to-back bowl appearances in 2020 and 2021. During his tenure, he coached 44 all-conference performers and three All-Americans. More importantly, Montgomery got to do it with his family by his side … literally. “We look back at our time there as a really positive thing,” he said. “We he some great years there, got to experience some things that not everybody would get to. My son played for me. My daughter was a college cheerleader and a flyer. That experience, to have all my kids on the field at the same time with me at a Division I level – that probably never happens. “We had some really special times and special moments there. I think that has prepared us for this next chapter in our life, and we’re excited about that one.” The next chapter for Montgomery is at Auburn, and his family is coming with him. His son, Cannon, is a graduate assistant coach on the football team. The biggest adjustment for Montgomery will be transitioning back into the role of offensive coordinator after serving as a head coach since 2015. It’s an adjustment he’s looking forward to. Prior to becoming a head coach, he was one of the top offensive coordinators in college football. In 2013, while at Baylor, he was named a finalist for the Broyles Award. “I think the biggest draw for me was as the offensive coordinator, I get to really focus on ball and I get to focus on the offense,” Montgomery said. “As the head coach, you get pulled in a lot of different directions. As the offensive coordinator, you really put all your focus and your attention on that side of it, continuing to build our offense and build our players within that. “And then for me, it allows me to go back to my roots and really focus on the part of the game that I love doing, which is just trying to be creative and play that chess match game as you get into it and give our guys an opportunity to go be successful. That’s always fun.” First-year head coach Hugh Freeze has already announced that Montgomery will call the plays for Auburn’s offensive this coming season, which will be nothing new for the veteran coach. He’s always called plays, even as the head coach at Tulsa. It will be an adjustment for Freeze who, like Montgomery, has always called plays. But the two share similar philosophies on offense and have worked well together throughout the offseason. Ultimately, it was Freeze who convinced Montgomery to jump back into coaching after being let go at Tulsa. He could have taken a year off. He could have waited for another head coaching job to come open. But he chose to come to Auburn. “It was a special opportunity,” Montgomery said. “After sitting down with Hugh and getting to visit with him and seeing his vision for this place, my wife and I felt like this was a great chance to get in on an opportunity to build a program back to where it’s traditionally been. That was exciting to us.” Auburn wasn’t a hard sell either. For Montgomery, it’s a place that shares his same core values – faith, family and football. Since he’s been here, Montgomery has experienced the Auburn Family firsthand. He’s seen the passion at basketball, gymnastics, baseball, and softball – everything was full. He’s had people in the community go out of their way to welcome him and his family. “The people here at the university and in the community and all the alumni out there, there’s just a different feel and atmosphere to it all,” he said. “That family and that connection that happens here, we’ve already felt it. It is different. Until you get in the middle of it, you don’t really understand it. They’re passionate about their university. They’re passionate about all the things that encompass that. “This is a place that they’re going to provide you the things you need to be successful. Now you’ve just got to go to work and make those things happen.”

auburnwire.usatoday.com Jalen McLeod brings 'freaky' skillset with him to the Plains Taylor Jones 2–3 minutes Auburn needed a few players to build up its pass rush depth and found just that within the transfer portal and recruiting. Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister and true freshman Keldric Faulk will see action this fall at the JACK position, but there is one player that is not being talked about enough, Appalachian State transfer Jalen McLeod. Buy Tigers Tickets McLeod graded out at 86.6 last season according to Pro Football Focus, and had an incredible output of 90.7 in pass rushing. He created 37 total quarterback pressures last season at Appalachian State, which breaks down to six sacks, eight QB hits, and 23 hurries. Included in those sacks were two sacks of Texas A&M quarterback Haynes King in the Mountaineers’ 17-14 upset win over the Aggies. McLeod is an incredible defensive player and plays the game in a humble way. “He’s a humble guy; he doesn’t brag about it, but we see it on tape,” Elijah McAllister said Tuesday during SEC Media Days. “I’ve never seen that in my life. I’m like ‘dang, Jalen, you did that?’ What did it feel like? ‘I don’t know, I just blacked out, man.'” Although McAllister, or the rest of his Auburn teammates, have yet to see McLeod on a full scale, he assures Auburn fans that McLeod will prove his worth this season on the field. “J-Mac, man, that dude’s athletic, he’s freaky, he’s twitchy,” McLeod said. “I’m excited to share the field with him, I’m excited to continue to learn from him in terms of pass rush.” McAllister also went on to say that he and McLeod will bring a lot to the table, and will provide a solid “1-2 punch” to the JACK linebacker spot. 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__

yahoo.com Auburn football's run defense was putrid in 2022. Here's how the Tigers worked to address it Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser 4–5 minutes AUBURN — A lot went wrong for Auburn football in 2022. The Tigers, who missed a bowl game for the first time in nearly a decade, had a negative touchdown-to-interception ratio, combined to complete 51.6% of their throws and only one pass-catcher came close to 500 receiving yards, as Ja'Varrius Johnson logged 493 on 26 receptions. LSU transfer Koy Moore was second on the team in receiving yards with 314. And that's just offensively. Auburn had a whole other set of issues on the defensive side, highlighted by its inability to force turnovers and, perhaps more importantly, stop the run. AU allowed opponents to rush for 172.7 yards a game, the worst mark it's recorded in that stat since former coach Gene Chizik's last season in 2012 (197.6). The Tigers allowed 189.2 rushing yards under Chizik in 2011, but before that, they hadn't given up more than 170 yards on the ground since the last season of former coach Doug Barfield's tenure in 1980 (172.7). Dating back to the Pat Dye era, Auburn's performance against the run in 2023 was its third-worst in more than four decades. NEW LOOK: 'Aligned as we could ever be': Auburn football's Hugh Freeze ready for reset KEEPING TABS: Auburn football's Hugh Freeze gives injury updates on Brian Battie, others That resulted in a 5-7 overall record, a 2-6 mark in conference play and a fired coach, as Bryan Harsin was relieved of his duties following an uninspiring loss to Arkansas in October. The Tigers were improved against the run under interim head coach Cadillac Williams — they allowed 91.3 yards a game over the last four contests — but those numbers were skewed, playing pass-heavy offenses like Mississippi State and Western Kentucky down the stretch. In an attempt to address the issue this offseason, new coach Hugh Freeze and his staff went out and added three transfer defensive linemen in Lawrence Johnson (Purdue), Mosiah Nasili-Kite (Maryland) and Justin Rogers (Kentucky). Nasili-Kite is expected to be a key piece of the rotation on the line, and Rogers looks in line to start. Johnson had a 57.0 grade against the run last season, per Pro Football Focus. Nasili-Kite graded out at 64.1 and Rogers led the way at 70.9. For reference, Auburn's starting defensive line in the final game of the 2022 season against Alabama featured Colby Wooden (67.9) at defensive end, Jayson Jones (66.6) at nose tackle and Marcus Harris (67.1) at defensive tackle. Auburn's starting defensive line at A-Day on April 8 was a trio of Jones, Rogers and Harris. The Tigers also added a few off-ball linebackers from the portal in Austin Keys from Ole Miss and Larry Nixon III from North Texas. Keys had a 64.5 grade against the run in 2022, while Nixon was given a 71.2. Auburn's most used linebackers from a season ago were Owen Pappoe (59.5), Cam Riley (53.1) and Wesley Steiner (60.4). The way in which the Tigers deploy their linebackers should help, too. The last staff didn't rotate personnel at the position much, giving Pappoe 806 of the 859 available defensive snaps. Riley had 477, Steiner had 348 and no other linebacker was on the field for a notable amount of time. That'll change with new linebackers coach Josh Aldridge, or so he says. He told reporters in April that he wants a rotation of five or six LBs, with the top two taking about 45 snaps a game, the next duo getting 25-30 and one guy around 10-15, keeping his corps fresh. Looking at the numbers associated with Aldridge's boss — defensive coordinator Ron Roberts — paints a confusing picture, though. In his last 10 seasons as either a head coach or defensive coordinator, Roberts has given up an average of 167.2 rushing yards a game across 125 contests. In five of those seasons, he led a defense that held opposing offenses below that 170-yards-per-game marker. In the other five campaigns, however, opponents broke through, with the worst case coming at Baylor in 2021, as the Bears let up 219.1 yards per game on the ground. The year prior to that? Baylor only allowed 90.3. Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football: Why the run defense must improve under DC Ron Roberts

maybe i am too hardline. folks will keep letting kids and folks get shotdown if it means they can keep their assault weapons............i go between mad and sad. time to go play some elder scrolls. sorry to disturb you.

think about this didba. iam is worried enough about kids might wanting to cross dress when he could care less about kids getting murdered in school while trying to get an education. that little girl with her face blow off still haunts me. i was accused of making it political when i wanted folks to see the havoc their choices make. i do speak out for that little girl. no more barbie. no sweet sixteen birthday. no senior prom. all because grown ups want to play with weapons that were banned in this country once..........

do you not remember all the blacks they sent to jail or prison on false charges? i might have the city wrong but i believe i am right. it was a huge deal. trump only knows how to break the law. take all the digs you want because i am not quitting on trump. ever..................

that is because you are in fact not funny......................

i saw some older friends take on vicks inhalers and break them open and shoot them in their veins for a rush. i was invited and told them hell no. i think it is odd they are treating folks with mental issues with schrooms now and they say they have great results.

if you were here i would give ya a big ol auburn bear hug! our war eagle is going to rise up from the ashes and lead us to the promised land...............

david go to your room! right now buster! no suppa for youse................we raised you better...............i am sending 9377 an evil eye to ward off all that evil you are slinging around her. we are supposed to be the handsome,smart, and wildly popular guys on here.............

david you "crack ME UP".................lol