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247sports.com Transfer Avery Jones finds a home at Auburn Jason Caldwell 3–4 minutes AUBURN, Alabama—A standout at East Carolina before deciding to enter the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility, Avery Jones committed to Illinois before a last-minute phone call and visit to Auburn changed his plans in a big way. Flying in to Auburn for a visit just hours before the visit window closed, Jones knew it was the right place for him and he hasn’t looked back since. “I’m just glad to be here,” Jones said following the A-Day game. “Thankful I made the right choice to come to Auburn. It was a whirlwind with my recruiting process. I’m just glad I ended up in the right spot.” Starting his career at North Carolina before deciding to look for a better fit, Jones wound up at East Carolina where he became a fixture on the offensive line while playing multiple positions. Following the same path that Auburn coaches like Pat Dye and Hal Baird did before him along with defensive lineman Doug Smith, Jones said he’s fortunate to have this opportunity. “I love being at Auburn,” he said. “I’m glad I got the opportunity to come here after transferring two times. In the past, that wasn’t really a possibility. I wouldn’t be here without the transfer portal and how immediate things can be in this day and age. I’m glad I’m here.” Jones is one of three transfers that are expected to be starters on Auburn’s offensive line in 2023, joining tackles Dillon Wade and Gunner Britton. That could be a tough process at some places, but Jones said at Auburn the move was made easy because of the current players on the roster. “I think the other guys have made it easy for us,” Jones said. “Just transferring in and spring ball. Just being friendly, being nice. Helping us. We’re all learning a new scheme together so it wasn’t too hard getting into the mix and building those relationships.” Saying that the group continues to gel together as they get more comfortable around each other, Jones said he’s already feeling the camaraderie that coach Jake Thornton is building up front on offense. That’s a big deal heading into a hard summer of workouts to prepare for the season. 9COMMENTS With spring done and in the books, Jones said the offensive line and offense as a whole is happy about the progress that they made. Now it’s time to put the work in to make sure it’s even better when the season kicks off this fall. “I feel really excited about it,” Jones said. “The whole group feels excited about the season coming up. We all feel like we’re on the same page and stuff. We’re all making calls and working together. As an O-line, you’ve got to be on the same page to be successful. So I think that’s what this whole spring was about, just getting comfortable with each other.” ">247Sports

al.com What we learned about each position on Auburn’s defense, special teams this spring Updated: Apr. 12, 2023, 7:47 a.m.|Published: Apr. 12, 2023, 7:05 a.m. 6–8 minutes The Hugh Freeze era is in full swing, as Auburn wrapped up its first spring under its new head coach with Saturday’s A-Day game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. It was the culmination of 15 practices over six weeks, as Freeze and his staff worked to install their offensive/defensive schemes and instill their culture on the program Freeze took over at the end of November. Auburn is still a work in progress, of course; Freeze has a full-on rebuild on his hands after the Tigers posted back-to-back losing seasons under Bryan Harsin, and spring practice was just the first step in the process. Read more Auburn football: Projecting Auburn’s post-spring 2023 depth chart Revisiting five key spring position battles for Auburn Road to the Pros Part 1: Derick Hall’s journey from premature birth to the pride of Gulfport, Mississippi Freeze and his staff learned a lot about their personnel over the last six weeks. Likewise, players learned a lot about the systems they’ll be running come fall and what to expect under this new regime. We also learned a fair deal about Auburn as it steps into this new era (and will learn more in the months ahead leading up to the season opener against UMass on Sept. 2). On Tuesday, we took a look at what we learned about each position on the offensive side of the ball this spring. Now, let’s examine the other side and go over what we learned about each position on Auburn’s defense and its specialists. Defensive end What we learned: Marcus Harris is the leader of the defensive line, taking the helm after the departures of Colby Wooden and Derick Hall, and Auburn knows what it’s getting with him. Auburn also moved Jeffrey M’ba to defensive end full time after he played a few different roles during his first season on the Plains. M’ba has settled in and found his identity at end, and now his goal for the upcoming season is, simply, to “destroy people.” Defensive tackle What we learned: Auburn has a massive tandem to plug the inside of the line at tackle and nose in Roberts’ defensive front with Jayson Jones (6-foot-6, 339 pounds) and Kentucky transfer Justin Rogers (6-foot-3, 340 pounds) getting the most first-team reps together this spring. Rogers started out the spring at nose, but defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett wanted to get him comfortable playing the other tackle spot, and he seemed to settle into that role over the final month or so of practices. Those two aside — and taking a big-picture look at the defensive line overall — Garrett wants to go eight-deep for the three defensive line spots (not including the JACK linebacker, which we’ll get to next). JACK linebacker What we learned: Freeze believes Auburn is still “deficient in true pass-rushers” and wants to find more help on that front in the post-spring transfer portal, but after losing Derick Hall, Eku Leota and even Marcus Bragg from last year’s roster, the Tigers leaned on a pair of newcomers this spring: Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister and four-star freshman Keldric Faulk. McAllister brings a veteran presence to the group, along with SEC experience, while Faulk looks the part — he’s listed at 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds — and should be a factor as a true freshman off the edge. Still, Auburn needs more help at the position. Even if it can find some on the transfer market, don’t be surprised if someone like redshirt freshman Powell Gordon gets some work off the edge to add depth to a room that also includes Dylan Brooks and freshman Brenton Williams. Inside linebacker What we learned: Even after losing four-year starter, team captain and leading tackler Owen Pappoe to the NFL, Auburn’s inside linebacker group was a pleasant surprise this spring. Along with returning veteran contributors Cam Riley and Wesley Steiner, the Tigers got an infusion of SEC talent and experience with Ole Miss transfer Austin Keys and LSU transfer DeMario Tolan, plus the continued development of redshirt freshman Robert Woodyard Jr. The Tigers want to go three-deep at linebacker this season, with a more evenly distributed snap-count than last season’s top-heavy rotation that leaned heavily on Pappoe, Riley and Steiner. Cornerback What we learned: Auburn should have one of the better starting cornerback duos in the country, with Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James back for another season from a secondary that ranked top-25 against the pass last season. Depth behind them was a concern this spring, though freshman early enrollee Kayin Lee made some noise and will be counted on immediately this season. More reinforcements will arrive this offseason in the form of incoming freshmen Colton Hood and Tyler Scott, plus the return of a healthy J.D. Rhym STAR What we learned: Auburn has a “1A and 1B” at STAR, with Keionte Scott and Donovan Kaufman both returning this season. The position will have a bit more importance in Ron Roberts’ defensive scheme, with it not only serving as a nickel/slot defensive back, but a player who will be asked to blitz more often and drop into the box as another linebacker. Safety What we learned: Auburn has experience at safety with both Zion Puckett and Jaylin Simpson back, while Marquise Gilbert and Cayden Bridges also return, but the Tigers feel like they need more depth on the back end. Even with a pair of freshmen (Sylvester Smith and Terrance Love) arriving this summer, Auburn will seek some more experienced depth in the post-spring transfer portal window to really bolster the secondary. Special teams What we learned: We didn’t get to see too much in terms of special teams this spring, but the kicker and punter jobs are locked in with Alex McPherson taking over full time following the end of the Carlson kicking dynasty and Oscar Chapman back for his senior season at punter. After helping Auburn finish top-10 in net punting last season, Chapman wowed Freeze at times this spring, including during the special teams period before the official start of A-Day. As for the return game, we got limited glimpses of it during practices, but USF transfer Brian Battie should be a lock to be the Tigers’ top kick returner, considering he was a consensus All-American in that role with the Bulls in 2021. Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

Woodyard healthy and excited about his role in new defense Jason Caldwell ~3 minutes AUBURN, Alabama—The highest-ranked player in the 2022 class and a longtime commitment to Alabama before flipping to Auburn, Mobile linebacker Robert Woodyard injured his knee during his senior season at Williamson High. With the knee still bothering him well into last fall, Woodyard played in just four games for the Tigers but was good enough in practice to earn the defensive scout team player of the year. Putting in the work during the offseason, Woodyard came back this spring under Hugh Freeze and a new staff and was determined to show he was ready for his opportunity. Playing well as he continues to work on the fundamentals and techniques of playing the position, Woodyard finished up the spring and put himself in a position to get on the field much more this fall. “I feel like I've come a long way,” Woodyard said. “Just mentally, coming off an injury, it was kind of a setback with me coming in. But me getting to know the defense more and having my teammates really pushing me, I really think I fit this defense pretty well. I think I'm smart enough to know the ins and outs of what other guys around me are doing, so I can help pick up where they lack.” His new position coach, Josh Aldridge, said that Woodyard had a stretch of really strong play this spring, but there’s one area he wants to see more of from the young linebacker if he hopes to take the next step to become a go-to guy on defense. “He's the type that's playing really well, but for him to be a Mike linebacker in this league, he's gotta pick it up from a vocal standpoint,” Aldridge said. “And that comes with time, when you're a young guy.” Something that helps a player become more vocal in addition to experience is just being comfortable with what he’s doing on the field. Learning a new system under first-year coordinator Ron Roberts, Woodyard said he’s getting better and better everyday. “As of right now, I feel like I've got it down,” he said. “But there's still more that I can learn and help other guys around me. “I feel myself just being more consistent.” 5COMMENTS With more confidence than he’s had since he’s been at Auburn, Woodyard feels like the best is ahead for him as he gets ready for his second year with the Tigers. “I feel like I will play a great role coming in as a redshirt freshman,” he said. “I feel like I will be a tremendous player in this defense.” ">247Sports

Analyst sends strong message on Auburn football finding transfer portal QB Mary Kate Hughes ~3 minutes Auburn football quarterbacks Robby Ashford (9), from left, T.J. Finley (1) and Holden Geriner (12) run drills during Auburn Tigers football practice at the Woltosz Football Performance Center at in Auburn, Ala., on Monday, April 3, 2023. After Auburn football’s rainy A-Day game over the weekend, not many people drew positive conclusions from the Tigers’ performance. Of course, the run game looked strong and it was clear that blocking had improved on the offensive line, it was nearly impossible to evaluate the receivers in the rain and the quarterbacks did not dazzle. The last two years on the Plains were a complete mess, and after enduring that Tiger fans’ expectations for the team this year are pretty low. Basically, everyone just wants to see improvement. With a real coaching staff and a real game plan, people are hoping that the Tigers look like a real team after a tough two years. According to Paul Finebaum, Auburn football is not going to get out of the hole they’re in until there is a great quarterback to lead the offense, and that quarterback is not currently on the team. Per 247 Sports, Finebaum believes that Hugh Freeze knows that, too, and that the Tigers’ head coach will be active in the portal once the next window opens: “It didn’t change much, and the conclusions is still the same: I think Auburn needs a quarterback. I talked to Hugh Freeze on Friday before the game and you could tell he was saying the right things, but deep down, he knows quarterbacks and he knows he doesn’t have a quarterback on his roster that’s capable of getting Auburn out of the morass that it’s currently in and to the next level. So I think he’ll be pretty active in the portal,” Finebaum said. However, Finebaum went on to say that he thinks the chances of Freeze finding a quarterback in the portal this late in the year are pretty low, but anything could happen. Will Auburn football fail if they don’t find a portal QB and stick with either Robby Ashford or Holden Geriner? Not likely, but it also won’t be likely that the Tigers will be winning the conference with who they’ve got on the roster at this point. But, again, the bar is extremely low from the fans, and there are a lot of people that are rooting for Robby Ashford to succeed. It’s possible that he could vastly improve with stronger coaching and a better offensive line. He may not be the super star that everyone wants, but it’s hard to believe that this upcoming season could be worse than the last two.

How Auburn football's recruiting budget stacks up against other SEC schools Richard Silva ~4 minutes AUBURN — It hasn't exactly been a great past six years for Auburn football. The Tigers have posted a 44-32 record since 2017 and had back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in over two decades. They'll have their third head coach in seven years this fall. During that run, Auburn has had its ups and downs in recruiting. Former coach Gus Malzahn brought in the No. 7 class in 2020, according to the 247Sports Composite, but that was followed by Bryan Harsin and his No. 19-ranked class in 2021 and No. 21 in 2022. SEC COMPETITION:Georgia recruiting budget for football soared while Alabama's flattened. Both plans worked JOSH HEUPEL:Tennessee football spares no expense in recruiting. Do Vols get their money's worth? While the Tigers have toiled, their biggest rivals have soared. Alabama is still a well-oiled machine, and Georgia won back-to-back national championships while Auburn was enduring sub-.500 seasons. LSU had its 15-0 season in 2019 and went to the SEC Championship last year. Josh Heupel led Tennessee to its first season of double-digital wins in 15 years in 2022. Recruiting, obviously, plays a role in that. Here's how Auburn's recruiting budget has stacked up to other public schools in Power 5 conferences, according to a USA TODAY report published earlier this month. How does Auburn compare to other SEC programs? AU has spent an average of $859,270.67 on recruiting over the last six seasons, which is good for No. 19 in the country and eighth in the SEC behind Georgia ($2.75 million), Alabama ($1.91 million), Tennessee ($1.79 million), Texas A&M ($1.57 million), Arkansas ($1.10 million), Florida ($1.07 million) and LSU ($983,769). Texas ($1.30 million) and Oklahoma ($1.26 million) each have outspent AU ahead of joining the conference. Auburn had its highest ranking during the 2017 fiscal year when it spent $1.08 million, a total that was top 10 in the nation and No. 5 in the SEC behind Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Texas A&M. Pandemic hit Auburn harder than most The COVID pandemic did a number on Auburn's recruiting budget. AU spent $638,643 during the 2020 fiscal year and $95,717 in 2021, marks that were No. 32 and No. 47 in the country among public universities in Power 5 conferences, respectively. That decrease in 2021 was an 89% dip from Auburn's average. For comparison, Georgia suffered a 74.6% decrease from its average and Alabama saw its budget go down by 72.4% that same year. The Bulldogs still spent the third most in recruiting in 2021 − Oregon State ($804,502) and Texas ($713,374) were the only programs higher. Alabama sat at No. 7. The only SEC program to be impacted harder than Auburn was Mississippi State. The Bulldogs saw their recruiting budget fall by 96.2% in 2021 ($15,617). A spike in 2022 Auburn spent $1.31 million during the 2022 fiscal year, which is the most it has spent since at least 2017. Other programs, however, have increased spending just as much. AU ranked No. 18 in the country for 2022, just about in line with its average ranking over the past six years. AU's spending in 2022 got it the No. 18-ranked recruiting class in 2023, according to the 247Sports Composite. Over the past six cycles, Auburn has averaged about the 15th-best class in the country.

What we learned about each position on Auburn’s offense this spring Updated: Apr. 11, 2023, 2:32 p.m.|Published: Apr. 11, 2023, 11:02 a.m. 8–10 minutes Spring is a time for learning. That was especially so for Auburn this year after an offseason of change — from a new coaching staff installing a new system to personnel changes throughout the roster. Auburn spent the last six weeks getting accustomed to this new era on the Plains, as Hugh Freeze and his staff guided the Tigers through their first spring together. Auburn is very much still a work in progress heading into Freeze’s first season, but the team’s 15 practices since the end of February provided a solid foundation to build on in the coming months. Players are getting a base understanding of the offensive and defensive schemes, as well as what to expect from their new coaches, while Freeze and Co. got their first opportunity to closely evaluate the roster position by position. Read more Auburn football: Projecting Auburn’s post-spring 2023 depth chart Revisiting five key spring position battles for Auburn Road to the Pros Part 1: Derick Hall’s journey from premature birth to the pride of Gulfport, Mississippi The Tigers’ players and coaches weren’t the only ones learning this spring. Thanks to open viewing windows during each Monday practice, interviews with Freeze and every assistant on staff, as well as interviews with a plethora of players, we learned a lot about this new-look Auburn team over the last six weeks, as well as an idea of what to expect come fall. So, with spring in the books, let’s take a look at what we learned about each position on Auburn’s offense. Tomorrow, we’ll examine defense and special teams. Quarterback What we learned: Auburn’s quarterback competition is going to carry into fall camp after Robby Ashford, T.J. Finley and Holden Geriner view for the starting job throughout the spring. There was good and bad from the trio this spring, and the position was clearly the biggest work in progress in Freeze’s estimation, as the quarterbacks required an adjusted approach from coaches mid-spring to help them better comprehend the RPO aspect of the offense. Freeze hasn’t ruled out adding another quarterback to the mix during the post-spring transfer portal window (April 15-30), but for now, Ashford should be considered the leader in the clubhouse to earn the starting job in fall camp considering he was the first quarterback on the field to open and close spring practices. Running back What we learned: Auburn may have lost Tank Bigsby to the NFL, but the Tigers are in a good spot with their running backs. Jarquez Hunter, after averaging 6.5 yards per carry in his first two seasons, is primed to take over the lead role and had Freeze call him the best running back he has ever coached — before ever actually coaching him in a game. Damari Alston, meanwhile, surprised Freeze with his ability this spring, and South Florida transfer Brian Battie brings another dimension to the rushing attack. Cadillac Williams is understandably excited about this group, which should be the strength of the offense entering the fall. Tight end What we learned: Auburn’s depth at tight end is solid, made even more so by the addition of FIU transfer Rivaldo Fairweathr, a big-bodied receiving threat with an impressive catch radius and who quickly found himself working with the first-team offense. Fairweather was Auburn’s most consistent receiving option throughout the spring, while the tight end room overall — with seniors Luke Deal and Tyler Fromm — was praised throughout the spring for its leadership and being at the forefront of setting the culture for the program in Freeze’s first spring. Wide receivers What we learned: Let’s group the entire receiver room together here instead of going position by position within the receiving corps, which has changed its labeling system from the X, Y, H and Z format of the previous staff to a number-based system, with 1 and 4 representing the outside receivers, and 2 and 3 used for inside receiver designations. Auburn’s wide receivers — like its quarterbacks — took some time to come along this spring, and the position was slowed by some injuries (Camden Brown dealt with an ankle and Malcolm Johnson Jr. was sidelined with a collarbone injury, for example). The Tigers’ passing game remains a work in progress, and it didn’t help much that A-Day provided suboptimal conditions to work on the passing attack. Marcus Davis is confident his group will get there with consistent reps, but it’s going to take some time. Brown, once fully healthy, has the look of a go-to receiver in the room, and Cincinnati transfer Nick Mardner — at 6-foot-6 — brings some needed length to the position, while Ja’Varrius Johnson and Jay Fair were the Tigers’ two most consistent receivers this spring. Left tackle What we learned: Auburn needed an upgrade at both tackle spots, and it certainly got one at left tackle, where Tulsa transfer Dillon Wade swiftly made himself at home with the first-team offense. Wade, who previously started at tackle in Philip Montgomery’s offense at Tulsa, is a bit smaller in stature for an SEC offensive tackle — he’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 296 pounds — but he has good athleticism and impressive footwork and technique with his hands that make him a great fit as the Tigers’ new starter at left tackle. Left guard What we learned: Jeremiah Wright worked at both guard spots this spring, and it feels like he’s a lock to start at one of them. On A-Day he got the nod at right guard, but when he spoke to the media earlier in the spring, he spoke about the connection he built while playing at left guard next to Wade at left tackle. The 6-foot-5, 345-pound Wright has bounced back and forth from offense to defense a handful of times during his career but is at home now on the offensive line, where Auburn believes he can be one of the more dominant linemen in the SEC this season. If he isn’t the choice at left guard (and instead switches to the right side), watch out for freshman Connor Lew, who impressed throughout spring and got first-team reps there on A-Day. Center What we learned: Auburn found itself another plug-and-play transfer to anchor the middle of its offensive line, as ECU transfer Avery Jones worked with the first-team offense throughout the spring and on A-Day. Jones has just one year of eligibility and looks to make the most of it in the middle of Auburn’s retooled offensive line. He brings a good deal of experience and a calming, consistent presence at an important position. His addition to the room has also allowed Tate Johnson, who started last season at center before an injury cut his campaign short, to kick out and compete at guard. Right guard What we learned: Speaking of Johnson, he spent spring competing for one of the starting guard spots, and despite initially being ruled out in March due to a dislocated elbow, he returned to the fold and was able to remain in the mix. He did not participate on A-Day, which paved the way for Wright to start at right guard and Lew to slot in on the left side. Johnson was lauded throughout the spring by Freeze for his leadership, and he’ll have a chance to earn a starting job again when healthy — but look out for Lew, an impressive freshman who has what it takes to provide needed depth immediately, if not compete for a starting job as a true freshman. Right tackle What we learned: Like it did with Wade on the left side of the line, Auburn went out and got a plug-and-play transfer to fill its need at right tackle in the former of Western Kentucky transfer Gunner Britton. The 6-foot-6, 305-pounder received first-team reps from Day 1, and he closed the spring as the starter at right tackle on A-Day. While Britton will have a tight grip on the starting job come fall, be on the lookout for junior college transfer Izavion Miller, who primarily got second-team reps at right tackle but could be a valuable next-man-up on the offensive line with versatility to play multiple positions. Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

247sports.com Auburn 'open to any position' in the second portal window Christian Clemente 3–4 minutes Come Saturday, Auburn is open for business. From April 15-30, the transfer portal will open back up for players to make their final move before the season starts this fall. While some schools are still in the middle of spring practice and won't even have their spring games until April 22 or later — spring practice is in the rearview mirror for Hugh Freeze and the Tigers. The Auburn staff will now spend this week evaluating its current roster and options, holding meetings with players and preparing the big board ahead of Saturday. "I think the transfer portal opens soon and we are open to any position that'll help us improve our team, as long as they fit within the culture," Freeze said after A-Day. The attention-getting position has been at quarterback since Freeze took over back in December, with fans on edge about what the future of the position looks like. Freeze noted over spring practice that the quarterbacks currently on roster did get "better," but there's still work to be done. In the first portal window, Auburn heavily pursued Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall, but academic issues ended up keeping him at Coastal Carolina and he didn't even end up visiting anywhere. Auburn also hosted former NC State transfer Devin Leary, but he was already silently committed to Kentucky and Auburn was unable to change his mind during his visit. Now, it's wait-and-see about who's in the portal and whether or not Auburn's staff feels the need to pursue. "That includes the quarterback room," Freeze said. "I don't — I know people make a big deal out of that, but the bottom line is you're constantly — I think competition is helpful. And those that handle it right. And for those that don't, they're probably not going to the winners for you anyway. "And so, we're open. Do I think we can win some games with what we have? Yes. I do. But, you know, I don't want to ever be put in a box where I say something and I do the opposite. I don't know the answer. I don't know if we are. I know that I would be open to it." Currently on the roster, T.J. Finley, Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner competed this spring, but no clear-cut favorite exiting A-Day. Geriner is entering his redshirt freshman season while Ashford also has multiple years of eligibility left. For Finley, though, rumors have long floated about his future of the program after leaving the team last season and now returning and competing during spring practice. 27COMMENTS “I won’t know until they bring one (a portal quarterback) in," Finley said about his future. "I’ll have to have a conversation with Coach Freeze, but he’s said it multiple times. It’s not—it’s up in the air whether he wants to or not; that’s his personal choice or decision. Like I said, I’m going to compete, and if I’m not the best guy, I can—you know, if I’m not the best guy, I’m going to compete. I’m going to compete.” Auburn is expected to also pursue a transfer wide receiver or two, the offensive line position, multiple pass-rushers, a linebacker or two to replace Kam Brown and Desmond Tisdol who entered the portal earlier in the spring and potentially another defensive back.2 ">247Sports

247sports.com Back to the Future: Hugh Freeze's SEC return taps into Auburn's past Brandon Marcello 10–13 minutes AUBURN, Alabama — The panoramic view of Auburn’s practice fields from the large windows in Hugh Freeze's new office, tucked in the corner of a beautiful, sprawling $91.9 million facility, is stunning. But turn around from this perch and it’s immediately noticeable the walls inside Freeze's office are bare. Auburn’s new head coach lives and works here, but he hasn’t settled in. Most of the facility, which opened a few months ago, has yet to be decorated. On this rainy day in mid-March, televisions are wheeled through the front entrance and installed across the facility as dozens of recruits weave through the hallways to tour the grounds. A handyman's set of drills and toolboxes lay inside two trophy cases adjacent to the displays of the Tigers’ last SEC championship (2013) and national championship (2010) trophies, a not-so-subtle reminder of a successful past that seemed distant in 2022, the program’s first losing season in a decade. These are reminders of what Auburn can and may once again accomplish. Aside from a few wall graphics and framed photos of Auburn legends Cam Newton, Bo Jackson and Pat Sullivan peppered across the facility, the expansive gray walls look like a blank canvas awaiting an artist's first brush stroke. “There's something to this place,” Freeze says. “Our job is to restore that. How long that takes, I don't know. Will they give me enough time to do that? I don't know. But that stuff, I can't worry about. What I have to worry about is recruiting and building a culture here that believes they can win.” This new facility and its new tenants also represent a fresh start for the Tigers and their head coach, who returns to the SEC after seven years of exile following his resignation at Ole Miss, where an NCAA investigation in 2017 led to revelations of rules violations and a “pattern of personal misconduct” by Freeze. The coach rebounded at Liberty, where he coached Auburn cast-off Malik Willis and turned the quarterback into a Heisman Trophy contender, and won 34 games in four seasons. The coach was always in demand, even when he seemed radioactive. Remember, this is the man who lifted Ole Miss to back-to-back victories against Alabama’s Nick Saban in 2014 and 2015. Ole Miss jumped as high as No. 3 in the polls. Everyone wanted to know Freeze’s secrets, his recipe for success and how he could garner such high marks in recruiting circles. Saban twice tried to hire Freeze as an assistant – and Auburn’s Gus Malzahn also gave it a try – during Freeze’s coaching sabbatical. He also had opportunities at Florida State and Tennessee, he said, before Liberty offered him a second chance as head coach in 2018. Heck, he vacationed with Saban at Lake Burton in northeast Georgia. The two conversed often. “In my two years off, he was supportive and encouraging and tried to help me every way possible,” says Freeze. He leaned on friends, including Malzahn, who he has contacted often in recent months for guidance as he maneuvers the complex inner circles of the Auburn Family. Like it or not, Freeze is now the Crimson Tide’s enemy No. 1, though Freeze maintains he and Saban remain good friends. “It'll take just one Iron Bowl,” cautions Malzahn, who now coaches UCF after leading Auburn for eight years. “That'll change everything, let's put it that way.” Change is good for Auburn. Freeze inherits a program capable of competing for championships. The Tigers are one of only five programs to play in two national championship games and win since 2010. They have also somehow been successful during the rise of Saban’s Tide and Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs, with an SEC title and BCS appearance in 2013 and an SEC Championship appearance in 2017. Still, that success was fleeting. The Tide and Bulldogs have combined for seven College Football Playoff appearances and four national titles in the last six seasons. Auburn has yet to reach the playoff. Meanwhile, Alabama maintained its top-3 status in recruiting and Georgia started overtaking the Tide on the national scene, winning the last two national championships. Auburn, sandwiched geographically by their two prime rivals, struggled on the trail in the last several years, particularly in the two-year hiccup that was the Bryan Harsin era. Freeze and his staff somehow lifted a recruiting class that ranked in the 60s nationally to a top-20 finish just weeks after their arrival on the Plains. Auburn also ranks No. 4 nationally with 13 commitments out of the Transfer Portal, according to 247Sports. Recruiting is the lifeblood for every college football program, but somehow Auburn removed its finger from the pulse during the Harsin era. Freeze has since made recruiting his No. 1 priority in high schools and the Transfer Portal. He delegates coaching decisions more often now than he has previously so that he can be more hands-on in the war room. He seeks guidance everywhere he can turn. Malzahn also informed his friend of Auburn’s deepest recruiting beds with the best connections. “I love Auburn. I want them to do well and the fact one of my friends is the head coach, any help he needs, I want to give,” says Malzahn, who still owns a home at nearby Lake Martin. “It's just an unbelievable place. It's kind of hard to explain, but if you go on the campus, you just feel it. The good thing about Hugh is he's coached against Auburn numerous times, so he has a good feel from the outside.” Freeze doesn’t expect Auburn to suddenly overtake the likes of Georgia and Alabama on the recruiting trail, but he’s chipping away. “You're not gonna win all those battles, you just gotta win your share and hopefully have a better culture,” he says. “But it's not easy. It's not for the faint of heart.” Auburn ranks No. 24 early in the 2024 recruiting rankings. “Recruits see a different version of Auburn right now,” says offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery, who joined Auburn after eight years as Tulsa’s head coach. “They're excited about it. They understand, as they get on campus and see us interacting with players, there's a different vibe going on. That's welcoming to those guys and they feel that earnest feeling. Something extraordinary has a possibility of happening here. They feel that kind of juice about it.” Freeze likens it to his first year at Ole Miss, where he built the foundation for a 10-win team with the nation’s No. 8 recruiting class in 2013. “I remember sitting in my office at Ole Miss, with couches similar in color to what I’ve got here,” he says, pointing to the brown leather sofas in the middle of his office. From left to right were 5-star prospects Laremy Tunsil, Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell and Tony Conner from the class of 2013, along with 2012 signee Mike Hilton. “Hey, let's do something new and fresh, man,” Freeze recalls 10 years later. “And I'm having those same conversations. This is at a place that has the potential, proven by its history of the last 12 years, that the ceiling can be higher certainly than what we've experienced here in the last few years. Why not do that and have the capacity to create more value for yourself probably quicker? “Congrats to those who have done it and are playing at a high level, and compliment them, but there are certain people that are made to be trendsetters and trailblazers, that have the capacity to restore something.” As for the immediate future, Freeze doesn’t set goals but he certainly believes Auburn should reach a bowl game in the fall. “Truthfully, after what they’ve been through the last few years,” says Freeze, “that would be a big success.” Two areas have held Auburn back over the last six years: quarterback and the offensive line. The Tigers ranked 122nd nationally last season in pressures allowed, with quarterbacks being hit, chased or sacked on 39.6% of passing plays, according to Pro Football Focus. The program cracked the top 40 only once in the last six seasons. Quarterback efficiency has been dreadful, too. The Tigers’ passing efficiency ranked in the top 50 only once since 2017, and they haven’t finished above 89th in five years, which include three years with Bo Nix as the starter. Nix left Auburn after an up-and-down career and immediately blossomed at Oregon in 2022. He shattered the school record for completion percentage (71.9%), the second-best mark in the country, and was a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. It seems Nix, a former 5-star prospect, always had the talent to be successful, but perhaps just didn’t have the pieces around him to be a star at Auburn. “The quarterbacks ran for their life last year when they tried to drop back and throw,” says Freeze. “Did we improve ourselves enough that that's not the case? I hope so. And the receivers have to win some battles.” It appears Robby Ashford, who completed less than 50% of his passes but was the most dynamic on his feet last season, is Auburn’s leader at quarterback following spring practices. However, that could change if the right quarterback appears in the Transfer Portal. Freeze previously identified Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall in January, but academic requirements kept him at the Sun Belt Conference school in the spring, sources tell 247Sports. Meanwhile, Auburn rebuilt its offensive line, which has been the bane of its problems for much of the last six seasons, with four 4-star additions from the Transfer Portal and junior college ranks. “We have made some really big strides in that area,” Montgomery says. “They’re significant factors for us already up front.” Again, recruiting can change a program overnight, particularly in this era with the portal and name, image and likeness deals landing big players with big money. “The level of talent I can get here is obviously better than anything I've been around,” says defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, a veteran in the industry. “The quality of players, the athletic ability of the players. There are players all around you.” 16COMMENTS There are reminders all around Auburn, too, of what’s possible. The walls might be bare in Auburn’s new facility, but it only amplifies the echoes of the past. Three of the last four head coaches — Malzahn, Gene Chizik and Tommy Tuberville — still own homes inside or just outside Auburn’s city limits. All three were eventually fired after winning SEC titles and competing for (or winning) national championships. “We've bought our lot on Lake Martin,” Freeze says. “This is what we're thinking, too, even though chances are they're probably gonna run me off at some point. We get hired to be fired, and yet here we all are saying, ‘Man, we love it here. We love the feeling and we love the fit here.’”

saturdaydownsouth.com Why you should temper your expectations for the post-spring QB market Connor O'Gara 7–9 minutes If you’re a fan of a team with a spring vibe of “our starting QB isn’t even on our roster yet,” my thoughts are with during in this difficult time. That sounds harsh, but reality is that expecting a post-spring quarterback addition to become a star is a step beyond ambitious. “But what about Joe Burrow?” Ah, yes. Let’s talk about the guy responsible for arguably the greatest individual season ever. (Chill, Auburn fans. I said “arguably.”) Burrow was indeed a post-spring transfer. He decided he wasn’t going to beat out the late Dwayne Haskins for the Ohio State starting job, and he ended up transferring to LSU. Burrow ended up being exactly what the Tigers needed in 2018. He didn’t turn the ball over, he was extremely durable beyond a makeshift offensive line and he had the swagger needed to not only win over the locker room, but also to fend off the doubt about Ed Orgeron’s future. He also ran an extremely limited version of the offensive playbook, the offense ranked No. 67 in passing and No. 88 in touchdown passes. Burrow became an icon because of what he did in 2019, AKA the year after he was a post-spring enrollee. Even that, I’d argue, makes Burrow the exception and not the rule. The rule is that non-quarterbacks can become great success stories as post-spring transfers, and quarterbacks, well, that’s a much more challenging path. It makes sense if you think about it. Missing out on spring ball — as opposed to being there throughout the spring semester like Caleb Williams was at USC last year — puts a quarterback at a disadvantage. Learning new terminology in a new offense with a new set of receivers with a new locker room to win over is, by any stretch, extremely difficult to do as a post-spring enrollee. Another notable quarterback who was a post-spring enrollee was Will Levis. But Levis, if you recall, announced his Kentucky commitment in January 2021. That’s significant because while he missed valuable reps that spring because he was getting his undergraduate degree at Penn State, he at least still got to work with new offensive coordinator Liam Coen and he could learn the offense. And Levis, like Burrow, was by no means a finished product during the first half of his first season as a new starter. That’s worth mentioning because if your team is set to start a post-spring enrollee at quarterback, you should be patient. The pre-spring market is entirely different than the post-spring market. It’d be stunning to see players as accomplished as Sam Hartman and Devin Leary hit the post-spring portal. You might argue that Jayden Daniels had a lot of success even though he wasn’t necessarily on campus throughout all of LSU’s spring camp. He did, however, hit the portal in February, make a decision in the first week of March and report to camp in the middle of spring ball in late-March. (His LSU bio actually says that he enrolled in January, which was before he even entered the portal. I guess in today’s world of online classes, we shouldn’t assume that being on campus and enrolling are synonymous.) Daniels had that sense of urgency because those reps are valuable, especially in a quarterback battle. Chances are, nobody is dipping into the post-spring portal market and finding an unquestioned QB1. Go back and look at last year’s group of post-spring QB additions. Exclude a case like Levis, where he announced his transfer school pre-spring but couldn’t enroll until summer. Is the best guy from that group … Emory Jones? Yeesh. And remember, Jones announced his portal intentions in mid-March. It’s different now with the portal window, which opens this weekend (April 15) and runs through the next 2 weeks (April 30). (The dates were May 1-15, but the NCAA recently moved them up 2 weeks.) That’s why I think all of this is worth discussing. There’s going to be a sense of urgency from quarterback-needy programs like Auburn and maybe Mizzou. But the market might not spit out someone like a Brock Vandagriff, who is currently locked in a battle with Carson Beck for QB1 status at Georgia. Burrow’s self-awareness led to him essentially admitting defeat. For a quarterback, I believe that’s a more difficult post-spring reality to accept than we realize, especially when the job isn’t going to an incumbent starter. Now there’s a chance that the portal adds an NIL-motivated quarterback who is set to return as a starter. Lane Kiffin made waves last year for saying he thought Bryce Young should enter the portal and get his maximum value on the open market even if there was a 0.0% chance of him leaving Alabama. Kiffin isn’t wrong, but for quarterbacks and not an All-American receiver like Jordan Addison, I don’t know that’s a path they even want to consider. Going somewhere else and having to learn a new system with a new play-caller and new receivers is all well and good in January, but it’s a bit different this deep into the offseason. More likely is that the quarterback market will be dominated by guys who had a roadblock to getting major reps. There could still be significant signal-callers added. We should still remember that Burrow, AKA one of the best quarterbacks we’ve ever seen at the college level, had his share of ups and downs making that post-spring transition. It’s unrealistic to think anyone is about to step in and become an all-conference quarterback. It’s not the end of the world to rely on a post-spring quarterback addition. Several teams will do that. That path just shouldn’t come with earth-shattering expectations.

#PMARSHONAU: What it takes to be a successful coach at the highest level Phillip Marshall 6–8 minutes Nick Saban was successful at Michigan State, but he did not build a Big Ten powerhouse or win a Big Ten championship. He was not LSU’s first choice when he was hired in 2000. He wasn’t Alabama first choice when he was hired in January of 2007. Today, he is widely considered not only the best college coach in the country, but many see him as the best coach in the history of the game. Kliff Kingsbury is viewed as an offensive mastermind, a creative schemer and a developer of quarterbacks. In six season as head coach at Texas Tech and four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, he had winning records three times. Kirby Smart had never been a head coach when Georgia dumped highly successful Mark Richt to hire him away from Alabama, where he was defensive coordinator. He has won the last two national championships and lost in overtime in another national championship game. Scott Frost was the man everybody had to have after he led Central Florida to a perfect season in 2017. He was hired by Nebraska, where he had been a star player. He was a flop, never getting his program off the ground before being fired after last season. Rich Rodriguez led West Virginia to the brink of a national championship and was the hottest name going. He had the Alabama job before Saban was hired and backed out at the last minute. He went to Michigan and had no success. He went to Arizona State and was fired there. Today, he is the head coach at Jacksonville State. Lots of programs, including Auburn, could have had Josh Heupel, who replaced Frost at Central Florida, for the asking. They didn’t ask. He was not Tennessee’s first choice, but he has done what a parade of head coaches couldn’t do and made the Vols big winners again. So what does it take to be a successful head coach at the highest level of college football? I have asked lots of coaches that question. Here are the qualities I hear about most often. * The right fit. That term is thrown about too much, but it is reality. What makes a coach successful in one program might not work in another program. No athletics director has a more important job than figuring out who is best man for his or her program. * The ability to sell yourself and your program to recruits, to your players and to those who support your program. Here is what one coach told me: “Players today don’t care if you are black or white or fat or skinny. They want to know if you can win and if you will help them get to the league (NFL). But that’s not all. They want to enjoy the experience. They want to know that you care about them as people. They want to trust you, to be able to believe what you say is the truth. People are convinced it’s all about NIL, and that matters a lot. But NIL alone is not enough to build a program.” * Hiring a skilled staff and creating a work environment that is conducive to winning but also allows coaches time to devote to their families. Coaches that are so demanding that they consume almost every waking moment are not what most assistants want. It still works for some, but for most, it creates staff turnover that is difficult to deal with. * The ability to motivate players. “Speeches before a game don’t mean much if anything,” a former SEC head coach told me. “Everybody is excited to play on Saturday. It’s the offseason program. It’s working hard at practice. It’s watching video. It’s being a good citizen and taking care of business in school. Are you motivated to do those things? Getting that from today’s players is a real challenge.” * Being a good decision-maker. Most head coaches don’t call plays on either side of the ball, but they have to make big decisions at big times during games. They have to recognize who can help them win and who can’t. They have to be willing to make staff changes when needed. They might not do those things alone, but in the end, they carry the burden. They also have to make big decisions off the field that often impact the futures of college players. * Remembering what got your there. Most people who become head coaches have displayed a strong work ethic. As a head coach, the duties are different, but a man who makes millions of dollars a year is rightly expected to put in the work needed to succeed against powerful competition. Being a head coach doesn’t mean knowing more than everybody else. It means recognizing what you don’t know and being willing to listen to those who might know more. Perhaps nowhere is work ethic more important than in recruiting. It’s no surprise that Saban and Smart are successful recruiters. They work at it relentlessly. Hugh Freeze seems to be cut from that same cloth. There was a time when many head coaches left most of the recruiting to assistants. That doesn’t work these days. * Building support from the administration donors and everyday fans. Winning today takes everyone being on the same page and pulling in the same direction. A program divided – as Auburn’s has too often been – is not likely to have sustained success. * Dealing with NIL. It might not seem like it, but we are going into just the third season of the NIL/penalty-free transfer era. Those things have changed the game in more ways than can even be seen. Head coaches have to sometimes be fundraisers. They have to convince people with big money to give some of it to collectives. They have to understand the role NIL plays in recruiting. They have to make sure their own players don’t get their heads turned by the possibility of more money somewhere else. They have to know the national landscape and be ready to pounce if the right player hits the portal. Every coach to whom I have talked hates it with a passion, but the successful ones will swallow hard and do what has to be done. * Be prepared. Any player can be hurt at any time or, today, decide to leave. Those things are going to happen. Do you have a plan for when that happens? Building depth is as important as deciding who starts. Even doing all those things doesn’t guarantee winning championships. That takes commitment at every level. ">247Sports

al.com Takeaways from A-Day and Hugh Freeze’s first spring at Auburn Updated: Apr. 10, 2023, 11:26 a.m.|Published: Apr. 10, 2023, 10:15 a.m. 6–7 minutes Hugh Freeze finished his first spring football session and A-Day as the Auburn football coach with a rain-shortened scrimmage Saturday at Jordan-Hare. Officials from the university announced an attendance of over 16,000; however, being inside the stadium as raindrops continued to fall felt like a smaller crowd. All the rain limited the Tiger quarterbacks from passing very often. Robby Ashford had one completion for 39 yards to Tar’Varish Dawson. Ashford also rushed for 36 yards and a touchdown. He won the offensive MVP of the spring game. Read More Auburn Football: Projecting Auburn football’s 2023 post-spring depth chart Robby Ashford embracing challenge from Hugh Freeze 3 positions that may need a boost for Auburn’s defense after A-Day T.J. Finley was 1-of-4 for 12 yards, and redshirt freshman Holden Geriner had 17 passing yards on three completions in five attempts. Auburn passed 12 times, and the quarterbacks combined to go 5-of-12. Ashford took first-team reps in the scrimmage and for most of the camp other than when he was recovering from a shoulder injury. Finley mostly had second-team reps, and Geriner had third-team. When Ashford was limited, Geriner saw first-team reps. Freeze told reporters that he felt better about the quarterbacks on campus than he did, but that wouldn’t stop him from seeking another quarterback starting April 15-30 when the transfer portal opens for the spring. “We’re not proven in the room that we have that any of those (QBs) have done that. I’m not saying they can’t, and I’m certainly not down on them,” Freeze said. “I think we can win games with these guys. But should a guy come available that is a dynamic guy that we think is already a proven commodity doing that, I think we would have to at least look at that.” Besides the quarterback situation, we learned a lot from spring football under Freeze. Jarquez Hunter is a talented runner that Freeze said is the best running back he’s coached. Brian Battie is a speedy athlete with quick feet. Damari Alston showed promising signs as a freshman last season and has improved. Sean Jackson had 77 yards during A-Day further cementing his case for more time on the field in the fall, possibly doing it somewhere else? He’s fourth on the depth chart, but the 5′9 230-pound is a battering ram with shiftiness. Would he consider transferring to a school where he isn’t buried on the depth chart, especially with talented freshman Jeremiah Cobb coming to campus for fall camp? Auburn’s run game looked strong, with the offensive line opening up running lanes. Freeze inherited a room that had seven scholarship o-linemen. He used the transfer portal to find Gunnar Britton (Western Kentucky), Dillion Wade (Tulsa), Avery Jones (East Carolina), and junior college lineman Izavion Miller. Freshman Connor Lew had a strong camp, and Freeze said he’d get some action in games. Retooling the offensive line is challenging, but Freeze seems confident in the group. “I’m cautiously optimistic that we’re going to have a decent offensive line, Freeze said. “In this league, you can have a decent one and still look bad at times because the defensive lines are so talented. But there’s no question in my mind we’ve made improvements from last year to this year. I thought today was just another step forward in that.” As happy as Freeze was with the offense running the ball, he was equally disappointed with the defense’s inability to stop the run. “I’d have to say I think we improved that O-Line some, and they looked pretty decent today,” I think after today, what’s on my mind is we’ve got to stop the run. You can’t win in this league if you can’t stop the run, and we didn’t stop it very well today on some drives. I would say that’s the two things that are on my mind, both good and bad, right now.” Alex McPherson hit the game-tying 33-yard field goal. He also hit a 39-yarder. Filling Ander Carlson’s shoes won’t be easy, however, handling two kicks in a torrential downpour is a positive sign. “The snap’s ... waterlogged snapped it looks like and the holder’s got to hang in there and get it on the ground quick and the kicker’s got to change his timing a little bit,” Freeze said about McPherson. “We handled all that really well. We missed one, but I thought the operation was good. And obviously there with the game on the line, to step in there and all three of them get it done, I think it’s really good for the experience that they could use.” There’s probably not a more certain position than Oscar Chapman as the punter for the Tigers. Chapman was a Ray Guy award semifinalist last season with a 43.9-yard average on 57 punts. Freeze was impressed with Chapman’s kicks before the scrimmage. “I go back to, man, before the scrimmage started, our punter was dynamite,” Freeze said. “We need to bottle that and carry that over. Some of those punts he hit were incredible.” Another reality of the new age of college football is that some players who participated in the A-Day game could enter the transfer portal. Auburn will be active in the portal as they were during the open window before spring camp. Expect the roster to look different when fall camp opens than it did when spring football ended. “I think the transfer portal opens soon, and we are open to any position that’ll help us improve our team, as long as they fit within the culture, Freeze said. " I think competition is helpful. And those that handle it right. And for those that don’t, they’re probably not going to the winners for you anyway.” Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

The fighter: T.J. Finley continues to face competition head on Taylor Jones ~3 minutes The 2023 season was a tested one for Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley. After winning the quarterback battle during the summer, Finley would go on to play in just three games before a shoulder injury sidelined him for most of the season. Buy Tigers Tickets In those three games, however, he endured heavy criticism after throwing four interceptions to just one touchdown. Once his shoulder was back in playing shape, he elected to take a leave of absence from the program over the final four games of the season. “I’m not really sure what triggered it, what prompted it,” Finley said Saturday when explaining his leave of absence. “I like to leave the past in the past and focus on the future. All I know is I’m a completely better person now mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and hopefully who I am right now can lead this team to a national championship.” Now that he has returned to the team under new leadership, he is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to win the starting quarterback role. He says that it is his nature to compete, and he feels that he can contend with any quarterback in the country. “I believe I can compete with anybody in the country, and that’s why I transferred here from LSU; I felt like I can compete with Bo Nix,” Finley said. “Competition doesn’t scare me. I know who I am. I know what I can do, and with the right coaches, I know who I can grow into, and hopefully, this is the place. Competition brings the best out of everybody, and if you can’t handle competition, you don’t need to be in this industry.” Now that Auburn’s football staff includes the likes of Hugh Freeze, Philip Montgomery, and Kent Austin, former Auburn running back Tank Bigsby says that Finley will have the best chance to compete as opposed to his chances during the Bryan Harsin years. “All the adversity he’s been through, he keeps going. He keeps fighting. He’s looking for more. I can relate to guys like that,” Bigsby said during the NFL combine in March. “He’s great. He’s going to be great. He’ll be fine. He’s just going to get around the right guys, and I feel like he is now. The right coaches are in, and he’s going to do what he has to do.” Finley will be in stiff competition with Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner for the top spot on Auburn’s quarterback depth chart. In last Saturday’s A-Day game, Finley completed one pass for four yards in a rain-soaked contest.

247sports.com Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column Jason Caldwell ~4 minutes Spring in the rearview mirror Looking back on the 15 days the Auburn Tigers were on the field this spring, I think it was a very productive time for Hugh Freeze, his staff, and players as they tried to get as much in as possible while not being overwhelmed. That’s something that fans need to remember about this spring when you try to put the A-Day game in context. Freeze has repeatedly talked about only installing as much as they could handle and execute. This spring was all about getting the foundation built on offense and defense heading into year number one. A foundation is a requirement to build a strong football team, just like it is to build a strong house, but it takes much more to make it complete. That will come over the next few months as the players and coaches get a chance to meet and continue to learn heading into fall camp in August. The biggest question is what will they be able to add to the roster from the transfer portal? I still believe the biggest piece is finding a true edge pass rusher that can come off the corner and create pressure on the quarterback. Finding that guy is really difficult because they are so coveted by everyone in the country. Auburn will also be looking to add more experience on the offensive line to help with depth concerns right away, but on that side of the ball the biggest need may be finding someone to step up at wide receiver. I think Ja’Varrius Johnson, Jay Fair and Tar’varish Dawson have done a good job of that, but they need the bigger body guys to do the same. Overall, it was a spring where the Auburn program took some strides forward. That has been the theme since Freeze took over and if that continues throughout the summer, this is a team that can compete right away. It won’t be easy and they’ll need to stay heathy, but at least there’s a chance to challenge right away after what has been done. That wasn’t going to happen six months ago. A good start There’s still some pieces left to get for Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers, but adding Denver Jones was a great start towards building the roster in 2023-24. Last season he only had two games where he didn’t score in double figures and had some big games along the way. With a bigger body, he’s someone that can finish at the rim and create his own shot on offense. That’s something that the Tigers have been missing the last few years and he brings that to the table. He can also defend because of the bigger frame, which is a big deal when it comes to overall team defense. 18COMMENTS Speaking of creating your own shot, I have seen parts of two all-star games and Auburn signee Aden Holloway looks to be a huge get for Pearl and staff. He’s a legitimate scoring threat and has great range from the perimeter. He’s not a big guard, but he has range and the ability to knock down shots from deep. Combine that with Jones on the wing and the physical Tre Donaldson and it’s a pretty interesting trio for Auburn to build around. Now we wait to see what the rest of the roster is going to look like. Who else will return from last season and will anyone else enter the portal? No matter what happens, Auburn needs more help from the transfer portal with another guard and a bigger body two of the focal points for the Tigers. ">247Sports

auburnwire.usatoday.com Jarquez Hunter listed as a breakout contender by Mike Farrell Sports Daniel Locke ~2 minutes Jarquez Hunter has made a difference since arriving at Auburn for his freshman season in 2021. Making an instant impact in a backfield shared with Tank Bigsby was a challenge, but Hunter answered by carrying for 593 yards and three touchdowns off of 89 carries. The 2022 season was an even better year for the Philadelphia, Mississippi native as Hunter rushed for 675 yards and seven touchdowns off of 104 carries. Buy Tigers Tickets An article from Mike Farrell Sports written by Matt Perkins listed Hunter as the top bet for an SEC player to have a breakout season. “The departure of Tank Bigsby, coupled with the offensive system brought in by Hugh Freeze, make Hunter a big-time breakout candidate in 2023. Retaining Cadillac Williams on the coaching staff will also be a blessing for Hunter, who has a really good chance to lead the SEC in rushing.” Hunter will be taking on a bigger role for the Tigers in 2023 as he is expected to be the lead running back and take the most carries. Sophomore Damari Alston, South Florida transfer Brian Battie, and incoming freshman Jeremiah Cobb will also have roles in the rebuilt offense that will feature an improved offensive line unit up front.

247sports.com Ashford 'more comfortable' after first spring under Freeze and new staff Jason Caldwell 4–5 minutes AUBURN, Alabama—Coming off a year when he finally got on the field with a chance to learn and grow at the quarterback position, Robby Ashford had to deal with a change in offense during the season that featured a huge emphasis on running the football down the stretch. It proved to be a good move for the Auburn team overall, giving them a chance to compete, but that combined with some late season injuries really hurt his development in the passing game. In the final four games of the year, Ashford completed just 34-77 passes (44 percent) for just 305 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. Getting his first extended playing time against Penn State, Ashford played in six games before Bryan Harsin’s firing and an overhaul of staff. In those games he completed 86-163 passes (53 percent) for 1,198 yards and five touchdowns with four interceptions. Learning a new offense and working on his footwork and fundamentals this spring with Hugh Freeze taking over and bringing in Philip Montgomery to run things, Ashford comes out of the spring feeling much better about his game after getting experience and being in a system that is made for growth. “Just in general, I feel more comfortable in the pocket,” Ashford said. “I feel more relaxed. Last year, I was kind of uptight, playing off raw ability. Don't want to say it in a bad way, (but) didn't feel like I was getting coached as good as I could have been. Definitely with seeing how our new coaches now have just engraved it in us. It's just work, work, work and they're just constantly teaching. “As a quarterback, you want that. You always have questions as a quarterback, and when you can come to your coach and they have the answer for everything, and then even (answer) in more depth. That just helps you and that gives me the confidence to go out there and just be like, 'Hey, just go out there and relax, kid, and have fun and just be you.'” One of the biggest parts of an offense is obviously the play of the quarterback, but Auburn has been proof that the quarterback play is only as good as the play of the guys in front of him. Ashford said that has been the biggest change this spring, the work that Jake Thornton and the group has done up front. “That's been my biggest goal, not getting happy feet,” Ashford said. “That's a credit to our O-Line, too. They work their butts off. Those guys come in. Coach Thornton has instilled a work ethic in them and they instilled in themselves too. Those boys come out here to work, and they don't get the love they should, but for me, them boys know I love them to death, and I feel like this whole team does. They say it starts with the quarterback — it starts with them. They've come out to work every single day. So, hats off to those guys. I know it's only going to go up from here.” Improvement has been the goal for Ashford and he said he believes that has happened from the first day of the spring until they wrapped things up on Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Saying he’s been challenged to take the next step, Ashford said that’s the goal for him between now and when they put the pads back on in August. 12COMMENTS “I just know I've got to keep coming out every single day, just putting my head down and working and being that leader for the guys,” Ashford said. “Whatever happens, happens. I'm going to keep coming out and working, and at the end of day, if I'm QB1, I would love it. But I'm going to come out and work every single day. I just don't know how to not work. I love working. “These coaches, they love working, too. We go hand-in-hand. Now it's just: 'How can we take this to the next level?', and just getting more comfortable in the offense. Now I've had those 15 practices. I feel good. And now it's just 'OK, keep learning, keep growing, and when we get to fall camp, I'll know it like the back of my hand.' It's really that and then just being that leader, being that constant leader. Not playing on that emotional roller coaster. Being level-headed. Never being too high. Never being too low. I feel like we really talked about that, and I feel like that's going to take my game to the next level, not even just on the field.” ">247Sports

247sports.com Woodyard healthy and excited about his role in new defense Jason Caldwell ~3 minutes AUBURN, Alabama—The highest-ranked player in the 2022 class and a longtime commitment to Alabama before flipping to Auburn, Mobile linebacker Robert Woodyard injured his knee during his senior season at Williamson High. With the knee still bothering him well into last fall, Woodyard played in just four games for the Tigers but was good enough in practice to earn the defensive scout team player of the year. Putting in the work during the offseason, Woodyard came back this spring under Hugh Freeze and a new staff and was determined to show he was ready for his opportunity. Playing well as he continues to work on the fundamentals and techniques of playing the position, Woodyard finished up the spring and put himself in a position to get on the field much more this fall. “I feel like I've come a long way,” Woodyard said. “Just mentally, coming off an injury, it was kind of a setback with me coming in. But me getting to know the defense more and having my teammates really pushing me, I really think I fit this defense pretty well. I think I'm smart enough to know the ins and outs of what other guys around me are doing, so I can help pick up where they lack.” His new position coach, Josh Aldridge, said that Woodyard had a stretch of really strong play this spring, but there’s one area he wants to see more of from the young linebacker if he hopes to take the next step to become a go-to guy on defense. “He's the type that's playing really well, but for him to be a Mike linebacker in this league, he's gotta pick it up from a vocal standpoint,” Aldridge said. “And that comes with time, when you're a young guy.” Something that helps a player become more vocal in addition to experience is just being comfortable with what he’s doing on the field. Learning a new system under first-year coordinator Ron Roberts, Woodyard said he’s getting better and better everyday. “As of right now, I feel like I've got it down,” he said. “But there's still more that I can learn and help other guys around me. “I feel myself just being more consistent.” 2COMMENTS With more confidence than he’s had since he’s been at Auburn, Woodyard feels like the best is ahead for him as he gets ready for his second year with the Tigers. “I feel like I will play a great role coming in as a redshirt freshman,” he said. “I feel like I will be a tremendous player in this defense.” ">247Sports