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Former Auburn defensive lineman is one of the best players available in the transfer portal JD McCarthy ~2 minutes With the first transfer portal window complete most players found their new home but there are still some talented players looking for their next school. One of these is former Auburn defensive lineman marquis robinson, who entered the portal on Dec. 6, 2022. 247Sports has him ranked as the No. 3 available player in the transfer portal. Buy Tigers Tickets Robinson actually entered the portal ahead of the 2022 season but decided to return to Auburn for his redshirt-freshman season. However, he missed spring practice and was never able to get into the rotation along the defensive line, appearing in two games and making two tackles. The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder was a four-star recruit coming out of Milton High School and could still have some appeal to teams looking to fill out their defensive line. He isn’t the only former Tiger still looking for a new home, linebacker Joko Willis is also still in the transfer portal. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

Spring Preview: Projecting Auburn's QB depth chart ahead of A-Day Taylor Jones 4–5 minutes As Auburn begins to prepare for its first spring practice under new head coach Hugh Freeze, Auburn Wire will begin examining each position group and predict who has the chance of seeing the most playing time. First up, we take a look at one of the most popular position groups on the field, quarterback. Buy Tigers Tickets Auburn has five options heading into the spring, with both starters coming back to compete for the starting job. As he begins his evaluations, Freeze says that there are four qualities that he will look for in each quarterback. “At Auburn there’s no question in my mind, No. 1 is accuracy,” Freeze said in a recent interview with Keith Niebuhr of Auburn Live. “No. 2 is the ability to lead a football team and be the face and representation of the program. Three would be arm strength and the fourth, I would love for him to have some maneuverability. Some escapability.” Here are Auburn’s current options at quarterback heading into the 2023 season: Robby Ashford Hank Brown T.J. Finley Holden Geriner Sawyer Pate Here’s how we predict the quarterback depth chart to look like following spring practice: Justin Ford/Getty Images Completions-Attempts Yards Touchdowns Interceptions 2022 PFF Grade 123-250 1,613 7 7 58.6 Ashford will enter the spring as the incumbent to the QB1 role. He took over last season as the full-time starter after T.J. Finley suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him after just three starts. Ashford showed signs of struggle last season by throwing seven interceptions and being sacked 25 times. However, under a new head coach and an improved offensive line, Ashford may be able to thrive. Ashford will not only the the QB to watch this spring, but maybe one of the top Auburn players to keep an eye on. Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser Completions-Attempts Yards Touchdowns Interceptions 2022 PFF Grade 2-3 8 0 0 62.1 Geriner is a former four-star QB with plenty of potential. In High School, he was seen as a quick thrower with the ability to make great decisions in the pocket, which fits well with a typical Hugh Freeze system. I expect experience to win, early on at least. But if Ashford shows any signs of trouble, Geriner could be given the shot to earn the top spot. Jake Crandall/ The Montgomery Advertiser Completions-Attempts Yards Touchdowns Interceptions 2022 PFF Grade 33-53 431 1 4 53.5 Finley is creeping into Bo Nix territory in the regard of playing under his third different offensive coordinator in three seasons. Finley provided relief for Nix in 2021 after he suffered an ankle injury, and assumed the role of starter for three games in 2022 before a shoulder injury prevented him from hopping back on the saddle. There was speculation in the offseason regarding his potential of transferring away from the program, but has elected to stay in an effort to compete for the starting quarterback job. If Finley is satisfied with his spring results, he could be provide a great battle for the starting role that will be interesting to watch unfold over the summer. The Tennessean 247Sports On3 Rivals 3-star 3-star 3-star Hank Brown will be the youngest QB in the room heading into the fall after signing with the Tigers 2023 recruiting class. No matter if Ashford wins the battle, or Freeze elects to bring in a transfer during the May 1-15 transfer portal window, I see Brown redshirting this season and using this time to better his craft under his new head coach. The Montgomery Advertiser Completions-Attempts Yards Touchdowns Interceptions 2022 PFF Grade 0-0 0 0 0 0.0 Pate is a walk-on, but is vital to quarterback depth. I don’t see him earning a starting postition, but I do expect him to gain positive development during the spring.

5 position battles to keep an eye on during Auburn spring practices Published: Feb. 26, 2023, 10:32 a.m. 10–12 minutes A new day gets underway on the Plains this week as Auburn opens its first set of practices under first-year head coach Hugh Freeze. The Tigers will open spring practice Monday with the first of 15 practices, ultimately culminating in the A-Day spring game on April 8 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. It will be an intriguing spring around the program as Freeze and his staff get their first up-close look at the team they’ve inherited and will be tasked with revitalizing following the disastrous tenure of Bryan Harsin, who had a losing record in each of his two seasons with the Tigers. Read more Auburn football: Breaking down Auburn’s additions, losses, remaining needs after first transfer window New AD John Cohen is getting used to “Auburn Being Auburn” in the best way “That was wild”: How Auburn climbed recruiting rankings after late-season coaching change With a new staff, of course, comes new opportunity. Plenty of positions will be up for grabs for the Tigers throughout the offseason, and how many of those starting jobs shake out will truly start to take shape during spring practices. With that in mind, let’s take a look at five position battles to keep an eye on over the course of spring practices: 1. Quarterback This one is obvious, no? The biggest question facing Auburn this offseason revolves around the quarterback position: Who will emerge as the Tigers’ answer at the most important position on the field, and is he already on campus? Freeze and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery — as well as lead offensive analyst Kent Austin — have a strong track record of developing quarterbacks, and this spring will largely focus on just how far Auburn’s returning crop at the position can come along under the new staff as they fully assess the personnel and try to shape the offense around their skillsets. The Tigers have three scholarship quarterbacks available for spring practices: Robby Ashford, T.J. Finley and Holden Geriner. Ashford finished last season as the Tigers’ starter and showed flashes of dynamic playmaking and toughness, but he managed to complete just 49.2 percent of his passes for 1,613 yards, 6.5 yards per pass attempt and as many touchdowns (seven) as interceptions. He also showed an ability to extend and create plays with his legs, rushing for another 709 yards and seven scores. Ashford has expressed excitement about getting to be developed by Freeze, and the new coach certainly took notice of some of the plays Ashford made in last season’s finale against Alabama. But is he the answer at quarterback for Auburn? It remains to be seen. Finley opened last season as Auburn’s starter, winning the job in fall camp and starting the first three games of the year, but an early-season shoulder injury sidelined him, and he only played in four games for the year. He completed 62.3 percent of his 53 attempts for 431 yards, averaging 8.1 yards per attempt but throwing just one touchdown compared to four interceptions. It will be interesting to see how Finley figures into the picture this spring, and whether he feels he has a future with the team after the coaching change, or if he tries to reassess his options after the spring semester. Then there’s Geriner, who appeared in just one game last season as a true freshman but is a talented former four-star prospect with a strong arm. He was hand-picked by the former staff to anchor the 2022 class, but could he find a fresh start and opportunity under Freeze and Co.? 2. Both offensive tackle spots Offensive line is far from the flashiest position on the field, but it’s certainly one of the most important—and more importantly for Auburn, it’s a group that has faced its share of questions in recent years thanks to insufficient recruiting, underdevelopment and underperformance in the trenches. It’s an area that Freeze and his staff, led by offensive line coach Jake Thornton and offensive analyst Joe Bernardi, have worked tirelessly to address in the two-month offseason sprint that included both signing periods and the first transfer portal window. After losing its top offensive tackles from last season—Austin Troxell, Kilian Zierer and Brenden Coffeyy, who combined to start every game at both left and right tackle—Auburn is working with a relatively clean slate at the position. The Tigers return inexperienced underclassmen Garner Langlo, Colby Smith and E.J. Harris, but the real focus on the two tackle spots will be on a trio of new additions: junior college transfer Izavion Miller and portal pickups Dillon Wade and Gunner Britton. Miller, the No. 2 JUCO offensive tackle prospect in the 2023 class, is highly regarded by Auburn’s staff and will compete at tackle, but with his size—6-foot-6 and 320 pounds—he could play multiple spots along the line. Wade comes to Auburn from Tulsa, where he played for Montgomery and started 16 games over the last two seasons, including all 12 at left tackle in 2022. Britton, a transfer from Western Kentucky, has 18 starts under his belt, including all 14 for the Hilltoppers last season when he split time between right and left tackle. His first six starts last year were on the right side of the line before he shifted to left tackle for the remainder of the year. Expect these three to vie for the two spots, with Auburn likely rotating them throughout spring practices to see which combination works best. 3. Jack linebacker This is the new name for what was formerly known as the edge position in Auburn’s defense the last two years, with new defensive coordinator Ron Roberts preferring to call it the Jack linebacker spot—a hybrid role in which the player can play off the line standing up and drop into coverage or line up with his hand down in the dirt as a pass-rusher; it’s the new edge rusher role that will need someone to emerge following the departures of Derick Hall, Eku Leota and Marcus Bragg. Roberts is expected to personally oversee this position group this season, and he’ll head into spring with a trio of top options but no real proven commodity viewed as the favorite to start here: Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister, redshirt sophomore Dylan Brooks and true freshman early enrollee Keldric Faulk. McAllister touts the most experience among the group, with 36 career appearances and 12 starts to his name from his time at Vanderbilt, where he was a two-time captain for the Commodores. Despite the ample in-game experience, McAllister has yet to put together a true breakthrough season. He has 65 career tackles, with just 6.5 for a loss and 2.5 sacks, and his most productive season at Vanderbilt came in 2019, when he had 26 tackles, with 4.5 for a loss and 2.5 sacks. Brooks is the only returning player at the position for Auburn. After redshirting in 2021, he appeared in 10 games last season—seeing his playing time increase after Leota’s season-ending pectoral injury—and finished the year with six total tackles, including a sack. Faulk, meanwhile, is the highest-rated signee in Auburn’s 2023 class after flipping from Florida State on signing day. He was a top-75 player in the country coming out of high school and should have an opportunity to immediately compete at Jack. 4. X-receiver Auburn lost a lot of experience at the outside receiver spot following the departure of Shedrick Jackson this offseason, but for as much experience as Jackson had—53 appearances and 26 starts—he was never a go-to option in the passing game. Jackson finished his career with 66 catches for 874 yards and a touchdown, and now Auburn will try to replace him — with an opportunity to reshape the role of the outside receiver in this new-look offensive scheme. There are two players to keep an eye on here this spring: sophomore Camden Brown and grad transfer Nick Mardner. Brown was the talk of fall camp last year, but the big-bodied receiver finished his freshman season with just nine receptions for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His most productive game was against Arkansas, when he had four catches for 83 yards and a score, showcasing some of the explosive potential he brings to the outside. Mardner, meanwhile, provides an experienced veteran to the room—and one who has a history with new wide receivers coach Marcus Davis. Mardner, who spent last season at Cincinnati, played under Davis at Hawaii in 2021 and had his most productive college season: 46 catches for 913 yards and five touchdowns. Will they be able to reproduce that at Auburn this season? That’s a big question looming for Auburn, which has lacked a true go-to receiver and downfield threat the last two seasons since Seth Williams’ departure for the NFL. 5. Center Auburn bid farewell to its two most experienced centers after last season: Nick Brahms retired before the start of the season and served as a de facto GA for the year, while Brandon Council finally exhausted his eligibility after starting the final eight games of the season at center for the Tigers. Heading into a new age of Auburn football, there should be two top candidates vying for the starting center job this season—one who returns starting experience on the Plains and one who has a considerable amount of experience at the Group of 5 level: Tate Johnson and Avery Jones. Johnson returns after starting the first four games of the season for the Tigers last fall before sustaining an elbow injury that sidelined him the rest of the year. It was Johnson’s first substantial playing experience, and the now-redshirt junior had his share of growing pains. Even with Johnson back healthy this year, Auburn chose to address the center position in the transfer portal, bringing in the top available center on the market in Jones, who spent the last three seasons at Eastern Carolina. A former four-star prospect who signed with North Carolina out of high school, Jones became a fixture along the line for ECU, starting 32 games over the last three seasons, including all 13 at center in 2022, when he was one of the nation’s top pass-protectors. The 6-foot-4, 288-pounder should be the favorite to win this position this offseason. Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

New era set to begin for Auburn on special teams as spring practice starts Published: Feb. 25, 2023, 10:34 a.m. 5–6 minutes We’re taking a look at each position group as Auburn prepares to open spring practice on Feb. 27. The final installment of an 11-part series looks at the specialists. As Auburn ushers in a new era with first-year head coach Hugh Freeze overseeing the program, the Tigers’ special teams unit is also preparing for the dawn of a new age. After nine consecutive seasons of having a Carlson brother handle place-kicking duties, the nearly decade-long kicking dynasty on the Plains has finally ended. Anders Carlson is off to the NFL Draft, as the surefooted Alex McPherson is set to fully take over as Auburn’s kicker this year after getting his feet wet late last season. Read more Auburn football: Why Cadillac Williams was “ecstatic” Auburn landed USF transfer Brian Battie Auburn’s group at safety returns intact this spring, welcomes a familiar face Cornerback should be strength of Auburn’s defense entering spring It will surely take some getting used to, for those who follow Auburn at least, not seeing a Carlson square up on kicks for the Tigers. Daniel Carlson handled the job from 2014-17 and became the SEC’s all-time leading scorer before handing over the reins to his younger brother, Anders Carlson, who spent much of the last five seasons as Auburn’s kicker. That’s the biggest change for Auburn’s personnel on special teams, so let’s take a closer look at the rest of the unit this spring. Projected depth chart: Kicker Alex McPherson, redshirt freshman Evan McGuire, redshirt sophomore Punter Oscar Chapman, senior Alex McPherson, redshirt freshman Long snapper Jacob Quattlebaum, redshirt senior Kyle Vaccarella, redshirt sophomore OR Reed Hughes, junior Holder Oscar Chapman, senior Kick returner Brian Battie, senior AND Jarquez Hunter, junior Damari Alston, sophomore AND Keionte Scott, junior Punt returner Keionte Scott, junior Ja’Varrius Johnson, redshirt senior Departed: Anders Carlson, kicker (NFL Draft); Dazalin Worsham, punt return (transfer to UAB). Due to arrive in the fall: N/A. Outlook: Auburn has been fortunate to have relative consistency at kicker for close to a decade thanks to the Carlson brothers, even with some of Anders’ struggles on longer attempts in recent years. So, with their time up on the Plains, where does Auburn turn? Simple: Another kicker with an accomplished older brother — Alex McPherson, the younger brother of Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro kicker Evan McPherson. The younger McPherson was the nation’s No. 1 kicker coming out of high school in 2022, and he soft-launched his Auburn career last season after Anders Carlson experienced a late-season injury. McPherson handled kicking duties for Auburn’s final three games while connecting on six of his seven field-goal attempts, including a 51-yarder against Western Kentucky, and all nine of his point-after tries. The 5-foot-9, 150-pounder is more compact than the lengthier Carlson brothers, but his kicking style and build reminded Anders Carlson of Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker (one of the top kickers in NFL history). If McPherson can live up to the promise that he arrived on campus with, Auburn’s place-kicking will be on sure footing for the next several years. Spring position previews: QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | JACK | LB | CB | S While Auburn will sort of break in a new kicker this offseason, the Tigers maintained continuity at punter, where Oscar Chapman returns for a fourth season. The Australian punter is coming off another strong season, averaging 43.7 yards per punt a year after averaging 44.1 yards per attempt. He helped Auburn finish ninth nationally in net punting (42.3 yards). Chapman, who also served as Auburn’s holder last season, will also return his battery mate on punts, with long snapper Jacob Quattlebaum back for another season. More intrigue rests with Auburn’s return game. Keionte Scott is back and should handle punt return duties after emerging as Auburn’s top option there last season, when he averaged 9.57 yards per return and ranked 17th among FBS players. On kick returns, the Tigers also bring back their top option in running back Jarquez Hunter, who averaged 21.57 yards on 14 attempts. Whether Hunter remains the No. 1 choice as he takes on a more prominent role in the backfield remains to be seen, but Auburn certainly has another proven weapon to deploy on kick returns this season: USF transfer running back Brian Battie. The 5-foot-8, 165-pounder was a consensus All-American as a return specialist in 2021, when he averaged 32.5 yards per return and led the nation with three kickoff returns for touchdowns. Battie averages 24.2 yards per return over the last three seasons, and he should enter spring as the favorite to take over the primary duties for Auburn this season. Up next: The start of spring practice on Monday. Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

Auburn football: 2023 Tigers’ spring practice primer Caleb Williams 5–6 minutes Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve almost made it. In five days, the inaugural version of Hugh Freeze’s Auburn football team will begin spring practice. During what has been, to put it kindly, a very back-and-forth basketball season, and with baseball season just now starting, football has taken a back seat. That all changes next Monday. We will finally get to hear some news on football. And while basketball season is far from over, and the baseball team is expecting to overachieve on their preseason predictions, football is king in this state. Let’s talk about the storylines we’re gonna be facing this spring and summer. The quarterback battle for Auburn football This is probably the biggest storyline for Auburn football this season. Who will win the job of starting QB in year one under Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery? As the roster stands now, the odds favor incumbent Robby Ashford. Robby flashed excellence at times last season but also showed inconsistency with his accuracy and decision-making. He’s also the QB on the roster who has the most upside. He likely runs in the 4.4s, if not faster, and has ample arm strength to hit the deep shot. It’s gonna be his throws to the field and the boundary that make or break him this fall. If it’s not Robby, it’s likely Holden Geriner or a post-spring transfer. I won’t speculate as to who that transfer could be, but there are guys out there who won’t win the starting job and don’t want to kill their eligibility riding the pine at their current school. My early prediction is that Robby takes enough of a step forward passing the ball to take a soft hold on the job until summer and fall camp starts, where the final battle will be decided leading into opening weekend. Who catches those passes? Auburn lost their three best pass catchers prior to Bryan Harsin’s arrival in 2021. Seth Williams, Anthony Schwartz, and Eli Stove were all instrumental in the mild successes of both Jarrett Stidham and Bo Nix. In their place rose Kobe Hudson and Shedrick Jackson. Neither remains. In steps some of the rawest talent we’ve seen at Auburn in a while. Camden Brown? 6’3”. Landen King? 6’5”. Brandon Frazier? 6’7”. Rivaldo Fairweather? 6’5”. Malcolm Johnson Jr.? 6’1”. Omari Kelly? 6’0”. Micah Riley-Ducker? 6’5”. Vertical threats are everywhere on this roster. And in Freeze’s offense, which has always taken the top off of defenses, that’s huge. The only problem? That group of players has caught 81 combined passes. The most returning receptions on the roster belong to Ja’Varrius Johnson, who is talented and speedy, but not very sizable. Freeze, Montgomery, WRs coach Marcus Davis, and TEs coach Ben Aigamaua will have to find a steady group of pass catchers to fit the demands of this almost exclusively 10 and 11-personnel offense. Who’s blocking? The offensive line has been a question mark since the beginning of 2018, and it hasn’t shown much improvement. While there was some improvement shown after Harsin’s ouster last fall, that won’t be enough to stem the tide of sacks and negative runs that this position group allowed. Insert Jake Thornton. Thornton coached one of the best offensive lines in the SEC in Ole Miss. He and Freeze signed NINE offensive linemen between each signing day. The group is no longer being ignored for skill players. If they improve, this offense should hum early and often. So about that secondary? Crime Dawg is back, alongside Zac Etheridge. With Ron Roberts running a mostly true nickel defense, gone are the days of playing cover 1 and hoping the blitz gets home. Two high will be very common in order to cap the vertical nature of offenses days. Ole Miss and Arkansas both run versions of the veer and shoot, Texas A&M will move to a power spread under Bobby Petrino, Tennessee probably takes more deep shots than anyone in college football, and Georgia is still expected to run an attacking pro-style spread under new/old/new again offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. Keeping teams underneath and forcing them to grind out drives will be key. The Carlson legacy is over Daniel Carlson left as the SEC’s all-time leading scorer. Anders Carlson struggled to live up to that standard but was still a pretty good kicker (minus trying to recover from a torn ACL before our very eyes). In steps redshirt freshman Alex McPherson. If you’re new to Auburn football and recognize the name, his brother is Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson. Alex played in three games to conclude the season as Anders was unable to hardly walk with his leg not cooperating. 9/9 on extra point attempts and 6/7 on field goal attempts is a pretty solid audition. But can he keep it up over a full season? We’ll find out. Conclusion for Auburn football There is much to be excited about this spring. While the Hugh Freeze hire did not excite all, it is certainly a more exciting hire than the previous one, and certainly a much easier football decision to defend than bringing in a coach who was being criticized by his own fans. Let’s have some fun with it. There’s nothing else to do. War Eagle!

i agree. with robby not playing for a couple of years and then barely losing to finley is not a great look for him.i would be shocked if robby did not pass finley at least now he has some seasoning. and before anyone starts i do not care who the QB is i just want a winner who will give us a chance every single game.

With Brandon Miller pat-down during introduction, Alabama stumbles once again | Goodbread Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News 5–6 minutes The plan was a basketball column. It really was. Alabama eked out an 86-83 win over Arkansas on Saturday in exciting fashion, overcoming a nine-point halftime deficit with a second-half comeback that maintained its undefeated home record (14-0) and pushed the Crimson Tide a step closer to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. There was plenty to write about from the action on the floor at Coleman Coliseum, but it was instead a pregame introduction that ended up being the hot topic. You might've heard this before: The university has found a way to stumble in its handling of the Brandon Miller situation. Again. HIGHLIGHTS: Alabama-Arkansas score updates NEW HIRE: Alabama football expected to hire Robert Bala as next inside linebackers coach | Reports During pregame introductions, Miller emerged from a pair of smoke machines and stretched his arms out to the side, when teammate Adam Cottrell put his hands on Miller's sides and lightly slapped him a few times, working downward toward his hips, resembling a pat-down. Was it the way Miller has been introduced all season? Yes. Was it really a pat-down simulation, or something else? Leave that to Twitter, which raged with debate on the topic while Miller was on his way to a 24-point night. What's not in debate is this: Nate Oats didn't give it a pass. "It's not appropriate. It's been addressed, and I can assure you it definitely will not happen again for the remainder of this year," Oats, Alabama's coach, said to begin his postgame news conference. Here's what also isn't debatable: From a public image standpoint, the way the university has dealt with its best basketball player's name being tied to the shooting death of Jamea Harris has been amateur hour. And at this point, that's a charitable description. To recap: Miller was identified at a Tuesday courtroom hearing as having driven former teammate Darius Miles' handgun to the scene of a 23-year-old mother's shooting death in the wee morning hours of Sunday, Jan. 15. Miles and a friend, Michael Davis, have been charged with capital murder, and bond for them was denied following the hearing. Miller, according to a statement from his attorney, was on his way to pick Miles up when he received a text message from Miles asking him to bring the gun, which Miles had left in Miller's vehicle. Miller has not been charged with a crime and is considered a cooperating witness by law enforcement, but the school's decision to keep him eligible to play has been roundly and fairly criticized. But let's set the Miller eligibility question to the side for a moment. That issue will be talked about for weeks to come. From a perception standpoint, the school has found multiple ways to make a bad situation worse. Let's start with Oats' news conference Tuesday, which was a regularly-scheduled meeting with reporters ahead of Alabama's road trip to South Carolina. The news of Miller's connection to the shooting broke more than an hour before Oats walked into the room, and his remarks on Miller were a well-chronicled disaster. He owns what he said, despite following up with a prepared statement, but he also apparently walked into the room with no idea what the hearing had revealed. And that's not just Oats' failing. Somebody should've pulled him to the side ahead of time and told him. Or even postponed the news conference if needed. Who should have made sure Oats was prepared isn't for me to say, but somebody (if not more than one somebody) should've been on top of that. It's not as if the school didn't know the hearing was happening, and it's not as if the school didn't already know Miller was considered a witness by police. From a perception standpoint, that was a costly failing. And speaking of Miller's status as a witness, along with freshman point guard Jaden Bradley, the public relations nightmare might've been a bit easier this week if it had been known from the beginning that Miller was at least at the scene. Whether UA chose not disclose that, or was advised not to do so, or couldn't for some legal reason, the backlash was all the worse for it. Then came Saturday, when a video clip of Cottrell patting Miller's sides went viral. Again, whether that's been Miller's pregame intro all season or not doesn’t matter. Whether it's actually a simulation of something else doesn't matter much either, because when it comes to perception and public image, how something looks is how something is. Somebody, somewhere on the Alabama campus − and not necessarily just Miller and Cottrell − probably should've thought wiser of that at some point this week. Then again, it hasn't been a week for wise. Reach Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread.

theplainsman.com Auburn sweeps double header in Plainsman Invite - The Auburn Plainsman 4–5 minutes Auburn deleted its competition in Friday's double header with victories over Merrimack and Brown as it run-ruled each team. Here is a recap of each game. Game 1: Merrimack It was very apparent early Auburn had control of the game. In the bottom of the first inning, Auburn put on a barrage of runs. Icess Tresvik led the way with a two-run double as the Tigers got out to a 6-0 lead. Things did not get easier for the Warriors as they had extreme difficultly producing offense. Auburn continued to pile on the runs as it was up 9-0 heading into the third inning. Merrimack still continued to struggle as it only recorded one hit in the entire game alongside two errors. Auburn's pitching recorded nine strikeouts as a whole for the game. Auburn dominated the whole game and was able to leave with a 12-0 in its first meeting against the Merrimack Warriors. Bri Ellis led the Tigers with three RBIs as she recorded her fourth home run of the season while Tresvik and sophomore Rose Roach tallied two more. Ellis hit 20 home runs during her freshman campaign last season. “We did a nice job not chasing and just waiting in the batter’s box,” said head coach Mickey Dean. “It comes down to putting a good swing on a good pitch.” Game 2: Brown In game two of the day, Auburn defeated Brown 9-0 in a windy Friday night game. Annabelle Widra pitched a no-hitter with only one walk to her name against Brown. It was the 30th no-hitter in program history. “Everything was feeling good,” Widra said. “My mindset was just to attack batters and trust my pitches. We put in so much work during the week. Tonight, it was just time to let it ride.” Dean was also impressed with his pitcher's perfect performance. “For about 95% of the game plan, Annabelle stayed ahead of hitters,” Dean said. “She had great defense behind her. She stayed ahead and was able to hit different quadrants. She did a nice job.” Auburn got out to another hot start, scoring two runs in the first inning. After a scoreless second inning, Auburn's offense picked things back up in the third inning. Nelia Peralta hit a home run into deep left field and Carlie McCondiche followed that with a home run of her own — her first of the season. The home runs stretched Auburn's lead to 4-0. The home run party did not end in the third inning, however. In the bottom of the fourth, Tresvik sent a high-arcing shot over the left field light pole to extend the lead to 6-0. Ellis sent a sky-rocketing shot into right field to push the lead to 9-0 for the Tigers' final runs of the game. Widra closed out the game and recorded her no-hitter as Auburn picked up its second run-rule victory of the day. Auburn will face off against the North Dakota State Bison at 3 p.m.CST at Jane B. Moore Field tomorrow. The Tigers play Merrimack again after the conclusion of their game against North Dakota State. Both games are available to watch on SEC Network-plus. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Auburn Plainsman delivered to your inbox

Penta's no-hitter, Garcia's grand slam and another happy day for Auburn softball Phillip Marshall 4–5 minutes Maddie Penta pitched her third career no-hitter. (Photo: Auburn University) AUBURN, Alabama – Maddie Penta has a hard time pleasing … Maddie Penta. On Saturday, Penta pitched the third no-hitter of her Auburn career. She missed a perfect game only because she nicked a North Dakota State batter on the forearm. She struck out seven as Auburn won 9-0 in six innings. But Penta struck out “only” seven. She was happy to have another no-hitter, but excited she improved to 8-0 and kept her earned average at 0.00? Not really. “It was a little fun,” Penta said. “The last three innings, my legs didn’t work, and I wasn’t hitting my spots very well. Getting a no-hitter feels good. The last three innings didn’t all feel that good.” Penta had plenty of help from her defense. And though it took a while, plenty of help from her offense. Right fielder Lindsey Garcia ended the game with her second grand slam of the season over the right field fence. She also had a double and finished 2-for-3 with five RBIs. “I am seeing it really well,” Garcia said. “You are not going to be perfect. Everyone is going to make mistakes. I’m relaxed right now, just seeing the ball and hitting it hard. The more you worry about it, the more you are not going to be successful. It takes an elite player to know that when you are not pressing and letting every at-bat affect you, you are going to be golden. Auburn coach Mickey Dean said throwing strikes and help from here defense were the keys for Penta. “We played really good defense behind her,” Dean said. “She stayed ahead of most of their hitters. The only time they put the ball in play hard was she got behind and she had to show them repetitive pitches. Otherwise, she was staying ahead and didn’t really give them a chance to breathe.” Hot-hitting Carlee McCondichie was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Bri Ellis was 3-for-3. Makayla Packer was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases. In the second game, Merrimack put up a fight, but Auburn won 7-0 with a number of normal starters sitting out. Garcia, Packer and Aspyn Godwin did not play. Annabelle Widra did not start the game at third base but was the winning pitcher. Nelia Peralta played one inning in the field and had one at-bat before taking a seat. After pounding Merrimack 12-0 on Friday, Auburn led just 3-0 after three innings. It was 4-0 going to the fifth, when the Tigers, sparked by Ellis booming leadoff homer to centerfield, salted it away with three runs. McCondichie continue to swing a hot bat, going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. Sydney Cox, who got the start in left field, also had a double. Shelby Lowe got the start in the circle and pitched two shutout innings, striking out three and giving up two hits. Widra pitched three shutout innings, giving up three hits and striking out five to improve to 5-0. Emmah Rolfe finished it with two hitless innings, walking one and striking out five. In four game this weekend, Auburn’s pitchers have yet to give up a run. They have given up just six hits, give of those coming in Saturday’s second game. 1COMMENTS “We have some very talented girls on our pitching staff,” Penta said. “They are all very eager to work, eager to be out there in that circle. There is real competitive spirit in all our pitchers.” The Tigers won their 12th straight and increased their record to 14-1. They play a rematch with North Dakota State today at noon to close out the Plainsman Invite. ">247Sports

Spring Preview: Projecting Auburn's QB depth chart ahead of A-Day Taylor Jones 4–5 minutes As Auburn begins to prepare for its first spring practice under new head coach Hugh Freeze, Auburn Wire will begin examining each position group and predict who has the chance of seeing the most playing time. First up, we take a look at one of the most popular position groups on the field, quarterback. Buy Tigers Tickets Auburn has five options heading into the spring, with both starters coming back to compete for the starting job. As he begins his evaluations, Freeze says that there are four qualities that he will look for in each quarterback. “At Auburn there’s no question in my mind, No. 1 is accuracy,” Freeze said in a recent interview with Keith Niebuhr of Auburn Live. “No. 2 is the ability to lead a football team and be the face and representation of the program. Three would be arm strength and the fourth, I would love for him to have some maneuverability. Some escapability.” Here are Auburn’s current options at quarterback heading into the 2023 season: Robby Ashford Hank Brown T.J. Finley Holden Geriner Sawyer Pate Here’s how we predict the quarterback depth chart to look like following spring practice: Justin Ford/Getty Images Completions-Attempts Yards Touchdowns Interceptions 2022 PFF Grade 123-250 1,613 7 7 58.6 Ashford will enter the spring as the incumbent to the QB1 role. He took over last season as the full-time starter after T.J. Finley suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him after just three starts. Ashford showed signs of struggle last season by throwing seven interceptions and being sacked 25 times. However, under a new head coach and an improved offensive line, Ashford may be able to thrive. Ashford will not only the the QB to watch this spring, but maybe one of the top Auburn players to keep an eye on. Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser Completions-Attempts Yards Touchdowns Interceptions 2022 PFF Grade 2-3 8 0 0 62.1 Geriner is a former four-star QB with plenty of potential. In High School, he was seen as a quick thrower with the ability to make great decisions in the pocket, which fits well with a typical Hugh Freeze system. I expect experience to win, early on at least. But if Ashford shows any signs of trouble, Geriner could be given the shot to earn the top spot. Jake Crandall/ The Montgomery Advertiser Completions-Attempts Yards Touchdowns Interceptions 2022 PFF Grade 33-53 431 1 4 53.5 Finley is creeping into Bo Nix territory in the regard of playing under his third different offensive coordinator in three seasons. Finley provided relief for Nix in 2021 after he suffered an ankle injury, and assumed the role of starter for three games in 2022 before a shoulder injury prevented him from hopping back on the saddle. There was speculation in the offseason regarding his potential of transferring away from the program, but has elected to stay in an effort to compete for the starting quarterback job. If Finley is satisfied with his spring results, he could be provide a great battle for the starting role that will be interesting to watch unfold over the summer. The Tennessean 247Sports On3 Rivals 3-star 3-star 3-star Hank Brown will be the youngest QB in the room heading into the fall after signing with the Tigers 2023 recruiting class. No matter if Ashford wins the battle, or Freeze elects to bring in a transfer during the May 1-15 transfer portal window, I see Brown redshirting this season and using this time to better his craft under his new head coach. The Montgomery Advertiser Completions-Attempts Yards Touchdowns Interceptions 2022 PFF Grade 0-0 0 0 0 0.0 Pate is a walk-on, but is vital to quarterback depth. I don’t see him earning a starting postition, but I do expect him to gain positive development during the spring.

kentucky.com Everything Auburn men’s basketball head coach Bruce Pearl said after a blowout loss at Kentucky Cameron Drummond 6–8 minutes READ MORE Game day: Kentucky 86, Auburn 54 Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and Auburn in Rupp Arena. Expand All Saturday was a tough day at the office for Bruce Pearl and his Auburn men’s basketball team. Pearl’s morbid pregame prediction that Auburn would lose by 40 if the Tigers didn’t rebound the ball well against Kentucky nearly came true: UK led by as many as 40 points late in the second half in a 86-54 blowout win over the Tigers. Kentucky also outrebounded Auburn 41-23 in the game. Auburn has now lost 20 straight games at Kentucky, a streak that dates back to 1988. Afterward, Pearl met with the media inside Rupp Arena. Here’s what he said: Opening statement: So when I was at Southern Indiana coaching the Screaming Eagles for nine years, the two or three teams that mattered the most, on our schedule, were Kentucky Wesleyan in Owensboro, Northern Kentucky, just there in Covington, just across the bridge from Cincinnati, Bellarmine in Louisville. Because we took great pride in our basketball in Indiana and you all take great pride in your basketball in Kentucky. I’ve come in here before and gotten smacked like that. And it’s embarrassing because you know good basketball and you know really bad basketball. You know, we were ready to play. You could tell early, we had a good game plan. And then with about three or four minutes left to go in the first half, things just unraveled a little bit. And then our guys just didn’t, we just didn’t stay together. You can’t have one assist in the first half and you’ve got to, offensively, try to work together to make each other better and we just didn’t. And of course the same thing happened on the defensive end as well. So Auburn was not competitive at all tonight. Q. Question about how Kentucky has changed from earlier in the season to now. Yeah, well I mean they’re obviously really comfortable in their roles. Cason Wallace is a difference maker, you know, running point and, you know, his ability to defend and playmake and, you know, finish shots. You know, the Reeves kid is a great you know, obviously a great great shooter. Older player gives them... And those guys need to be able to be aggressive to be able to make some mistakes and when you’re playing 35 minutes and you know they don’t have quite the depth. Guys are really comfortable in the roles. Tshiebwe’s playing dominant on the inside. We thought we could score on him a little bit and hurt him a little bit in the ball screen. But he did a nice job there and they just, him, Toppin, are physically just imposing out there and then the wings are so... Literally bigger and stronger at every position. And their physicality, we were no match for. So yeah, they’re playing really well together. Q. Question about how Auburn fell apart in the second half. Haven’t seen it yet. But we saw it tonight. And so you know, nobody likes to come apart like that. This team’s kind of scrapped and clawed and, you know, we’ve been in every game on the road in tough places. And tonight, things came apart. If I had an explanation for why it wouldn’t have happened. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl yells to his players during Saturday’s game against Kentucky at Rupp Arena. Silas Walker swalker@herald-leader.com Q. Question about Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves scoring 18 points in the second half. You know, I think that for the first, again, 15 minutes I thought we played pretty well defensively and transition hurt us throughout the last four minutes and then the entire second half. I thought one of the keys was their guards being able to get down hill. Their guards were able to get downhill on us and drive past our guards. We couldn’t stay in front of them. And I thought it was a difference. Which then led to drive, draw, dish and led to inside out. Can’t keep in front. Can’t guard them. Q. Question about how physicality and rebounding played a part in the game’s outcome. Huge. It was huge. I was off by eight points. I hate when I’m right. But the physicality, they were much, much more physical than we were and played that way at both ends of the floor. You know, Tshiebwe’s the most physical player in the game. And you know, Toppin is big, strong bouncy physical. Their wings are big. Livingston’s toughening up a little bit and doesn’t play like a young player. Again, Reeves really helps them. Wallace is, I don’t know many freshman that are built like that. Great player. Great size. Great tempo. So physically it was a mismatch. Q. Question about Johni Broome starting strong for Auburn, then not producing as much later in the game. Well, I think when you only have one assist in the first half, it’s really hard to score many more buckets. You’ve got to get your big involved and we did not do a very good job getting him the ball like we did earlier in the game. Went away from it. This story was originally published February 25, 2023, 8:02 PM.

Takeaways from Auburn basketball’s blowout loss at Kentucky Jeremy Robuck 3–4 minutes The Auburn Tigers took on the Kentucky Wildcats Saturday afternoon. The Tigers traded blows with Kentucky throughout much of the first half. Unfortunately, Kentucky had an amazing shooting day and realized capitalized on their homecourt advantage. The Wildcats really ran away with it in the 2nd half. Here are a few takeaways from todays game. Shooting Percentages In the first half, Auburn really hung in there until Kentucky went on an 8-0 run with around the 4 minute mark. Auburn played well early, but finished the half down 11. The main reason for this seemed to be shooting percentages. Kentucky shot the ball insanely well. They were 5-6 from three. They also shot 56% from the field. Conversely, Auburn was 3-11 from three, shooting only 34%. Shooting is not the Tigers strength, and they tend to have less offensive consistency on the road. Auburn will need to get hot from behind the arc if they are to make a run in the postseason. Auburn lacks a go to guy this year The Tigers went to Jabari Smith in crunch time last year when they needed a bucket. Auburn doesn’t have many players who can create their own shot this year. Wendell Green Jr. is about their only desperation scorer, and he was off today. Green started at just 3-12 for 9 points. Auburn may look to the transfer portal and incoming 5 star freshman Aden Holloway for help in the scoring department next year. Rebounding has been an issue The Tigers were out-rebounded today at a nearly 2 to 1 margin. This has been a problem for Auburn lately that needs to be fixed. Rebounding comes down to discipline and effort. Kentucky played incredibly well today. Shots were falling and their home crowd was a factor, but there’s never an excuse to rebound poorly. Black Eye on College Sports We would be remiss if we did not discuss the moral ineptitude of the University of Alabama and all of their supporters. The Crimson Tide have found a new low and become a black eye on not just college basketball, but all of college sports. The playing of team members involved in a capital murder investigation has shown that Bama, from the top down, lacks integrity, lacks compassion for others, and just plain lacks self awareness. Everyone has that one person in their life that doesn’t seem to be aware of others existence. That person, for other fanbases, is Alabama. Their lack of compassion for the murder victim and her family is baffling. The situation is confusing but most of all sad. Jamea Jonae Harris’ family deserves better. College basketball deserves better. The world deserves better.