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Tigers face another 'must win' game, Pearl says Mark Murphy 4–6 minutes AUBURN, Alabama–Bruce Pearl said on Tuesday that his Auburn basketball team can’t afford to lose its next game, a visit from the Ole Miss Rebels. After going 1-1 last week with a dominating win at home vs. Missouri and a last-second loss at Vanderbilt, the Tigers don’t have as much margin for error regarding their goal of returning to the NCAA Tournament. “We are facing, again, another must-win situation,” Pearl said. “Last time against Missouri it was because there was a really good prize on the win because Missouri had won four in a row. They had just beaten Tennessee. They were seeded slightly ahead of us in the NCAA Tournament and the win could do us some real good.” The Tigers played perhaps their best game of the entire season vs. Missouri, taking command early on the way to an 89-56 victory at Neville Arena. That gave Pearl’s team a big boost in its NCAA Net ranking. However, that rating took a hit on Saturday night Auburn lost a second half lead of six points and dropped a 67-65 buzzer-beater at Vanderbilt. Looking at Auburn’s next game vs. Ole Miss, Pearl said, “A loss can do us almost irreparable damage be cause of just the math.” Comparing the resumes of Missouri and Ole Miss, the coach noted that there is “a huge difference.” Comparing the players who will be on the court at Neville Arena to Missouri’s players who played there last week, Pearl contends there is not a major difference. “I guarantee you it would be a close game.” he said. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CST with TV coverage on the SEC Network for what will be Auburn’s next-to-last men’s basketball home game this season. The Tigers will also play at Neville Arena on March 4th at 1 p.m. CST in a rematch vs. Tennessee that will be televised on ESPN. The Rebels will arrive in Auburn with a 10-17 overall record and a 2-12 conference mark, which includes an 82-73 loss to the Tigers on January 10th. Ole Miss has yet to win a conference home game in seven tries. Its league wins came on January 17th at South Carolina (70-58) and February 11th at South Carolina (64-61). Matthew Murrell, a 6-4, 200 junior guard who scored 24 points vs. Auburn at Oxford, leads the Rebels in scoring at 14.4 points per contest. He hit 7-16 field goals that game, 2-8 threes and was 8-8 at the foul line for his second-highest scoring game of the season, one off his total vs. Chattanooga. Jaemyn Brakefield, who scored 20 in a 69-61 overtime loss at home to Mississippi State on Saturday, is averaging 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds. He scored a dozen points in the first matchup vs. the Tigers. For the season the Rebels are shooting 41.8 percent from the field, 28.8 percent on three-point attempts and 69.2 percent at the foul line. Opponents are making 43.3 percent of their hots and 34.9 percent of their three-pointers. Ole Miss is plus 1.7 per game in rebound margin and is close to neutral in turnover margin. Lack of offensive firepower has been a major issue for Coach Kermit Davis. His team is 11th among all SEC teams in scoring at 67.1 points per game and 11th in scoring for league games at 65.1. Auburn is averaging 72.5 points and allowing 64.8 per contest for all games. In league play the Tigers are scoring 71.2 poins per outing while allowing 66.1. Johni Broome is in his first season with the Tigers. (Photo: Zach Bland / Auburn Athletics) Johni Broome has taken over the team scoring lead at 14.0 points per game and is the SEC's No. 2 rebounder at 8.9 per contest. “We played well against Ole Miss at Ole Miss,” Pearl said. “We did a lot of good things the first time so there aren't going to be a tremendous number of adjustments because what we did was pretty effective. We played pretty well.” Pearl predicts the Rebels will try to feed off the energy of Auburn’s crowd on Wednesday night. “The two games they have won in conference have both been on the road so there's not as much energy in the their building right now. They go on the road and they will be a lot of energy in the building. The guys will be playing with their hair on fire and nothing to lose–a little bit of house money. Our guys know what is at stake, they understand that.”

theplainsman.com Tigers return to Madison to face North Alabama - The Auburn Plainsman ~4 minutes Auburn travels to Madison, Alabama, at Toyota Field for the second straight season Tuesday to face the University of North Alabama . The Lions had a 12-41 overall record last season with wins against Cincinnati and Alabama. The Tigers had an eventful season opener against Indiana with an 8-4 win Friday evening and a 6-1 win Saturday afternoon. Auburn soon fell short to Indiana Sunday with an 11-2 loss to finish the series. As for the Lions, they played the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee this past weekend — leaving them with a 1-2 record to start their season. North Alabama was able to grab a 14-6 victory to close opening weekend. Six of North Alabama's nine leadoff hitters reached base during its first game this weekend, but the Lions were unable to close the deal and bring them home. Key players for the Lions include cleanup hitter Lane Johnson who smacked five home runs last season. Graduate student Kyle Mechado was able to squeeze in three hits against the Panthers, and junior Dominick Mclntyre had three RBIs. Redshirt freshman Gehrig Frei recorded three hits as well to start his career at UNA. Jacob James, the freshman LHP allowed four runs on five hits through five innings on the mound Sunday. Sophomore Will Morris was able to clean up the last four innings Sunday for the Lions — leaving them victorious. UNA has solid, reliable pitchers in its bullpen who will take the mound Tuesday. Auburn ran through a total of 15 pitchers its opening weekend but expects to have a full bullpen. Konnor Copeland is set to start on the bump for the Tigers. Copeland has some tricks up his sleeve, coming to the hill with a 0.00 ERA and nine strikeouts during his two previous starts for Auburn. “He had a really good start here last year against Kennesaw and has been in the program second year, and he’ll get it started,” said head coach Butch Thompson. Veteran Joseph Gonzalez had a successful time on the mound with five scoreless innings. John Armstrong, the sophomore from Marietta, Georgia, pitched 3.1 innings and retired the first seven batters — allowing just one baserunner. Freshman Zach Crotchfelt made his Auburn debut this past weekend, pitching 3.2 innings and throwing four strikeouts. Although the Tigers didn’t end on a win this weekend, freshman Ike Irish was awarded SEC Freshman of the Week after accumulating a double and a hit in all three games. Another newcomer, Justin Kirby made an impact offensively with two home runs. Kirby was one of 11 SEC players to hit homers this opening weekend. “We're gonna go up there and try and put our best foot forward,” Thompson said. Auburn's first pitch at Toyota Field against North Alabama is scheduled for 6 p.m. CST. The game will be streamed on the Rocket City Trash Pandas' Youtube channel. Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.

247sports.com Auburn blasts UNA to take impressive win in Huntsville Jason Caldwell 6–7 minutes HUNTSVILLE, Alabama—Looking to rebound from Sunday's loss to Indiana, the Auburn baseball Tigers did that in resounding fashion on Tuesday night against UNA with Bobby Peirce, Bryson Ware and Ike Irish all collecting three hits with both Peirce and Ware homering in a 13-1 win in just seven innings because of a 10-run rule. Konner Copeland got the win for the Tigers, allowing just one run in three and two/thirds innings as the starter. In front of a crowd of over 5,000 at Toyota Field, home of the Rocket City Trash Pandas, Auburn was clicking on all cylinders as the Tigers improved to 3-1 on the season. In addition to their three hits, both Peirce and Ware drove in three runs each while shortstop Cole Foster walked three times and scored three runs in the win. "All honesty, I think that's one of the best games we have played since I have been the head coach at Auburn," coach Butch Thomson said. "We were very disappointed Sunday. I don't think I have had hitters for seven innings to evaluate a strike zone the way they did tonight. That's about as good as I have seen. Did not make an error in the baseball game. Did not walk a batter by the pitching staff. The seventh inning, the last inning, Chase Isbell threw nine pitches for three outs and an immaculate inning. You don't see that everyday. It was a really good exclamation point to finish the ballgame." Ware agreed with his head coach, saying this was a complete game by the Tigers that came at a good time for this team heading into a series against USC. "It was huge," Ware said. "It was huge. Coach Thompson was talking about how big this game was for us before the game. I'm super-proud of how we pitched. No walks today, which is everything when it comes to keeping your pitch count low and your runs low. It's really easy to play behind them when your pitchers are filling up the zone. They pitched great for us, even guys that got in the game late that didn't start. They got some hits for us. I'm just really proud to see us click on all cylinders." It didn’t take long for Auburn’s offense to get going on Tuesday night against UNA true freshman Avery Brown. Making his first career start in front of a big crowd at Toyota Field, Brown fell behind Peirce before the senior outfielder lined a single into right field to get the Tigers started on a good note. That’s when things went from bad to worse for Brown as he hit Brody Moss and walked Justin Kirby to load the bases with nobody out. Continuing his strong start, Irish singled to right field to put Auburn on the board and when Ware lifted a fly ball to center field to easily score Moss, the Tigers were up 2-0, but they were just getting started. A Ryan Dyal single pushed the lead to three before Foster walked to keep the inning going and the pressure on Brown. That would be all for the freshman as UNA went to the bullpen, but it wouldn’t matter as local product Cam Hill delivered the big blow of the inning with a two-run single to make it 5-0 Auburn. When Kason Howell reached on a fielder’s choice to score Foster, the lead was six for the Tigers after just one inning of play. "After losing on Sunday, I think it lit a little bit of a fire for us," Peirce said. "We wanted to come out quick and put up a few runs. We did that, putting up six in the first and three more in the third inning. It was a great way to get it going." Following a scoreless second inning, the Tigers added to the lead in the third and it started with help from the Lions when Foster was hit by a pitch with one out before a walk to Hill brought Howell to the plate. Playing smart baseball, the senior center fielder put down a perfect bunt to load the bases for Peirce. Bobby Peirce had his second three-hit game of the season on Tuesday night. (Photo: Jason Caldwell/Auburnundercover, 247Sports) Getting a pitch to turn on, the Auburn outfielder smashed a single down the left field line to score both Foster and Hill to make it 8-0. When Moss followed with a sacrifice fly to score Howell from third, the lead was nine after just three innings. After throwing three scoreless innings in his first outing of the season, Copeland ran into trouble in the fourth when Kyle Machado reached on a one-out single and Jonathan Lane followed with a double to put runners on second and third for the Lions. Bowing up, Copeland got a fly ball for the second out, but it allowed Machado to score and put UNA on the board. Getting ahead 1-2 on the next hitter, Copeland gave way to reliever John Armstrong who struck out the batter to keep the lead at eight. After missing a golden opportunity to break the game open in the bottom of the fourth when Hill hit into a double play with the bases loaded and one out, Auburn extended the lead on one swing of the bat in the fifth when Peirce blasted a solo shot into the UNA bullpen to make it 10-1 Tigers. It was his first of the season and put Auburn a single run from ending this game early with the 10-run rule in effect. One inning later Auburn would extend the lead with Irish leading things off with a single to bring Ware to the plate. Getting all of one, Ware blasted his first home run of the season over the UNA bullpen to make it 12-1 Tigers. Later in the frame, true freshman Chris Stanfield would single home Foster to make it a 12-run lead. 3COMMENTS Chase Isbell finished off the game in the seventh by throwing just nine pitches and striking out all three UNA batters to finish things off.

247sports.com Auburn to play host to USC after weather forces change in baseball series Jason Caldwell 3–4 minutes AUBURN, Alabama–Auburn's three-game baseball series on the West Coast, scheduled for this week, has been moved to Plainsman Park due to bad weather forecast in southern California. Coach Butch Thompson's Tigers were scheduled to play single games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday vs. the USC Trojans in Los Angeles, but a major winter storm, which is expected to include heavy rain and unusually cold weather in the Los Angeles area, has been forecast for the area and prompted the change. Game times for the series in Auburn this weekend are scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday. "It's hard," Thompson said of making the change. "We had already packed our bags to leave on Thursday. The forecast has been really tough for Los Angeles. Andy Stankiewicz, the head coach for Southern Cal, is a star. He wants to play. We want to play. We got together together and both administrations just absolutely got after it and canceled our flights and created flights for Southern Cal. They are coming to Plainsman Park for the first time in history. We're going to play this three-game series in Auburn, Alabama. "Pass the word. Get the word out. The ticket office is aware and has been working hard to get information out to our season ticket holders and then give other fans a chance to show up. There will be price breaks, ticket breaks. We would love to see our people figure out how to re-direct and come to Auburn, Alabama this weekend to watch the Tigers play. I think it's pretty neat." Season ticket holders will get the first right of refusal to purchase tickets in their designated seating location, which will be sold through a digital application in the ticket holders’ online account. Ticket holders will have the opportunity to purchase as a three-game package during the pre-sale timeframe and may only purchase up to their season ticket allotment in their same seats. No upgrade opportunities will be available. Following the pre-sale deadline, remaining inventory will go on sale to the public with both reserved and Tiger Terrace tickets being sold for $10. All remaining inventory will be sold on a single-game basis. There will be no option to use in a mini plan or flex package. All tickets for this weekend, both to season tickets holders and the general public, will be delivered digitally. With questions or for more information, contact the Auburn Ticket Office at 855-282-2010, option 1, or email tickets@auburn.edu. 14COMMENTS Sunday’s game will coincide with the end of the scheduled War Eagle Run Fest. Anyone arriving before 11 a.m. Sunday should use Wire Road to Heisman Drive to access campus.

Freeze talks about the rebuild needed on the lines of scrimmage Jason Caldwell 4–5 minutes AUBURN, Alabama—When Hugh Freeze took over the Auburn program in late November following a second-straight losing season and the firing of Bryan Harsin during the 2022 football season, there were issues at every level of the program. The biggest of those, and the most pressing need, was along the line of scrimmage, particularly on the offensive line. Following the losses of seniors Brenden Coffey, Brandon Council, Alec Jackson, Austin Troxell, Nick Brahms and Kilian Zierer as well as the transfer of Keiondre Jones, Auburn was left with just seven scholarship offensive linemen on the roster for the 2023 season. Before Freeze even took the job, the former Ole Miss and Liberty coach knew that was going to be the first thing that had to be addressed to give the Tigers a chance in 2023 and beyond. In just a few short weeks, Auburn added six new offensive linemen to commitments Bradyn Joiner and Clay Wedin, a pair of high school seniors. Still hoping to add one more to the group between now and the beginning of the 2023 schedule, Freeze said the situation left them with no choice other than to get to work by bringing in transfers Dillon Wade, Gunner Britton and Avery Jones along with high school signees Connor Lew, Tyler Johnson and junior college offensive tackle Izavion Miller. “Having to sign nine offensive linemen in one class, that's never a real good plan so we have got to get that fixed,” Freeze told Auburnundercover. It wasn’t just on the offensive line where Auburn had to get some immediate help. With the losses of top defensive linemen Derick Hall, Eku Leota and Colby Wooden along with Marquis Burks and one-year players Marcus Bragg and Morris Joseph, Jr., the lack of depth along the defensive front was just as dire because of the losses of guys like Daniel Foster-Allen, Lee Hunter, Ian Mathews and Romello Height following the 2021 season. Having gone through the grind of the Southeastern Conference while at Ole Miss, Freeze knew they had to address those things in a big way. When Harsin was fired, Auburn had commitments from Wilky Denaud and pass rusher Ashley Williams (who later decommited and signed with Arizona State.) That was it. Auburn added 4-star Darron Reed during the time that Cadillac Williams was running the show as the interim head coach, but the real work began when Freeze and his staff took over. “I know that, from my time in this league, you're just not going to compete in this league consistently without depth up front, on both sides,” Freeze said. “That was more important than anything we had in recruiting. Yeah, we had to recruit great players everywhere, but we had to get the numbers in those rooms right, and hopefully the numbers that we got are really good players. "That remains to be seen, but it definitely was a priority," he said. "Whether it was my time in this league before or not that helped with that, I don't really know, but it certainly was a priority.” And they showed that with the work they did in the month of December, adding transfers Justin Rogers, Lawrence Johnson, Mosian Nasili-Kite, and Elijah McAllister, junior college signee Quientrail Jamison-Travis, along with high school signees Keldric Faulk, Brenton Williams and Stephen Johnson to give Auburn DL coach Jeremy Garrett a whole lot more options in coach Ron Roberts’ defensive scheme.

Auburn QB commit Walker White excited about Tigers' scheme, eager to learn more Lance Dawe 3–4 minutes The Auburn Tigers' 2024 QB commit Walker White is all about talking football, and after getting to discuss Auburn's scheme a little with Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery, White White joined Zac Blackerby on the Locked On Auburn Podcast to talk about his recruitment, the new scheme, and his Breaking Bad nicknames - among other things. Blackerby asked White how he saw himself fitting into Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery's system offensively. "Whenever I was at Auburn, me, Coach Montgomery and Coach Freeze just went over the basics of the offense," White said. "We haven't really gotten deep into what they've put together. But whenever coach freeze was drawing up on the board and showing me what he likes, and what Coach Montgomery likes, I think they'll be able to use me very efficiently with me being a pocket passer." Freeze's quarterbacks at Ole Miss were typically more pocket passer types, but his best signal callers were able to utilize their legs when asked. Malik Willis at Liberty made a living off of it. White doesn't shy away from being called upon to run the ball under Freeze and Montgomery. "But I also think they'll know how to run me when I need to run, because I know personally that my legs are a threat to the defense," White said. "I'm sure they will trust me on certain occasions where if they need to run me or they want to run me, then I'm all for that. But they are very spread. They'll run some 12 personnel. But I think I'll do whatever they need me to do as good as they need me to do it." "That's just one of the exciting things about Auburn, is they can develop me and they have the tools and coaches around me to teach me and develop me in how to run their offense efficiently." While White and the coaching staff haven't gotten a chance to sit down and truly talk out scheme, White says it's one of his favorite parts about being a quarterback. Talking ball is what he likes to do, and any opportunity he can get to do it, he'll take. "I loved watching Coach Freeze start drawing on the board, it was such a cool experience. One of my favorite things in the world is talking football. There's been multiple visits at different schools where I would just talk football for five hours and I'd love it. That's one of my favorite things, I love to learn. I don't know what I don't know. I'm not near as smart as I know will be just because I just don't know what I don't know. That's what I'm really excited to get into, is learning and the tiny details about the game and how to identify coverages based on certain looks. That's one part I'm very excited about with the college game, is just learning more about both sides of the ball."

How will Auburn use Jack linebackers, and who will they be this season? Published: Feb. 21, 2023, 3:46 p.m. ~3 minutes Nov 5, 2022; Starkville, MS, USA; Dylan Brooks (39) picks up the fumble for the turnover during the game between Auburn and Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium . Zach Bland/ AU Athletics Zach Bland/ AU Athletics By Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com We’re taking a look at each position group as Auburn prepares to open spring practice on Feb. 27. The seventh of an 11-part series looks at the Jack linebacker. Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts will run defense with a base look of three down defensive linemen with a fourth player on the line of scrimmage in a hybrid position known as a Jack linebacker. Derick Hall and Eku Leota, who are leaving the program for the 2023 NFL Draft, played a similar position at EDGE last season. A Jack linebacker’s primary function is rushing the passer; however, there will also be responsibilities in pass coverage. Roberts wants the position to become an advantage. He’s used it in his defenses at Baylor for three years and succeeded. He’s hoping the recreate the success at Auburn. Read More Auburn Football: Will Hugh Freeze’s offensive line rebuild work in 2023 at Auburn? Rivaldo Fairweather leads a developing tight-end group at Auburn Is Jarquez Hunter ready to be a feature running back at Auburn? Elijah McAllister is a transfer from Vanderbilt. He racked up 65 career tackles, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, an interception, and a touchdown during five seasons. He started in 12 games and played in 35. He’s listed as a Jack on the Auburn website. Hayden Brice and Dylan Brooks are returning players in the Jack category. Brice and Brooks are talented athletes, and the Tigers need them to step up as the team seeks to replace Hall and Leota. Projected Depth Chart: Starter: Elijah McAllister or Dylan Brooks Hayden Brice Brenton Williams or Keldric Faulk Departed: Derick Hall and Eku Leota Due to arrive in the fall: Brenton Williams and Keldric Faulk Outlook: How this position will look depends on how Brooks and Brice develop. Auburn is losing a lot of defensive production with the departures of Hall and Leota. Auburn struggled to create negative plays last season, which has to improve. The Tigers will likely attempt to find players in the portal when the window opens after spring football. Up Next: Linebackers

Auburn spring preview: How the freshmen fit in Nathan King 6–7 minutes This time next week, football will be back on the Plains. The first practices of the Hugh Freeze era get under way next Monday, as Auburn is set for an early start to spring ball this year. The new coaching staff will get their first chance to work with the Tigers, implement new schemes on both sides of the ball, acclimate newcomers from high school and the transfer ranks, and evaluate where the team stands as a whole and what areas of emphasis will need to be moving forward. Things culminate April 8 with the first A-Day spring game of the Freeze era. All week, Auburn Undercover will continue to preview a different facet of Auburn's upcoming spring practices until things get rolling on Monday — from wild-card players to freshman fits to position battles to depth charts. Next up is a look at the Tigers’ eight early enrollee freshmen, plus a JUCO addition, and what to watch from each in fitting in with their new position rooms in the spring. (247Sports) IOL Connor Lew 247Sports position rank: No. 33 IOL What to watch: Before the addition of ECU transfer Avery Jones, there was legitimate buzz that Lew might be able to compete right away for Auburn’s starting center spot. A huge flip from Miami, Lew is one of the top center prospects in the country and will look to build on an already impressive frame of 6-foot-3 and 280 pounds. While Jones will likely command first-team reps by the end of the spring, don’t count out Lew as a competitor in that room throughout practices. IOL Clay Wedin 247Sports position rank: No. 37 Watch to watch: Coming from 2A competition in Florida, there might be an adjustment period for Wedin, but he certainly has the size to help that process along. At 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds, Wedin was recruited by Auburn as a guard but played everywhere along the line in high school. He likely won’t be pressured to contribute immediately, with Auburn returning players like Kameron Stutts and Jeremiah Wright with starting experience at guard. IOL Bradyn Joiner 247Sports position rank: No. 42 IOL What to watch: From Auburn High School, Joiner remained loyal with his commitment to the Tigers’ previous staff. Another center prospect, Joiner isn’t as highly rated or as athletically polished as Lew, so it may take him a couple seasons to begin impacting the depth chart. OT Izavion Miller (JUCO) 247Sports position rank: No. 2 OT What to watch: New Auburn offensive line coach Jake Thornton was able to flip Miller from Ole Miss, Thornton’s previous school, to Auburn, filling a huge need for experienced players at the tackle spots. A top-10 overall JUCO player in the country for the 2023 class, “Too Tall” Miller checks in at 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds. Auburn’s transfer pickups of Dillon Wade (Tulsa) and Gunner Britton (Western Kentucky) will likely be Miller’s primary competition at tackle, considering Auburn doesn’t return any players with starting experience at either tackle spot. (247Sports) DE Keldric Faulk 247Sports position rank: No. 10 DL What to watch: The crown jewel of Auburn’s 2023 class after flipping from Florida State, Faulk not only brings oozing talent to the Tigers’ defensive front, but he does so at a thin position group without any star power. Faulk is listed on Auburn’s roster as a Jack linebacker, the new terminology for a pure pass-rushing role, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him competing right away for a primary spot in the rotation with redshirt sophomore Dylan Brooks and Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister. DE Wilky Denaud 247Sports position rank: No. 49 DL What to watch: A freak athlete at 6-foot-4 and 295 pounds, Denaud was mostly an edge rusher in high school but isn’t listed with Auburn’s Jack group currently. Like Faulk, he has the size to play defensive end and the athleticism to stand up as an outside linebacker. He’s not necessarily entering a massive position of need, especially with the Tigers’ transfer portal pickups, but his strength and size for a freshman will turn some heads this spring. DE Brenton Williams 247Sports position rank: No. 73 EDGE What to watch: Anyone in Auburn’s pass-rusher group has an opportunity this spring. With Brooks as the only returning player, Auburn’s staff will keep their eyes open for any possible contributors, and that includes Williams, a local standout from Opelika High School. Williams won’t be pressured to step up right away if he’s not ready, but he does possess impressive speed off the edge at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds. DT Stephen Johnson 247Sports position rank: No. 156 DL What to watch: A flip from Arkansas late in the recruiting cycle, Johnson adds more depth to Jeremy Garrett’s room. At 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds, he’ll likely have an opportunity to compete for the No. 3 nose tackle spot behind Kentucky transfer Justin Rogers and returnee Jayson Jones. ">247Sports

auburnwire.usatoday.com The Athletic breaks down Auburn Football's biggest question ahead of spring practice Taylor Jones 2–3 minutes The on-field portion of the Hugh Freeze era finally begins on Monday, Feb. 27 when Auburn takes to the practice field for spring practice. Alongside the usual questions that come with having a new man in charge, there are several other questions that Auburn hopes to answer by the end of spring, or at least be closer to finding solutions. Buy Tigers Tickets Most seem to point towards the quarterback position, as Freeze has mentioned publically that he welcomes the opportunity to evaluate the position himself. Also, in that same quote, he mentions the struggle up front, which may have led to issues with Robby Ashford and T.J. Finley’s decision-making in 2022. It seems that Auburn can improve QB play by developing a stronger offensive line, which leads to The Athletic‘s most important question surrounding Auburn ahead of spring practice. In a piece titled “SEC football: Biggest spring practice question facing each program(sub. required)“, Seth Emerson of The Athletic points toward both lines as Auburn’s biggest question mark. He is interested to see how Auburn’s new additions fill their need. Hugh Freeze inherits a team that lost 10 offensive or defensive linemen with starting experience, including defensive lineman Derick Hall and Colby Wooden. The Tigers reached into the portal for three offensive and four defensive linemen and have several returning players with at least some experience. The Tigers added several players that could start game one on the offensive line, such as Avery Jones and Dillon Wade. Auburn also received defensive line help in the form of Justin Rogers and Mosiah Nasili-Kite, which will provide a boost to Dylan Brooks, Auburn’s most experienced returning defensive lineman. Auburn’s spring practice period will conclude on Saturday, April 8, as the Tigers take the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium for the annual A-Day game.

Best in class: The top 2023 transfer portal hauls by position Chris Hummer (Photo: Savanna Elkins, 247Sports) Auburn had to get better up front if it were to have a chance in Year 1 under Hugh Freeze. Last year, the Tigers were average at pass blocking (No. 62 nationally per PFF) and terrible at run blocking (No. 92 nationally). With little in the way of recruiting boons to speak of on campus, Auburn had to go heavy in the portal. And that’s exactly what Auburn did. The Tigers signed three of the top 11 offensive linemen in the transfer portal, per the 247Sports transfer rankings. The highlight member of that group is East Carolina center transfer Avery Jones. A three-year starter for the Pirates, Jones has allowed only four sacks in his entire career. He’s a Day 1 starter for Auburn. You can likely say the same of Auburn’s two tackle adds, Tulsa’s Dillon Wade (No. 7 o-lineman) and Western Kentucky’s Gunner Britton (No. 11 o-lineman). Wade had a host of national offers coming out of the AAC but picked Auburn where he’ll be an instant starter. Britton is very experienced entering his sixth year of college football. Britton was one of the highest-graded tackles in the G5 this season, per PFF. He’s capable of playing both the left and right tackle spots if needed. With those three linemen in place, Auburn’s short-term trajectory in the trenches looks much more palatable for 2023. Others Under Consideration: Michigan, Miami, Oregon, USC, SMU, Arizona State i copied and pated this from a long article about who did well in the portal. most of the teams were not even sec.

auburnwire.usatoday.com Auburn's hiring of Ron Roberts named most intruiging defenisive coordinator move in the SEC JD McCarthy ~2 minutes Auburn’s defense undeniably took a step back last season and Hugh Freeze has turned to Ron Roberts as the man to get Auburn back where it needs to be. Roberts, who spent the past three seasons at Baylor, has spent over 30 years coaching defenses and his hire was the most interesting defensive coordinator hire in the SEC this offseason according to On3’s Jesse Simonton. Buy Tigers Tickets Roberts was fired by Baylor in December but was a major part of their success in 2021, their defense led the Big 12 in turnovers (27) and was second in sacks (44) and scoring(18.3). The Tigers will continue to run a similar 4-2-5 scheme under Roberts, but there will be a much greater emphasis on being aggressive and creating more chaos. Roberts is a big on havoc rate — i.e. the percentage of plays in with the defense recorded a tackle for loss, sack, forced a fumble, intercepted a pass or broke up a pass — and in his introductory press conference, he listed desire for Auburn to have “20 percent of our plays, we need to work in the havoc rate. If you’re doing that, you’re going to be in the top 20 in the country. That’s our goal coming out of the gate.” That will be a tall task for Auburn as they were last in the SEC with 13 takeaways last season and will need to replace their two best pass rushers from last season in Derick Hall and Colby Wooden who are both headed to the NFL. The Tigers will have several new players competing for roles as they have brought in six transfers and signed 13 freshmen this offseason to help the defense. 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.

see? this is what is wrong too often here and i am guilty as well. you are seeing hate where none exists 78. none. the first thing you guys do when we do not like something or someone we are haters and this is just not true. my post is about those hurting religion and not just bashing religion altho i disagree with somes beliefs about gays on here.

Trump would easily beat Biden if 2024 election were held today, Harvard poll finds Published: Feb. 21, 2023, 5:49 a.m. 3–4 minutes Donald Trump on Election Day in 2016. (AP Photo/John Locher)AP By Matthew Medsger Boston Herald (TNS) Tribune Media Services If the election were held today, Donald Trump would be the 47th President of the United States, according to a survey of 1,838 registered voters. According to a Harvard CAPS/Harris survey conducted on Feb. 15 and 16, those asked said they would choose Biden and Trump to win their respective party primaries in 2024, setting up the potential for a repeat of 2020′s contest. Vice President Kamala Harris takes second in the Democratic Party and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis takes second on the Republican side, according to those polled. Polling shows, however, that Biden would not do as well in a second matchup against the 45th president as he did in the first, when he earned a historic 81,283,098 votes, or 51.3% of the votes cast, becoming the first candidate earn more than 80 million votes. Trump won just 46.8% of the vote, or 74,222,958 votes, the last time around. Despite that, the former president, those surveyed indicated, would win a rematch by a wide margin. “According to the polling memo, President Trump would beat Joe Biden by 5 points in the general election. Conversely, the survey shows that President Trump’s nearest opponent and Joe Biden are virtually tied in a hypothetical general election,” Trump’s campaign wrote in response to the poll’s results. Though 13% remain undecided, of those surveyed 46% would choose Trump over Biden’s 41%. These numbers are actually unchanged from January’s survey results, pollsters indicated. Biden’s support among those polled regarding a theoretical race against DeSantis remains unchanged at 41%, with the Sunshine State’s governor winning by a single point and 17% undecided. DeSantis, who seems at the moment to be Trump’s most significant potential challenger, garnered just 23% support against the 45th President. Those polled said their biggest concerns at the moment are inflation and price increases, which were top of mind for more than a third of people at 36%, while the economy and jobs stood at 27% and immigration at 24%. Gun concerns and worries over crime or drugs both occupied the thoughts of 17%. Only a third of those polled thought the country was on the right track, and while pollsters said that “perception of the economy is improving,” again just one third thought the nation’s financial affairs are in order. Only half of respondents said their personal financial situation has gotten worse, an improvement from January’s 56% gloom. Optimism wins out over pessimism among those surveyed, with 44% saying the next year will be better and 22% thinking it will be about the same. More than a third, or 34%, think things will only get worse by next January. ____ ©2023 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at bostonherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

i just want to know how in the hell you think this would be light hearted? c'mon man as brandon would say.........

some interesting comments... Prosperity Gospel is perhaps the farthest christian theology has been stretched, even farther than the Inquisition. It is a social cancer, and is predatory. In Matthew 25 versus 31 to 46 Jesus says that the only thing that will get you into heaven or kick you out is how well you take care of the poor, hungry, homeless, naked, etc. a**holes like Joel, Osteen, and Kenneth Copeland do not get called out by mainstream Christianity and evangelicals. They spend all their time worrying about abortion and gays, neither of which was ever mentioned by Jesus. If Jesus were to return with the same teachings he would have to go into the witness protection program because these a**holes would have a hit out on him. It’s not Christianity at all. Christ literally said the opposite. He all but explicitly said the rich were going to hell. and the magats go absolutely apeshit if you say Jesus was a socialist. i've done it. they're like rabid hyenas. Matthew 7:21 They may hold a Bible in their hands, but they are not Christians, and unless they turn away from this prosperity gospel they never will be. As a Christian who has studied the Bible academically, the prosperity gospel is the most dangerous threat to Christianity in today’s world. It is a complete distortion of what we believe, and it preys upon those who are suffering. Titus 1:16 "They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work." Jesus would also be called a 'dirty commie'

in the days when church membership is declinning why are we not trying to get a handle on this?

How Auburn football WR coach Marcus Davis assesses his players before spring practice Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser Tue, February 21, 2023 at 5:00 AM CST AUBURN — As Auburn football quarterback Nick Marshall scanned the field on third-and-16 against Arkansas State on Sept. 7, 2013, his eyes locked onto freshman receiver Marcus Davis. Davis hauled in the pass and paid for it as a defensive back collided with him on his way to the ground. It was his first catch in an Auburn uniform, a touchdown as part of a 38-7 win over the Red Wolves in a season that would eventually end in the BCS National Championship against Florida State. Less than 10 years later, Davis is back as a coach, guiding players at the position he once played in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Throughout Davis' playing career, former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn told him he'd one day end up in the profession, but the former three-star recruit out of Florida wasn't buying it. "I didn't believe it at the time because you're just so focused on the process of being the best player you can be," Davis told reporters earlier this month. "When I took the time to look back on things, now that I'm sitting where I am now, I see exactly what he was saying. I'm glad I chose this career. It's been good. And the best part about it is you get to pour into younger guys who have similar goals to what you have." JOHN COHEN:Exclusive John Cohen Q&A: Auburn AD discusses Hugh Freeze, Butch Thompson, facilities upgrades SPRING PRACTICE:Projecting Auburn football's 2023 starters ahead of Hugh Freeze's first spring practice TIGHT ENDS:Auburn football eager to find if its next NFL tight end is on the 2023 roster Davis, 28, now leads a position group that was anything but prolific in 2022; not a single receiver registered over 500 yards, and Ja'Varrius Johnson (493) and Koy Moore (314) were the only players to have over 300. Auburn's receivers only accounted for six touchdowns last season. Aside from an incoming freshman − four-star Daquayvious Sorey − the Tigers only added one player at the position: Cincinnati transfer Nick Mardner. Mardner caught 19 passes for 218 yards with the Bearcats in 2022; a season before that at Hawaii, he pulled in 46 balls for 913 yards and five touchdowns. His position coach with the Rainbow Warriors? None other than Davis. "The biggest thing I would say is he's a guy who brings a combination of size and speed," Davis said of Mardner, who announced his transfer to Auburn in January. "He's every bit of 6-5, and he can run. That's something he definitely can bring to the room. "And we've got other guys in the room that can do some things as well that probably didn't have the opportunity. The biggest thing for me is getting everybody together, getting them on the same page. Because competition is going to bring the best out in everybody." Davis brings up some players that didn't have much opportunity last season. The Tigers added three receivers in the Class of 2022 in Omari Kelly, Jay Fair and Camden Brown. Brown played 27.5% of Auburn's offensive snaps a season ago, while Kelly (9.2%) and Fair (8.2%) saw significantly less. Auburn Tigers wide receiver Camden Brown (17) catches the ball in the end zone for at touchdown as the Auburn Tigers take on Arkansas Razorbacks at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022. "All of them have a unique personality," Davis said of the trio. "I like being around those guys. The biggest thing for me is that they're all hungry. They all want to be coached, they all want to be involved and around. That's the start; once you have that, you don't have to pull that out of people. That's a sign of a good thing. I'm just excited to finally get going with them in the spring, get on the field and learn more about them." Auburn begins spring practice on Monday and will finish with A-Day on April 8. "It's a dream for me," Davis said of returning to his alma mater as a coach. "It truly is. I didn't know it would happen this quick. ... It's a different type of focus because you want this place to be good because it's special to you. So, it drives you to work a little harder, to do the extra mile because you want to be great." Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: New Auburn football receivers coach Marcus Davis assesses spring lineup

XFL roundup: T.J. Barnes comes up big for Renegades Updated: Feb. 20, 2023, 7:53 a.m.|Published: Feb. 19, 2023, 10:56 p.m. 6–7 minutes During his three seasons in the NFL, former Enterprise High School standout T.J. Barnes was the biggest player in the league. On Saturday in the first game of the XFL’s comeback season, Barnes was a big man again. With 12 seconds to play, Vegas quarterback Luis Perez threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cinque Sweeting to pull the Vipers within two points of the Arlington Renegades. Vegas had the choice of taking its conversion snap from the 2-yard line to try for 1 point, the 5-yard line to try for 2 points or the 10-yard line to try for 3 points. The Vipers chose to try to tie the game. But Barnes sacked Perez on the conversion attempt to seal the Renegades’ 22-20 victory. Barnes’ weight is down to 358 pounds after he weighed “about 420″ at Thanksgiving, he said, before getting in shape for the XFL opportunity. “December was hell for me,” Barnes said. In the other games on the first weekend of the XFL’s 2023 season: · Orlando lost four turnovers and Houston quarterback Brandon Silvers threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns in the Roughnecks’ 33-12 victory over the Guardians on Saturday. · St. Louis quarterback AJ McCarron threw two touchdown passes in the final 85 seconds to rally the Battlehawks to an 18-15 victory over the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday. RELATED: AJ MCCARRON LEADS EMOTIONAL COMEBACK FOR XFL’S BATTLEHAWKS · Seattle took its final two snaps of the game at the D.C. 1-yard line but didn’t score on either as the Defenders held on for a 22-18 victory over the Sea Dragons on Sunday night. During Week 1 of the XFL’s 2023 season, 24 players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field: Arlington Renegades 22, Vegas Vipers 20 · Renegades defensive lineman T.J. Barnes (Enterprise) made one tackle. · Sal Cannella (Auburn) started at tight end for the Renegades. The All-USFL tight end last season with the New Orleans Breakers, Cannella led Arlington with seven receptions for 70 yards in his XFL debut. · Quinterrius Eatmon (Vigor) started at right offensive tackle for the Vipers. · Vipers offensive lineman Antonio Garcia (Troy) was designated as a game-day inactive. · Mike Horton (Auburn) started at right guard for the Renegades. · Renegades defensive lineman Davonte Lambert (Auburn) made two tackles. · Vipers defensive back Maurice Smith (Alabama) is on the injured list and not eligible to play. Houston Roughnecks 33, Orlando Guardians 12 · Ja’Chai Baker (South Alabama) started at left offensive tackle for the Guardians. · Guardians defensive end Nick Coe (Auburn) tied for the team lead with six tackles. · Javaris Davis (Auburn) started at cornerback for the Guardians. · Trevon Sanders (Troy) started at nose guard for the Guardians. · Brandon Silvers (Gulf Shores, Troy) started at quarterback for the Roughnecks. The XFL veteran completed 26-of-42 passes for 272 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Silvers threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jontre Kirklin as Houston tied the score at 6-6 in the first quarter and a 46-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Deontay Burnett as the Roughnecks took a 12-6 lead in the second quarter. · Maurice Smitherman (Minor) is on the injured list and not eligible to play. · Guardians linebacker Erroll Thompson (Florence) made two tackles. · Guardians defensive back Dee Virgin (West Alabama) is on the injured list and not eligible to play. · Roughnecks offensive lineman John Yarbrough (Homewood) played but did not record any stats. St. Louis Battlehawks 18, San Antonio Brahmas 15 · Ben Davis (Gordo, Alabama) started at linebacker for the Brahmas. Davis recorded one tackle for loss. · AJ McCarron (St. Paul’s Episcopal, Alabama) started at quarterback for the Battlehawks. McCarron completed 18-of-27 passes for 190 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and ran four times for 12 yards. McCarron threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Hakeem Butler followed by a 3-point conversion pass to wide receiver Austin Proehl as St. Louis cut the lead to 15-12 with 1:25 to play. Then McCarron threw 22 yards to Proehl when the Battlehawks chose to take a fourth-and-15 snap instead of trying on onside kick. Retaining possession allowed McCarron to put St. Louis ahead with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Proehl with 16 seconds remaining. · Battlehawks running back Kareem Walker (South Alabama) netted 1 yard on two rushing attempts and caught a 4-yard pass. · Battlehawks offensive lineman Dallas Warmack (Alabama) played but did not record any stats. D.C. Defenders 22, Seattle Sea Dragons 18 · Defenders tight end Trae Barry (Spanish Fort, Jacksonville State) did not record any stats. · Defenders linebacker Jamal Brooks (Bessemer City, South Alabama) made five tackles, recorded one sack and registered one tackle for loss. On Seattle’s final snap of the game at the D.C. 1-yard line with 19 seconds to play, Brooks caused Sea Dragons quarterback Ben DiNucci to fumble, and he recovered the loose football to seal the Defenders’ victory. · Sea Dragons long snapper Thomas Fletcher (Alabama) handled the snapping duties for Seattle. · Offensive lineman Chris Owens (Alabama) started at right guard for the Sea Dragons. · Sea Dragons wide receiver Kelvin McKnight (Samford) caught four passes for 19 yards, returned four punts for 19 yards and ran back four kickoffs for 105 yards. · Sea Dragons wide receiver Jordan Veasy (Gadsden City) caught two passes for 22 yards. · Sea Dragons wide receiver Damion Willis (Troy) caught a 3-yard pass. · Defenders nose tackle Gabe Wright (Auburn) did not record any stats. Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1. 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