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flywareagle.com The backup plan for Auburn football at QB if they miss on Spencer Sanders and Brennan Armstrong Andrew Hughes 2–3 minutes The Montgomery Advertiser's Richard Silva revealed a potential transfer portal backup plan for Auburn football at quarterback Mandatory Credit: Journal-Courier The Auburn football quarterback room is one that feels close to a resolution one way or another soon — either Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery roll with Robby Ashford, Holden Geriner, and incoming freshman Hank Brown out of Lipscomb Academy in Nashville or they add another signal-caller through the transfer portal. With bowl season coming to an end, just about every portal entry has made their intentions to transfer known. Whoever AU is going to add is already out there and likely being spoken to by Freeze and co. The Montgomery Advertiser’s Richard Silva offered a backup plan in his transfer portal options piece should the Tigers strike out on both former Oklahoma State signal-caller Spencer Sanders and Virginia QB Brennan Armstrong. That’d be Purdue defector Brady Allen, whose former team will be giving Texas Longhorn Hudson Card the reigns to the Boilermakers’ offense: “(Brady) Allen, who was a four-star recruit and the No. 10 quarterback in the class of 2022, according to the 247Sports Composite, logged just three pass attempts with the Boilermakers last season. The staff who recruited him to Purdue, led by coach Jeff Brohm, was replaced this offseason.” “If Freeze wants to bring in a young quarterback with multiple years of eligibility remaining, Allen should be a prime candidate.” What Auburn football adding Brady Allen would mean for the Tigers QB1 role Brady Allen would give Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery another pro-style gunslinger in the vein of Hank Brown and Holden Geriner. It’d also make Robby Ashford the most experienced quarterback in the room, likely pushing the incumbent starter back into the QB1 role. Spencer Sanders and Brennan Armstrong may require assurances they’d start wherever they land, but Freeze should keep the QB competition open during fall camp — though, unlike his predecessor, he shouldn’t let the competition spill over into the regular season. Allen is an addition that’d feature plenty of potential, but it’d be one that’d maintain the status quo under center.

A historic All-American Bowl on deck for Auburn Christian Clemente 3–4 minutes This year's All-American Bowl in San Antonio is a big one for Auburn. In fact, it seems to be the biggest in program history. Starting in 2000 originally as the Army All-American Game, with historic rosters going back to 2009, Auburn has never had more than three signees or commits in the game. Four Auburn signees are reporting to the Alamo City on Monday: Keldric Faulk, Darron Reed, Connor Lew and Kayin Lee. All signs right now point to a fifth, too, with Tyler Scott announcing his decision during the game and Auburn being the 247Sports Crystal Ball favorite. The last time Auburn was represented in the game was in 2020 when Kobe Hudson and Desmond Tisdol were selected. You have to go back to 2013 when Jeremy Johnson, Daniel Carlson and Tony Stevens were selected to find the last time Auburn had more than two players in the game. Auburn had Kris Frost, Greg Robinson and Jonathan Rose in the 2011 game and Trovon Reed, Shon Coleman and Jeff Whitaker in the 2010 game. Rosters before the 2010 game are unavailable. For Auburn's class which is currently No. 20 in the 247Sports Composite team recruiting rankings, it's a big accolade for Auburn's three-highest-rated signees in Faulk, Reed and Lee, along with Lew, who 247Sports has as a 4-star and one of the top centers in the country. Lew was awarded with his All-American jersey back on Sept. 14 when he was a Miami commit. “Being an All American has been a goal watching the game with my friends on TV every January on NBC,” Lew said. “Now to say I’m going to be that kid playing in the game and having other people watching me, it’s special to see it come full circle.” The big center flipped from the 'Canes to Auburn just over a week before Signing Day. One of Auburn's two big Signing Day flips, Faulk is Auburn's highest-rated commit after flipping from Florida State — checking in as the No. 73 overall player. He was awarded his jersey on Nov. 16. “You know, living a dream I never knew I had," Faulk said. "It’s a blessing. Just to be in a position to where guys like them are role models of mine, to be in that position they were is a blessing." Auburn's other big Signing Day flip was Lee, the former Ohio State cornerback commit. Lee was awarded his jersey on Sept. 21. “It was real big,” Lee said. “I get to show that I can compete with the best in the nation most definitely and be able to enjoy the fruits of my labor.” 8COMMENTS Carver-Columbus' Reed will also play in the game. He flipped from LSU to Auburn while Cadillac Williams was the interim head coach. The All-American Bowl will kick off from San Antonio on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 12 p.m. CT on NBC. ">247Sports

Who is at fault for Auburn Football's recent demise? Mike Farrell weighs in Taylor Jones 2–3 minutes Auburn University hired Hugh Freeze as its next football coach on Nov. 28, and he immediately got to work. In just three weeks’ time, Freeze flipped several 2023 recruits from other schools to Auburn, which bumped its ranking from the 60s to No. 20. While doing that, he also put together a reputable staff in an effort to return Auburn to competitive form. Buy Tigers Tickets Everyone from players to fans is in good spirits at the moment when it comes to Auburn football, but it has not always been this way. Fans were disgruntled at the end of the Gus Malzahn era and became more restless during Bryan Harsin’s tenure. Harsin was relieved of his duties on Oct. 31, two days following Auburn’s 41-27 loss to Arkansas, after recording a 9-12 record through a season and a half. Fan support, recruiting, and on-field production took a turn for the worst in the first two years of the new decade, and Auburn has no one to blame but itself for its recent demise says Mike Farrell. “The Godfather of College Football recruiting” has started a new series titled “Fault or Fluke”, in which he rates college football’s recent disappointments. When mentioning Auburn, he says that the hire of Harsin was an issue from the very beginning. This was simply a bad hire. Bryan Harsin was a fish out of water and arguably the 7th or 8th choice for Auburn in what seemed like a panic move to try to look smart after striking out on top candidates like Mario Cristobal. Harsin was never able to correct some recruiting issues left in place by Gus Malzahn (reduced traction in Georgia, OL recruiting, etc) and was never welcomed by the boosters. Hugh Freeze is in place now and has much more support but this is clearly FAULT on behalf of the powers that be at Auburn. The dip in production from Alabama‘s Will Anderson, as well as Miami’s 5-7 season under first-year head coach Mario Cristobal were also examined by Farrell. He called both instances “flukes.”

Auburn football fans now realize why Deion Sanders wasn’t hired as HC Andrew Hughes ~3 minutes Auburn football fans were enlightened with incriminating video proving why Deion Sanders wasn't hired as Tigers head coach Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports A video of Deion Sanders talking about his lack of interest in meeting with program boosters is enlightening Auburn football fans as to why he was a long-shot candidate to be hired as the Tigers’ head coach. In an interview with Undisputed with Skip and Shannon co-host Shannon Sharpe (h/t The War Rapport), Sanders said that his time is more valuable than meeting with the power brokers who fund operations for Power Five programs. Needless to say, that was the lightbulb fans needed to go off to understand why Auburn football was such a poor fit for ‘Prime Time’: Exibit A why Prime at Auburn will never happen and would never have worked. — HaliT (@hali_t2010) January 2, 2023 I, for 1 am glad “it didn’t go well”…Auburn won by not getting this guy IMO. — WAR (EAGLE) MACHINE (@InfiniteAubFan) January 2, 2023 Wow! Isn’t that part of the job when your hired by a university for public relations and figure head of a sports program? I still wanted @CoachCaddy24 but so far have liked what @CoachHughFreeze has done and waiting to see next chapter he’ll create @AuburnTigers — Trevor (@trevornewton68) January 2, 2023 Prime is all about selling the Prime brand, not the Auburn or Colorado fb brand. — JeepinTodd 0|||||||0 (@ToddSeagers556) January 2, 2023 The amount of time coaches can spend with football is limited by ncaa rules. He just doesn’t want to do the foundational work to build the program. He’s unwilling to lower himself to these sort of coach activities. He is all about himself. https://t.co/DunOWVUzAL — Auburn Tweep (@AUTweep) January 2, 2023 Auburn football hired someone with minimal leverage and will benefit from it The Auburn way is what the AU brain trust wants, and it’s clear Bryan Harsin wasn’t about that when he arrived on the Plains in 2021. Evidently, Deion Sanders wouldn’t have bended the knee either, but his success at Jackson State would have allowed him to come out unscathed had things gone wrong had the Auburn football program hired him. The Tigers ended up with Hugh Freeze, which may have disappointed some hoping for a bigger name, but there is a silver lining. Because Freeze’s last SEC stint ended so disastrously, AU now holds the cards in the partnership. Freeze has minimal leverage, so whatever the boosters want, the boosters will get. And if it results in wins on the football field, few Tiger fans will bat an eye.

Where Auburn goes at RB after Dillon Johnson's commitment to Washington Christian Clemente 3–4 minutes The search for another running back continues. On Tuesday afternoon former Mississippi State running back Dillon Johnson announced his decision to transfer to Washington. Auburn, Louisville, South Carolina and a return to Mississippi State were all options, but Johnson opted to head west for Seattle. With Tank Bigsby heading to the NFL, that leaves Auburn with rising junior Jarquez Hunter, rising sophomore Damari Alston and former walk-on Sean Jackson as scholarship running backs for the spring. 4-star Jeremiah Cobb will make things official on Feb. 1 and enroll in the summer. Still, that's just three scholarship backs on the roster for the fall, assuming Jackson is reverted back to a walk-on. Even if Johnson had transferred in, Hunter is set to be the leader of the room. Coming in as a low 3-star, Hunter quickly established himself a strong backup for Bigsby and set program records as a freshman. He finished the 2021 season with 593 yards, three touchdowns and averaged 6.7 yards per carry. Hunter also caught 12 passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. In the 2022 season Hunter continued to flash, carrying for 668 yards, seven touchdowns and averaging 6.4 yards per carry, improving as a receiver with 17 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns. All while cutting his teeth on special teams as a returner and playing in kick coverage. It's clearly Hunter's time to lead the backfield. Behind him, Alston returns after playing in 10 games as a freshman. The former Woodward Academy (Ga.) had 14 carries for 85 yards and caught one pass for 13 yards. The majority of Alston's work came in jet sweeps as he was minimally used as a true running back. That will change this season, no matter what happens for Auburn at running back through the portal. Cobb will arrive in the summer as one of the state's most productive backs over the past three seasons, ending his high school career at Montgomery Catholic (Ala.) with over 6,320 rushing yards and 88 touchdowns. All while being a productive receiver, too, with 15 career receiving touchdowns. His track speed will be counted on as soon as he arrives on campus with an opportunity to get some early carries for Auburn. In the 247Sports transfer portal player rankings Johnson was the No. 2 running back, with former South Carolina back MarShawn Lloyd the No. 1 back. Thus far there hasn't been any news regarding Auburn going after Lloyd. That could change now with the Johnson news, but nothing yet. 26COMMENTS One name that Auburn could look at is someone that Hugh Freeze is already plenty familiar with — Dae Dae Hunter, the former Liberty running back. Formerly at Hawaii, Hunter transferred to Liberty for the 2022 season and had 129 carries for 850 yards and eight touchdowns with 18 receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown. Hunter suffered a knee injury in the Arkansas game and was forced to miss the rest of the season. Hunter entered the portal on Dec. 28. Another high school back could be an option, though it's pretty late and the cycle and there aren't any known targets out there. ">247Sports

New Year's questions for Auburn's coaching staff ByNathan King 16 hours ago 2 Roster management is nowhere near complete for Auburn's coaching staff, as the transfer recruiting window will open back up Wednesday, but a couple recent NFL draft decisions have helped the Tigers to gain a bit more clarity as to what each assistant coach needs to be prioritizing moving forward. Hugh Freeze's 10-man assistant staff has been officially in place for a couple weeks, and after a brief break during the holidays, they're back to work on goals in for their respective position groups, as the calendar has flipped to the spring semester, a few months out from the first practices of the Freeze era. Here are 10 questions Auburn's assistants are looking to answer in the New Year, from transfer question marks to bigger roles for individual players in 2023. OC/QB coach Philip Montgomery Who will be the transfer addition? Freeze has been steadfast in his support and admiration for incumbent starter Robby Ashford and the "intriguing" tools the Oregon transfer presented in 2022. But it's become completely apparent Auburn is in the market for a transfer quarterback, and Freeze confirmed as much at his national signing day press conference. Whether it be Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders, who's received interest from Auburn of late, or another name either in the portal or yet to enter, the Tigers seem to be seeking a 1A and 1B situation in 2023 with Ashford and a transfer. It's also possible Auburn could wait out the post-spring wave for more portal entries from QBs who aren't pleased with their depth-progression in spring practices. RB coach Cadillac Williams Is Jarquez Hunter ready to carry the load? Tank Bigsby is moving on to the NFL after three successful years on the Plains, and Auburn has an obvious successor who's been biding his time. A former 3-star recruit from Mississippi, Hunter burst onto the scene last year as a true freshman, then improved in every statistical category as a sophomore, including 100-yard performances in each of Auburn's last three games. Hunter's running style is varied from Bigsby's, but he showed his ability to serve as an excellent complement for two years. Is he ready to shift into another gear and be a lead back in 2023? All signs have pointed to yes, even if the Tigers add another experienced ball-carrier from the portal after missing on Mississippi State's Dillon Johnson, who committed to Washington. WR coach Marcus Davis Who will be WR1? It's not as if Auburn has big losses in production at receiver, like it's dealt with the past two offseason. The only outgoing name is sixth-year senior Shedrick Jackson, who had 217 yards in 2022. There's plenty of returning talent, but who will rise to the top? Ja'Varrius Johnson has shown flashes of explosiveness, while a youngster like Camden Brown displayed rare physical traits as a true freshman. Tar'Varish Dawson is also coming back after entering the portal. Can former LSU transfer Koy Moore take another step? Or will a transfer addition be adding to the starting rotation? As Davis, a former Auburn receiver himself, assesses his new room, he has plenty of options to groom within Freeze's passing game. TE coach Ben Aigamaua Will Landen King transition back to tight end? Aigamaua has been with Freeze since his time as an off-the-field staffer at Ole Miss, and he's seen the head coach's impressive usage of versatile, big-bodied talents at tight end. With King, who started his Auburn career at tight end before moving full-time to the receivers room last season, opting to return to the team from the transfer portal, Aigamaua has a 6-foot-5, 220-pound weapon to play with. It would make sense for King to move back to tight end, where he'd also be joined by FIU transfer Rivaldo Fairweather, another freak athlete at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds. OL coach Jake Thornton Can transfers start at both tackle spots? Offensive tackle was a severely under-recruited spot for Auburn over the past several cycles, and now the Tigers' fifth offensive line coach in the past seven years is tasked with figuring out how to replace not only last season's starters at both left and right tackle, but also two other veterans with starting tackle experience who have exhausted their eligibility. The only returning player with any experience playing tackle is Colby Smith, who's taken a whopping one snap in his career. So it's not far-fetched to speculate that Tulsa transfer Dillon Wade and JUCO addition Izavion Miller could be penciled in at left and right tackle for the spring at the moment. DC Ron Roberts Who’s coaching what? This will also be Freeze's responsibility, obviously, but Auburn has a number of currently unspecified position groups in terms of assistant coaching designation. Jeremy Garrett is coaching defensive linemen, but will that also include outside, pass-rushing linebackers, called the "Jack" spot in Roberts' past defenses. Or will that responsibility be handed to linebackers coach Josh Aldridge? Additionally, how will Zac Etheridge and Wesley McGriff — both of whom have the title of defensive backs coach — split duties in the secondary? DL coach Jeremy Garret Can the Tigers get enough SEC-ready talent? With NFL draft departures and transfer exits, Auburn is unusually low on experienced defensive linemen at the moment. Senior Marcus Harris will look to anchor the group in 2023, and nose tackle Jayson Jones is also a returning starter, but the Tigers are short on proven depth, with Jeffrey M'ba and Zykeivous Walker serving as the only players with much playing time to their names. Vanderbilt pass-rusher Elijah McAllister was a good start in terms of transfer pickups, and top-75 overall recruit Keldric Faulk could play immediately as a true freshman, but Garrett still needs at least a couple more experienced pieces added to his room in order to field a defensive line with depth capable of competing in the SEC week in and week out. LB coach Josh Aldridge Is Robert Woodyard ready to step up? Linebacker is yet another position of need for Auburn in the transfer portal, as the defense is replacing one of its biggest leaders in four-year starter Owen Pappoe. But beyond an assumed transfer pickup, Aldridge could use some internal growth to ensure a solid linebacking corps in his first season coaching on the Plains. Full of talent is rising redshirt freshman Woodyard, the highest-rated prospect in Auburn's 2022 class. He dealt with a minor injury last preseason and contributed sparingly on special teams. A full, healthy offseason could yield some improvement for the young defender, and Auburn could certainly benefit from more quality depth at the position, so it doesn't have to rely on Cam Riley, Wesley Steiner and a probable transfer to be superstars. DB coach Zac Etheridge Can Keionte Scott take on a bigger role? Roberts' most successful defenses at Baylor and Louisiana featured a standout player at the "star" position, otherwise known as the nickel in Auburn's more recent defensive jargon. And Etheridge coached defensive backs under Roberts for one season at Louisiana, so he'll be able to give a player like Scott, Auburn's starting nickel last season, an inside track into what some of his new responsibilities could entail. Under Roberts' orchestration, Baylor's Jalen Pitre was a massive key for the Bears' 2021 Big 12 championship run, and now he's starting in the NFL. Roberts will rely heavily on the star position, and it could start with Scott. DB coach Wesley McGriff Can McGriff help take the room to the next level? Auburn now boasts one of the better secondary coaching tandems in the SEC, if not the country. Etheridge has proven himself to be a solid developer and dynamite recruiter, while McGriff's list of NFL defensive backs spans two decades. It's an ideal backdrop for a secondary is arguably the strongest position group on Auburn's entire roster in 2023, with all 11 players who took a snap last season set to return, plus five signees joining the mix, including a trio of 4-star prospects. Led by D.J. James, Jaylin Simpson, Nehemiah Pritchett, Donovan Kaufman and Zion Puckett, blended with more than a few talented underclassmen, McGriff and Etheridge should have a fun few months ahead of them as they map out the secondary's goals for spring practice. 2COMMENTS --

that is rich since a very young black boy playing with a toy gun was shot down in cold blood. and YOU are not correct that your opinion on racism is just a bunch of bullsh*t and one of the main reasons this crap still continues. Until YOU cast aside your stance things will continue to slowly crawl toward justice. you have no clue how it is to go out and fear you could be pulled over or stopped and detained and know you might not come home. White supremacy groups have infiltrated the police force throughout the country and this is a fact if you would care to google looking for truths and not just what fits your narrative. and as far as i am concerned those that voted for trump pushed race relations way back but you guys ignored that just like many other things about trump.

Tigers preparing for what Pearl calls an improved Georgia team Mark Murphy 4–5 minutes AUBURN, Alabama–Bruce Pearl said on Monday that he has pushed his Auburn basketball players since they returned from their Christmas break, even though his team has played just once since a road victory at Washington on December 21st. Auburn will be back in action on Wednesday in Athens vs. the Georgia Bulldogs. That will be the first game for the Tigers since winning 61-58 last Wednesday at Neville Arena vs. the Florida Gators to open SEC play and improve to 11-2 overall. “Actually the guys only got one day off, which was kind of interesting, so we played Wednesday,” the coach said. “Thursday, they all get individual workouts and a really good lift. I was recruiting Thursday so they worked Thursday and then Friday and Saturday. “We had two very hard practices,” Pearl pointed out. “We had two really physical, really hard–kind of glad we got through it without anybody getting hurt–practices. Some best-on-best activity. “We worked on us on Friday, and then we worked on Georgia Saturday so we got one extra day of preparation on Georgia,” said the coach, who didn’t practice his team on Sunday, which was New Year’s Day. “We took advantage of the time to actually work on ourselves so there wasn't a lot of down time,” he added. “I thought we had two good practices because we have got a lot of things to get better–offensive execution, transition defense. Georgia is really good in transition, has got really good athletes.” Georgia also has a week to prepare for Auburn, the first SEC opponent this season for Coach Mike White’s Bulldogs. His team improved to 8-0 in home games last Wednesday with 78-72 victory over Rider. Overall, the Bulldogs go into their league opener with a 10-3 record. “The more I watch Georgia, and, obviously, we have had time to watch Georgia, the more impressed I have been with them,” Pearl said. “Mike has come in and done a really good job. They have got an older, veteran team with a lot of transfers. They are playing pretty well right now.” Pearl said the Bulldogs haven’t played as tough of a schedule as his team, but noted, “I think as a result they have built up some confidence. “They are way better than they were a year ago,” the coach declared. “They are just way better than a year ago. If you guys recall, we went over there and Wendell Green kind of saved us at the end so it is going to be interesting to see what they are going to be able to do.” White, the former head coach at Florida, is in his first season in charge of the Bulldogs. “Mike White has done a great job against me personally,” Pearl said. “I think matchups matter. “I think he has done a good job with his teams so we will go back and look at how they guard us, and what they ran against us, and try to make some anticipation as to what they will do, whether they do some of the things they have done. “Typically, coaches like Mike–I am not going to put him in my category as far as age is concerned, I won't do that to him–but Mike has been around long enough that he is a veteran coach. Veterans typically do what veterans do.” Tipoff for the contest is set for 5:30 p.m. CST at Stegeman Coliseum. The game will be televised on the SEC Network. “Rivalry games matter,” Pearl said. “When I was at Tennessee, Georgia was a pretty good rival because it was a border state. Obviously, here at Auburn, it is a big rivalry game for us.” 2COMMENTS Auburn’s head coach added, “It is an opportunity for us to win on the road. Obviously, those are the great separators. You have to win at home, and you have got to get a couple on the road. This one won't be easy.”

Auburn guard rotation tightens as Westry continues to heal Nathan King 4–5 minutes AUBURN, Alabama — As the Tigers enter the New Year — and the gauntlet of SEC competition — their rotation is becoming clearer. The biggest question mark for No. 22 Auburn's lineup in the early stages of the year was how the minutes would shake out in the backcourt behind Wendell Green Jr. at point guard. And for a couple reasons, Bruce Pearl might have all his answers now, after the head coach had said for weeks that he might need to trim things down from the 11-man lineup Auburn began the season with. Tre Donaldson, the 3-star freshman from Tallahassee, solidified himself in the backup role with his strong finish to December, while former top-50 recruit Chance Westry has since faded from the picture in the guard rotation, playing decreased minutes from Georgia State (eight minutes), then only one minute apiece during the West Coast games at USC and Washington, to not appearing at all in Auburn's SEC-opening win over Florida last week. Of course, Westry underwent a preseason knee procedure after he was a standout all offseason. Assistant coach Steven Pearl said last week Westry was the "top-graded guard" on the entire roster over the summer. And Bruce Pearl noted Monday, as Auburn (11-2, 1-0 SEC) prepares for its first SEC road game at Georgia on Wednesday, that the former elite prospect still isn't completely healthy. "I mean, first of all, he's handled it terrific," Pearl said Tuesday of Westry's diminished role. "He has — Chance Westry is going to be a great player in this program. He missed the entire fall. He had pretty good, major knee surgery. He came back and he wasn't what he was before his injury and what he was this summer. At this point, then, you've got to look at the guys that are able to be out there and go, 'OK, we're going to go with them right now.' "Right now, he's just working to get back to 100 percent. I have no doubts about his future in this program." Donaldson went from 7.6 minutes over Auburn's first seven games of the year to 16.2 in the past four games. He stepped up on the West Coast trip while Green Jr. nursed a minor ankle injury: Donaldson scored a season-high 12 points with four steals in the loss at USC, and followed up with seven assists in the blowout win at Washington. "I just think that Tre's done a good job, especially when he was out of the rotation and then got the opportunity to get back into the rotation and took advantage of the opportunity," Pearl said. "Stayed right and stayed ready. Kept working. Understood the position that he was in, but wasn't happy about it, and came back and has played better than what he did at any time since he's been here. The speed and the physicality of the game compared to high school, it's just night and day. When Tre plays with a motor, he's really effective out there." Pearl admittedly expects a lot from his backups at the 1 spot; he doesn't want any drop off when Green Jr. goes to the bench. Green Jr. is arguably the top playmaker on the team and is still Auburn's leading scorer, so it's a tough ask. But Donaldson has responded after a defined role this season wasn't a guarantee for the freshman just a month or so ago. "There's a lot of responsibility on the point guard," Pearl said. "He's done a pretty good job. There aren't many freshman point guards playing in college basketball right now." Tipoff in Athens, where Auburn has won four of the past five meetings, is set for 5:30 p.m. CST on SEC Network. *** HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Get 50% off Auburn Undercover subscription (with FREE Paramount+) *** 8COMMENTS

What to expect from Auburn’s defense under new coordinator Ron Roberts Updated: Jan. 02, 2023, 4:03 p.m.|Published: Jan. 02, 2023, 4:02 p.m. 4–5 minutes The Auburn War Eagle flies above Jordan-Hare Stadium before the Penn State game on Sept. 17, 2022. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com By Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com Ron Roberts’ tenure as Auburn’s defensive coordinator became smoother on Saturday once cornerback D.J. James announced on Twitter that he is returning for another season on the Plains. The Oregon transfer was a key contributor to the Tigers’ secondary that would also return Nehemiah Pritchett, Zion Puckett, JD Rhym, Donovan Kaufman, Keionte Scott, and Jaylin Simpson. James won All-SEC second-team honors from the Associated Press and the coaches. He led the team in pass breakups, had a pivotal interception return for a touchdown against Western Kentucky, and posted 25 solo tackles in his first season playing for the Tigers. Read More Auburn Football: Auburn cornerback D.J. James returning for 2023 season Meet Hugh Freeze’s 2023 Auburn football coaching staff New Year’s resolutions in the transfer portal for Hugh Freeze at Auburn Pritchett is returning for a fifth season on the Plains. His teammates and the coaching staff voted him as the team’s best defensive back this season. Getting James, Pritchett, and the rest of the crew back will give the Tigers one of the most experienced secondary rooms in the nation. Roberts has 31 years of coaching experience, including 11 years as a head coach at Delta State and Southeastern Louisiana. Roberts comes to Auburn after spending the past three seasons as defensive coordinator at Baylor. He’s sent nine players to the NFL during his coaching career. A compelling aspect for Tiger defensive backs is seven of those nine players are defensive backs. “Ron has been a very successful defensive coach spanning three decades, and multiple stops,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said in a press release. “His defenses have always been aggressive and put a lot of pressure on opposing offenses. Ron is a great fit for what we are wanting to do on both sides of the ball, and we are excited to have his experience and expertise leading our defensive unit.” Baylor’s defense in 2021 led the team to a Big 12 title. The Bears’ defense had 19 interceptions and 44 sacks during the 2021 season. Roberts preaches a defense that’s balanced in pass defense and stopping the run. He seems to have enough depth with the defensive backs to succeed quickly. Auburn’s depth in the defensive backfield is a stark comparison to what the team is losing with EDGE rushers Derick Hall and Eku Leota leaving for the NFL. Hall was an all-conference first-team selection. Leota’s presence was missed once he suffered a season-ending injury. Losing linebacker and two-time team captain Owen Pappoe adds to the tasks for Roberts. Quientrail Jamison-Travis was one of the six defensive linemen the Tigers signed during December’s early National Signing Day. Jamison-Travis is 6-4′ 280 and played junior college football at Iowa Western. He could see lots of playing time as the team seeks options to replace Hall and Leota. Elijah McAllister is a two-time team captain at Vanderbilt who committed to the transfer to Auburn during the early signing period. McAllister had 65 tackles during his career with the Commodores. There’s still time for recruiting with February’s traditional signing day approaching. Freeze expects to continue working on the defensive line over the next few weeks. “I think this is a big man league,” Freeze said. “If you don’t have guys on both sides up front, then it’s very difficult for these athletic receivers, running backs, and quarterbacks. Those DBs get alot better if you’ve got an EDGE rusher that can shorten the time a quarterback has. Our emphasis will always be on making sure those rooms are correct.” Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

Nehemiah Pritchett returning to Auburn for 2023 season Published: Jan. 02, 2023, 4:37 p.m. 2–3 minutes Nehemiah Pritchett (18) Jaylin Simpson (36) celebrate during the Football Game between the Auburn Tigers and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Jordan Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL on Saturday, Nov 19, 2022. Zach Bland/Auburn TigersZach Bland/Auburn Tigers Auburn’s defense will return both of its top cornerbacks next season. Nehemiah Pritchett, who started all 12 games at corner for Auburn in 2022, will officially return to the Plains for one more season, the program announced Monday. Pritchett was a senior this past season but still had a year of eligibility remaining, thanks to the NCAA’s additional year granted to athletes during the pandemic. Read more Auburn football: Auburn cornerback D.J. James returning for 2023 season What to expect from Auburn’s defense under new coordinator Ron Roberts Meet Hugh Freeze’s first Auburn coaching staff The news of Pritchett’s return comes two days after fellow starting corner D.J. James announced his decision to forego the NFL Draft and return to the Plains for another year. Both Pritchett and James received invites to the Senior Bowl in November. Pritchett, a native of Jackson, has appeared in 42 games over the last four seasons for the Tigers and has not missed a game over the last three seasons. During that stretch, the 6-foot-1, 182-pounder has made 31 starts in Auburn’s secondary. A former three-star recruit, Pritchett has 93 career tackles, with 4.5 for a loss and one sack. He has 25 pass breakups, including a team-high tying eight this past season, and two interceptions, as well as a touchdown on a blocked field goal return during the 2021 season. Pritchett’s decision to return bolsters the top of Auburn’s depth chart in the secondary, where the Tigers are also set to bring back James, Keionte Scott, Jaylin Simpson, Donovan Kaufman and Zion Puckett, among other contributors. Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

Auburn secondary has chance to be dominant in 2023 Lance Dawe 2–3 minutes There's no denying the strength of Auburn's 2022 defense was its secondary. Just recently, two starters in that defensive backfield announced that they would be running it back. According to Justin Hokanson of Auburn Live, cornerbacks DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett will return to Auburn for another season. James posted a team-best 82.4 Pro Football Focus this season after transferring from Oregon. Pritchett, who is entering his fifth season with the Tigers, finished with a career-best 37 total tackles in 2022. With these two back - alongside Keionte Scott and Donovan Kaufman on the backend - the Tigers have a legitimate chance to be one of the more dominant secondaries the Plains have seen in quite some time. Stat of the day Auburn's secondary gave up 6.5 yards per pass attempt in 2022, good for 26th nationally. That's the Tigers' best mark in that category since 2019. What it means The 2019 Tigers had a historic defense led by a strong front seven and a stingy defensive backfield. That secondary featured a slew of future NFL talent: Roger McCreary, Daniel Thomas, Noah Igbinoghene, Jamien Sherwood, and Smoke Monday. It's yet to be determined just how much NFL talent is on roster currently, but there's reason to believe both James and Pritchett will end up being NFL Draft selections. Add in an offseason to develop in a new 4-2-5 defensive scheme, one that allows more defensive backs to shine and was Kevin Steele's calling card? Sounds like a recipe for success.

Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column Jason Caldwell 3–4 minutes Playoff expansion the right move For much of the last two years we have heard college football "experts" talk about how there’s no need for expansion in the playoffs because it would just create more blowouts. So much for that talk. All we heard was that this season they should have just let Georgia and Michigan play for it all and skip the playoff games. There’s a reason why you play the games and we saw that on Saturday. TCU and Michigan played an all-timer and the Horned Frogs absolutely deserve a shot to play for the title. The same is true of Ohio State even though Georgia survived the Buckeyes to advance to the championship game. But guess what, I’m not so certain that Tennessee or Alabama or even USC with a healthy Caleb Williams couldn’t have made some noise either. That’s the point. More teams deserve a shot to see if they can make some noise. For too long we’ve been limited to the same three or four teams in the playoffs. The more expansion we see, the more new teams we see. The more new teams we see the more opportunities those programs have to take big strides. I think we’ll look back on Saturday as one of the defining moments of what’s to come for college football in the future. Big plays I have talked about it recently, but the need to be able to make big plays is a must if you want to compete for championships in college football. That’s not only on offense, but TCU showed it’s a must on defense as well with the performance against Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl. Georgia has become the king of big plays on defense, taking over the throne from Alabama, and it has played a big part in the Bulldogs' success the last few seasons. Big plays on defense and pressuring the quarterback are keys to putting your team in positions to win games in this era. That’s just one part of it, however. Throwing the ball and getting in the end zone is the ultimate separator for teams. It’s something that has made a huge difference for Georgia in the last two seasons, being able to make plays in the passing game. It’s what Auburn has to be able to do to take the next step. In the last six years, Auburn has thrown for just 103 passing touchdowns as a team. That’s an average of around 17 per season. To put that into perspective, Alabama has 127 in the last three seasons alone and 256 in the last six years. Georgia, who people have considered a pedestrian passing game for much of the last decade, has 166 passing touchdowns in the last six seasons. 18COMMENTS Big plays are the key. While turnovers and running the football are always going to be important, making big plays on both sides of the ball is how you go from average to great in one season. It showed up for Auburn in 2013 and TCU this year. *** Subscribe: Receive the latest Auburn intel and scoops*** ">247Sports

Auburn signees excited for Hugh Freeze era Blair Angulo 2–3 minutes SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — Auburn is embarking on a new era under Hugh Freeze and several incoming freshmen raved about the direction of the program as they checked in for the All-American Bowl on Monday. The Tigers sit at No. 20 nationally in the Composite team recruiting rankings following the Early Signing Period, showing plenty of promise on the trail given that Freeze closed decently in such a short span of time. “Coach Freeze has the blueprint for turning around programs,” four-star offensive lineman Connor Lew said. “At all the stops he’s made, he’s made a difference. This isn’t the first time he’s rebuilding and we believe in him. It starts with a culture change and, talking to him on my official visit and during our in-home meeting, that’s a top priority for him.” Eight of the 19 players that make up Auburn’s class fall in the four-star category. The Tigers have plenty of quality coming in, to go along with the developmental pieces that Freeze has been known to prosper with. 2COMMENTS “The conversations are always great with coach Freeze,” four-star defensive lineman Darron Reed said. “You can talk to him about things outside football. He wants every one of the freshmen to come in ready to compete. We’re coming in with a clean slate as his first-ever class at Auburn. And we have to set the bar for the next classes.” Said four-star cornerback Kayin Lee: “Coach Freeze is a straight forward guy and cuts out the fluff. He keeps it real with you and he’s genuine. We didn’t even get to talk much football our first few conversations. He wants to learn more about you and keeping up with you as a person overall.” ">247Sports

i enjoyed that one so much! they have a great coach. he is on the top ten list i believe of most wins by any coach he just did a lot of his winning in a lesser division. but i love the underdogs and i have still not gotten over the mouthing and crap we caught when they beat us with bush and company. lane was there as well and it was not flattering at all. so i am full of joy at the moment.

there is a trilogy out called the power of the dog by don winslow. it is called the greatest crime novel of the century since the godfather. great read but long and based on historical with some fiction thrown in. if anyone read this it would break your heart for the little people just trying to save their family. and i bet every single person on this board would try to find better for their wife and family. i mean it is heart breaking stuff. remember our DEA agent they tortured and murdered? they had a doctor on hand to keep him alive so he could suffer longer while they peeled the skin off his bones. that is true. they turn children who have not reached puberty yet into prostitutes. it is very heart breaking stuff. what baffles me is we are a christian nation and we turn our back on these desperate people while making fun of them. santos is a prime example. playing with peoples lives who are desperate just to live. it is heartbreaking. i am not sure what the solution is but we can do much better. but then they come from thos sh*thole countries so they mean little to folks. my point is jesus would not be happy about this at all. but repubs are great at hate anyway. many of you. i saw that during the trump years.

wow. there is so much racism on this board it blows my mind. i will admit i mistakenly admit i thought cole was racist as do other people on this board. if you call someone out on something racist it does not automatically mean they are racist. what i thought was racist was in fact him just calling others out on theirs. people resent this and i freely admit this is how i felt. it is an uncomfortable subject and most folks do not want or care to admit the truth. cole has a right to call anyone out racism on this board if he sees it. it does not mean he is it means he is tired of the bullsh*t and he will approach it. i got that mixed up and believe me as mr cole and i have been on private message talking over our issues. we even invited a mod to make it legit. racism is evil and ugly and if it is called out and people disagree then you better take a long look in the mirror. and you cannot throw out other countries did it like this magically changes anything. there is racism on this board and everyone that has spoken against it has been ridiculed on this thread. racism is alive and well and peoples indifference is not helping anything. it should be called out whenever it pops up. everyone counts or no one counts. seriously? if it makes you uncomfortable and you throw out crap to make yourself feel better you best look in the mirror. if you cannot acknowledge the horror of what has happened and what continues to happen you need to go look in the mirror. if cole says something and you immediately think of what color he is instead of his talking points you might have some issues. in fact anyone that knows trump knows he is a racist piece of crap whom many of you adored and would put right back in office if given the chance and you damn well know it. and before you bring biden up as being racist he had a serious change of heart. enough so that obama named him his VP. put your anger aside and that how dare him attitude and listen to what he was saying. there is a difference in being angry over what is happening to your race and and i have been guilty of that for a while. so keep smearing cole and ichy but you might as well include me as well because i see as do others they just do not want to engage the argument.

Jarrett Stidham sets Raiders’ record in first NFL start Updated: Jan. 01, 2023, 8:14 p.m.|Published: Jan. 01, 2023, 8:00 p.m. 6–8 minutes Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jarrett Stidham became the second player in NFL history with at least 350 passing yards and three touchdown passes in his first start on Sunday. The former Auburn standout also successfully executed a two-minute drill against the NFL’s No. 1 defense to send the game into overtime. But Stidham’s final pass soured the quarterback on his record-setting performance. In overtime, with Stidham passing under pressure from San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, safety Tashaun Gipson returned an interception 56 yards to the Las Vegas 7-yard line, with the Raiders QB pushing him out of bounds. That set up the 23-yard field goal by Robby Gould that ended the game 37-34 in the 49ers’ favor to extend San Francisco’s winning streak to nine games. “The ball’s in my hand every play,” Stidham said. “I’m the only one who gets to touch it every play. Unfortunately, there was two interceptions in the game and probably some things that I definitely could have done better to win. … “I definitely feel like I left some football out there on the field today.” The San Francisco defense had yielded the fewest points and yards in the NFL entering Sunday’s game. The Raiders became the third team to score more than 20 points on the 49ers this season, and the Las Vegas offense’s 500 yards was 56 more than any other team had gained against the 49ers in 15 games in 2022. Stidham completed 23-of-34 passes for 365 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions and ran for 34 yards on seven carries. RELATED: HOW HAVE 7 FORMER AUBURN QUARTERBACKS FARED IN THEIR FIRST NFL STARTS? Stidham became the sixth player with at least 365 passing yards in his first NFL start. The record is held by former Auburn All-American Cam Newton, who had 422 in his debut for the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 11, 2011. The previous high for a Raiders QB in his first NFL start had been 243 passing yards by Todd Marinovich in a 27-21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 22, 1991. Marinovich and Matt McGloin (against the Houston Texans on Nov. 17, 2013) were the only players in franchise history with three touchdown passes in their first starts before Sunday. The only other player in NFL history with at least 350 passing yards and three touchdown passes in his first start is Mike White in the New York Jets’ 34-31 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 31, 2021. “I thought Jarrett put in a great week of work,” Las Vegas coach Josh McDaniels said. “Obviously, he knows what to do. He’s been in our system a long time and has that grasp of it. Understands what to do. I thought he executed a lot of things the right way today, gave our guys the chance to make some plays down the field. He skipped third down in the first half for the most part. We didn’t hardly have any third downs. He had a solid performance, I think, for his first start. “I’m sure he’d be the first one to tell you the turnovers you want back. Obviously, there were some other things involved in those turnovers. But I thought leading our team, his energy, his communication, I thought we had good rhythm, and, obviously, you can tell the guys really played well for him and played hard for him, as they should. And so it didn’t surprise me that he was ready to go and played the way that he played.” Stidham opened the scoring with a 24-yard pass to tight end Darren Waller with 11:40 left in the first quarter. Stidham connected with Davante Adams on a 4-yard touchdown pass as Las Vegas took a 17-14 lead with 10 seconds left in the first half and a 60-yard touchdown pass to push the Raiders’ lead to 24-14 with 10:22 left in the third quarter. After San Francisco rallied to take a seven-point lead with 2:17 remaining in the fourth quarter, Stidham threw 21 yards to wide receiver Mack Hollins and 45 yards to Adams, then had defensive pass interference on a toss to Waller that put the football on the 49ers 1-yard line. Running back Josh Jacobs scored from there with 1:11 left in the fourth quarter, and when Gould missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt on the final snap of the period, the game went to overtime. “I didn’t feel like I had really any nerves at all this week,” Stidham said. “The perspective has changed a lot over the years. It’s not worth stressing over and getting all uptight, so I just wanted to go out there and play free today and try and facilitate the offense in a way to win, and we just fell short a little bit.” Stidham started on Sunday after the Raiders decided to bench nine-year starter Derek Carr for the final two games of the 2022 season to give Stidham an opportunity to close his fourth NFL campaign. Before Sunday’s game, Stidham had completed 32-of-61 passes for 342 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions in 11 NFL regular-season games. “My thing has always just been to work hard,” Stidham said. “I don’t know anything else. I don’t know how to do anything other than the hard way, so I’ve just tried to continue to stay grounded in who I am as a person and a player and just be ready whenever my number was called, so whether that’s rookie year, second year, third year or now, fourth year.” Carrying a 6-10 record that includes nine losses by seven or fewer points, the Raiders will close their season against the Kansas City Chiefs next weekend, when Stidham will make his second start. The NFL will set its Week 18 schedule on Monday. “Jarrett’s a young player,” McDaniels said. “I think everybody that’s worked with Jarrett and I think Jarrett himself has to assume his best football is going to be in front of him. The way you improve is through experience, and you have opportunities to compete against really good players and good defenses and good coaches and you learn a lot from those experiences. I think he’ll learn a lot from today, and next week will be another opportunity as we go forward.” FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

slim pickin's folks. i will check throughout the day for more.

Auburn offers Eastern Michigan OL transfer Christian Clemente 2–3 minutes As the search for more immediate help along the offensive line continues, Auburn extended an offer to former Eastern Michigan left tackle Marcellus Johnson on Saturday night. Johnson — listed at 6-foot-4, 308 pounds — spent the last three seasons as the starting left tackle for Eastern Michigan. He is a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining. "I am open to any part of the country," Johnson told 247Sports recruiting analyst Allen Trieu. "It is my last year so I want to take advantage of the time that I have left in college football. But I am really looking forward to a new opportunity. I have been at Eastern Michigan for five years so I thought for this last year I'd take a chance." Since entering the portal on Dec. 29, Johnson has reported offers from Colorado, Auburn, BYU Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky, South Carolina, Troy, Louisville, Illinois, Old Dominion, Coastal Carolina, Cal, Mizzou, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, Virginia, Kansas and Illinois. In 2022, Johnson had a PFF grade of 71.6. Johnson told Jeremy Werner of Illini Inquirer that he has one planned official visit to Colorado during the Jan. 4 through Jan. 8 window for transfers to make visits. “I plan on taking all of my visits from the 4th through the 8th, and I will make my decision while I am either on a visit or soon after,” Johnson told Werner. “I will try to hit East Coast to West Coast first. But the biggest deciding factor for me is the O-line coach. I want to make sure I have a great connection with him.” 4COMMENTS It's unclear right now if Auburn will get a visit or not from Johnson. From the transfer portal Auburn has already picked up former Tulsa offensive tackle Dillon Wade, who is the No. 36 overall player in the 247Sports transfer portal player rankings. Still with the departures, Auburn is after another offensive tackle or two along with an interior offensive lineman or two. ">247Sports

Auburn football WR depth chart: to rely on deep room in 2023 Lance Dawe 3–4 minutes Auburn's receiver room may end up being one of, if not the deepest unit on the team in 2023. Sure, the Tigers are losing Shedrick Jackson to graduation and Dazalin Worsham to the transfer portal - but considering the fact that Hugh Freeze will bring in and establish a legitimate passing scheme and the quarterback play can only go up from here, there's a lot of excitement surrounding Auburn's WR core. Here's a look at what the receiver depth chart could look like in 2023: Z Receiver Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics Koy Moore Moore was a solid transfer pickup for the Tigers, finishing second on the team in receiving yards. He should step into a larger role at the Z position. Malcolm Johnson Jr. After only having two catches for 28 yards there's reason to believe that Johnson should be more productive simply because of the new offensive system. Omari Kelly The freshman receiver had three catches for 58 yards. H Receiver Eric Starling/Auburn Daily Ja'Varrius Johnson There's reason to believe that Johnson will be in contention to be Auburn's No. 1 receiver again in 2023. After positing nearly 500 yards a three touchdowns in a system that struggled to create open looks, Freeze should be able to get him open downfield quite a bit. Tar'Varish Dawson Jr. Speed. That's what Dawson brings. We've yet to see it at Auburn, but a more polished passing attack should help him shine. Jay Fair Fair groups in with this collective of speedy, smaller receivers - but whether or not he makes great strides on the field after only grabbing two catches as a freshman is up in the air. There's a lot of depth in front of him. X Receiver Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports Camden Brown It is now Camden Brown's time to shine in Philip Montgomery's offense. He's a tall, physical receiver that should allow the Tigers to generate some more consistency in the downfield passing game. Landen King After entering the transfer portal, the 6-foot-5 King is back. Copy and paste here - King should be utilized more in the passing game, as Freeze has had success with tall, hybrid TE/WR types. Daquayvious Sorey The true freshman receiver fits the "physical, hard-nosed" receiver type that Freeze can really work with. Described as acrobatic on the outside.