aubiefifty

well there goes his NIL beer money for traffic fines...............

Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley arrested on charge of attempting to elude police Updated: Aug. 04, 2022, 5:11 p.m.|Published: Aug. 04, 2022, 1:13 p.m. 3-4 minutes T.J. Finley (1) Auburn FB scrimmage on Saturday, April 2, 2022 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU AthleticsTodd Van Emst/AU Athletics On the day Auburn players are set to report for the start of fall camp, quarterback T.J. Finley was booked at the Lee County detention center on a charge of attempt to elude police, a misdemeanor. Finley turned himself in to Auburn police late Thursday morning, according to a source, after being informed that a warrant was issued for his arrest. According to the source, the charge stems from an earlier traffic violation in which Finley was cited for failure to wear a helmet while riding a moped. Read more Auburn football: What are the five biggest questions Auburn faces in 2022? The position battles, key players to watch during Auburn’s preseason practices Finley was back at Auburn’s athletics complex early Thursday afternoon after being released on a recognizance bond. “The charges pending against my client, T.J. Finley, are the result of traffic violations and a misunderstanding,” Finley’s attorney, Davis Whittelsey, said in a statement provided to AL.com. “The charges are in the process of being handled in municipal court within the City of Auburn as all traffic citations are. As soon as T.J. learned of the charges, he turned himself in and has been released on a bond he signed for himself. His first day of football camp with Auburn University has been a success.” Auburn police released their own statement Thursday afternoon following Finley’s arrest. According to the statement, Auburn police were “attempting to perform traffic stops of a male operating a motorcycle, on two separate occasions” on July 26 near the area of Heisman Drive and South Donahue Drive on Auburn’s campus. The statement goes on to claim that Finley, who was not wearing a helmet, “fled from police and committed several other traffic offenses in the process” before officers ended their pursuit in both instances “as a matter of safety.” Once police identified Finley as the person operating the vehicle, a warrant for his arrest was obtained. Auburn was aware of the incident involving Finley prior to his booking. A team spokesman did not immediately have a statement available, but when speaking to the media Thursday afternoon to preview the start of fall camp, Harsin said Finley will practice with the team Friday when the Tigers take the field for the first time. Finley is set to enter fall camp as one of four quarterbacks competing for Auburn’s starting job this season, along with Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada, Oregon transfer Robby Ashford and true freshman Holden Geriner. Finley, who transferred to Auburn last summer, is the lone returning player in the quarterback room and started the final three games of the 2021 season for the Tigers following Bo Nix’s season-ending ankle injury. In nine games as a sophomore, Finley completed 70-of-128 passes for 827 yards, six touchdowns and an interception. Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

Auburn 2022 fall camp position preview: Special teams Published: Aug. 04, 2022, 7:00 a.m. 6-8 minutes This is the 11th in an 11-part series examining each position group ahead of the start of Auburn’s fall camp on Friday. The final installment looks at Auburn’s specialists. Auburn’s special teams units will benefit from continuity heading into Bryan Harsin’s second season, with the Tigers returning their starting kicker, punter and long snapper, as well as their top-three kickoff returners and their second-leading punt returner from 2021. The biggest change for the group will come at the top, where Roc Bellantoni takes over as special teams coordinator this season, replacing Bert Watts (whom Bellantoni also replaces as Auburn’s edge coach this season). Auburn’s special teams have generally been strong in recent years — in part due to the steadiness of having a Carlson at kicker — and the group will look to continue that this fall under Bellantoni.

i posted part of it but i can only post what they put out.

Auburn football announces start of fall camp Lance Dawe 2 minutes Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin announced at SEC Media Days that the Tigers will kick off fall camp on August 4th. "I'm excited to be the head coach at Auburn, and I'm excited for this season," Harsin said at SEC Media Days. The Tigers (6-7, 3-5 SEC in 2021) are currently in search of a starting quarterback, and will find one sometime during camp. TJ Finley, Zach Calzada (Texas A&M transfer) and Robby Ashford (Oregon transfer) are currently competing for the starting job. Once the team finds its quarterback, establishing an identity on both sides of the ball will be important. "Zach (Calzada) has been awesome," Harsin said when asked about the quarterback. "Every day he's been there, the work ethic, the attention to detail... that's really become his foundation... we just really appreciate his work ethic." Harsin has harped on the importance of establishing the line of scrimmage offensively and utilizing star running back Tank Bigsby. Improving run blocking and finding a rhythm within play calling during camp will be crucial, especially with Auburn's young receiving core. Thankfully, the Tigers made an excellent hire during the offseason to help out the development within the core. "Coach Hilliard, immediate impact," Harsin noted at Media Days. "There's a presence about him when he walks into a room. You know he knows what he is talking about... everything that (Auburn's receivers) want to do, he's been there before to do it." Auburn kicks off the season vs Mercer on Saturday, September 3rd at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.

A-List No. 15: Auburn commit Bradyn Joiner ‘just a monster’ on the offensive line Updated: Aug. 03, 2022, 8:30 a.m.| Published: Aug. 03, 2022, 8:07 a.m. Auburn High coach Keith Etheredge believes offensive lineman Bradyn Joiner can contribute quickly at Auburn University. Joiner is No. 15 on the AL.com A-List of top senior prospects. (Julie Bennett | preps@al.com)Julie Bennett | preps@al.com 107 shares By Ben Thomas | bthomas@al.com The A-List is AL.com’s ranking of the top 15 senior prospects in the state of Alabama. We will count down one each day until No. 1 is revealed Aug. 17. Auburn High offensive lineman Bradyn Joiner has a short checklist for his senior season. 1. Help his team win a state title. 2. Win Class 7A Lineman of the Year. “Winning the state championship is always my main goal,” said Joiner, who helped Oxford to the Class 6A state title as a sophomore. “After that, I’m trying to win Lineman of the Year. It’s really the only thing I haven’t done.” The 6-foot-3, 317-pound Joiner enters his senior season as one of the state’s top players. He committed to nearby Auburn University in January, the first commitment of coach Bryan Harsin’s 2023 recruiting class. “I don’t feel like coach Harsin was given a chance in his first year,” Joiner said. “But they recruited some gamechangers in last year’s class like Powell Gordon and Jay Fair and others. He is going to build something great. He is a win first guy. That is one of the main reasons I committed to him.” Joiner kicks off this year’s AL.com A-List, a ranking of the top senior recruits in Alabama, at No. 15. A first-team Class 7A All-State selection on defense as a junior, Joiner made 67 tackles, including 14 for a loss, and six sacks. He’ll move back to offense, his primary spot, as a senior, though he will see some limited duty on the defensive front for the Tigers. “We’ll spot play him on defense when we need him,” Auburn coach Keith Etheredge said. “Any kind of short-yardage situation or any time we need a big stop, he will be in there. When he’s in the game, you have to account for him or you are going to be in trouble. He’s a guy who loves being able to contribute however he can. The competition part of it is something he thrives on. He will make plays when you need him to make plays.” Etheredge said Joiner has become a great leader of the Tigers since the end of the 2021 season. “He’s vocal,” he said. “He’s here every day. He busts his rear. When you are younger, there might be a little immaturity. You might skip a rep here or there. This year, Bradyn is being that alpha dog that we really need. He is stronger in the weight room. He is hang-cleaning 375 now. He’s just a monster. You don’t get to coach kids like him very often.” Oxford lineman Bradyn Joiner blocks against Spanish Fort during the AHSAA Super 7 Class 6A championship at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. (Dennis Victory | preps@al.com) Joiner and Etheredge have built a special relationship. The two won the 6A title together for the Yellow Jackets in 2019. When Etheredge left to take the Auburn job, Joiner and his family eventually followed. “After 22 years of coaching, you learn to appreciate guys like Bradyn,” Etheredge said. “I can call him, and he will come sit in my office and we can have an adult conversation or break down film or whatever. You don’t find many kids like that. “I’ve had him for four years. He’s like a son to me. I’ve watched him grow. He’s been starting for me since he was a ninth-grader. I’ve watched him mature. It makes you proud and happy for him to see the young man he has become and all the work he has put in to get there.” The feeling clearly is mutual. “Coach means a lot to me,” Joiner said. “He’s like a father figure. He’s always been there for anything I need. We are pretty tight.” Joiner has spent much of this year trying to help Auburn University recruit players to join him in the 2023 class. “I’ve just been telling them about Auburn,” he said. “Who doesn’t want to play in a game like the Iron Bowl? It’s the biggest game around. All the NFL coaches are going to be watching.” Etheredge expects Joiner to be able to compete quickly in the SEC and continue his playing career at an even higher level. “He can be a guy that plays interior offensive line on Sundays,” he said. “He can come in right away and make an impact. He’s a kid who will come into Auburn and, as soon as he learns the offense, he will be a guy who plays for them.” A-LIST NO. 15: BRADYN JOINER, AUBURN Position: Offensive lineman Height/weight: 6-3, 317. College status: Committed to Auburn. Randy Kennedy’s scouting report: Bradyn Joiner is a strong and high-motor brawler. His lack of elite height will require him to play guard or even center at Auburn. His early commitment to the hometown Tigers was a huge boost to Bryan Harsin’s staff. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

Phillip's Thursday morning musings Phillip Marshall 4-5 minutes Late Kick: Auburn is a sleeper team heading into 2022 season --The question on the eve of the start of preseason camp is not whether Auburn’s football team has good players. It does. The question is how Auburn’s players match up against the toughest schedule in college football. Auburn will be at a clear disadvantage at Georgia and Alabama and maybe against Texas A&M, though the Aggies still have much to prove. The other five SEC games, plus Penn State, could go either way. Which way they go will probably decide which way the coming season goes. --Some players you haven’t heard much about who could play significant roles in Auburn’s push to defy expectations: linebacker Cam Riley, edge Eku Leota, linebacker Eugene Asante, edge Dylan Brooks, defensive tackle Marquis Burks, defensive lineman Marcus Harris, defensive lineman Jayson Jones, defensive lineman Jeffrey M’ba, defensive lineman Marquis Robinson, linebacker Wesley Steiner, linebacker Desmond Tisdol, defensive tackle Zykeivous Walker. wide receiver Tar’varish Dawson, WR J.J. Evans. There will be others. Someone else at some point will unexpectedly rise up. It is crucial for Auburn’s success that a significant number of the players listed above either challenge for starting spots or provide quality depth. --It’s interesting when someone, somewhere uses a new term to describe something in college football and it quickly becomes accepted. When did positions become “rooms,” as in the quarterback room? When did a first-team quarterback become “QB1?” When did being ranked No. 1 in very subjective recruiting rankings become a recruiting “national championship?” I’m not offended by any of those things. I just wonder where they started. In my newspaper days, those things would have been considered cliches and would have been taboo. --In this age of analytics, lots of people trying to make money will say they have the secret to forecasting college football outcomes. Here’s why I disagree: No analytics can see inside a player’s heart; no analytics can say a key player or players will be injured; no analytics can say when a receiver is going to drop a crucial pass or a running back is going to fumble at the worst possible time; no analytics can say when a coach is going to make a great call or a bad call. College football is not a computer game. --Nick Saban says the 2021 season was a rebuilding year for Alabama, despite an SEC championship and an appearance in the College Football Playoff Championship Game. Last season’s Alabama team wasn’t as dominant as many of Saban’s other teams. Actually, I can see where he is coming from. Alabama lost to a four-loss Texas A&M team. It could have lost to LSU at home. It could have and probably should have lost at Auburn and at Florida. All three of those teams finished with losing records. Saban has told friends since the end of last season that he believes this season’s team could be the best he’s had at Alabama. --If I had to bet, I would bet on Zach Calzada beating out T.J. Finley and starting the opener at quarterback. But I wouldn’t bet much. I believe it’s a real race. --Alabama play-by-play announcer Eli Gold, a really good guy, will miss the 2022 season because of an illness. He will be replaced by Chris Stewart, another really good guy and the longtime voice of Alabama basketball. 6COMMENTS --It’s difficult to know what you are seeing in such a mismatch, but after one game in Israel, Auburn looks to have another very talented basketball team. That has become commonplace in the Bruce Pearl era. --Auburn coach Bryan Harsin: “We have a lot of fighters on this team. One thing I know about Auburn: We will fight.” ">247Sports

“I got better last year, and I think I am going to be a lot better this season with it being my second year in the system,” Jones said. “I have really kind of come into my own and I am really taking care of my body, which I wasn’t doing in the past. I am trying to focus on doing the little things right.” When practice starts in preparation for the Sept. 3 home opener against Mercer the Tigers will be in good shape physically and mentally, according to Jones. “Everybody has been working from the top to the bottom,” he said. “The freshmen have been working, the seniors have been working. That is a good thing to see. At times you have seen some guys kind of shying away from it, but this summer everybody has bought in. It is going to show once we hit the field. I am really excited to see it.” Jones made his first college start in a victory over Arkansas in 2020. He goes into the 2022 schedule with 19 starts. He says he has teammates capable of taking his job if he doesn’t perform well and that is how he wants it. Jones added that he is eager to prove to his position coach, Will Friend, he is the right msn to get the job done. “There is competition everywhere,” Jones said. “That is what Coach Harsin brings ,so you never feel safe. I don’t feel safe at my position. I have to work my butt off in the next couple of weeks to feel secure and even if I am named the starting guy I am still not safe for the rest of the season. “I have got people behind me like Kam (Kameron Stutts), (Brandon) Council, Tate Johnson and A.J. (Alec Jackson),” Jones pointed out. “Those other guards are pretty damn good themselves. That is what I love about Coach Harsin and Coach Friend. They have made us so much better to the point where I can’t get comfortable. Going into the season, I can’t have a bad practice or a bad game. I like that, though, because I don’t want to get comfortable. I like to feel like if I mess up I can go out. I like feeling like somebody is on my tail.” If Jones is correct, the offense as a whole will be better because the line is improved. "It is going to fall on our shoulders,” Jones said. “Whoever plays quarterback, whoever plays receiver, we have guys – plenty of guys. We have plenty of talented guys. We have two of the best running backs in the country in my opinion. Whoever the quarterback is is going to be is going to be a great guy and we have plenty of receivers around him. We can do what we need to do to protect the passer and move people off the ball. We want to play hard and dominate people all year.” Jones breaking into the starting lineup as a redshirt sophomore was not a big surprise. He was a Georgia All-State performer and an Under Armour All-American at Callaway High School, where he played with Auburn’s leading returner at running back, Tank Bigsby. Both will likely have a chance to play on Sundays after their college days are done. Jones, who has earned academic All-SEC status, is on schedule to graduate in December with a degree in fitness, training and performance. When he is through competing in football, he plans to be a coach or a trainer. “Graduating is one of the big things I promised my mom when I came here, and it is exciting,” Jones said. “It is something I am excited about, too. She is going to be a little crybaby when that time comes.” 45COMMENTS Jones and his teammates are hoping to give fans of opposing teams reasons to shed a few tears, but not ones of joy. “When teams come here or when the Auburn Tigers come to your house, we are not coming in to lie down,” he said. “No matter what your ranking is when you come to our house you are going to be in for a fight, and if we come to your house you are going to be in for a fight. I am not worried about that.” Comments (45) ">247Sports

There's a common perception of Auburn's wide receiver room. The rotation (supposedly) has a lack of talent. Therefore, according to the media, Auburn's passing game will struggle. Preseason narratives suggest that the Tigers as a whole lack talent, cohesion, and unity... and will eventually fall off of the rails once the season gets going. While there is reason to believe that the whole Bryan Harsin fiasco back in the spring effected the locker room and shook the bonds within the program, everything that has come out to the media since then has been nothing but positive. Auburn is rallying. On top of that, they've still got some talent on roster. According to 247Sports' Blue Chip Ratio, 54% of Auburn's current roster consists of four or five-star signees, which is good for 15th nationally. Let's look specifically at the receivers and their talent. Despite being ranked 13th in the SEC in Athlon Sports' preseason SEC unit rankings, and described as a corps that "is in dire need of playmakers" by Lindy's, Auburn's starting wide receiver rotation has the fifth-best average star rating (all ratings are from the 247Sports Composite) in the SEC. If the Tigers have the talent on paper, then wouldn't these preseason projections base Auburn's "lack of playmakers" on Bryan Harsin's inability to develop the room? Consider last season's numbers. In 2021, Auburn's passing offense averaged 240.1 yards per game (up from the 220.1 yards per game the team averaged in 2020- with two NFL draft picks in the unit, might I add), which was only good for 59th nationally. However, that's Auburn's best yards per game total since 2004... back when Jason Campbell was throwing to Courtney Taylor and Devin Aromashodu. With a "lack of playmakers," the Tigers managed to have their best passing offense of the 21st century. All of this despite Harsin firing receivers coach Cornelius Williams four games into the season. With former receivers coach Eric Kiesau stepping into his new role as offensive coordinator, who did Auburn see fit to go out and fire as the new man in the WR room? Ike Hilliard, an NFL receivers coach who has a track record filled with nothing but star-studded pass catchers and consistent development. If anything, the Tigers should maintain things. Around 240 passing yards, similar production, etc. What's more likely is that players like LSU transfer Koy Moore, freshman Tar'Varish Dawson, and converted tight end Landen King breakout and help bolster what could potentially be a pretty deep unit.

10 most critical questions Auburn must answer in 2022 Keith Farner 5-7 minutes Auburn is looking for stability and continuity after an offseason full of turmoil surrounding Bryan Harsin’s future with the program. Harsin and the Tigers are looking to bounce back from his 6-7 first season, which marked the program’s first losing record since 2012. All that is in the rearview mirror now. The transfers, the coaching staff turnover, the internal investigation; and now the team is trying to return to bowl eligibility. Here are the 10 most critical questions that Auburn must answer in 2022: 1. Will Bryan Harsin’s standing affect the team? It appears that Harsin has rallied the troops enough to build an us-against-the-world mentality, and that’s the main way he will turn the ship back to a winning record and bowl eligibility. His coordinators must offer some stability, especially on offense, as there has been near-constant turnover. Harsin has done some public relations, such as starting a podcast, and now fully understands the landscape at Auburn. 2. Will Tank Bigsby return to peak form? This is a key question for the offensive philosophy from new Auburn offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau. The offensive line is very experienced, and if it’s well-coached and performs, Bigsby should return to the form that made him a dominant back. At his peak, Bigsby should be in the Heisman Trophy conversation. Kiesau has said that the foundation of the offense will be a downhill and physical running game, and Bigsby is right in the middle of that. 3. Which transfer will have a key impact? The key possibilities include Zach Calzada, Robby Ashford, DJ James, Eugene Asante and Jayson Jones. Because of the weight quarterbacks have, Calzada — or Ashford — has the best chance to fit this description. Calzada, who started 10 games for Texas A&M last fall, has invaluable starting experience, and that’s the kind of stability Auburn needs at the most important position. Calzada completed 56.1 percent of his passes for 2,185 yards, 17 touchdowns and 9 interceptions while averaging 6.7 yards per pass attempt. 4. Who will score the most touchdowns? Landen King will likely be Auburn’s top receiving option, and he has the versatility to line up at tight end or wide receiver, which leads to tough matchups because of his 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame. King appeared in 8 games last season and caught 5 passes for 59 yards and 1 touchdown. 5. Who will be the No. 1 wide receiver? Shedrick Jackson is the best returning receiver in the group and should be a priority in the passing game. He has made 17 career starts, and last year he set career highs with 40 receptions, 527 yards and 1 touchdown. He has set out his plans for the position group. “I want to lead the wide receiver room and just make sure we’re all getting better collectively,” Jackson told AuburnTigers.com. “Then I want to make sure that I’m bettering myself so that I can lead from the front at all times — just have a big year, make big plays, and do special things.” 6. Who replaces Roger McCreary? Auburn’s best cornerback left for the NFL, and after a stellar season, Oregon transfer James is best suited to fill that role. James was the Ducks’ starting boundary corner last season, and he appeared in 32 games during his 3 seasons at Oregon. James had a career year last fall while posting 46 tackles, 4 pass breakups and 2 interceptions in the Ducks’ secondary. 7. How many quarterbacks will play? In this day and age, having a single quarterback go the entire season is rare, so ideally, there will be 2 quarterbacks. But Calzada is the safest bet to start the season and direct an offense that has Bigsby as the key cog. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Calzada has the kind of profile that Harsin likes in quarterbacks. 8. Will the defensive front live up to the hype? Oregon transfer Jones is a key piece here. He has had a notable profile for a while. Jones is a former Alabama commit from Calera, Ala.; he’s listed at 6-foot-5, 320 and had 19 tackles this past season. He was a 4-star prospect in high school. He’ll be expected to draw multiple blockers, and because the defense is expected to be a strength of this team, his addition could take it to another level. 9. Who will replace Zakoby McClain? Asante is a key figure here, and much of it will come down to how he adjusts to Jeff Schmedding’s defense. Asante is a transfer from North Carolina. He played in 37 games with the Tar Heels and made 62 tackles in 3 seasons. This past season he played in 12 games, finishing with 23 tackles and 2 quarterback hurries. 10. Will Owen Pappoe have a redemptive season? Pappoe is a poster child for needing another season to reset his profile and status ahead of the NFL Draft. The former 5-star recruit started every game as a true freshman, and his production took off in 2020, when his tackles increased from 49 to 93. But last season, Pappoe missed significant time due to injuries, and he played in only 5 games. Pappoe is expected to be the leader of the linebacker group and has every chance to deliver on those intentions.

i have netflix so i will check it out......................

i will try to check that out.

how would you look his stuff up on amazon? type in tj finley merchandise?

you drink super strong coffee i bet as well like death wish and that stuff?

no i was afraid it was a bunch of hype about nothing.

i love me some trae. and for the record the repukes did this against first responders on 9/11, agent orange in nam, AND burn stuff in iraq AND larryland. i would love to see ted out there with a weapon fighting for his country because it would never happen. he is not in it to stand up for his country he is in it for what he can get out of his country to enrich himself. i mean the dude let a pig insult his wife. he did nothing. hell he left tejas for warmer climates and could care less what his fellow texans were going through. he had to be shamed to come home. and we vote these people in and it is bull****. of course ted is a fine christian man so he will probably always get voted in by waving the jesus flag. now this is not an insult to jesus it is an insult to ted.

just make sure when we cussin and fussin on here not to hold back. i mean you are always wrong of course but i would hate for that to change. grins

Tiger football commit focused on having an even better senior season Mark Murphy 3-4 minutes 2023 DL Wilky Denaud commits to Auburn AUBURN, Alabama - It is going to be difficult for Auburn football commit Jeremiah Cobb to improve on the impressive numbers he put together as a junior running back at Catholic High School in Montgomery, but he says that is his goal. “Yes, I can get better as a senior,” said Cobb, who was in Auburn last weekend at the football program’s annual Big Cat event for prospects. “I just have to keep working on myself and with the team to do the best I can.” As a junior, Cobb, a 4-star recruit, rushed for 2,163 yards and 30 touchdowns while averaging better than 11 yards per carry. He averaged a touchdown once every 6.5 rushing attempts. His numbers as a receiver were also impressive in 2021. He averaged better than 23 yards per reception while finishing with 561 yards and eight scores. He put the ball in the end zone on one out of every three receptions. Heading into his senior season for the Knights, Cobb has rushed for 4,551 yards and 52 touchdowns while averaging close to 10 yards per carry dating back to his ninth grade year. At 5-foot-11, 190 pounds with good speed, it was a big deal for the Tigers to get Cobb committed on July 1. He chose Auburn over Clemson, North Carolina, Tennessee and other programs. At Big Cat, Cobb, rated the No. 6 running back prospect by 247Sports, spent time with his future position coach, Cadillac Williams. "We hung out and ate together and all kinds of stuff,” Cobb said. “We kind of chilled. He is saying to me how big a priority I am to the program. Big Cat was real fun. There was a family vibe, and we were all having fun. We played games and got to know everybody.” Asked what his personal expectations are for his senior season, Cobb said, “My expectations are to be a better leader on the field for the younger guys so when I leave the program they will know what to do. Overall, I want to help the team the best I can.” Cobb, 17 years old, may be a bit larger by the time he is carrying the football for the Tigers. “I am definitely still growing,” he said, noting he likes his current weight while pointing out that adding a couple more pounds would probably be a good thing. He is also working on growing stronger and faster with workouts on his own in addition to training with his team. Cobb also competes in track and field. Asked what time he is most proud of it he pointed to a clocking of 10.7 seconds in the 100 meters. For now he said his focus is “just football.” “I might not run track this season," Cobb said. "I might just do the workouts to improve my strength and my speed.” ">247Sports

Takeaways from Auburn's 117-56 exhibition win vs. Israel U-20 national team By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com 8-11 minutes Playing together for the first time, more than 6,500 miles away from the confines of Neville Arena—and playing with the at-times slippery FIBA ball—the newest iteration of Bruce Pearl’s Auburn team didn’t miss a beat. Auburn cruised to a 117-56 win against the Israel U-20 national team on Tuesday in the first of three scheduled exhibitions for the Tigers during their overseas “Birthright for College Basketball” tour. Auburn dominated a physically overmatched Israel U-20 team for 40 minutes, finishing with 72 points in the paint and shooting 51.7 percent for the game, with the spotlight firmly on a few of the team’s newcomers — as well as some familiar players stepping into new roles. It’s difficult to glean too much from this exhibition, which was a lopsided affair played half a world away and more than three months before the actual 2022-23 campaign, but it still provided an early glimpse into this retooled roster after one of the most promising seasons in program history. “We played hard today,” Pearl said during a postgame appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show. “This was our first time playing together, and the kids enjoyed playing with each other.” Here are a few of AL.com’s observations from Auburn’s first foray into competition on this tour: Fresh faces flourish in the frontcourt Auburn has the unenviable task of replacing a pair of All-Americans and first-round NBA Draft picks in the frontcourt this season after Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler dominated together during their lone year on the Plains. The first look at two of the newcomers tapped to fill those voids provided some early returns, as five-star combo forward Yohan Traore and Morehead State transfer Johni Broome finished as Auburn’s two leading scorers on Tuesday. Traore led the Tigers with 20 points while pulling down eight rebounds off the bench, and Broome added 17 points, nine boards and four blocks in his preseason debut while drawing the start alongside Jaylin Williams in the frontcourt. Both had a chance to show off some of their arsenal against Israel’s U-20 team, too. Traore displayed a proclivity to draw contact down low and get to the free-throw line, with impressive shooting form for a big man, to boot. He was also active on the boards and had a couple of nice dunks, including one off a move on the baseline late in the first half, and a double-clutch reverse on a fastbreak that put an exclamation point on Tuesday’s result. “You can see the talent, you can see the upside, you can see his ability to finish and obviously be able to play in space,” Pearl said of Traore. “I think the good thing about our situation is that we’ve got a deep team. That’s our strength. Our strength is the fact that we can put 12 guys out there. I thought our kids did a great sharing the minutes and being very unselfish.” Broome, meanwhile, showed why Pearl and staff made him a priority in the transfer portal to help replace Kessler, last season’s national Defensive Player of the Year. The former OVC Defensive Player of the Year was active on the defensive end, at one point even coming up with a steal on the perimeter and then finishing with a nifty left-handed layup in transition. Dylan Cardwell is eyeing that next step Dylan Cardwell has never lacked for confidence—just look at how animated he is any time he steps on the court—but the 6-foot-11 junior looks more comfortable this offseason as he tries to step into an expanded role in the frontcourt. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein made note last month that he heard Cardwell was arguably the Tigers’ most improved player this summer—which Pearl at the time retweeted—and on Tuesday it was hard to argue otherwise. After averaging three points, three rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 11.6 minutes per game off the bench last season, Cardwell dropped a double-double against the Israel U-20 team. He finished with 12 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks — securing his double-double by the third quarter of the blowout win. “I just want to thank everybody else for missing shots, so I could get them,” Cardwell said. “That was the first double-double in my life, I think. It was fun. Hopefully, it’s not the last. I just hope I continue to keep us going. That’s my job to go out there and rebound, play defense and play with energy. I’m just thankful to God and BP for putting me in a position to get a double-double.” Two of his blocks came on the perimeter, as he swatted away a couple of 3-point attempts by his undersized opponents. While he cleaned up near the basket, he also displayed some impressive touch, with a long jump-hook in the paint in the first half, as well as a well-placed lob from the top of the key to Broome for a finish inside. Cardwell has been a sparkplug off the bench in his first two seasons, and after backing up Kessler last year, he’ll look for an expanded role this season while competing for time alongside Broome and Traore, who both have the flexibility to play the four or the five in Pearl’s system. “Dylan Cardwell is the entire package,” Pearl said. “…I think with his size and the ability to move his feet and rebound – I would love to see him play in Israel one day if he doesn’t make the NBA.” Allen Flanigan 2.0 The last year was a difficult one for Allen Flanigan. After partially tearing his Achilles in the preseason, he was sidelined for several months before making his return to Auburn’s lineup in December. Even once he came back, though, he was a shell of the player who broke out for the Tigers in 2020-21. He averaged just 6.3 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 39.5 percent from the field and a mere 20.5 percent from beyond the arc, and he appeared to lack the same burst he had as a sophomore, when he averaged 14.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game for Auburn. An Achilles injury used to be the type of thing that ended a career, and while it’s still a major injury, medical advancements have gotten it to the point that it’s just a prolonged setback. While Flanigan was able to return from the injury post-surgery before the start of SEC play last season, he never truly returned to form. With a full offseason to get right—as well as an opportunity to go through the pre-draft process and compete in the G-League Elite Camp — Flanigan looked closer to his sophomore self during Tuesday’s game. He finished with 10 points, four assists and five rebounds, though he was just 4-of-10 shooting. During a brief stretch in the second quarter, Flanigan scored six straight for Auburn, which drew some excited acknowledgement from Pearl on the sideline. He finished a tough drive to the basket through contact and completed the three-point play at the free-throw line, and he followed it up with a made 3-pointer on the next trip down the court. He also had a long step-back jumped in the second half from the wing. Most importantly, though, Flanigan looked smoother, more at ease and more explosive on the court than he did upon his return last season. That’s something Pearl and his staff must be thrilled about. Quick hits -- Auburn went with a starting lineup of Wendell Green Jr., Zep Jasper, Flanigan, Williams and Broome on Tuesday. Pearl said last week he will toy with different starting lineups during this trip, as well as experiment with different rotations—noting that not everyone may dress or play every game, but that he wants to try to get as many players as possible an extended look. Tuesday’s lineup was particularly interesting with Green starting at point guard, since he was largely the Tigers’ sixth man last year while coming off the bench in 29 of 34 games. Whether Green emerges as the starting point guard by November remains to be seen, but he made an early case against Israel — he was in command of the offense, made some nice dishes (and should have had more assists than the five he was credited with) and finished with eight points. -- Broome and Traore weren’t the only newcomers to shine against Israel. Versatile freshman guard Chance Westry was impressive during his time on the court, which included some run at point guard. He finished with 13 points, three assists and three steals while shooting 5-of-8 from the field. -- K.D. Johnson had 13 points, five assists and three steals off the bench. -- Thirteen Auburn players saw the court against the Israel U-20 team, and all but one—walk-on Carter Sobera—scored at least once. Williams had nine points and five boards, while Jasper had seven and Chris Moore scored four points. Freshman Tre Donaldson and reserve big man Stretch Akingbola each finished with two points. Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

Auburn football team get's some much needed lake time after Big Cat Weekend Andrew Stefaniak 2 minutes After Big Cat weekend, one of the busiest weekends of the year recruiting-wise, Coach Bryan Harsin took his staff and players to enjoy a day on the water at Lake Martin. The players were seen riding around on jet skis and even wake surfing. You could tell everyone involved in the day was having a really good time. Coach Harsin was even spotted wake surfing, and to say he was pretty good at it is an understatement. After the players were done on the water, they headed up to the lake house to eat a barbeque dinner which some of the players said it was the best barbeque they had ever had. Often people overlook how much team bonding matters on the field, and it seems that this Auburn football team is a very close bunch. Many questioned whether or not this team would be able to play together after all of the drama surrounding Coach Harsin and the program in the off-season. That thought has been proven wrong by how the entire Auburn football program has handled adversity. The bond shared by these players and coaches will help them on the field this season and make the team super easy to root for. How close this group is will prove to be another reason why the national media might be sleeping on Auburn more than they should be. At the end of the day, it was a great sight to see the players and coaches having a great time at the lake after a hard week of work.

247sports.com Auburn preseason preview: 5 wild cards on defense Nathan King 10-13 minutes Late Kick: Auburn is a sleeper team heading into 2022 season It’s finally time for football again on the Plains. Auburn opens Year 2 of preseason practices under Bryan Harsin on Friday, with players reporting to campus for meetings with their coaches the day prior. The Tigers will have had nearly two weeks of break time before they report to the facility for evaluations, then begin preparations in earnest for Auburn’s season opener against Mercer on Sept. 3. It’s been a long, sometimes tedious offseason, with the same external narratives repeating themselves about Harsin’s program. But within those walls, players and coaches alike have been highly optimistic about the summer work being done in Jeff Pitman’s strength program, and in player-only practice sessions. “They’ve done a good job of doing everything we’ve asked them to do,” Harsin said at SEC media days. “From the workouts with Coach Pitman and his staff, they’ve done a great job there. I would say this team, they enjoy the weight room, they enjoy the work and the running. They wouldn’t say that, but I think they really do so they enjoy the conditioning piece. “As far as the football piece goes, there’s just a lot more focus on actually preparing themselves to be ready to go in fall camp.” Harsin is also pleased by the health of his team, which was a shell of itself in the spring due to injuries to several starters, but now enters preseason practices with no significant injuries to speak of. Auburn Undercover will spend the days leading up to camp looking deeper at the Tigers and hovering a microscope over the program’s summer workouts, newcomers, position battles, general players to watch and more. Up next: Auburn's star players can easily be identified, but who are the Tigers whose 2022 seasons could go in a variety of ways? Here are five defensive wild-card candidates for preseason camp — whose 2022 impacts on the team can be best defined as unpredictable. DT JAYSON JONES Jones was Auburn's starting nose tackle for the majority of the spring, so it's not as if he isn't off to an accomplished start with his new program. But there's not an overwhelming amount of production on tape from his two seasons at Oregon. He'll be taking over, in all likelihood, for Tony Fair, a UAB transfer who played one season with the Tigers, without making much of a notable impact (nine tackles and one sack). Of course, stats aren't the main storytellers for an interior defensive player, but Jones seems to possess a higher ceiling in terms of frame and athleticism to be a difference-maker up front. Formerly a four-star recruit from Calera, Alabama, Jones now stands at a monstrous 6-foot-6 and 328 pounds — one of the largest players to come through Auburn, on either side of the ball, in some time. He moved impressively in the spring and looks to be well positioned to start quickly in the fall. "When I first heard I was like, ‘Oh my God, look who we got,'" defensive lineman Marcus Harris said of Jones in the spring. "I was happy for him. Him being from Alabama too, I kinda of heard about him coming out of high school. I heard about the type of player he was. When I heard he was coming, I couldn’t wait go get him and have some more help on this D-line so we can be the best that we can be." DL JEFFREY M'BA Also an athletic freak along the defensive line, M'ba was the No. 1 JUCO defensive tackle recruit in the 2021 class. He was tight knit with former D-line coach Nick Eason, but stuck around with the Tigers after Eason left for the same job at Clemson. Recovering from a shoulder injury, M'ba was a non-participant for the entirety of spring practice — so he's yet to see the field in orange and blue. According to Harsin, his off-the-field commitment to learning the scheme and assisting his teammates was impressive for a newcomer. "He's an awesome person — very good player, very athletic," Harsin said in May. "I think there's so much more potential that he's got. He's got so many capabilities that we just didn't get a chance to see this spring. He wants to be out there." At 6-foot-6 and 305 pounds — and with shockingly quick get-off, at least on his JUCO tape — M'ba can play anywhere along Auburn's defensive line, with the exception of edge rusher. There are fairly significant factors working against him, of course — a first-year player coming off an injury isn't exactly an optimal transition — so it's possible that his biggest impacts for Auburn's defense are still a year or so away. But if everything clicks immediately, there aren't many more physically imposing players on Auburn's campus. LB CAM RILEY Auburn fans are still waiting to see what kind of player Riley, a junior, can make in Auburn's defense, after he's worked beneath highly productive linebackers his first two seasons. His stature has always been intriguing, especially considering the fact that his continued growth has been noticeable since arriving on campus. He was 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds after his senior year at Hillcrest High School (Evergreen, Ala.), and is now heading into 2022 at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds. Auburn's staff toyed with the idea of moving him to edge rusher, where his lanky frame could help shore up depth issues, but it seems he'll remain in Christian Robinson's linebacker room. In the spring, Riley and Wesley Steiner occupied most of Auburn's first-team reps at linebacker, since Owen Pappoe was out with injury. Riley and Steiner are starkly different players in terms of skill set, but regardless of who Auburn pairs with Pappoe as a "starter," both will be in the main rotation in 2022. For Riley, could that mean a breakout campaign? He's been a consistent player in the weight room and in practice since his freshman year, and his team has been high on his potential. That potential will now likely meeting opportunity. "A lot of time with our guys you talk about trends — one good day doesn't mean it's been two weeks," defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding said in the spring. "What are they doing consistently? And Cam has done that. He didn't play probably as much as he wanted to on the defensive side of the ball, however, going into that season, the big thing was gaining weight, gaining experience and getting used to playing in the box, too. That's another thing — some of the guys we recruit, they're good athletes and as they get to specific positions — it may not be exactly what they did. Just because that tag said linebacker doesn't mean you played in the box — and there is a different world five yards off the ball, reading and guarding the back, then it is off the edge and attacking the quarterback. "But he's a versatile player, and I think the biggest thing that he gained last year was, No. 1, the experience, and then took that and there was a hunger after the season, I'll say that. He wanted to be more active in this defense and play significant minutes, and it showed up. Sometimes people say they want it but their actions don't always back it up — you see the weight he's gained. Really impressed." CB D.J. JAMES Playing cornerback at Auburn has become an attractive job in recent seasons. And James, another Oregon transfer, decided this offseason that he wanted in on the Tigers’ success at the position. The Spanish Fort, Alabama, native brings more veteran experience to an already talented room this spring, having started all 12 games he played in with the Ducks last season. He was the team’s highest-graded defensive back (71.6) in 2021, according to Pro Football Focus. So at most other programs, James would be sliding easily into a starting role. But Auburn's top cornerback spots are occupied with two highly capable veterans: Jaylin Simpson and Nehemiah Pritchett, both of whom are looking to become the Tigers' next high NFL draft pick at the position, after All-American Roger McCreary was taken in the early second round. But Auburn has gotten plenty of production out of its No. 3 cornerback spot in the past. The question is whether James can lock it down. Much like former All-Big 12 West Virginia transfer Dreshun Miller last year, James transferred to Auburn with designs on being the next big-time cornerback to parlay lockdown coverage elsewhere in the Power Five into standout play in the SEC. Auburn hopes James, who also worked at nickel in the spring, is a more impactful addition, seeing as Miller barely saw the field and transferred after the season. “You always want to give yourself a chance to bring him in and create competition and go fight for a starting job,” secondary coach Zac Etheridge said in the spring. “(James) is doing that every day to go fight for that job, and go push guys like Nehemiah, and push guys like Simp, who’s played a lot of ball here. He’s coming here to take a job, and that’s what you want him to do.” S CALEB WOODEN The younger brother of starting defensive lineman Colby Wooden, the three-star true freshman Wooden was not only the top newcomer in spring practices; he was one of the most productive players on the entire roster over the course of a month. Wooden was afforded first-team reps at safety because of Zion Puckett's recovery from shoulder surgery. And he shined on a consistent basis, starting with a scoop-and-score and an interception on the very first day of practice. Wooden later had an interception in the end zone against the first-team offense — out-positioning third-year receiver Malcolm Johnson Jr. — to end a scrimmage. "By him having his brother here to teach him, he knows what it takes," junior defensive back Donovan Kaufman said in the spring. "I really think he’s going to have a great career here. Wooden seems to have made a resounding case for himself as a starting-caliber player in the secondary this season as only a freshman, but the Tigers did go peruse the transfer portal in the summer and add Iowa State transfer Craig McDonald (17 career games), who could be a more likely pick to start alongside Puckett. But with two high-volume players on the back end gone from last season — Smoke Monday and Bydarrius Knighten — there will be snaps still up for grabs in preseason camp. Was Wooden's standout spring the result of diminished personnel, or will he pick up where he left off? "He wants to be really, really good," Schmedding said. "Just like any young player, he doesn't know what he doesn't know. But he is actively trying to learn everything he possibly can. He brings juice to whatever he does. He's been enjoyable so far. I think he's got a really big upside." -- 1COMMENTS *** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more ***