10/27/22 Auburn Articles

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Where are they now?: The curious case of Auburn's 2021 signing class

Taylor Jones

5-6 minutes

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Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin was dealt a great hand to open his tenure on the Plains.

Just one week before the official announcement of the Harsin hire, Auburn signed the nation’s No. 18 recruiting class according to 247Sports, a class that consisted of 18 high school players, six of whom were rated as four-star prospects.

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However, just two years after faxing their National Letter of Intent to the university, half of those signees that were expected to be the future of the program now appear on another program’s roster. The number grew from seven to nine players on Tuesday night following the announcement of Landen King’s intention to transfer away from the program, and the news that A.D. Diamond is no longer part of the roster.

Why is that? No one can for sure say at this time, but it is definitely a concern. Not only are the departures concerning, but the lack of production from this class is worrisome.

The headliner from this class is running back Jarquez Hunter, who has been given an opportunity to complement Tank Bigsby in the running game. Outside of Hunter, defensive players such as Dylan Brooks, Cayden Bridges, marquis robinson, and Joko Willis have combined to play just 236 of Auburn’s 513 defensive snaps according to Pro Football Focus. Between those four players, Bridges is receiving the bulk of those snaps with 173.

The offensive side of the football does not fair any better, as Tar'varish Dawson is the only other player outside of Hunter and King to receive snaps this season, and he only has 42 snaps in four games of action.

With the recent news of King and Diamond’s departure, Auburn Wire is here to break down Auburn’s 2021 signing class, and who is still a part of it.

Who is still here? Who has gone on to play for another program? All of that information is below:

 

Those that remain

 

AP Photo/Stew Milne

Rating: 4-star

Position: EDGE

Hometown: Roanoke, Ala.

State ranking: No. 4

Position ranking: No. 6

Pensacola News Journal

Rating: 4-star

Position: DL

Hometown: Milton, Fla.

State ranking: No. 51

Position ranking: No. 42

Fort Myers News-Press

Rating: 4-star

Position: Athlete

Hometown: Lehigh Acres, Fla.

State ranking: No. 57

Position ranking: No. 22

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Rating: 3-star

Position: DL

Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.

State rank: No. 7

Position rank: No. 67

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Rating: 3-star

Position: OT

Hometown: Reidsville, N.C.

State ranking: No. 34

Position ranking: No. 50

Tallahassee Democrat

Rating: 3-star

Position: OT

Hometown: Ocala, Fla.

State ranking: No. 86

Position ranking: No. 43

AP Photo/Butch Dill

Rating: 3-star

Position: RB

Hometown: Philadelphia, Miss.

State ranking: No. 12

Position ranking: No. 44

Jake Crandall via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Rating: 3-star

Position: LB

Hometown: LaGrange, Ga.

State ranking: No. 5

Position ranking: No. 4

AP Photo/Butch Dill

Rating: 3-star

Position: S

Hometown: Magee, Miss.

State ranking: No. 32

Position ranking: No 151

 

Those that have departed

 

Alex Menendez/Getty Images

Current program: UCF

Rating: 4-star

Position: DL

Hometown: Eight Mile, Ala.

State rank: No. 5

Position rank: No. 12

Tallahassee Democrat

Current program: Georgia Tech

Rating: 4-star

Hometown: Tallahassee, Fla.

State rank: No. 30

Position rank: No. 14

The Montgomery Advertiser

Current program: Alabama State

Rating: 4-star

Position: QB

Hometown: Houston, Texas

State rank: No. 35

Position rank: No. 24

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Current program: Baylor

Rating: 3-star

Position: WR

Hometown: Arlington, Texas

State rank: No. 55

Position rank: No. 63

The Montgomery Advertiser

Current program: Missouri

Rating: 3-star

Position: DL

Hometown: Columbus, Ga.

State rank: No. 57

Position rank: No. 82

AP Photo/Matthew Hinton

Current program: Arizona State

Rating: 3-star

Position: CB

Hometown: Bessemer, Ala.

State rank: No. 8

Position rank: No. 4

The Knoxville News-Sentinel

Current program: Tennessee

Rating: 3-star

Position: CB

Hometown: River Rouge, Mich.

State ranking: No. 10

Position ranking: No. 5

AP Photo/Vasha Hunt

Current status: Plans to enter transfer portal

Rating: 3-star

Position: WR

Hometown: Humble, Texas

State ranking: No. 88

Position ranking: No. 29

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Current status: No longer on Auburn’s roster according to reports

Rating: 3-star

Position: CB

Hometown: Eight Mile, Ala.

State ranking: No. 57

Position ranking: No. 116

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Big Game Boomer believes Auburn will have one of the quietest stadiums in college football this weekend

Andrew Stefaniak

2 minutes

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As all Auburn fans know, the Plains is a special place full of some of the best traditions in college football. 

Whether it be the eagle flying through Jordan-Hare Stadium or rolling the trees at Toomer's Corner after a huge Auburn win. 

The football program is not in a great place right now, and the team has not been playing well, but there is one thing you can always count on, the fans are going to be there to support our players. 

Big Game Boomer released their list of the top 15 loudest and quietest stadiums for week nine, and Jordan-Hare was on the list to be one of the quietest stadiums. 

This just won't be the case. Jordan-Hare will be one of the loudest stadiums in college football this weekend, just like it is every weekend. 

Auburn fans are not fair-weather fans. They love their players, teams, and school, no matter how good or bad the team is in any given year. 

Auburn plays about seven home games every year. These are the most highly anticipated weekends of the year on the Plains. Everyone gets to tailgate, visit with friends and family, and watch college football as they prepare to cheer the Tigers to victory. 

It will take a lot more than a rough year on the gridiron and some coaching troubles to get Auburn fans not to show up loud and proud for their team. 

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247sports.com

 

For Auburn football, retention of top talent is an ongoing struggle

Nathan King

6-7 minutes

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Defensive lineman Zykeivous Walker’s decision was the latest in what’s been a harrowing trend for Auburn’s retention — or lack thereof — of top recruiting talent.

After dealing with two injuries since last season and being away from the team for a couple weeks due to what Bryan Harsin called “some family things,” Walker left the team two weeks ago and announced Monday he’ll enter the transfer portal.

Sophomore receiver Landen King announced Tuesday evening he’ll transfer, too, but we’ll get to that later.

“He's a great guy,” edge rusher Derick Hall said of Walker. “I feel like he'll find a good home wherever he goes.”

Walker joins a growing list of top-end recruits to depart the program in the past couple years. The No. 79 overall recruit in the 2020 class, Walker was Auburn’s fourth highest-rated prospect on its roster entering the season, behind only Owen Pappoe, Tank Bigsby and Wesley Steiner.

And although he never settled into a consistent role along the defensive line in two-plus seasons, Walker's imminent transfer adds to a troubling percentage of former top prospects Harsin has been unable to keep on his team.

The issue of talent retention extends beyond Harsin’s tenure, but it has been a massive issue for the second-year head coach. Of the top 50 recruits Auburn has signed over the current four-year recruiting cycle (2019-22), 22 have transferred.

That includes six of Auburn’s top 10 signees — some of the top prospects in America during that span — and eight of the top 20.

Here’s that list of players. Those who left the program are bolded.

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2019: LB Owen Pappoe (.9879, 5-star)

2019: QB Bo Nix (.9857, 5-star)

2020: RB Tank Bigsby (.9814, 4-star)

2019: DL Charles Moore (.9681, 4-star)

2021: EDGE Dylan Brooks (.9659, 4-star)

2020: DL Zykeivous Walker (.9649, 4-star)

2021: DT Lee Hunter (.9633, 4-star)

2019: RB Mark-Antony Richards (.9589, 4-star)

2019: EDGE Jaren Handy (.9560, 4-star)

2020: LB Wesley Steiner (.9558, 4-star)

2020: DT Jay Hardy (.9549, 4-star)

2020: WR Kobe Hudson (.9509, 4-star)

2022: LB Robert Woodyard (.9425, 4-star)

2019: DB Zion Puckett (.9420, 4-star)

2020: WR Ze’Vian Capers (.9389, 4-star)

2019: OG Keiondre Jones (.9385, 4-star)

2019: EDGE Derick Hall (.9378, 4-star)

2022: CB J.D. Rhym (.9286, 4-star)

2020: WR J.J. Evans (.9285, 4-star)

2020: DB Ladarius Tennison (.9284, 4-star)

2022: CB Austin Ausberry (.9275, 4-star)

2020: CB Eric Reed Jr. (.9232, 4-star)

2020: DB Chris Thompson Jr. (.9215, 4-star)

2020: WR Malcolm Johnson Jr. (.9189, 4-star)

2021: DB Ahmari Harvey (.9174, 4-star)

2020: DT J.J. Pegues (.9162, 4-star)

2021: QB Dematrius Davis (.9148, 4-star)

2019: DB Cam’Ron Kelly (.9145, 4-star)

2020: LB Desmond Tisdol (.9104, 4-star)

2019: DB Jashawn Sheffield (.9086, 4-star)

2022: QB Holden Geriner (.9060, 4-star)

2022: DT Jeffrey M’ba (.9056, 4-star)

2020: DT Dre Butler (.9045, 4-star)

2022: OG E.J. Harris (.9008, 4-star)

2022: DB Keionte Scott (.9000, 4-star)

2022: RB Damari Alston (.8995, 4-star)

2022: WR Omari Kelly (.8967, 4-star)

2020: LB Cam Riley (.8976, 4-star)

2019: RB D.J. Williams (.8975, 4-star)

2019: CB Jaylin Simpson (.8958, 4-star)

2021: DT Marquis Robinson (.8958, 4-star)

2019: DT Colby Wooden (.8937, 4-star)

2020: TE Brandon Frazier (.8934, 4-star)

2020: CB Marco Domio (.8925, 4-star)

2022: TE Micah-Riley Ducker (.8922, 4-star)

2021: WR Tar’Varish Dawson (.8918, 4-star)

2019: WR Ja’Varrius Johnson (.8918, 4-star)

2022: WR Camden Brown (.8889, 4-star)

2020: EDGE Romello Height (.8884, 3-star)

2021: WR Hal Presley (.8884, 3-star)

The only members of this group that transferred before Harsin’s tenure began are Richards, Sheffield, Moore and Cam’Ron Kelly.

So, of Auburn’s top 50 signees over the past four cycles, 18 of them (36 percent) have left the program in the 22 months since Harsin became head coach.

Coaching changes always breed attrition, though, and of the 18 outgoing transfers from the top 50, only four have been from Harsin’s 2021 and 2022 recruiting classes (Presley, Davis, Harvey and Hunter).

But Harsin has also been unable to keep many of his own recruits. After King’s decision, Auburn’s 2021 class is almost halfway gone.

Eight of those 18 signees have left, and if cornerback A.D. Diamond, who has been removed from Auburn’s official roster, is also out the door, half of Harsin’s first recruiting class at Auburn will have transferred out, less than a year after they signed. 

The issue hasn’t just been with overall number of transfers; Auburn isn’t overly abnormal in terms of transfer volume. It’s about losing the top talent. With King’s departure Tuesday, at least five of Auburn’s top 10 signees from 2019-21 have transferred (the current class of true freshman has, unsurprisingly, not had any departures).

2019: 6 of top 10 signees left program

2020: 7 of top 10

2021: 5 of top 10

2022: 0 of top 10

Auburn was still among the nation’s best in this offseason’s Blue-Chip Ratio, meaning it has recruited more 4- and 5-star talent than not over a four-year cycle. But that metric doesn’t account for roster turnover, where the Tigers have been bleeding talent for the better part of two years.

Blended with Auburn's current recruiting standing under Harsin — No. 49 in the 2023 247Sports Composite rankings — and the sheer number of possible NFL draft entrants and graduating seniors after this season, the program's talent outlook for the near future is murky, to say the least.

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Auburn Coach Bryan Harsin successful ofttimes after byes

 

6-7 minutes

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Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin is shown during the Tigers' loss to LSU in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Auburn Coach Bryan Harsin's teams have been tough to beat after an open date.

Really tough.

Harsin's teams at Arkansas State University, Boise State and Auburn are a combined 10-1 after in-season open dates.

The Tigers (3-4, 1-3 SEC) will try to make it 11-1 when they play the University of Arkansas (4-3, 1-3) at 11 a.m. Central on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala.

Auburn has lost consecutive games to LSU at home and on the road against Georgia and Ole Miss -- teams currently ranked No. 18, No. 1 and No. 15 in The Associated Press poll -- but the Tigers are coming off an open date after the Rebels beat them 48-34 on Oct. 15.

In Harsin's only season at ASU in 2013, the Red Wolves beat Idaho 48-24 after an open date.

Auburn beat No. 10 Ole Miss 31-21 coming off an open date last season.

The only game a Harsin-coached team has lost after an open date was New Mexico's 31-24 victory over Boise State in 2015.

Harsin's teams have won six consecutive games after an open date since then, including Boise State's 17-9 victory over Wyoming in 2020 when the Broncos had three weeks between games during a season affected by cancellations because of covid-19.

"Just a good time for us to get healthy and do a lot of self-reflection," Auburn senior linebacker Owen Pappoe said of the open date. "Just looking in the mirror, viewing things that we did wrong from the beginning of the season and knowing what we need to attack last week in practice.

"I feel like we had a really good week, those few practices that we had, and we're going full speed into this week.

"It was a breath of fresh air. Got to go home, see fam and all that. Everybody here is refreshed and we're ready to go now."

Harsin said he believed the Tigers took advantage of their bye week to get healthier.

"Now, not everybody's fully healthy, but guys will play," Harsin said. "I don't think that's anything uncommon this time of year.

"I think you've got guys that the first day of fall camp is the best they're going to feel. So you're going to have a few bumps and bruises and aches and pains and things like that that we have to manage really through the season. Not just this week, but the rest of the season with some of these guys.

"But guys are toughing through it and they're also in there wearing the trainers out. They're getting themselves in the best shape they can."

Bo Nix, Auburn's starting quarterback the previous three years who passed for 292 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score in the Tigers' 38-23 victory at Arkansas last season, is now at Oregon.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Robby Ashford, who transferred from Oregon, has started the last four games for Auburn after T.J. Finley sustained a shoulder injury in a 41-12 loss to Penn State.

Ashford, who didn't play in his two seasons at Oregon, has completed 67 of 140 passes (47.9%) for 1,014 yards and 4 touchdowns with 5 interceptions. He's also rushed 74 times for 307 yards and 3 touchdowns.

"Robby can extend plays, he can make plays," Harsin said. "He's doing a better job keeping his eyes down the field. He's also a threat in the run game, so he's that dual-threat guy that can do a lot of different things."

Auburn junior running back Tank Bigsby rushed 20 times for 179 yards at Ole Miss two weeks ago and on the season has 99 carries for 524 yards and 6 touchdowns and 15 receptions for 97 yards.

In two previous games against Arkansas, Bigsby has 38 carries for 214 yards.

"Bigbsy, probably last week he showed who he really is," Razorbacks Coach Sam Pittman said. "They opened up against Ole Miss a lot of holes for him, and he made a lot of good runs out of that.

"I've always liked Bigsby. I think he's a really, really good player. Breaks a lot of tackles, and that's the emphasis this week, trying to get him down before he gets started."

Junior Ja'Varrious Johnson leads the Tigers with 19 receptions for 333 yards and 1 touchdown.

John Samuel Shenker , a senior who holds Auburn's record for receptions by a tight end with 66, this season has 18 for 184 yards and 1 touchdown.

Pappoe leads Auburn with 58 tackles.

"Pappoe's a guy that just gets you on the ground," Pittman said. "He can run. Played a lot of ball for them. But he can run and is a very, very smart player. Seems to be in position all the time."

Auburn senior end Derick Hall has 40 tackles, including 7 for losses of 27 yards and 4 sacks.

"Hall's really good," Pittman said. "He's a problem. ... It's not just the sacks. It's that he's a good run defender, he can chase you down on quarterback reads."

The Tigers, like the Razorbacks, played seven consecutive games before getting an open date.

"Recovery was huge," Hall said. "We think Coach Harsin did a great job making sure this team recovers and gets back healthy, and that's going to be beneficial for us."

Pappoe referred to himself as "a rehab addict" when asked about his routine during the open date.

"I've got people back at the crib I go see from a massage therapist to doing hyperbaric chambers, cryotherapy, different stuff, needling," Pappoe said. "Really, just everything to get back as close to 100% as I can.

"Midway through the season, nobody's going to be 100% for real. It's like a race to every Saturday feeling as close as you can to 100%.

"I just went through my regular routine that I do. I had a little extra time so it was good."

AUBURN (3-4, 1-3 SEC)

All times Central

DATE;OPPONENT;RESULT/TIME

Sept. 3;Mercer;W 42-16

Sept. 10;San Jose State;W 24-16

Sept. 17;Penn State;L 41-12

Sept. 24;Missouri;W 17-14 OT

Oct. 1;LSU;L 21-17

Oct. 8;at Georgia;L 42-10

Oct. 15;at Ole Miss;L 48-34

Saturday;Arkansas;11 a.m.

Nov. 5;at Mississippi State;TBA

Nov. 12;Texas A&M;TBA

Nov. 19;Western Kentucky;TBA

Nov. 26;at Alabama;TBA

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Bryan Harsin points to the biggest challenge facing the Arkansas offense, reveals DB has left team

Keith Farner

2-3 minutes

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Bryan Harsin and Auburn will play a home game this week against Arkansas for the first time since Oct. 1, and the Tigers face a tall order in the Razorbacks’ offense.

“The biggest challenge is that they’re really good,” Harsin said on the SEC coaches media teleconference. “They’re tailbacks, their wide receivers. … and they’re well-coached. … The balance of the run game, the QB, the backs, the sweeps. … You have to know your assignments.”

One place to start is trying to slow down Rocket Sanders, who is the SEC’s leading rusher with 870 yards along with 7 touchdowns.

“One, he’s having a big year. He’s a really good player,” Harsin said. “He’s explosive and he runs hard. … He has really good vision. … He’s not a guy who usually goes down on the first tackle.”

Harsin also shared that AD Diamond, a freshman defensive back, is no longer on the team.

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Scarbinsky: Nothing like telling Bo stories when you were along for the ride

Published: Oct. 27, 2022, 5:45 a.m.

2 minutes

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By

• Kevin Scarbinsky | Special to AL.com

Of course I got the book. It’s all about Bo Jackson. Greatest athlete I’ve ever seen, heard, talked to, defended against an uninformed national backlash and hitched a ride in a limo alongside from LaGuardia Airport in Queens to the Downtown Athletic Club in Manhattan.

Greatest athlete anyone has ever seen. I will die a thousand deaths on that hill no matter how many times I felt his death-ray stare during his tortured and triumphant Heisman Trophy season at Auburn.

Talk about right place, right time. The fall of 1985 was his last football season on the Plains and my first season as the Auburn beat writer for The Birmingham News. I turned 24 as fall camp began. He turned 23 three months later on the day of his final and most painful Iron Bowl.

About that. I shared a few stories from that season with the accomplished author Jeff Pearlman during his exhaustive research for “The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson.” Me and 719 others. The book jacket says Pearlman did 720 original interviews for the hefty biography, which checks in at 484 pages if you count the index, so he couldn’t include every anecdote.

Allow me to share a memory that will help you know Bo a little better.

There’s no official statistic for it, but I believe no other Heisman Trophy winner has been the target of more contempt and disdain during his signature season. It was almost a national campaign. Rick Reilly’s hatchet job in Sports Illustrated, painting Bo as a coward, was merely the most infamous and casually vicious of the genre.

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Bo Jackson asked if Deion Sanders would be good fit as next Auburn coach

Published: Oct. 26, 2022, 1:26 p.m.

2-3 minutes

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Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders watches from the sideline during the second half of the Orange Blossom Classic NCAA college football game against Florida A&M, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Jackson State won 59-3. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)AP

The topic of Auburn’s next football coaches rages on as the Tigers prepare for a Saturday home game against Arkansas.

For the record, Bryan Harsin is still the coach.

However, earlier this week, former Auburn great and Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson was asked if Jackson State and former NFL great Deion Sanders would be a good fit on The Plains.

“Deion could coach anywhere in the country — college or professional level— that he wants to,” Jackson said in an interview with USA Today. “It’s just whether or not the organization is ready for Prime. You can look at what he’s done for Jackson State in the short amount of time he’s been there. He has the charisma. He has what it takes because Deion, like myself, we were coached old-school and that’s the way he’s coaching his players. You’re seeing the results.”

RELATED: Why Bo Jackson is the greatest athlete ever

Sanders, the former Florida State star, is 7-0 this season and 20-5 as a head coach at Jackson State since taking over prior to the 2020 season.

For the first time in program history, Jackson State will host ESPN’s “College GameDay” ahead of Saturday’s game with Southern.

“I was excited, really excited,” Sanders said, per Mississippi Today. “But you gotta understand, I expect stuff like this. Why not us? You know lots of people wear that shirt that says: ‘Why not us.’ But they don’t believe what’s on the shirt half the time.

RELATED: Snoop Dogg joins Deion at homecoming, takes jab at Alabama State coach

“You better believe it. Don’t just wear it. Believe it. I really think like that. I think, ‘Why haven’t you come yet?’ Thank God, they pulled the trigger. We’re blessed to have them. It’s phenomenal.”

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.

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Sorting out the facts on Bryan Harsin’s redshirt policy at Auburn

Published: Oct. 26, 2022, 7:02 p.m.

6-7 minutes

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Another day, another saga for Bryan Harsin during his second season as the Auburn head football coach.

During Wednesday’s Southeastern Conference teleconference, he was asked about a story that said he denied non-medical redshirts to players.

“I don’t know what report you’re talking about,” Harsin said.

According to Auburn Daily reporting, Harsin was “refusing to allow players to request a redshirt without a medical reason for not playing,” framing it as “you play, or you go,” forcing some players to end their 2022 seasons early to avoid losing a season of eligibility.

Read More Auburn Football: Defensive tackle Zykeivous Walker no longer on Auburn’s roster, plans to transfer

Auburn wide receiver plans to enter transfer portal in December

Former Auburn starting wide receiver to enter transfer portal, becomes 10th 2021 signee to leave

Tight end Landen King confirmed his intent to redshirt on October 5th after reports surfaced earlier in the day. According to sources around the program, Harsin believed King could still serve a role for the Tigers and was healthy enough to play. Initially, King publicly said he would remain in the program as he still attended practice and participated with the scout team for the last few weeks.

Auburn didn’t confirm or deny the redshirt for King because he was progressing on the scout team, and there was an opportunity for an increased role. He was removed from the online roster late Tuesday night after he tweeted a statement that he was entering the transfer portal.

King is more attractive in the transfer portal with three years of eligibility versus two years. King, recruited to Auburn by previous coach Gus Malzahn, was displeased with his playing time, which led to the redshirt request, according to sources. Harsin wanted King to commit to playing and hoped to have him available for the Arkansas game.

Harsin alluded to the value of having as many healthy players as possible on Monday when asked about the health status of his team after the open date.

“The one thing about the injuries, we only look at it as players in the game, how it impacts that game. But it really impacts practice,” Harsin said. “If the guy has to take the two reps, he doesn’t have anybody to back him up, and he’s getting double reps, and pretty soon he fatigues, and that’s going to cause injury down the road for us.”

King arrived at Auburn as a tight-end recruit and was in his first season playing a new position with different responsibilities. He was also behind experienced receivers Ja’Varrious Johnson and Tar’Varish Dawson on the depth chart. Freshman Jay Fair also was pushing for playing time.

King didn’t play in the season-opener against Mercer, partly because his adaptation from tight end to wide receiver was still progressing. According to Pro Football Focus, he had 16 snaps in the win against San Jose State. His one catch for 24 yards came in the loss against Penn State.

According to PFF, King had 15 snaps against the Nittany Lions and 12 against Mizzou.

The former 3-star recruit dressed out for the LSU game but didn’t get any snaps in the contest. He didn’t make the 70-player travel roster for the Georgia and Ole Miss road losses.

When asked Wednesday about his policy on redshirting players following the exits of multiple players into the transfer portal, Harsin said it is something his staff discusses and examines. “We know the number of games,” the Auburn head coach said. “So we really monitor that as a staff. We’ve done that every year, and certainly with the new four-game rule. We’ve always paid attention to that.”

Harsin got a follow-up question directly mentioning the allegations of him denying redshirts for any reason other than an injury. He elaborated on his policy on handling redshirting.

“It all goes back to what is needed and who’s out there also putting themselves in position to be able to play, and who can help us play,” Harsin said. “We monitor that as a staff, and we continue to monitor that with guys. If they’re not going to be able to go out there and play for us, there’s guys ahead of them, and they’re young players; if they have a redshirt year, that’s usually when they’re able to use it.”

Harsin’s job is to put the best players on the field to give Auburn a chance at winning. It’s also no secret that he’s on one of the hottest seats in America heading into the final five games of the season. King has the right to protect his destiny as a football player. Harsin’s fate at Auburn hinges on winning games right now. Auburn is 3-4 with a 1-3 SEC record, and Harsin is 9-11 as the Tigers’ head coach.

“But overall, every guy that comes in here, they’re coming to play,” Harsin said. “That’s what we go through every week: What is that plan, and how do we utilize our players to help us and their teammates to be successful and go win ballgames?”

Harsin’s comments on Wednesday’s call demonstrate his belief that the coaching staff’s evaluations should lead to a decision on a redshirt.

In today’s world of the transfer portal, is it fair for a player to dictate his sitting out while reaping the benefits of being a scholarship athlete until they depart? Should an athlete leaving or waiting for the current coach to get fired continue to access the program’s resources like the weight room, physical therapists, training table, and more? Should the player risk losing the valuable redshirt if they believe they’re in an untenable situation?

Your answer might depend on which position you’re in at the moment. Harsin’s place as Auburn’s coach gets more precarious by the day.

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.

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si.com

 

Arkansas vs. Auburn schedule, game time, how to watch, TV channel, streaming

James Parks

3-4 minutes

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Arkansas vs. Auburn schedule, game time, how to watch, TV channel, streaming

Week 9 college football schedule: Arkansas vs. Auburn

How to watch

When: Sat., Oct. 29

Time: 11 a.m. Central

TV: SEC Network

Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)

More college football on SI: College football scores | College football rankings | College football schedule

Odds, point spread, betting lines

Odds courtesy of SI Sportsbook

Line: Arkansas -3.5

Arkansas ATS: 3-4

Auburn ATS: 2-5

Over/under: 62

Moneyline: ARK -188, AUB +138

FPI pick: Auburn 56.3%

What you need to know

Arkansas: It seems like so long ago when the Razorbacks were the talk of college football, a top 10 team, and seemingly destined for great things. Then came a three-game losing streak to ranked SEC teams and a paltry 1-3 start in conference play. But the Hogs should be getting quarterback KJ Jefferson back fully healthy after missing the MSU game and getting banged up in the win at BYU to complement this talented rushing attack.

Auburn: It's been tough sledding for Bryan Harsin, who just lost cornerback AD Diamond to the transfer portal, making it 10 departures of the 18 players Auburn signed in the 2021 recruiting class. The exodus out of the Plains continues, and most observers think Harsin himself is next. Just 1-3 in SEC games, the Tigers have dropped four of the last five overall, allowing over 40 points in three of them. Auburn could in theory get something going against the Razorbacks' secondary, but do they have the skill?

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According to AP top 25 poll

1. Georgia (31 1st-place votes)
2. Ohio State (18)
3. Tennessee (13)
4. Michigan
5. Clemson (1)
6. Alabama
7. TCU
8. Oregon
9. Oklahoma State
10. USC
T-10. Wake Forest
12. UCLA
13. Penn State
14. Utah
15. Ole Miss
16. Syracuse
17. Illinois
18. LSU
19. Kentucky
20. Cincinnati
21. North Carolina
22. Kansas State
23. Tulane
24. NC State
25. South Carolina

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Tank Bigsby among top rushers for 2022

River Wells

1-2 minutes

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The Auburn Tigers offense hasn’t had much to boast about this year, but it can certainly be proud of running back Tank Bigsby.

Bigsby was named in PFF’s top 10 running backs so far on the year, coming in at the bottom of the list with Texas’ Roschon Johnson at a grade of 88.2. Bigsby is one of four SEC backs to make the cut.

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It’s taken a bit for Bigsby to get going for Auburn, but the Ole Miss game was an arrival of sorts for a player that many believed coach Bryan Harsin misused. After a big game to start the season against Mercer, Bigsby was lacking in attempts and struggled to get going with Auburn’s offensive line before blistering for 179 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns against the Rebels. It seems that PFF has certainly taken note of his performances, as he finds himself in great company on their list of highest-graded running backs for 2022.

Bigsby and the rest of Auburn’s offense will look to improve on its game against the Rebels when it takes on the Arkansas Razorbacks in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.

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For Pittman and Jefferson, Saturday’s game at Auburn will be ‘personal’

Taylor Jones

3-4 minutes

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Let us begin this article by stepping back in time.

The year is 2015, the setting is Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson boots a 41-yard field goal with 0:04 remaining in regulation to tie Arkansas at 24-24, sending the game to overtime.

Auburn and Arkansas would trade touchdowns through three overtimes, but the Razorbacks ultimately prevailed thanks to a 25-yard pass from Brandon Allen to Cole Kelly on the first play of the 4th overtime, beating Auburn, 54-46.

That would mark the last time that Arkansas has beaten Auburn in the sport of football.

Arkansas head coach sam pittman, as well as Razorback quarterback K.J. Jefferson hope to change the course of the annual series on Saturday, by winning their first game over the Tigers in six years and grabbing their first win at Jordan-Hare Stadium since 2012.

Pittman has done great things at Arkansas in his three-year tenure. He led them to nine wins and a bowl win over Penn State in his second season. Before that, Arkansas had not won a bowl game since the 2015 season and had not won more than eight games since 2011.

One thing he has not done, however, is beat Auburn. He says that he has gotten a sense at practice this week that playing Auburn is “personal” to his players.

“We’ve got to win,” Pittman said during his Wednesday press conference. “It’s going to be very difficult but, to answer your question, I do feel at practice that we understand that Auburn has embarrassed us six years in a row and we would like not to make it the seventh. But we’ve got to go play well.”

Pittman says that he feels the need to win from players such as offensive lineman Dalton Wagner, who has been on the Razorbacks roster for six years, and for KJ Jefferson, who is looking to avenge last season’s loss after completing just 21-of-35 passes in last season’s loss to Auburn.

Not only does Jefferson want to lead his program to their first win over Auburn since 2015, but the 2020 game is still fresh on his mind.

“I mean, we know what happened when we went down there,” Jefferson said. “So, I mean, everybody has the memory still in the back of their heads. So, this week, it’s more personal than anything. We’re taking it as a challenge. More personally, try not to leave the game to the ref’s hands. So, we just want to come out and dominate and play our brand of football.”

The Razorbacks and Tigers are set to meet for the 31st time in history on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT.

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Top Auburn football defender offers support for Bryan Harsin

Andrew Hughes

2-3 minutes

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Auburn football is experiencing yet another exodus of transfers in 2022 this week, with Zykeivous Walker, AD Diamond, Landen King, and Tar’Varish Dawson all making up the latest round of departures from Bryan Harsin’s Tigers.

That group has been unhappy with the opportunities (or lack thereof) they’ve gotten in 2022 under Harsin, and at least in the case of King, the head coach was not having him take a redshirt with no medical reasoning behind it.

Evidently, many players aren’t taking to Harsin and the narrative from many in the fanbase is that he is swiftly losing the locker room and needs to be let go ASAP. The latter point could certainly be debated, but not player in the Auburn football program is giving up on the long-time Boise State head coach.

Wesley Steiner, the No. 2 leader in total tackles and solo tackles this season, tweeted out in support of Harsin, vowing to see his tenure through to its natural end:

Auburn football has time to turn their season around

As crazy as it may sound, this season is not yet a lost one. With five games left in 2022, there’s still a chance to match or surpass last year’s win total and become bowl eligible. It wouldn’t be much progress from the Gus Malzahn era, especially since the Tigers won 9 or more games 3 times under his leadership, but it wouldn’t be a far-cry from the other five seasons under the previous regime.

Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State are all winnable games, and Western Kentucky’s only victory over an Alabama university this season should be UAB. Winning at least 3 from that set isn’t impossible, and if it is, everything said about this being Bryan Harsin’s last season will come to fruition.

Let’s pump the brakes on the pessimism until that happens, though. If it even does.