1/13/23 Auburn Articles

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Local Auburn radio show chimes in on Hugh Freeze's quarterback room

Zac Blackerby

~2 minutes

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Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers may feel better about what Robby Ashford brings to the table than many fans do. 

Ashford represents a lot of upside and was not put in a situation to succeed a year ago. 

On Wednesday's The Drive with Bill Cameron on ESPN 106.7, Cameron and Auburn 247's Jason Caldwell discussed the transfer quarterback situation after being asked by a caller. 

Cameron responded to the caller saying, "Hugh Freeze has confidence in his ability to develop quarterbacks but I think he would also like more experience to come in and compete with the guys he has."

Caldwell chimed in with an answer that should give Auburn fans more confidence in what the quarterback room could do in 2023. 

"They're confident and they really like their signee (Hank Brown)," Caldwell said. "They feel like that guy was way overlooked by most of the country and they feel like that's a guy that's going to be really good. Now, in the spring, you still have TJ Finley here. You've got some experience here. You've got Holden Geriner. Obviously, Robby Ashford - I'll tell you this. I think high Freeze looks at Robby Ashford going 'I can make a big impact on that guy.' I think Philip Montgomery says the same thing knowing that they've won with guys like that because they were able to improve them in the finer points of throwing the football."

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247sports.com

 

Touted transfer portal DL Justin Rogers goes in-depth on his decision to play at Auburn

Steve Wiltfong

2–3 minutes

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Auburn is putting together one of the nation’s top transfer portal classes and Hugh Freeze and his first-year staff added another talented player on Thursday in former Kentucky defensive tackle Justin Rogers.

Rogers also strongly considered LSU with the likes of Alabama, Miami, Michigan State, Texas and Oklahoma among the other programs that had interest.

“Just the environment and coaching staff for real,” Rogers told 247Sports of what set Auburn apart from the rest. The Tigers had 247Sports No. 4 transfer portal class before Rogers jumped into the fold. “The culture, the history of Auburn. The coach, the d-line coach (Jeremy Garrett) he was a NFL coach that was something I really wanted.

“When I was talking to Coach Freeze it was real big for me. He had a plan for me to be successful when I get there.”

The 6-foot-2 1/2, 311-pound Rogers joins a portal class that also includes offensive lineman Avery Jones, running back Brian Battle, defensive lineman Mosiah Nasili-Kite, offensive tackle Dillon Wade, tight end Rivaldo Fairweather and linebacker DeMario Tolan who have 247Sports four-star transfer grades.

“Just really know come in and get to work and change the defensive room around,” Rogers said.

Rogers, who ranked as the No. 52 overall player in the 2020 class per the 247Sports Composite, posted 35 tackles and 1.5 sacks this season in 12 starts. Rogers also earned a 71.3 PFF grad this year, making him one of the top interior defenders in the SEC.

Rogers said he’ll be on campus at Auburn before Jan. 18.

“Can’t wait to really get to work with the players and coaches,” he said. “Talking to the whole coaching staff and talking to some of the players it’s great.”

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Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley returns to team

River Wells

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One of Auburn’s quarterbacks that appeared to be leaving at the end of last year may be staying with the team after all.

Nathan King of 247sports reported on Wednesday that quarterback T.J. Finley, who appeared to have left the team after the firing of coach Bryan Harsin, is back with the Tigers for their winter workouts. Finley began 2022 as the team’s starter before eventually being phased out for quarterback Robby Ashford.

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Finley came to Auburn after transferring to the Plains from LSU in 2021. He had his career-best completion percentage over a season in 2022 with 62.3 percent, but he threw just one touchdown to four interceptions. In any year where he’s had more than 100 attempts, Finley has never had a completion percentage over 60 percent.

The senior returns to the team after leaving it for the last four games last year for reasons unrelated to injury – Finley got injured earlier in the year and then did not win the job back from Ashford for the rest of the year. Finley never entered the portal, however, and he appears to be back with the team once again under new head coach Hugh Freeze. It’s unknown who Freeze intends to have under center for 2023, but Finley could be in the mix with his return to the roster.

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The Auburn Tigers are getting a "competitive" and "talented" linebacker in DeMario Tolan

Andrew Stefaniak

3–4 minutes

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One of Auburn's biggest needs via the transfer portal this offseason was linebacker, so when DeMario Tolan chose the Tigers, it set the fan base into a frenzy of excitement. 

Getting a transfer from a power five school is always exciting, but it brings just a little bit more joy when the school is your SEC West foe, the LSU Tigers. 

Tolan was a top 200 recruit out of high school and was likely going to be a starter for LSU before deciding to transfer to Auburn. 

Host of Locked on LSU Caroline Fenton joined the Locked on Auburn Podcast to give her thoughts on Tolan. 

Host of Locked on Auburn Zac Blackerby asked Fenton about her initial reaction to the Tolan news and what he will bring to the table for this Auburn team. 

Here was her response:

"I was surprised and also kind of bummed. I felt like throughout this transfer portal opening, LSU had a handful of guys leave, but it really wasn't franchise-altering, just totally soul-crushing moves that were made. It was guys that were good but just didn't really find their way into the starting rotation, and it really wasn't guys that I thought, how in the world is LSU going to replace these guys."

"There were two of them that I thought, man, that really is a bummer. One being wide receiver Jack Bech transferring into TCU. Second, being DeMario Tolan. Because all season long, Brian Kelly really made it a priority of his to call out DeMario Tolan. I remember after the LSU-Arkansas game; it was a gross defensive battles 13-10 final score. That was a game that LSU's defensive line and linebacking core single hand-idly won. A reporter asked Brian Kelly about Greg Penn, another linebacker on the depth chart. Kelly said Penn had his best game of the season but don't forget about DeMario Tolan because he has made Greg Penn's job so much more difficult in practice. He was pushing all the other linebackers, and he was making so much progress just in his first year that he was making veterans feel uncomfortable in their starting jobs."

"I was really looking forward to DeMario Tolan and this next step forward that I thought he would inevitably take in year two. He played in all but one game this season. He sat out against Florida State in week one because he was recovering from surgery from over the summer. But he made his impact known in almost every single game this season. I thought next year, if Brian Kelly is already calling him out already, saying he's making things competitive in practice well, then in year two, there is probably a starting role cut out for him. So I'm bummed to see a really talented guy leave. A guy who was competitive and pushed all the other linebackers in practice. He's just a good talented player that has experience. I think that is also good for Auburn as well."

This is clearly a massive addition for Auburn. Tolan has a really good shot to transfer in and immediately start at linebacker. 

Hugh Freeze has been doing a tremendous job bringing in transfer portal guys who could make Auburn a team to watch out for in 2023. 

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Local restaurant to honor Cadillac Williams with special menu item

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

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What does Pat Sullivan, rod bramblett, Gus Malzahn, Bruce Pearl and Cadillac Williams all have in common? They each have a menu item named after them at a local restaurant.

Niffers, an Auburn establishment best known for its’ burgers and sandwiches, announced Wednesday that they would recognize former Auburn running back and interim head coach Cadillac Williams with a special menu item.

“For all he did then & all he does NOW… Carnell “Cadillac” Williams deserves his own menu item,” the restaurant shared in a tweet.

What will the menu item be? That will be for Auburn fans to decide. Niffers has allowed the general public to construct the perfect burger or sandwich that will be perfectly named “The Cadillac.”

Fans have until Jan. 31 to build the perfect menu item. Participants in the contest will have the option to choose bread, protein, toppings, and sauces that will go on the item. The winner will receive a $100 Niffers gift card, and a free “The Cadillac” every month.

Williams rushed for 3,381 yards and 45 touchdowns during his time as a player from 2001-04. He later returned to Auburn as an assistant coach in 2019, and was named interim head coach following the dismissal of Bryan Harsin in 2022. He led the Tigers to a 2-2 record during his time as head coach, and was retained by newly hired head coach Hugh Freeze.