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Hugh Freeze starting fast at Auburn through transfer portal, Cole Cubelic says

Brad Crawford
3–4 minutes

 

First-year Auburn coach Hugh Freeze has signed the nation's third-best transfer class during the 2023 recruiting cycle, according to 247Sports — a testament to how hard his staff has worked in the portal, former Tiger and current SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic says. Not only did the Tigers land a dozen players with previous college experience, but several are expected to be Day 1 starters on The Plains next fall.

"The line of scrimmage had to be addressed immediately, it wasn’t a position of concern on both sides of the ball, it was almost a position of panic on both side s of the ball based on where it’s been the last few years," Cubelic said this past week on The Paul Finebaum Show. "You bring in a tackle from Tulsa who I think will be a starter on the left side, you bring a center from ECU that is athletic and I think has a a chance to start right away and a tackle from Western Kentucky who has a chance to start at right tackle."

Freeze landed several defensive stalwarts at the line of scrimmage as well, including Kentucky's Justin Rodgers, one of the top transfers available

“You went and got big, physical bodies on the defensive side that can help you right now,” Cubelic said.

Auburn did not sign a quarterback and many assumed Freeze would considering the lack of depth returning at the position.

"I know people wanted another quarterback, (Coastal Carolina's) Grayson McCall had some potential issues getting in and Hugh decided to go a different direction with (Oklahoma State's) Spencer Sanders, some of that hasn't worked, but I don't think it was emergency mode there," Cubelic said. "Look at how these quarterbacks are being stocked up at different schools. Hugh just realized we must have as much quarterback talent in that room as possible to give us the best chance to be successful no matter what.

"That's whether Robby works or doesn't work. He sees the fact that Robby Ashford still overall hasn't played a ton of football and there's a lot of development there."

Cubelic did say wide receivers still need to be addressed Auburn ahead of the 2023 season and he worries a bit within that position group.

Cubelic, an Auburn center from 1996-01, is not the only former Tiger impressed with Freeze thus far.

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"I think he's done a pretty good job to this point of bringing in new blood," said Takeo Spikes, a two-time Pro Bowl selection in the NFL and former Auburn linebacker from 1996-97, said this week on McElroy & Cubelic in the Morning. "You have to change the culture. What Hugh is doing is bringing in outside guys from other schools, as you mentioned. And he's tapping into the portal where you have guys with different experience, some of them from successful programs. I think he's doing a good job so far of bringing in the guys. Ideally we'd love to see more five-stars, but at the end of the day, I don't get too caught up on that."

">247Sports
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Opinion: Auburn Football Is Gonna Be Okay

Matthew Redding
7–9 minutes

At 28 years old, having bled blue and orange since birth, I have grown up witnessing some of the finest moments from one of the finest programs in America. My dad, Jeff Redding, made sure that the reason I cheered for Auburn wasn't just because I wanted to be like my old man (which I still do) but because I loved its rich history and trendsetting traditions, and that no matter the weather of the season, I wouldn't just crawl under a rock and wait until a better year came around like some "fans" of the OTHER school would do. 

And at 28 years old, I have seen plenty. No, not as much as your grandfather or legendary columnist Philip Marshall. I was never in the stands for "Bo Over the Top" or welcomed Georgia Tech to Auburn with slicked-down railway tracks. But I was there to watch Brodie Croyle get sacked fifty bajillion times in '05. I was there the year before when Auburn went 14-0 without a national championship and a few years later when Cam took us 14-0 again WITH a national championship. I was at a college banquet watching Auburn on my phone when the Prayer at Jordan-Hare was answered as we sunk Georgia, and who can forget where they were when the Kick-Six happened? (For me, it was in the living room and my mom screamed so loud that my eardrum almost burst as Davis rounded the 50 yard line). My family and I were at a funeral for my grandfather, having the most balanced of emotions as the side of grief of losing someone was counterbalanced by the side of "whipping the dog crap" out of No. 1 Georgia all night that night (no doubt, Grandad Redding was smiling too from above). 

It also, unfortunately, means that I have seen some of the lowest. That same 2017 year was the 20-0 blown lead at LSU. 13 seconds from a national title in 2013. 3-9 in Chizik's final year at the helm the year before, and 5-7 the year Tuberville resigned in '08. Games that slipped away in the last quarter or second, penalties that go the other way (or should never have happened) to hiring coaches from up north who know nothing of the juggernaut that is SEC football and southern recruiting. When it rains, it pours. 

Nov 26, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Carnell Williams reacts after his team scores against theAlabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Thankfully, this year, Auburn has learned how to dance in the rain. The media reaction from the 13-10 victory over Texas A&M this year at Jordan-Hare was as electric as a power plant. Our own coach Freeze even admitted that it "looked like a national title game" with everything on the line. Coach Cadillac was handed an unfair hand with a team sitting in a muddle of doubt and a 3-5 record. Bowl eligibility was on the line, but the prestige of the Cheese-It Bowl is lost in the age of the College Football Playoff. What was left to play for now?

Pride. The Auburn Spirit and Auburn pride. 

Upon being named the interim, his message echoed that sentiment. "I don’t know if we’re going to win a ballgame or not" he had said "One thing that’s going to make me happy is if we play good football - and hard, Auburn football. I honestly -- that’s what I want to get these kids to do, man -- play hard and compete. At the end of the day, I told these kids, win, lose or draw, if we do that, not only will we make ourselves proud, but I know the Auburn family will be proud of us, too."

And who can forget the whirlwind of emotions as Auburn looked for the next man up. Names from Dabo Swinney to Jeff Grimes to the four-week favorite Lane Kiffin circled Twitter like buzzards over TCU's offense against Georgia. John Cohen eventually went the Bruce Pearl route and gave a former SEC coach a second chance and went with Hugh Freeze. 

The reactions were... Immediate, so to say. Personally, I was underwhelmed after all the speculation of a big-name playoff coach coming to the Plains, but I thought he was worth a shot. His recruiting abilities in the dirty south and offensive prowess made him a far better option than the previous regime. Others were not so accepting of the former Ole Miss coach, and World War III took place on Twitter between Auburn and... Well, Auburn. At the end of the day, the only thing to do was wait and see what his next moves were as the new head man at Auburn. 

And what a delivery. 

All Freeze did was put together a sneaky good staff while bringing Auburn recruiting from nothing to the #16 class in the country (per 247) and brought in the #2 transfer class per On3's rankings. The offensive line grew faster than the Grinch's heart on Christmas Day. Auburn flipped a five star in Keldrik Faulk on signing day and for the first time in what feels like a while, the national media is gushing over what's going on in an Auburn offseason. 

And he's only getting started.

Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze is introduced duringAuburn basketball vs Arkansas on Saturday, Jan. 7,.2023 in Auburn, Ala.Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

So what now? Should we believe again just because of top-20 recruiting class and a cool new "Yahtzee" catchphrase?

The short answer is simple: yes. Yes indeed. 

Any coach who begins recruiting for their school 20 minutes after taking the job is going to have some early returns as a reward for their hard work. 

In Auburn history, every time a new coach is hired, a title-contending season is usually not far behind. Tuberville went from jet-gate to undefeated in two years after being relatively new to the job. Chizik coached the team to the promised land in year 2 at the helm, and Gus almost topped them both with a title in year ONE. But the gimmicky plays that powered fluke years are over, as Freeze has demonstrated that his recruiting plan is not just for a miracle season, but for sustained success. At Ole Miss, he wasn't afraid to make changes that were crucial for continuous winning. When he realized that the solution to quarterback after Bo Wallace wasn't on the roster, he took a shortcut rather than frustrating development and got Chad Kelly to come to Oxford, all while recruiting five-star quarterback Shea Patterson to come sit behind him and learn the ropes. That kind of thinking is why Georgia and Alabama are always in the SEC championship. That kind of thinking is now on the Plains. As we wrote here, Hugh Freeze's passing offenses averaged 293 yards per game at Arkansas State, 290 at , and 250 at Liberty. Auburn hasn't seen that kind of passing attack since Jason Campbell. 

No, I don't think that we have a huge chance of winning the national championship game in the 2023 season, but if TCU taught us anything, it's that anything can happen, and if there's one thing the 2013 Auburn Tigers taught us, it's not to count out the loveliest village every football season. If there's one thing I do believe- and something we should all look to as Spring practices warm up- It's the statement our own Cadillac Williams made after the victory over Texas A&M

"Auburn football is gonna be ok." 

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Five expectations for Auburn football's quarterbacks under Hugh Freeze

 

New Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is known as a bit of a quarterback guru.

Now entering his first season on the Plains, Freeze will have that reputation put to the test.

Auburn quarterback Robby Ashford was thrown into the fire as a freshman and unsurprisingly struggled in a variety of areas - accuracy, decision making, turnovers, etc. However, he did flash glimpses of potential, rushing for over 700 yards and finished sixth in the SEC in yards per completion (min. 100 attempts).

Unless Freeze decides to roll with a quarterback out of the portal, he's going to have the chance to build on Ashford's foundation and unlock his potential.

Regardless of who the signal-caller is, here are five things we can expect out of Freeze's quarterbacks at Auburn.

More gambling

Robby Ashford in the Iron Bowl.

Jason Homan/ Auburn Daily

Over the course of his ten seasons coaching Division I college football, Hugh Freeze quarterbacks throw an interception on 2.9% of their passes. Compare this to Auburn, who from 2013-2022 threw a pick on 2.1% of their passes.

The gap between these two styles of play starts to shift when you look at interception totals - Hugh Freeze QB's 117 interceptions to Auburn's 65 - but that's not a fair comparison because of two reasons. One, the Tigers have thrown the ball significantly less than the average SEC team over the last decade. Two, there's a two-year gap in the Hugh Freeze numbers because he was out of coaching.

Only twice has Auburn eclipsed double-digit interceptions since 2013. Hugh Freeze quarterbacks have done it seven out of his nine seasons.

More turnovers come with throwing the ball more. Especially in Freeze's offenses.

More explosive play

Nov 5, 2022; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) runs the ball against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

While turnovers may be a downside, more explosive play is also to be expected from Freeze signal-callers.

During his time at Ole Miss, Freeze never had a passing offense finish outside of the top five in the SEC in yards per game and only had one aerial attack step outside the top five of the league in yards per attempt.

If we're looking at this year specifically, there's reason to expect Auburn's receiver room to be used pretty differently considering the blend of size and speed the Tigers have in the rotation. Physical, big-bodied receivers are what have thrived in Freeze's systems in the past - and part of it has to do with the downfield passing from his quarterback.

This isn't Joe Burrow and the 2019 LSU Tigers by any stretch. However, fans should be excited about a more, well, exciting passing game.

Better accuracy

Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) warms up prior to the San Jose State vs Auburn game on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022.

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Seven of Freeze's ten offenses have seen better completion percentages than Auburn's passing attacks in the same year.

We won't sit here and tell you that every year Freeze beat out the Tigers' passing attack by a wide margin in that category, but it's not unfair to say Freeze's quarterbacks have had a consistent edge over Auburn's from a raw numbers perspective - more reps, completions, accuracy, etc.

If we're talking specifically about this upcoming season, there's little doubt that Ashford will improve on his 49.5% completion percentage.

Dual-threat abilities

Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) runs for big yardage and a first down during the San Jose State vs Auburn game on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022.

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Freeze has utilized his quarterback's legs to not just produce yardage, but to actually get in the endzone.

His starting signal-callers have averaged 447.1 yards on the ground per season to go along with 7.5 rushing touchdowns.

What's interesting about Freeze's use of dual-threat quarterbacks is that the more he's used them in a given season, the better the team has done overall. Now, the utilization of a QBs legs may not directly correlate to wins, but it does indicate that the offense probably performs better and therefore the team as a whole is more competitive.

Four of Freeze's ten seasons have included his starting quarterback rushing for over 500 yards. Those teams went a combined 38-11 (0.78 win percentage) and produced all three of his ten-win seasons.

It does make one wonder what could be in store if Auburn were to ride with Robby Ashford and improve his passing game...

Big performances in big wins

Robby Ashford scrambles against Georgia.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Excluding 2012, Hugh Freeze is 5-7 against top 10 opponents. In those five wins, his quarterbacks produced some solid (averaged) stat lines:

- 314.4 passing yards per game

- 10 total TD/2 INT

- 79.6 QBR

When the quarterback plays well in important contests, the team plays well.

 

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Former SEC quarterback believes Hugh Freeze can win national title at Auburn

Taylor Jones
~3 minutes

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has not stopped working since being hired to take over the position in late November.

He has hauled in the nation’s No. 17 recruiting class according to 247Sports and has snagged the No. 3 transfer portal class, behind only LSU and Florida State.

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The recent improvements to the program have many Auburn fans excited for the future, and college football analysts believing that he can lead Auburn to the top within a few seasons. One of those analysts is ESPN’s Aaron Murray.

In a recent episode of Snaps, a podcast hosted by the former Georgia quarterback and former LSU lineman T-Bob Hebert, the duo ranked their top five coaches who could win a title, with the only criteria being that said coaches have not won a title before. Murray included Freeze at No. 3 on the list.

LSU has won titles under Nick Saban, Les Miles, and Ed Orgeron over the last 20 years. Auburn has also seen that success by winning a title under Gene Chizik and playing for another under Gus Malzahn. Murray uses that point to share why he added Freeze to his list.

“You look at Auburn, two of their past three head coaches have either won a national championship or have been to a national championship,” Murray said. “At least it has been shown in the last 13 years that you can win a national championship at Auburn, you can win the SEC at Auburn, and you can get to a national championship.”

Murray also believes that Freeze has come into Auburn at a good time, citing that Nick Saban could retire from Alabama at some point in the near future, which could make way for Freeze to reach the top of the mountain. Freeze has also shown signs of regret for his past faults during his time at Ole Miss, which can also be a sign of great things to come.

“Ever since he has set foot on campus at Auburn, he as recruited at a high clip, he also has a top transfer portal class as well. They have plenty of money at Auburn, they are doing a great job when it comes to NIL as well,” Murray said. “Hugh Freeze, the offense, the connections, the fact that he has had success in this league, the fact that Auburn has won championships in the past gives me confidence that he can get that thing going again in the next four years.”

The first time that Auburn fans can see a Hugh Freeze-led team on the field will be on April 8 for the annual A-Day spring game. The official opening day for spring practice has yet to be determined.

 https://t.co/pWq7pI9Vp0 pic.twitter.com/AcDMjlHFjH

— Aaron Murray (@aaronmurray11) January 27, 2023

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College football: Miami, Auburn, Oklahoma, Nebraska poised to make 'big jumps' in 2023, Josh Pate says

Grant Hughes

 

 

With the 2022 college football season in the books, 247Sports’ Josh Pate looked ahead to 2023 on Friday’s episode of Late Kick and labeled Miami, Auburn, Oklahoma and Nebraska as teams that should be significantly improved from a season ago and make big jumps in the fall.

Auburn and Nebraska each fired their coaches amid losing seasons in 2022. The Tigers entered the season with second-year head coach Bryan Harsin at the helm and let him go following a 3-5 start that included four consecutive losses. The Cornhuskers weren’t as patient, canning Scott Frost three games into the season.

Miami and Oklahoma fell short of their usual standards under first-year head coaches Mario Cristobal and Brent Venables, respectively. The Hurricanes (5-7) won less than six games in a season for the first time since 2007, while the Sooners (6-7) stumbled to their first losing season since 1998.

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Keep scrolling to see why Pate says Miami, Auburn, Oklahoma and Nebraska can make big jumps next season.

11425388.jpg?fit=bounds&crop=620:320,offset-y0.50&width=620&height=320 Miami head coach Mario Cristobal (Photo: Scott Utterback, Getty)

Coming off a 7-5 record in 2021, Miami fired head coach Manny Diaz and lured Mario Cristobal away from Oregon with a 10-year, $80 million deal, making him the second-highest-paid coach in the ACC (Clemson's Dabo Swinney). The Hurricanes fell short of expectations in 2022 with their first losing record since 2007 (5-7). Despite Miami's poor finish, Cristobal has been flexing his recruiting muscles. During the Early Signing Period in December, Miami received national letters of intent from 25 of its 26 commitments in a 2023 class that ranks No. 4 in the nation. The 2023 Miami recruiting class is the highest signed by Cristobal during his 12-year coaching career and is poised to give the Hurricanes their first top-5 finish in the recruiting rankings since 2008.

Pate's take: "They can't really get much worse, but how big will the jump be? They were a bad team last year. They have a lot of true freshmen that I think will be immediate contributors. They started three quarterbacks last year. Offensively, they were out of sync. I think Miami fans are wondering if the totality of the upheaval has concluded. Are there going to be more staff changes? I think maybe. Their running game is not good enough, but they're bringing in a high four-star running back and a couple of offensive tackles."

Hugh Freeze Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze (Photo: 247Sports)

Auburn went 5-7 last season and parted ways with Bryan Harsin along the way. The Tigers hired former Ole Miss and Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze to take the helm in November, a move that has paid dividends in the transfer portal. In convincing eight four-star transfers to join him on The Plains ahead of the 2023 season, Freeze signed the nation's No. 2 transfer class. The portal's No. 4 defensive lineman, Justin Rogers (Kentucky), highlights the Tigers' class. The Tigers return Robby Ashford at quarterback after he completed 49.2% of his passes for 1,613 yards and seven touchdowns with seven interceptions a season ago. He added 710 yards and seven more scores on the ground.

Pate's take: "I expect them to get better. But with this schedule they play, even if you improve a little bit, you still got LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Texas A&M. Maybe some of those teams fall short of expectations, but you can't count on that. Auburn could be improved, but they're still 7-5 instead of 5-7. They have the No. 3 portal class in the country right now. I don't think the country has watched much Robby Ashford, but he is a guy I expect to be the starting quarterback. He strikes me as a guy that has a skill set that hasn't been tapped into yet. If I were to pick a guy that could tap into that, I'd probably pick Hugh Freeze. How many guys on Auburn's roster were not being properly utilized? There could be a few guys on this roster that could surprise you."

11499508.jpeg?fit=bounds&crop=620:320,offset-y0.50&width=620&height=320 Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables (Photo: Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman, USA TODAY Sports)

Brent Venables' debut season at Oklahoma went hardly as planned, with the Sooners stumbling to their first losing record (6-7) since 1998. However, Oklahoma's poor performance on the field has yet to carry over to the recruiting trail. The Sooners are one of two teams in the nation with a top-5 recruiting class and top-10 transfer portal class for the 2023 cycle. Five-star quarterback Jackson Arnold, who enrolled at Oklahoma on Jan. 16 as the No. 8 prospect and No. 4 quarterback in the Class of 2023, headlines the OU recruiting class. He is the third-highest-rated signal-caller to commit to Oklahoma since 2000, behind Rhett Bomar and Caleb Williams.

Pate's take: "You have to expect Oklahoma to make a big jump this year. Oklahoma is certainly going to improve on (last year), I think by leaps and bounds. They're well on their way to replenishing the roster. They've done a really good job of balancing traditional recruiting with the transfer portal. I'm interested in the fact they have a top-5 recruiting class and the top-10 portal class. They have Jackson Arnold possibly pound-for-pound my favorite quarterback in the cycle. I just happen to believe he's got the right stuff to come in there and compete for a starting job right away. And here's the thing about that. It's kind of a blessing if he wins the job. It's because he was good enough. And if he doesn't win the job, it's not because he wasn't good enough. It's just because Dylan Gabriel beat him out."

 

Nebraska went 4-8 in 2022, including a 3-6 record under interim coach Mickey Joseph after the firing of Scott Frost. The Cornhuskers handed the keys to former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, a known program-builder among the collegiate ranks with successful stops at Temple and Baylor. Rhule went 11-27 over two seasons and five games with the Panthers. Prior to his stint in the pros, Rhule churned a Baylor program that went 1-11 in his first year to a 7-6 mark the next season and an 11-3 season in year three, one that ended with the Bears in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Rhule reeled in former Georgia Tech star Jeff Sims via the transfer portal, giving Nebraska a potential playmaker at quarterback.

1COMMENTS

Pate's take: "I remember Matt Rhule at Baylor; that is why I am so confident that Nebraska is going to massively upgrade, even in year one. They do not have Ohio State or Penn State this upcoming year. I have this very strange fascination with Jeff Sims and what he could be there. We are probably going to look at Nebraska and view them as a product that is vastly improved in October and November than what they were to start the season in September. That is the team Nebraska is going to be."

">247Sports

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AuburnSports - BMatt’s Monday musings

Bryan Matthews AuburnSports BMatt’s Monday musings 38m ago
5–7 minutes

AUBURN | Auburn hosted close to 200 recruits for its Junior Day.

There was plenty of quality too with a number of Rivals100 and Rivals250 players along with several current SEC and Power 5 commitments.

It comes on the heels of Hugh Freeze and his staff spending 16 consecutive days on the road recruiting. That relentless effort paid off big-time with Saturday’s turnout.

Auburn’s football program desperately needed this level of commitment to recruiting from its head coach and finally found its talisman in Freeze.

It’s so refreshing to witness and quite a contrast to last year’s first Junior Day, which was held Jan. 29 and included just 13 visitors.

The staff had tried to throw together a last-minute Junior Day a week earlier for a home basketball game against Kentucky but couldn’t get anyone to show up.

The lack of planning, execution and effort is really beyond pathetic when you look back at it now.

It was embarrassingly poor leadership from Bryan Harsin.

His recruiting efforts in just over 22 months in charge of Auburn were nothing short of a dereliction of duty. He didn’t deserve a penny of his $15.3 million buyout, but that’s not a fight AU was going to win regardless.

That Auburn’s recruiting immediately improved the moment Harsin exited the building is all you need to know about his tenure.

The Tigers hosted 27 high school prospects during the crucial official visit period last May and June. Only one of those players, running back Jeremiah Cobb, committed and will sign with Auburn.

One of 27.

Shortly after Harsin was fired and before Freeze was brought in, Cadillac Williams and AU’s remaining staff managed to flip defensive lineman Darron Reed from LSU.

Two of 27.

Freeze arrived Nov. 28 and was key in AU flipping center Connor Lew from Miami and edge Keldric Faulk from Florida State.

Four of 27.

Now, that’s still not a good return on your official visitors but it’s four times better than what Harsin was going to accomplish. And who knows if Cobb would have stuck with his commitment if that clown-show had been allowed an additional year.

But that’s the past. It’s over. There’s a new dawn in Auburn with Freeze at the helm.

He’s restocked AU’s roster with 21 new players this month and he’s set his staff on the path to even bigger returns in the 2024 class.

Auburn is a force in recruiting for the first time in more than a decade and it’s a sight to behold.

***

So what comes next? A bit of a break in recruiting.

The dead period begins today and lasts through the end of February. You can still call, text and DM recruits, but face-to-face contact is prohibited for the next 30 days.

Prospect visits and Junior Days will return March 1 and coaches will be eligible to get back on the road starting April 15, which is a week after A-Day.

The dead period couldn’t come at a better time for most of this staff who launched into recruiting immediately after the end of the season and haven’t slowed down since.

It’s non-stop now with the transfer portal and December signing period.

Now they’ll have a month to better assess their needs, top targets and adjust their recruiting boards as needed.

February will also be a great month for team building. All that time devoted to recruiting over the last couple of months can be poured into winter workouts and the more than 70 players scheduled to go through spring practice.

There might even be some well-earned time off for the staff. Perhaps Freeze can even get a round or two in on the links.

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Trio of former Auburn teammates heading to Super Bowl LVII

Taylor Jones
2–3 minutes

Auburn Football was well represented during the 2022-23 NFL season with 26 former players gracing professional rosters.

As the season draws closer to an end, three former Tigers remain as the field is set for Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

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The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, 31-7 to advance to the Super Bowl, which means that former Tigers jack driscoll and Arryn Siposs will get the chance to compete for the league’s ultimate prize.

On the other side, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated Cincinnati Bengals on a late field goal, 23-20 to win the AFC Championship, meaning that former Auburn lineman Prince Tega Wanogho is also heading to the Super Bowl.

It will be a reunion between those three Tigers, as all three players were a part of Auburn rosters during the 2018 and 2019 seasons before beginning their professional careers in 2020. Driscoll, who transferred to Auburn from UMass, was taken No. 145 overall by the Eagles while Siposs signed an undrafted rookie contract with the Detroit Lions.

Wanogho was the longest-tenured Tiger out of the bunch, playing from 2015-19. In 2020, he was ironically taken No. 210 overall by the Eagles, the team that he will be facing in the Super Bowl.

Driscoll saw action at both left and right tackle for the Eagles this season. In ten games, Driscoll has participated in 357 snaps according to Pro Football Focus with 207 being at right tackle.

Siposs has punted the football 44 times for Philadelphia this season for an average of 45.7 yards. His longest punt of the season totaled 57 yards, and he has placed an impressive 19 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

Wanogho has played in six games this season for Kansas City, playing 45 snaps at right tackle, and 15 at left tackle.

The Eagles will compete for their second Super Bowl crown in franchise history on Sunday, Feb. 12, while the Chiefs look to earn their third.

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