2/24/23 Auburn Articles

[aubiefifty 18,259]

247sports.com

 

Auburn spring preview: Position battles to watch

Nathan King

9–11 minutes

---

 

In just a few days' time, football will be back on the Plains.

The first practices of the Hugh Freeze era get under way Monday, as Auburn is set for an early start to spring ball this year. The new coaching staff will get their first chance to work with the Tigers, implement new schemes on both sides of the ball, acclimate newcomers from high school and the transfer ranks, and evaluate where the team stands as a whole and what areas of emphasis will need to be moving forward.

Things culminate April 8 with the first A-Day spring game of the Freeze era.

All week, Auburn Undercover will continue to preview a different facet of Auburn's upcoming spring practices until things get rolling on Monday — from wild-card players to freshman fits to position battles to depth charts.

We'll continue with a look at the key position battles to monitor throughout spring ball.

(Jason Caldwell / 247Sports)

Quarterback

2022 starter(s): Robby Ashford, T.J. Finley

Contenders: Robby Ashford, T.J. Finley, Holden Geriner

Experience: Finley started the first three games of the season after winning the job in preseason camp. The former LSU transfer suffered a shoulder injury against Penn State, though, giving way to Ashford for the rest of the season. Geriner played only two drives all season — when Ashford checked out of the Missouri game briefly with an injury.

What to watch: Ashford surely has earned the benefit of the doubt for first-team reps early in camp, but Freeze and his new offensive staff will want to get a first-hand look at all the quarterbacks’ passing capabilities alongside the primary offensive line and receivers. Ashford and Finley were both highly inconsistent last season, so the door is plenty open for Geriner to make strides. It will be intriguing to watch how they respond to a new passing game and offense, and how Freeze and company are able to hone in on Ashford’s dynamic skill set.

Left tackle

2022 starter(s): Kilian Zierer

Contenders: Dillon Wade, Gunner Britton

Experience: Wade started all last season for Tulsa at left tackle, while Britton split starts at Western Kentucky at both right and left tackle.

What to watch: Auburn and new offensive line coach Jake Thornton likely have an idea of where they want their two highly rated transfer additions to start, but it still won’t be surprising if they give Wade and Britton a chance to stretch their legs at both tackle spots. Wade is a left tackle through and through, but if Britton proves himself more effective at the position, Wade could slide over to the right side. Vice versa seems the more likely case.

Left guard

2022 starter(s): Brandon Council, Kameron Stutts, Jeremiah Wright

Contenders: Kameron Stutts, Jeremiah Wright, Garner Langlo

Experience: After Council had to take over starting center duties a few games into the season, Stutts swapped starting guard spots. Wright emerged, though, over the course of the year, started the Ole Miss game in Week 7 and continued to rotate almost evenly with Stutts at left guard the rest of the season.

What to watch: Thornton seemed high on Wright’s potential earlier this month, when he said the monstrous 6-foot-5, 335-pounder is “someone we can build this unit around.” Considering their experience compared to other interior linemen on the roster, Wright and Stutts are the two most probable starters at the moment for either guard spot, and Stutts obviously has the experience playing both.

(Stephen Igoe, Getty)

Center

2022 starter(s): Tate Johnson, Brandon Council

Contenders: Avery Jones, Tate Johnson

Experience: The No. 1 transfer center per 247Sports rankings, Jones makes the jump to the SEC after two years starting for East Carolina. Johnson started the first four games for Auburn in 2022 before a season-ending elbow injury.

What to watch: In terms of past production, the comparison between Jones and Johnson isn’t exactly even. Jones was one of the best pass-protecting linemen in the county last season and has 30-plus starts at center and left guard in his career, while Johnson severely struggled up front for the Tigers before his injury. Still, Johnson is the returnee and should be healthy and competitive.

Right guard

2022 starter(s): Alec Jackson, Kameron Stutts

Contenders: Kameron Stutts, Jeremiah Wright, Garner Langlo

Experience: Langlo, a redshirt sophomore, has yet to appear in a game with the Tigers but repped at guard as a reserve during preseason practices. Stutts is the runaway leader here in terms of solely returning experience.

What to watch: The Tigers don’t have much guard depth on the roster, with Stutts and Wright serving as the only players who have ever taken a snap at either guard spot. True freshman early enrollee and Under Armour All-American Connor Lew has a polished skill set could be a dark horse to work in possibly as a second-teamer at guard.

Right tackle

2022 starter(s): Austin Troxell, Brenden Coffey

Contenders: Dillon Wade, Gunner Britton, Izavion Miller

Experience: Miller, rated as the No. 2 JUCO offensive tackle in the country, started at right tackle for Southwest Mississippi Community College.

What to watch: Auburn likely has a couple capable options here, if it ends up being a head-to-head between Britton and Miller — who are 6-foot-6, 305 pounds and 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, respectively.

(Chris McDill, Getty)

Outside/X receiver

2022 starter(s): Shedrick Jackson

Contenders: Camden Brown, Nick Mardner

Experience: The Cincinnati transfer Mardner had 913 yards and five touchdowns playing for Auburn’s new receivers coach, Marcus Davis, when the two were together at Hawaii in 2021. A rising sophomore, Brown was one of the most exciting young players in Auburn’s offense last season, snaring nine passes for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

What to watch: Auburn has nearly 2,000 career snaps to replace from Jackson, a fifth-year senior and second-year starter last season. But Jackson was never the most productive in the passing game, and the Tigers probably have a higher ceiling on the outside this year. Mardner is far more experienced, though Brown is an undeniably physical red-zone target at 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds. A starting pecking order isn’t as important this spring as getting the two comfortable within the new offense.

Nose tackle

2022 starter(s): Jayson Jones

Contenders: Jayson Jones, Justin Rogers

Experience: A former Oregon transfer, Jones filled a void for the Tigers in 2022 and was the primary option at nose. Rogers comes over from Kentucky, where he was a former top-60 overall prospect and developed into a starting force last season. He also sought after by Alabama and LSU on the transfer market.

What to watch: Jones wasn't the most consistent player on the interior last season and didn't often make a sizable impact on the game. Rogers had all the production that a defense can ask for from a nose tackle, nearly tripling Jones' tackles despite only playing 80 more snaps. It will be a new defensive scheme for both players.

(Austin Perryman / Auburn Athletics)

Jack linebacker

2022 starter(s): Derrick Hall, Eku Leota

Contenders: Dylan Brooks, Elijah McAllister, Keldric Faulk

Experience: McAllister, a Vanderbilt transfer, brings 34 career game appearances to the mix at what remains one of the thinnest position groups on Auburn’s roster. Brooks is the only returning player on the roster with experience at the pass-rusher spot, and Faulk is the Tigers’ highest-rated prospect in their 2023 class.

What to watch: This is one of the more unpredictable groups on the roster. Brooks has experience under his belt now, after playing an increased role in 2022 following Leota’s injury, but neither he nor McAllister have shown themselves to be high-level contributors — yet. Meanwhile, Faulk is a superb athlete at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, and if there’s any spot on the roster where a true freshman could start right away, it’s here.

Middle linebacker

2022 starter(s): Owen Pappoe

Contenders: Austin Keys, Wesley Steiner, Robert Woodyard

Experience: Keys started six games this past season for Ole Miss, with 39 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Steiner was a mainstay in the linebacking corps for Auburn before he played only a few snaps over the final four games of the year. Woodyard, the top recruit in Auburn’s 2022 class, contributed only on special teams as a true freshman while recovering from a knee injury.

What to watch: Keys appears to fit the bill of a quality replacement for Pappoe, with his experience and size. But Auburn has plenty of options across the board at linebacker, including Steiner, a senior who’s played in some capacity in all four of his seasons with the program.

">247Sports

[aubiefifty 18,259]

247sports.com

 

Auburn spring preview: 10 wild cards to watch

Nathan King

11–13 minutes

---

 

This time next week, football will be back on the Plains.

The first practices of the Hugh Freeze era get under way next Monday, as Auburn is set for an early start to spring ball this year. The new coaching staff will get their first chance to work with the Tigers, implement new schemes on both sides of the ball, acclimate newcomers from high school and the transfer ranks, and evaluate where the team stands as a whole and what areas of emphasis will need to be moving forward.

Things culminate April 8 with the first A-Day spring game of the Freeze era.

All week, Auburn Undercover will continue to preview a different facet of Auburn's upcoming spring practices until things get rolling on Monday — from wild-card players to freshman fits to position battles to depth charts.

We'll continue with a look at five wild cards to watch on each side of the ball — players who possess an eclectic skill set and whose contributions for the upcoming season can best be described as unpredictable.

(Jason Caldwell / 247Sports)

QB T.J. Finley

To count Finley out of Auburn’s quarterback race this spring would be to ignore the senior’s previous offseason accomplishments.

Yes, Finley had a rough three-game tenure as Auburn’s starting quarterback in 2022 — one touchdown to four interceptions before his injury against Penn State — but he’s already beaten out Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner in practice settings once before. Finley’s experience helped him secure the starting job last preseason, but after Ashford proved to be a more dynamic threat, Finley wasn’t able to regain ground in the QB room.

Finley spent a couple weeks away from the program at the end of the season and didn’t suit up for Auburn’s last four games of the season. But as Freeze has reiterated, he doesn’t necessarily care about what Auburn’s quarterbacks have done in the past. What matters now is how they respond to his coaching this spring, and in the case of Finley, the physical tools are certainly present, and Freeze and his staff will attempt to tap into them and help Finley find some consistency for the first time in his career.

C Tate Johnson

Regardless of how many strides Johnson was already making last preseason before Nick Brahms decided to medically retire, him being thrown into the starting role at center just a couple weeks before the season started was a tough ask for a player who had little prior experience in the SEC.

As a result, Johnson severely struggled, particularly in pass protection, before a season-ending elbow injury in Week 4 against Missouri. Now that he’s back, how does the 6-foot-4, 285-pound redshirt junior stack up against the competition in the room?

East Carolina transfer Avery Jones was rated by 247Sports as the No. 1 center available in the transfer portal, and it’s fair to assume he’ll get a strong look as the first-team option early in spring ball. But Johnson impressed and stepped up into the backup center spot last offseason for a reason, and perhaps his starting experience within the offense will play a role in his continued contention for playing time.

(Greg McWilliams, 247Sports)

WR Malcolm Johnson Jr.

Can Freeze’s passing game finally unlock Johnson Jr.’s talent? The former 4-star recruit, who reclassified from the 2021 class and joined the Tigers in 2020, has yet to make much of an impact in the receiving corps, despite his impressive speed and veteran status in the room.

Last year, Johnson Jr. dealt with a lower body injury and ended up appearing in only six games, catching only two passes for 28 yards. He has just eight receptions in his Auburn career.

Johnson Jr. could have easily transferred out after the second coaching change of his college career, but he opted to stay and continue to work toward a bigger role within the offense. At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, he has the speed to contribute in the slot, and he’s carried the ball four times from a flanker position, too. The blank slate of Auburn’s new offense, coupled with the Tigers’ fifth receivers coach in the past five years, could allow Johnson Jr. to take advantage of a reset button.

WR Landen King

Auburn fans have drooled over King’s potential as a big-bodied target in the passing game since he first started to flash as a true freshman, but the 2022 campaign didn’t feature much of King’s talents. After switching from tight end to receiver full time, King appeared in the first three games, then opted to sit out the year for a redshirt.

King then entered the transfer portal a couple weeks later, but he withdrew and returned to the Tigers’ new staff. New Auburn tight ends coach Ben Aigamaua said earlier this month that King will spend most of his time working in Marcus Davis’ receivers room, but also that he won’t be surprised if King works back at tight end in a few formations.

King has shown his ability to impact the game when given the opportunity, and it’s well past time for Auburn to get his 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame involved in the passing attack more consistently.

WR Tar’Varish Dawson

Another transfer portal withdrawal, Dawson was complimented by the previous coaching staff for his improvement and maturation last offseason. Then, despite receiving the nod as Auburn’s starting slot receiver in Week 1, Dawson appeared in four of the first five games, then left the team a few days before Bryan Harsin was fired and later entered the portal.

Freeze and Auburn’s new staff were able to reel him back in, adding another former 4-star prospect with speed and athleticism to the receiving corps equation in 2023. Like Johnson Jr., Dawson (two career receptions) has little in the way of previous production with the team — and senior Ja'Varrius Johnson returns at the slot position, too — but his raw talent can’t be disputed, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he puts together another praiseworthy offseason of work.

(Jake Crandall / Syndication: Montgomery Advertiser, USA TODAY Sports)

DL Zykeivous Walker

It seems Walker has held the distinction of being a wild-card player for Auburn’s defensive line the past couple seasons. 

In conjunction with a knee injury that added to his recovery from a 2021 shoulder injury, Walker took some personal time away from the team during the early stages of the 2022 season. He returned and played in the Georgia game in Week 6, but didn’t play the following two games and ended up leaving the team as part of the exodus of player departures before Harsin’s ouster. He entered the portal but was yet another withdrawal win for Auburn’s new staff.

A former top-100 overall recruit, Walker showed flashes of being an SEC-ready defensive lineman when he was playing as a true freshman in 2020. But a myriad of factors have limited his contributions since. If Walker can get those cleared out of his path, the 6-foot-4, 304-pound athlete has the talent and size to take advantage of opportunities presented by a new coaching staff.

JACK Dylan Brooks

The only returning player from what was previously called Auburn’s edge rusher position, Brooks’ time is now to step up and make good on the talent and expectations that saw him as a top-100 overall prospect and the No. 1 recruit in the Tigers’ 2021 haul.

After redshirting his first season without seeing the field, Brooks saw action in 10 of 12 games in 2022, especially after Eku Leota suffered his season-ending pectoral injury in Week 5. Serving as the third option in the rotation, Brooks tallied six tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery and a batted pass. His highlight moment came in the overtime loss at Mississippi State, when Brooks recovered a strip-sack fumble forced by Jeffrey M’ba.

Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister and true freshman Keldric Faulk, a top-100 recruit in the 2023 class, will likely be Brooks’ primary competition.

(Jon Korduner, Getty)

LB Demario Tolan

One of two SEC West transfer pickups for Auburn in the linebacking corps, Tolan is a younger, raw talent, while Austin Keys started nine games for Ole Miss in 2022 and could be a plug-and-play addition at middle linebacker.

That makes Tolan essentially a retroactive 2022 recruit for Auburn, especially after the Tigers were recruiting him hard before he chose LSU. To sweeten the deal further, Tolan got his fair share of SEC experience as a freshman, appearing in six games.

Despite returning five scholarship players, that group doesn’t pack a big punch after four-year starter Owen Pappoe left for the NFL. The unit also is under new management with position coach Josh Aldridge. That could open the door for a young, talented athlete like Tolan — who can likely play a couple different spots at 6-foot-2 and 22 pounds — to come in and earn some early reps in spring practices.

LB Eugene Asante

The former North Carolina transfer isn’t mentioned much in Auburn’s linebacker equation for 2023 after he played only five snaps on defense in his first season with the Tigers. But like Walker, Asante was away from the team for a couple weeks during spring practices for personal reasons, and the previous coaching staff also referenced an injury.

Asante’s experience from the ACC remains, where he appeared in 17 games and started four as a Tar Heel.

DB Jaylin Simpson

Where will Auburn slot Simpson this spring? After injuries on the back end to Zion Puckett, then Donovan Kaufman, Simpson slid back from his cornerback spot and started the final four games of the season for Auburn at safety. He shined in that role, with two interceptions and four pass breakups during that stretch.

4COMMENTS

But with Puckett and Kaufman both healthy, where does Simpson fit into the secondary? He’s certainly a starting-caliber player, and perhaps returning to his previous role in the main cornerback rotation with D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett is in play. But Simpson’s strong production at safety can’t be ignored, and returning position coach Zac Etheridge saw it first hand.

With good length at 6-foot-1, Simpson could also try his hand at the “Star” position, which is new defensive coordinator Ron Roberts’ version of the nickel spot. At the end of the day, the senior could conceivably play all across the secondary, and Etheridge and new assistant Wesley McGriff will be looking to maximize his contributions.

*** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more ***

[aubiefifty 18,259]

Cornerback should be strength of Auburn’s defense entering spring practice

Published: Feb. 23, 2023, 3:56 p.m.

5–6 minutes

---

We’re taking a look at each position group as Auburn prepares to open spring practice on Feb. 27. The ninth of an 11-part series looks at the cornerbacks.

Auburn’s defense was top-25 nationally against the pass last season, a clear strength for the Tigers in what was largely a down year and disappointing fall overall.

Now, as the program turns the page and prepares for the start of a new era under first-year coach Hugh Freeze, Auburn will do it while returning the full complement of its weapons in the secondary. That includes cornerback, where the Tigers got a welcome boost just before the start of the new year, when both starting corners Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James announced their decisions to return for a final season on the Plains.

Read more Auburn football: Zac Etheridge, Wesley McGriff excited about Auburn secondary that returns every key ingredient

Reserve offensive lineman Avery Jernigan no longer with Auburn’s program

New AD John Cohen is getting used to “Auburn Being Auburn” in the best way

Those two will bolster a unit that ranked 23rd among FBS teams — and tied with national champion Georgia — in yards allowed per pass attempt (6.5) and was 25th in the nation in pass efficiency defense (121.34).

Projected depth chart:

-- Cornerback: Nehemiah Pritchett, senior

J.D. Rhym, sophomore

-- Cornerback: D.J. James, senior

Jaylin Simpson, senior

-- Nickel: Keionte Scott, junior

Austin Ausberry, redshirt freshman

Departed: N/A

Due to arrive in the fall: four-star 2023 signee Tyler Scott, four-star 2023 signee Colton Hood, three-star 2023 signee JC Hart.

Outlook: Zac Etheridge was excited to be retained by Freeze back in December after the Tigers’ new coach took over the program, but the real music to his ears came once Pritchett and James informed him they planned to play one more season at Auburn.

With both of the Tigers’ starting corners locked in for 2023, it meant Etheridge’s defensive backs room wasn’t going to lose any pieces from last season, save for the midseason transfer of reserve cornerback A.D. Diamond (who wound up at UAB). Etheridge described that turn of events as a new feeling to him as a coach; it’s difficult to maintain the same personnel from year to year, particularly nowadays with the transfer portal and one-time transfer opportunity, but to do so when you also have a pair of potential NFL players in the room makes it even more noteworthy.

James made a name for himself in his first SEC season after transferring to Auburn from Oregon last year. The 5-foot-1, 174-pounder had 38 tackles, with 25 solo stops and one tackle for a loss, along with an interception that he returned for a touchdown against Western Kentucky. He also tied for the team lead with eight pass breakups while earning second-team All-SEC honors from the AP and the conference’s coaches. Pritchett, who took over as Auburn’s top corner last season — starting all 12 games — while following in the footsteps of Roger McCreary, finished the year with a career-high 37 tackles, including 4.5 for a loss, and eight pass breakups.

While returning both starters at cornerback is huge for Auburn, it’s the rest of the returning experience that makes this arguably the Tigers’ top position heading into the spring. Jaylin Simpson returns for his senior season with 35 career appearances, including 12 starts under his belt. Simpson started six games last season, including a handful at nickel late in the year, while posting 37 tackles, seven pass breakups and a pair of interceptions. J.D. Rhym, a former four-star 2022 signee, played in all 12 games and made one start as a freshman last fall while finishing with 14 tackles and a pass breakup.

Keionte Scott, a former junior college transfer, made starts at both nickel and safety last season. He finished with 53 tackles, including four for a loss and one sack, along with four pass breakups and an interception.

Auburn also returns redshirt freshman Austin Ausberry, who appeared in two games as a true freshman last season, and the program welcomes four-star cornerback Kayin Lee, an early enrollee, to the fold this spring. Lee, who flipped from Ohio State during the early signing period, is the second-highest rated signee in Auburn’s 2023 class and was rated as the nation’s No. 16 cornerback coming out of high school.

Up next: Safeties.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[aubiefifty 18,259]

Reserve offensive lineman Avery Jernigan no longer with Auburn’s program

 

By

Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

Auburn’s new-look offensive line group will enter spring practice without one of its older reserves.

Avery Jernigan, a reserve offensive lineman the last three seasons, is no longer with Auburn’s program, a team spokesman confirmed to AL.com on Thursday. Jernigan left the team on his own accord.

Jernigan was no longer listed on Auburn’s online 2023 roster as of Thursday morning. The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder out of Blackshear, Ga., appeared in just one game during his three seasons with the Tigers. He did not see the field during the 2020 or 2021 seasons and made his college debut during Auburn’s win against Western Kentucky back in November during the Tigers’ penultimate game of the season.

A former three-star recruit, Jernigan signed with Auburn as part of its 2020 class, which was ranked eighth in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite team rankings. Jernigan, a product of Pierce County High, was the 25th-ranked offensive guard in the 2020 class and the No. 482 overall recruit in the country.

His decision to leave the program comes less than a week before Auburn is set to begin spring practices under first-year head coach Hugh Freeze. The Tigers’ first day of practice will be Monday, with the A-Day spring game set for April 8 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn will open spring with an overhauled offensive line group that will include four midyear enrollees -- four-star center Connor Lew, three-star JUCO transfer Izavion Miller and three-star 2023 signees Clay Wedin and Bradyn Joiner -- as well as a trio of experienced transfers in Kentucky center Avery Jones, Tulsa offensive tackle Dillon Wade and Western Kentucky offensive tackle Gunner Britton. Auburn also returns veterans Kam Stutts, Jeremiah Wright, Jalil Irvin and Tate Johnson, along with a handful of returning underclassmen.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[aubiefifty 18,259]

Five-star WR in 2025 class set to visit Auburn

JD McCarthy

1–2 minutes

---

Hugh Freeze and Auburn already had the program’s biggest Junior Day but a second one is starting to come together. It is unlikely it will be as big as the first one, but there will be plenty of elite recruits.

One of them is five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham who has scheduled a visit to the Plains on March 4, according to Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover. Cunningham is a member of the 2025 recruiting cycle and was offered by Auburn on Feb. 22, his 11th offer already.

Buy Tigers Tickets

He is the No. 10 player and No. 2 wide receiver in the 247Sports Composite ranking. The Ackerman, Mississippi, product is also the No. 1 player from Mississippi.

The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder looks the part of the big, physical receiver that has plenty of success in Freeze’s offenses. He caught 59 passes for 892 yards during his freshman and sophomore seasons at Choctaw County.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

[W.E.D 11,071]

If we can get good guard play out of Stutts/Wright/Izavion Miller (plus maybe a spring transfers) we might have our best OL since 2017.  Maybe EJ Harris at guard too. First time being maybe average and some ability to generate some push

Edited February 24, 2023 by W.E.D

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

yahoo.com

 

Spring Preview: Projecting Auburn’s QB depth chart ahead of A-Day

Taylor Jones

4–5 minutes

---

As Auburn begins to prepare for its first spring practice under new head coach Hugh Freeze, Auburn Wire will begin examining each position group and predict who has the chance of seeing the most playing time.

First up, we take a look at one of the most popular position groups on the field, quarterback.

Auburn has five options heading into the spring, with both starters coming back to compete for the starting job. As he begins his evaluations, Freeze says that there are four qualities that he will look for in each quarterback.

“At Auburn there’s no question in my mind, No. 1 is accuracy,” Freeze said in a recent interview with Keith Niebuhr of Auburn Live. “No. 2 is the ability to lead a football team and be the face and representation of the program. Three would be arm strength and the fourth, I would love for him to have some maneuverability. Some escapability.”

Here are Auburn’s current options at quarterback heading into the 2023 season:

• Robby Ashford

• Hank Brown

• T.J. Finley

• Holden Geriner

• Sawyer Pate

Here’s how we predict the quarterback depth chart to look like following spring practice:

Robby Ashford

Justin Ford/Getty Images

Completions-Attempts	Yards	Touchdowns	Interceptions	2022 PFF Grade
123-250	1,613	7	7	58.6

Ashford will enter the spring as the incumbent to the QB1 role. He took over last season as the full-time starter after T.J. Finley suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him after just three starts. Ashford showed signs of struggle last season by throwing seven interceptions and being sacked 25 times.

However, under a new head coach and an improved offensive line, Ashford may be able to thrive. Ashford will not only the the QB to watch this spring, but maybe one of the top Auburn players to keep an eye on.

Holden Geriner

Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser

Completions-Attempts	Yards	Touchdowns	Interceptions	2022 PFF Grade
2-3	8	0	0	62.1

Geriner is a former four-star QB with plenty of potential. In High School, he was seen as a quick thrower with the ability to make great decisions in the pocket, which fits well with a typical Hugh Freeze system.

I expect experience to win, early on at least. But if Ashford shows any signs of trouble, Geriner could be given the shot to earn the top spot.

T.J. Finley

Jake Crandall/ The Montgomery Advertiser

Completions-Attempts	Yards	Touchdowns	Interceptions	2022 PFF Grade
33-53	431	1	4	53.5

Finley is creeping into [autotag]Bo Nix[/autotag] territory in the regard of playing under his third different offensive coordinator in three seasons. Finley provided relief for Nix in 2021 after he suffered an ankle injury, and assumed the role of starter for three games in 2022 before a shoulder injury prevented him from hopping back on the saddle.

There was speculation in the offseason regarding his potential of transferring away from the program, but has elected to stay in an effort to compete for the starting quarterback job.

If Finley is satisfied with his spring results, he could be provide a great battle for the starting role that will be interesting to watch unfold over the summer.

Hank Brown

The Tennessean

247Sports	On3	Rivals
3-star	3-star	3-star

Hank Brown will be the youngest QB in the room heading into the fall after signing with the Tigers 2023 recruiting class. No matter if Ashford wins the battle, or Freeze elects to bring in a transfer during the May 1-15 transfer portal window, I see Brown redshirting this season and using this time to better his craft under his new head coach.

Sawyer Pate

The Montgomery Advertiser

Completions-Attempts	Yards	Touchdowns	Interceptions	2022 PFF Grade
0-0	0	0	0	0.0

Pate is a walk-on, but is vital to quarterback depth. I don’t see him earning a starting postition, but I do expect him to gain positive development during the spring.

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

[AUGoo 2,703]

Where is EJ Harris in the OL development? I was excited when he signed from Auburn HS.

Kind of thought he would be on the running at this point

[aubiefifty 18,259]

14 hours ago, AUGoo said:

Where is EJ Harris in the OL development? I was excited when he signed from Auburn HS.

Kind of thought he would be on the running at this point

i imagine we will all know more soon. it has been weird as far as articles go. with almost half the team new the articles went from duplicates to nothing.other than pod casts. i think we will find out a lot about our new player interest and all that.it should be a fun time between now and A day and i will post as much as i can unless i get sick or go to jail.