3/2/23 Auburn Football Articles

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247sports.com

 

Auburn OL newcomers hit the ground running

Jason Caldwell

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AUBURN, Alabama—Losing six offensive linemen off last year’s team, Auburn coach Hugh Freeze and new OL coach Jake Thornton would have had a rebuild on their hands no matter what the roster looked like when they arrived on the Plains. Finding an offensive line group that had just seven scholarship players returning on the roster and only two commitments in the 2023 signing class, they went to work.

Bringing in transfers Gunner Britton, Avery Jones and Dillon Wade, junior college signee Izavion Miller, and high school signee Connor Lew to go along with Bradyn Joiner and Clay Wedin, Auburn retooled the offensive line in a hurry.

On Monday they got their first look at the newcomers along the offensive front. While the pads aren’t on yet with 14 practice days still to come this spring, Thornton said you could see the impact already from the three veterans added from the portal.

“I think all three of them have found their role in equal parts,” Thornton said. “None of the three are extremely vocal, but their presence out there is certainly felt. Yesterday, you could tell that Gunner has played a ton of football at multiple positions. The way he practices, the way he carries himself, he kind of has that demeanor out there that I think a lot of people naturally, they flock to him in practice situations because he's got so much experience.

“D-Wade's got a big personality. Those guys, as far as off the field, I know they spend a lot of time with him. Him out there on the field, he's a competitor. He wants to finish, he looks to finish. So he brings that element to it.

“And then Avery, being the guy in the middle, also playing a ton of football. He brings an element of leadership, vocal leadership, making the calls getting everybody on the right direction. That was fun yesterday to watch in the one practice, right? So, we can't make good or bad judgments really based off one practice, but to watch him operate and get everybody on the same page next to Tate (Johnson), and next to (Kam)Stutts, those guys just kind of get them all in the right direction, that was certainly fun to watch.”

While the transfer additions were guys that Thornton had to learn about quickly during the recruiting process, when Auburn landed Miller it came because of a long relationship that started with the big tackle committed to him when he was coaching at Ole Miss. Watching Miller for the last year or so, Thornton said it was good to finally get him in uniform and on the field.

"That was exciting for me yesterday, to watch him,” Thornton said. “Because I've watched him over the last year in recruiting. He's still climbing, he's still getting better. But to watch him get out there and play tackle in an SEC practice is something I've been projecting for 11 months now in the recruiting process. To watch him out there, I think that was good for me because it validated everything that I thought about him and everything I think about him.

“He is, in my opinion of those guys up front, his body has changed the most from day one to right now. And that's a credit to our strength staff and our nutrition staff. Getting him in the right situation, getting him a meal plan, getting him in the weight room and he's really made a ton of progress. I'm excited to see how far he's going to come over the next 14 practices."

There’s an old saying ‘like drinking from a fire hose.’ That’s what it’s like for a true freshman offensive lineman when he arrives on a college campus and practices for the first time. For Joiner, Lew and Wedin, the first practice came with the trio as early high school graduates.

Despite the early start, Thornton said he saw three guys that showed up ready to go on the first day and that was a good sign.

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“I thought all three of them did a nice job,” he said. “I was joking yesterday, they're all supposed to be getting ready for prom, and they're out here and they're in an SEC football practice. And they're blocking guys that are four and five years older than them. It was fun to watch those three guys compete.

“That's the one thing, the great trait that all three of those guys have, all of them have their individual strengths and weaknesses, but all three of those guys are competitors and all three of them, I believe, genuinely love football and love Auburn. It was fun to watch those guys yesterday go out and compete and play different roles. The questions they ask are very mature football questions. So, I'm really excited about those three guys and what our future has with those three guys on our team."

">247Sports

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si.com

 

Auburn DL Marcus Harris praises coaching staff for smooth transition: 'I’ve never met a coaching staff like this before'

Lance Dawe

5–6 minutes

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It's no secret that head coach Hugh Freeze wanted to grab as many players he could through the transfer portal to add to Auburn's trenches.

Now, with several new faces across the d-line, fans should be excited about what could be one of the more impressive units on the team.

Auburn defensive lineman Marcus Harris spoke with the media Wednesday afternoon about the newcomers across the line.

"They're all looking great," Harris said. "Justin Rogers is looking good. Lawrence (Johnson) is looking good, Moses (Mosiah Nasili-Kite) looks good. Everybody's buying in and fitting into to the program good."

According to Harris, the offseason acquisitions have been vital for the future of the rotation.

"It’s the most depth we’ve had," Harris said "It’s the most we could produce as a unit, and we’ve come together as a unit. All of those guys bring different parts that we didn’t have on our defensive line from like size and physicality that we could use on the inner part of our d-line."

Harris was asked about fellow lineman Jeffrey M'ba and how he was progressing along this offseason. M'ba, who has yet to see serious playing time for the Tigers but expects a big upcoming season, recorded 7 total tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble in 2022.

"I’ve seen him grow tremendously. When he came here he didn’t know anything at all, like how to line up in his stance or nothing," Harris said. "The jump he’s made to this year is tremendous. This offseason he just wants to work, ask questions about our defense - and the whole defense, not just the d-line. he’s just stepping up as a leader, too, like off the field and in the locked room trying to let everybody know like ‘hey, we’ve got to do the little small things to win.’ So he’s been stepping up both on and off the field."

When asked about the new coaching staff and the transition from the previous regime, Harris lit up.

"Oh, it has been easy as possible. They’ve tried to not put all of the stuff on us at one time. They’ve tried to spread it out," Harris said. "And they’re great people, all of the coaches are great people. I’ve never met a coaching staff like this before. Everybody’s genuine, and you can tell they care about you on and off the field. With this coaching staff, the transition has been easy because they embraced us and they let us know that they still care about us even though they’ve known coaches and a lot of players, they still care about us.

Harris now resides under the tutelage of new defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett, whom Harris describes as more "hands on" while having a better way of doing things.

"He’s more of a hands on coach. He’s a young coach, so he likes to get out there and show us how to do stuff," Harris said. "I personally feel like (the coach’s) way is better because I can see him doing it and get a better idea of it instead of just looking at tape sometimes, and also he’s a very vocal dude. He explains exactly what he wants and lets you know what it is. He’s like a - I always say a players coach, but he’s also a strict coach, because he asks us what we want and asks us for ideas to help us get better and he always looks for input from different faces."

Now up to 295 pounds, Harris looks to maintain his starting spot on the defensive line.

But, with the new additions to the room, this may be Auburn's most competitive offseason in the trenches in quite some time. Harris knows that and is accepting of the challenge.

"It’s going to be competitive. I mean that’s what you come here for," Harris said. "If you want to make it to the next level you’re going to have to compete. I never look at competition as bad or anything. Competition is going to bring out the best in everyone. If you’re really a dog, you want competition because you wanna know you’ve got someone else competing next to you. You’re not going to allow someone to just come and take your spot or come take over. He’s going to have to compete to be that guy. Competition is the best thing that could happen to this d-line room. Everybody knows nobody’s spot is secure. Everybody is competing."

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Cornerback Tevis Metcalf schedules return visit to Auburn

JD McCarthy

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Tevis Metcalf was in attendance for Auburn’s big Junior Day and is set to return to watch spring practice. The three-star cornerback prospect has scheduled a visit for Friday, March 3.

He is fresh off the Under Armour Next camp where he was named the MVP of the defensive backs and his stock is going up. The Tigers were one of the first schools to offer him, extending an offer back on Nov. 19, 2022.

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The Birmingham, Alabama, native also announced visits to Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Colorado.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder comes from quite an athletic family, he is the brother of 2023 Arkansas signee TJ Metcalf and the cousin of Seattle Seahawks star DK Metcalf.

Metcalf is ranked as the No. 81 cornerback by 247Sports. He is also the No. 61 player from Alabama.

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.

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At Auburn's star position, there's a '1A and 1B' in spring practice

Nathan King

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AUBURN, Alabama — Zac Etheridge believes he has a luxury at Auburn’s new “star” position this spring: two players with starting experience who are competing for the role.

Former JUCO addition Keionte Scott was the Tigers’ starter at the nickel defensive back spot last season, while Donovan Kaufman worked primarily at safety. But with Jaylin Simpson having “found a home” at safety, some shuffling is in order with some of the Tigers’ top defensive backs on the roster.

At the moment, that includes a talented competition for the starting job at nickel.

“Right now I’m actually creating a little bit of competition with Keionte Scott running with the 1s and then, obviously, DK (Kafuman) is behind him,” Etheridge said Tuesday. “They are 1A and 1B.”

The No. 2 overall JUCO player in the country in last year’s class, Scott quickly made a name for himself as a ball hawk in preseason practices, then grabbed a starting role in the secondary at nickel, which he held for the entire season. He finished fourth on the team with 53 tackles, plus four tackles for loss, an interception and four pass breakups.

Kaufman, meanwhile, started every game he played in at safety, but ended up missing six games, including the last four, with injuries. That allowed Simpson to flash his effectiveness on the back end over Auburn’s final month of the season, and Auburn’s staff is now permanently placing him at safety, currently alongside Zion Puckett.

As for the responsibilities of players like Scott and Kaufman at star, Etheridge said there aren’t many, if any, differences between the nickel spot under new coordinator Ron Roberts as compared to previous seasons — other than its nickname.

“It's the same,” Etheridge said. “I mean, those guys, they do a lot of adjusting. They're what we like to call the scrappy guys, and those two are very scrappy. They're not going to back down from anybody. They're going to play man-to-man, they can blitz, they can do a lot of different things. They can go in the box and play linebacker. So they're physical guys who can move around on the defense, and they've got to be smart and handle that.”

Etheridge said behind those two experienced defensive backs at star is redshirt freshman Caleb Wooden, a safety who played in four games last season. He also saw increased reps after injuries to Kaufman and Puckett late in the year, as he played 63 snaps on the back end over Auburn’s last four games.

Puckett has experience climbing down to star, too, and even starting cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett was someone Etheridge mentioned will get at least a look, considering he started at nickel for Auburn in 2021.

The Tigers’ secondary certainly isn’t lacking for depth, and Etheridge knows it will be an extensive process — from spring to preseason camp — to find the correct combinations that will be most successful in Roberts’ defense.

“They’re all going to move around and stacking going into spring break, and then we will start moving guys around to find out what is the best fit for Auburn to be successful going into the fall and going into the season,” Etheridge said.

In the middle of the defense, Etheridge hopes competition brings out the best in Scott and Kaufman. But he and the Tigers’ defensive staff don’t necessarily need to declare one a starter at any point, either.

“They'll be able to separate themselves — or we're going to have two really good stars who can play on any down and at any time,” Etheridge said.

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al.com

 

Auburn LB DeMario Tolan has knack ‘smashing stuff,' former LSU teammate says

Published: Mar. 02, 2023, 7:00 a.m.

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Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Steen (54), quarterback Bryce Young (9), and LSU linebacker DeMario Tolan (32) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. LSU won 32-31 in overtime. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)AP

Micah Bakersville didn’t take long to notice DeMario Tolan on the field at LSU.

Bakersville, LSU’s top returning tackler last season, was a veteran; last fall was his fifth year with the program, so he’d seen plenty during his time in Baton Rouge, La. Still, Tolan quickly caught his attention as a true freshman last season.

It started with a kickoff.

Read more Auburn football: Owen Pappoe wants to prove at NFL Combine why he’s nicknamed “The Freak”

Limited by calf strain, Eku Leota still hopes to impress at NFL Combine

Hugh Freeze assesses the good and the “really bad” from Auburn’s QBs on Day 1 of spring

“Just him coming down on kickoffs, smashing stuff — he’s got a real knack for being physical, hitting people,” Bakersville said Wednesday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. “That’s something I knew about him right off the bat.”

The 6-foot-1, 203-pound Tolan appeared in 12 games as a freshman at LSU last season, and while he didn’t make a start at linebacker, he contributed to the rotation at the position and saw time on special teams as part of the Tigers’ kickoff coverage team. The former four-star prospect, who was part of LSU’s 12th-ranked class in 2022, finished his lone season on the bayou with 10 tackles before entering the transfer portal in January.

While his time at LSU was short-lived, Tolan’s former fellow linebacker believes the Orlando, Fla., native has a bright future ahead of him.

“He’ll fit in well anywhere, you know?” Bakersville said. “He’s a great, talented player who can play. When he gets his opportunity, I know he’s going to run off with it.”

That opportunity for Tolan could come at Auburn this season. Tolan relocated to the Plains in January as part of an impressive transfer haul for first-year head coach Hugh Freeze. Tolan was one of a dozen transfer additions for Auburn, which signed the nation’s fifth-ranked portal class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

The former blue-chip recruit got in his first set of practices with his new team this week, as Auburn opened spring practice Monday and returned to the field Wednesday. Tolan is looking to make an impact in a linebacker room that is replacing leading tackle Owen Pappoe while looking for more consistent production from veterans like Cam Riley and Wesley Steiner and adding in another transfer in former Ole Miss linebacker Austin Keys.

The opportunity to crack the rotation is there for Tolan this season, even if Freeze and his coaching staff aren’t keeping track of a depth chart this spring. That could be a benefit for someone like Tolan, who will get ample reps over the next six weeks as he adapts to his new team and tries to bring that physical, thumping style of play to the middle of Auburn’s defense.

“He’s a great kid; he’s real physical,” Bakersville said. “He has a great twitch to get to the ball—some of the best I’ve ever seen. He’s just got to stay doing what he’s doing, and he’s going to be good.”

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

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Auburn's Owen Pappoe wants to prove at NFL Combine why he's called 'The Freak'

Published: Mar. 01, 2023, 2:12 p.m.

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Owen Pappoe wants to prove that he’s worthy of his nickname this week at the NFL Combine.

The former Auburn linebacker, nicknamed Freak, hopes to put on a show when he takes the field at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday afternoon when workouts begin in Indianapolis, as he sets out to show NFL franchises he’s worth investing in during next month’s draft.

Read more Auburn football: Limited by calf strain, Eku Leota still hopes to impress at NFL Combine

Observations from Day 1 of Auburn spring practice

Hugh Freeze assesses the good and the “really bad” from Auburn’s QBs on Day 1 of spring

“(I’m going to) go out there and do what I do,” Pappoe said. “People can look into my past and see what I’ve done and expect to see similar come tomorrow.”

That past Pappoe is referring to comes from his time as a recruit, when he garnered plenty of attention as a five-star prospect out of Grayson High in Lawrenceville, Ga. Pappoe was the top-rated linebacker in the 2019 class, a top-25 recruit nationally and earned a reputation as a freak athlete when he broke the Nike SPARQ (speed, power, agility, reaction and quickness) all-time scoring record at The Opening while in high school.

The SPARQ testing compiles results from the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle, vertical jump and kneeling power ball toss. Pappoe’s overall score of 147.12 in 2018 was a full 3.36 points better than the next-closest athlete, and he finished ahead of the likes of Derek Stingley (the No. 3 overall pick in last year’s draft) and Nolan Smith (a projected first-rounder this year).

Pappoe recorded a 4.47 in the 40, a 4-second shuttle time and a 40-inch vertical. That was five years ago, of course, and Pappoe has had time to further develop on and off the field. He’s eager to show that this week in Indianapolis, and he has specific time and measurement goals he wants to achieve during his workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium—but he didn’t want to tip his hand or give too much of a preview of what to expect.

“I got them, but I want everybody to see them once I do them tomorrow,” Pappoe said.

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker is confident he’ll live up to his nickname, which he first earned as an eighth-grader, when his defensive coordinator at the time told him he reminded him of Jevon Kearse, the former Florida All-America defensive end who enjoyed an 11-year NFL career and was the league’s Rookie of the Year in 1999. Kearse, of course, was nicknamed “The Freak” due to his speed, wingspan and vertical leaping ability.

Pappoe earned that name similarly.

“Just going to camps and stuff, man, putting up crazy numbers and just athletically what I do on the field,” he said. “…They ended up giving me that nickname, and it stuck from that point on.”

It followed him throughout his Auburn career, too. Pappoe was the highest-rated signee in the Tigers’ 2019 class and was a Day 1 starter at linebacker that season. He appeared in and started 41 games over the last four years despite missing a chunk of time as a junior due to an ankle injury that limited him to just five games.

He finished his Auburn career with 256 total tackles — with a team-leading 93 as a senior — to go with 15 tackles for loss, eight sacks, a pair of interceptions and seven pass breakups. Now he’s ready to take the next step in his football journey with an NFL team.

“(I want teams to see) that they’re looking at a guy who’s very serious about his craft, that I’m going to be putting in the extra work to be sure of that,” Pappoe said. “I’m going to be the best I can for the team, that I’m looking forward to my rookie season, just earning the respect of everyone in that organization knowing I could potentially be a guy to help lead that defense.”

While Pappoe’s skillset is his own, he pointed to three current NFL linebackers he looks up to and tries to study film of: Rams standout Bobby Wagner for his ability to shed blocks; the 49ers’ Fred Warner, who he called the most complete linebacker in the league; and the Vikings’ Eric Kendricks, whose pass-coverage skills he admires.

Pappoe, who expects to play Mike or Will at the next level, believes his game will translate well to the league and that teams will be impressed with his own pass-coverage ability. But his best attribute, he said, will be his speed, noting he’s confident he “can run with the best of them.”

That’s something he’ll get to showcase Thursday at the Combine.

“I feel like I’m one of the most athletic linebackers in this draft,” Pappoe said. “Instinctually, I’m sound as well — taking on blocks, just leadership on the field, being an effective communicator. I feel like teams can trust me to make the calls out there, put the green dot on my helmet.”

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

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Auburn football players with the most to gain in Hugh Freeze's first spring practice

Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser

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AUBURN — Coach Hugh Freeze was adamant after Auburn football's first spring practice: There is no depth chart.

The Tigers got the spring period started Monday with many of this offseason's additions getting their first taste of what practice will be like at Auburn. Freeze explained afterward that every player throughout the spring will receive an equal number of reps, regardless of where they may or may not stand.

But that doesn't mean the staff can't learn some things about the team. Offensive line coach Jake Thornton conceded that much Tuesday afternoon: "As far as a depth chart, there won't be one, but we will have an idea of who those guys are and what they can do and what our strengths and what our weaknesses are heading into the summer."

Whenever the time comes to officially create the depth chart, Freeze and his assistants can use what they see in spring practice as guidance. Here are a handful of players who have much to gain over the next few weeks leading up to A-Day on April 8.

SPRING PRACTICE:Offensive line groupings and other observations from Auburn football's first spring practice

HUGH FREEZE:What Hugh Freeze said about Auburn football's first spring practice

RECRUITING:Zac Etheridge explains the role Auburn football's Hugh Freeze plays in recruiting

Keldric Faulk

A four-star recruit out of Highland Home, early enrollee Keldric Faulk, who was the top-rated prospect in Auburn's 2023 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite, could carve out a nice spot for himself as a pass-rush presence.

Faulk is one of five players on the roster listed as a "jack," a position in defensive coordinator Ron Roberts' defense that lines up on the edge and gets after the quarterback but also drops back into coverage. He's joined by Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister, senior Hayden Brice, sophomore Dylan Brooks and freshman Brenton Williams.

McAllister and Brooks are likely primed to be the top two players at the jack, but if Faulk impresses, there's opportunity to make an early impact for the 6-foot-6, 275-pound freshman.

Tate Johnson

Tate Johnson won the starting center job last offseason but suffered an elbow injury against Missouri that required surgery. A few months later, Johnson is in spring practice with the new staff; he played both left and right guard on Monday, according to Thornton.

"He’s got to know how to play all three of those middle spots," Thornton said of Johnson on Tuesday. "... He’s a technician. He knows how to use his body. He’s not the biggest guy, but he uses his strengths and he capitalizes on what he’s good at. That’s something that’s fun to watch and he certainly adds a huge element to us right there in the middle of our o-line. Excited about his progression over the next 14 days and going into the season."

Johnson was in what appeared to be the first-team unit in a 20-minute period of Monday's practice The Montgomery Advertiser watched. From left to right, that group was Dillon Wade, Johnson, Avery Jones, Kameron Stutts and Gunner Britton. Britton, Jones and Wade are transfers. Johnson will be competing with Stutts and returning starter Jeremiah Wright for the starting guard spots.

Camden Brown

 

Auburn Tigers wide receiver Camden Brown (17) extends for extra yards after catching the ball as Auburn Tigers take on Missouri Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022.

 

Aside from hammering home the point that a depth chart is nonexistent, Freeze was also definitive in his desire to have tall, lengthy receivers with large catch radiuses:  "You're not going to create tremendous separation in this league when they're in man-to-man situations all the time. ... So, I think at the tight end position and at the wide receiver position, particularly the outside guys, to have some length is very beneficial."

Brown, who caught touchdowns versus LSU and Arkansas as a freshman last season, at 6-3 is the third-tallest receiver listed on Auburn's roster, behind only the 6-6 Nick Mardner and Landen King, who is 6-5.

Kayin Lee

Auburn has four main outside cornerbacks on campus for the spring: D.J. James, Nehemiah Pritchett, J.D. Rhym and Kayin Lee. A few more freshmen will arrive in the fall, but for now, Lee, who is the only freshman among the group, should get plenty of reps and ample time to demonstrate he's a capable of playing in year one.

“(Enrolling early) is really good for him because now we know we can count on him," secondary coach Zac Etheridge said of Lee on Tuesday. "For him to come in and learn the program, learn the playbook a semester early before a lot of guys, kind of get him a step ahead, to get him a chance to get on the field. For him, it is a fast-paced practice. He has learned on the fly."

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.