3/3/23 articles

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al.com

 

Ex-Maryland teammate: Auburn getting a ‘dog’ in transfer Mosiah Nasili-Kite

Published: Mar. 02, 2023, 3:12 p.m.

3–4 minutes

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Michigan State tight end Maliq Carr, left, is upended by Maryland defensive lineman Mosiah Nasili-Kite, top, and linebacker Fa'Najae Gotay (9) while running with the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)AP

Jakorian Bennett first crossed paths with Mosiah Nasili-Kite when the two played on opposing defenses at Hutchinson Community College and Independence Community College, respectively, in Kansas. Then they became teammates for three seasons at Maryland.

In going from competitors to teammates, the two defenders became something like family; Bennett this week at the NFL Combine said Nasili-Kite is “like a brother” to him. So, who better to dish on what the former Maryland defensive lineman is bringing to Auburn this season than someone who has seen him up close each of the last four years?

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Anders Carlson explains how an arm injury cut his Auburn kicking career short

New Auburn linebacker DeMario Tolan has a knack for “smashing stuff,” former LSU teammate says

“He’s a dog,” Bennett said Thursday in Indianapolis.

Bennett, a defensive back out of Mobile who was a standout for Maryland, played three seasons alongside Nasili-Kite, a 6-foot-2, 288-pound defensive lineman who earned All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2020.

According to Bennett, the two share a similar mindset since they both took the less conventional route in their college careers. Bennett, a former three-star prospect out of Mobile, didn’t have any serious Division-I offers coming out of McGill-Toolen. So, he opted to go to JUCO, spending two seasons at Hutchinson before transferring to Maryland in 2020. That same year, Nasili-Kite signed with the Terrapins after spending the 2019 season at Independence CC.

At Independence, Nasili-Kite had 32 tackles and a sack in his lone season as the program went 8-2. His stint at JUCO was preceded by a year at Washington, where he initially signed in 2018 but didn’t see the field as a freshman.

“He just has that different mindset to go out there and just go eat,” Bennett said.

At Maryland, Nasili-Kite flourished. In his three seasons with the Terrapins, he tallied 80 tackles, with 14.5 for a loss and nine sacks. He posted four sacks in each of his first two seasons at Maryland, earning honorable mention all-conference recognition in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign and recording a career-high 37 tackles in 2021. Last season, he had just 26 tackles and one sack in 12 games before transferring to Auburn this offseason.

Bennett believes his former teammate will thrive in his new role in the SEC this season, and he’s eager to see how it plays out for Nasili-Kite at Auburn.

“He’s just trying to go out there and be dominant, be the most dominant player out there — and he can be,” Bennett said. “He will be.”

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

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Tempo back on the Plains for the Tigers

Jason Caldwell

3–4 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama—Tempo is back for the Auburn Tigers and it’s a welcome sight on both sides of the ball as Hugh Freeze takes over the program following back-to-back losing seasons. Wanting to get back to being fast and physical, Freeze brought in former Baylor OC Philip Montgomery to run the offense with Ron Roberts leading the defense. The result has been tempo, tempo and more tempo.

“Man, it's every period,” defensive lineman Marcus Harrissaid. “Like every team period we have is so fast-paced and up-paced. And it's so different because preparing us and getting us in shape. It's just showing us, like getting us ready for some of our opponents we have to go against this season.

“I really, personally, like it because it's getting me back in football shape quicker than usual. It takes normally like a week to get back in football shape. But yesterday I kind of felt like I was getting in football shape toward the end of practice.”

Saying that he believes the offense is going to help them beat a lot of defenses because of the tempo, running back Jarquez Hunter added the biggest thing is getting used to the speed of the game.

“I mean it's going to take a little bit for everybody,” Hunter said. “Quarterback, O-line, receivers, all just to be on one thing. But we're going to get it eventually because that's going to help us out this season.”

It’s something that should help out the Auburn defense as well. Learning a new system this spring, the tempo on offense is forcing the players to get a better feel for things and doing it quicker on the field.

“It's teaching us, if we don't have a call, like just line up a play, because a lot of times in practice Monday, we really didn't have a call, but like we had a set call that we'd just go to and just line up and play if everybody didn't get the call,” Harris said. “So it's just teaching us little stuff like that in case we do get in the game against a fast-tempo team.”

Tempo is particularly tough for the guys in the secondary because of the running they’re doing throughout the game. Having to be mentally into the game while being tired takes some getting used to, something this spring is helping with.

21COMMENTS

“I definitely think it’s a great thing,” Keionte Scott said. “We see tempo a lot in this league and being able to get it from our own offense. Especially at practice most of the time, we’ll end up going faster than some of the teams we’ll play. So that’s a plus for us.

“It definitely helps us get ready as far as our defensive line, being able to get them in shape a little bit and getting us in shape. During the tempo, the reason for it is to kinda get you off your brain and have to think fast. So being able to get those reps in practice, that’s a plus for us.”

">247Sports

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

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

~4 minutes

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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.

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“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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theplainsman.com

 

Offensive line remains main focus of Auburn’s rebuild - The Auburn Plainsman

 

5–6 minutes

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Change was inevitable on the Plains when Auburn athletic director John Cohen announced Hugh Freeze would be the Tigers' next head coach. Since then, new and old faces have joined Auburn football's rebuild. 

On Dec. 22, 2022, Freeze named Jake Thornton the new offensive line coach. Thornton spent the last two years with Ole Miss, where he mentored All-SEC offensive linemen and played a big role in the Rebels' electric offense. 

"As far as the pressure, this is the SEC, so any situation, any team, any game, everything is a pressure field. That's why we as competitors do that and why we accept these challenges," Thornton said. "And I'm so excited about it. I couldn't ask for a better group as far as work ethic, and they want to be good. They want to flip the script."

Freeze and Thornton recognized this challenge and have added many new faces to the offensive line to aid the Tigers offense. 

"We have a lot of new faces, but for me, all of them are new," Thornton said. "So, I tried to do the best I could knowing strengths and weaknesses and kind of figuring out what they were good at and not so good at and what we need to work on." 

Auburn has been busy adding veteran transfers and young freshmen to its roster as the Tigers hope these new additions play a major role in 2023. Tulsa transfer Dillon Wade, Western Kentucky transfer Gunner Britton and East Carolina transfer Avery Jones were mentioned specifically by Thornton as players that bring years of experience and leadership to the offensive line. 

"None of the three are extremely vocal, but their presence out there is certainly felt. Yesterday, you can tell that Gunner (Britton) has played a ton of football at multiple positions in the way he practices and the way he carries himself," Thornton said. "Wade's got a big personality. He's a competitor. He wants to finish. He looks to finish, so he brings that element to it. Avery (Jones) being the guy in the middle, also playing a ton of ball, he brings an element of leadership, making the calls and getting everybody in the right direction."

Thornton mentioned his plan to teach all of his linemen how to play all five positions, and he explained why it is valuable for all offensive linemen to learn each position. 

"I want all my guys to know how to play all five. I think that's the best for their personal development if they want to play in the National Football League, and unless you're the $40 million first-round left tackle, you need to know how to play all five of them," Thornton said.

He emphasized the importance of understanding each lineman's role, and if his guys don't understand their roles, he has "failed them as a coach, and they're not going to be fully prepared." 

By allowing each lineman an opportunity to try each position, Thornton's system may help these players find where their skill set is better suited. 

"I might have a guy that's playing this position, and if we move them inside or outside, their skillset might be better at that position, and you don't know that until you try that," Thornton said. "Fortunately for us, with the way Coach Freeze manages our practices, it's gonna give us a lot of opportunities to play around and figure out who our best five guys are and what spot they're in."

With spring training in session, Thornton expressed his excitement about being a coach on the Plains. 

"It was great getting out there and working with the guys," Thornton said. "When I walked out there, I had to take a minute and let it soak in... I thought they worked really hard. Obviously, a lot of stuff to clean up, but there's also a ton of good to build off of, so it was fun being out there again." 

Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.

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Caitlyn Griffin | Sports Writer

Caitlyn Griffin is a freshman from Huntsville, Ala. majoring in journalism. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2022. 

Twitter: @caitlyngrif99

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[Quietmaninthecorner 2,032]

9 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

 

That is one impressive dude.

[aubiefifty 18,259]

3 minutes ago, Quietmaninthecorner said:

That is one impressive dude.

he sure is. i bet he is a monster for us.

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who wants to play football when you could be hanging with the ladies? grins this is for you golf...................

 

 

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[aubiefifty 18,259]

Kendall Simmons to be Auburn’s assistant offensive line coach

JD McCarthy

Thu, Mar 2, 2023, 4:16 PM CST1 min read

 

 

 

With Joe Bernardi leaving the Plains to become Troy’s offensive line coach the Tigers will be leaning on former player Kendall Simmons, who has been promoted to assistant offensive line coach, according to a report from FootballScoop.

Simmons has been an offensive analyst for the Tigers since 2019. When Cadillac Williams was promoted to interim head coach last season he served as Auburn’s offensive line coach before Hugh Freeze hired Jake Thornton as the new offensive line coach.

Simmons is one of the greatest offensive linemen in Auburn’s history. He was named to the First-Team All-SEC in 2000 and 2001 and was a Third-Team All-American in 2000. He was then drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 30th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

He was named the team’s Rookie of the Year and won Super Bowls XL and XLIII with the Steelers.

[alabastertiger 637]

2 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

who wants to play football when you could be hanging with the ladies? grins this is for you golf...................

 

 

I may change my name to Golf II

 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

2 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

 

O. Pappoe post the fastest time by any LB at combine with a 4.39 forty. That man just upped his stock considerably.

[W.E.D 11,071]

49 minutes ago, Tigerpro2a said:

O. Pappoe post the fastest time by any LB at combine with a 4.39 forty. That man just upped his stock considerably.

2nd fastest

[W.E.D 11,071]

4 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

Ex-Maryland teammate: Auburn getting a ‘dog’ in transfer Mosiah Nasili-Kite

I don't think most people really know about him, but he's going to quickly become a huge piece for our DL.  He was a preseason 1st team All B10 player, but got hurt.  If his back is fine & he's healthy, he's a pretty huge addition a lot of folks don't talk about

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

6 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

2nd fastest

Who was faster? Everything I saw said he was the fastest.

 

I just checked again and he was the fastest.

[augolf1716 21,969]

12 minutes ago, Tigerpro2a said:

Who was faster? Everything I saw said he was the fastest.

 

I just checked again and he was the fastest.

Official time: 4.39

Pappoe crushed the 40-yard dash, posting an official time of 4.39 seconds. This was the fastest time by a linebacker at the combine and the third fastest by a linebacker since 2000. He trails Shaquem Griggin (4.38 in 2018) and Isaiah Simmons (4.39 in 2020).

Pappoe’s 10-yard spilt of 1.52 seconds was also the best out of any of the linebackers.

Broad Jump

(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Official distance: 10’6″

Pappoe’s jump of 10’6″ was the fourth-best by any linebacker and was just three inches short of Louisville’s Yasir Abdullah’s jump of 10’9″, which led all linebackers.

Vertical Jump

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Official distance: 35.5″

The Lawrenceville, Georgia, native was once again one of the top-performing linebackers, his jump of 35.5″ was the fifth highest by any linebacker.

Vanderbilt’s Anfernee Orji’s jump of 38.5″ was the best of the group.

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