3/27/23 Football News

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Chances for the little guy that football doesn’t have

Football is king in college athletics, and that’s not going to change. Football is the reason television networks are willing to flood the SEC and Big Ten with money. If basketball is strong, that’s OK, but football drives the money train.

Yet basketball, baseball, softball and others have something football doesn’t have. Florida Atlantic can go to the Final Four in basketball. So can San Diego State. oastal Carolina can win a national championship in baseball. What those sports have is more hope for more programs than football will ever have.

That doesn’t mean they are better. Just different in a good sort of way.

The coming 12-team College Football Playoff will change that a little bit, but not all that much. The programs in what is currently called the Power 5 are on a different level than all the rest. And probably not more than half of those teams can legitimately hope to win a national championship.

Hyperbole rampant in SEC basketball talk

If you watch sports television or even read some columnists, you know hyperbole is rampant. For most of this season, we have heard that Alabama had changed basketball in the SEC. It became a popular mantra.

I haven’t heard that Auburn changed basketball in the SEC by winning two SEC championships, an SEC Tournament and going to the Final Four or by having four first-round NBA draft picks. I haven’t even heard that Arkansas going to three straight Sweet 16s, including two Elite Eights, has changed college basketball in the SEC.

It’s all meaningless, empty talk.

Kentucky is the constant in SEC basketball. It has more donor support, more NIL money, more national allure, more recruiting power than any other SEC basketball program. That doesn’t mean it will always have the best team in a given season. But as a program, Kentucky is in a different place than anybody else.

The only thing that has really changed is that more programs – different programs at different times – have challenged Kentucky. A few decades ago, that was not the case.

The only way a program could “change the SEC” is to do more than it’s ever done and do it for longer than it ever has. Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Texas A&M have had their times in the sun in recent years. Others had their times earlier. All are good programs. Some other program might rise up at any time.

Saying any one program that has had a good season or two good seasons or half a dozen good seasons has “changed the SEC” simply is not true.

Sad changes in sports “journalism”

When I see an SEC Network commentator interviewing a coach while she is wearing a team jersey, I shake my head and wonder. When I hear commentators freely acknowledging that they are fans of one program or another, I wonder what in the world has happened.

From the very start of my time in this business, I was told: You don’t cheer in the press box or anywhere else. You never, ever say you are a fan of one program, and we sure don’t refer to a program as “we.” You never wear team gear. You are a reporter who is expected to objectively report. Those days, as best I can tell, are mostly gone. That makes me sad.

An inning to forget for Auburn baseball

I have not seen or heard anything like Georgia scoring 16 runs in the eighth inning against Auburn on Saturday. The Tigers went into that inning having rallied to trail 8-7 after trailing 8-2. They, no doubt, thought they were going to win or at least could win.

And then it happened. The explanation is really simple. Auburn ran out of pitchers. Even then, scoring 16 runs in an inning is bizarre. You’d think that, before you got to 16, some batters would hit line drives right at fielders.

What matters most is that Auburn won the series two games to one, but Butch Thompson will have some work to do to get his players to flush the memory of what happened in the worst eighth inning any of them have probably ever experienced.

SEC softball, top to bottom, is a challenge for every team

It’s hard to know what to make of SEC softball. Ole Miss and Missouri are at the bottom. Missouri is 1-7 and Ole Miss is 1-6. Yet those wins are over nationally ranked teams. Missouri beat Florida on the road and Ole Miss beat LSU at home. The bottom line is that any SEC team can beat any other SEC team on a given day.

“Everybody has at least one really good pitcher,” Auburn coach Mickey Dean said. “When those pitchers are on, they are hard to beat.”

Lisenby gives a clinic in pinch-hitting

Sophomore Auburn catcher Aubrie Lisenby was a pinch-hitting standout on Saturday. In Auburn’s 4-0 win in the first game, she hit a two-run homer. She singled in the fourth inning of the second game. Dean was impressed.

“Aubrie is, what 5-3 or 5-4?” Dean said. “She thinks she’s 6-3, and that’s the way she plays.”

Auburn football recruiting vibe

No one knows how it will end up, but the recruiting vibe around Auburn football is so strikingly different from the past two seasons. First-year coach Hugh Freeze knows what it takes to win in the SEC. It takes talented players. He is going after them full bore.

There was plenty to criticize about Bryan Harsin during his two-year Auburn stint, but his disinterest in recruiting was like nothing I have seen in all my years. That, as much as anything, cost him his job.

Where is NIL headed?

I knew the coming of NIL would create chaos in college athletics, particularly college football and basketball. I still believe it was a bad idea. I still believe is a myth that college athletes are “unpaid labor.” But it is what it is.

Miami’s basketball team is an NIL creation. That’s taking nothing away from what the Hurricanes accomplished. They have an extraordinarily wealthy businessman who is will to “hire” athletes for huge amounts of money. They are not alone.

Where is it all headed? It is headed to universities paying players themselves. If they become official “employees,” an entirely new set of issues will emerge.

Unfortunately, you have state legislators who have no real understanding of college athletics passing laws. You have judges who also have no real understanding issuing rulings. You have some lawyers and other “student-athlete advocates” who are trying to get their hands on that money.

What the ultimate outcome will be is anybody’s guess.

Equestrian program continues to write a unique story

18COMMENTS

When Greg Williams went to see former athletics director David Housel about starting an equestrian program at Auburn, Housel agreed mainly because the scholarships would help Auburn's Title IX numbers. What has happened since is something special. Auburn won another SEC championship. It is a muiltiple-time national champion. No, it's not a money-maker. But it makes Auburn people proud, and that is a good thing.

Until next time ...

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247sports.com

 

StatTiger: Major need for Tigers to improve passing efficiency

Stuart Carter

5–7 minutes

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Regardless of how you viewed the Auburn pass offense this past football season, it was well below average. The Tigers ranked 119th among FBS teams in yards per game and 117th in pass efficiency.

Teams that finished in the 100s in the category combined for a winning percentage of 37 percent with only seven of the 32 teams possessing a winning record.

Addressing Auburn’s deficiencies in the passing game is likely Coach Hugh Freeze’s No. 1 priority for 2023. There is no guarantee the starter is presently on the active roster. Spring practice will factor heavily into the coaching staff’s evaluation of the quarterback room as Freeze and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery search for the eventual starter.

The quarterback chosen as the starter might not match the perfect quarterback Freeze wants to operate his offense. “At Auburn, there’s no question in my mind, No. 1 is accuracy,” Freeze said, referring to his criteria for his starting quarterback. “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.”

With passing accuracy clearly at the top, Auburn’s two starters from 2022 have plenty of work to do to meet Freeze’s expectations, a point the head coach made earlier this week.

Jarrett Stidham (2017) is Auburn’s last Top 20 efficient passer with the average national ranking for AU’s quarterbacks being 80th over the past five years. Auburn’s starting quarterback averaged a pass efficiency rating of 125.9 from 2018-2022 with 143.0 being the conference average.

Freeze looked at several possible options at quarterback during the first portal transfer window. He commented that the portal search for another quarterback could continue when the second transfer window opens in May. “Will we take a quarterback in the second portal?” Freeze said. “I think I’ll know a lot more after spring practice.” For now, his focus is on the current quarterbacks competing in spring drills while allowing them to see how they respond under the current system and coaching. Should Auburn target a transfer quarterback during the second portal window, it doesn’t mean the starter isn’t already on campus.

“Most coaches wouldn’t say this to you, but I think I just believe in being very real,” Freeze said. “It kind of depends on the level you’re coaching. If I’m coaching at Liberty or Arkansas State, truthfully I want the Malik Willis, who people would say, ‘You know what, I don’t know that he can be an adequate passer’… but at that level, you’re not going to recruit one of the top players in the country at that position and so let me go find one I think I can work with to be a dynamic football player like a Ryan Aplin that I had at Arkansas State, or Malik Willis. It’s just in that scenario, you’re willing to look at some different attributes than at Auburn.”

Coach Freeze’s comments are refreshing as it addresses the reality of coaching at this level. The goal should always be finding the best possible players for every position, knowing you have to make the most of what you possess when the standard is not met in recruiting. The bar at Auburn should be higher than Arkansas State, Liberty and even Ole Miss.

The current standard in the Southeastern Conference is higher than any other conference regarding pass efficiency. The standard to be a Top 20 quarterback in the last five years is a rating between 150-199 with an average of 164. This means at least a 36 percent improvement for Auburn to crack the Top 20 in pass efficiency and 30 percent to meet the conference average.

During the last three years the Tigers have lost more games than they have won have won, primarily because of an inefficient pass offense. During the previous five seasons the average pass efficiency to win 7-9 games in the SEC was 140.3, which would require a 27 percent improvement from last season.

The previous four times Auburn won the SEC West the Tigers posted an average pass efficiency of 163.8, a far cry from where Auburn left off in 2022. “I want to see who the quarterback is,” said Freeze. “Do we have him on campus? I don’t know yet. I think that room’s got to grow up. I think they have got to grow up and decide if they truly want to be a quarterback.”

16COMMENTS

The harsh reality is that Auburn’s offense will only reach its full potential based on the performance of its quarterbacks. From 2018-2022, SEC teams won only 26 percent of their games with a pass efficiency below 120, scoring an average of 17 points per game. The Tigers dipped under the 120 rating in half of their games during the same period while exceeding the conference average only 30 percent of the time. Auburn compiled a 6-20 record against Power-5 competition, scoring 19 points per game. Even with a 200-yard rushing performance, Auburn is 10-14 against Power-5 teams with a pass rating below 120 the last 20 years.

Robby Ashford and T.J. Finley have combined for 20 collegiate starts. Of those starts, the two fell below a 120 passer rating 12 times (60 percent) and exceeded the SEC average of 143 only two times (10 percent). These numbers fail to create much optimism, but better coaching, schemes, and play calling can result in improvement. That is the challenge for Freeze in his first season at Auburn.

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Auburn football had several winners from the scrimmage this weekend. Hugh Freeze saw good days from Rivaldo Fairweather, Kayin Lee, DJ James, Jarquez Hunter, Camden brown, and Nick Mardner. The Auburn Tigers have a long way to go before the 2023 college football season.

Edited March 27, 2023 by aubiefifty

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Auburn’s new defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett talks tactics

Matthew Jacobs

5–6 minutes

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Auburn’s defensive line wants depth, depth, and more depth.

For the past few seasons, Auburn’s defense has enjoyed a few outstanding defensive linemen. It has been the lack of depth behind those dudes that has hurt the defense as a unit. New D-Line coach Jeremy Garrett aims to change that. He asserted the one thing he learned from his NFL coaching experience is you must build depth. A statement he put an exclamation point on:

“The next step down from the NFL is the SEC.”

Garrett explained his blueprint for building an outstanding defensive line: Develop as many guys as he possibly can and then rotate them early and often. Solidly building every lineman he has into starters by the end of the season. “For my positions, If I can find eight guys that can play, we are cooking” he added. A large part of that plan includes working on the human being as much as the athlete. Garrett places a premium on his ability to be in tune with his players off the field which enables him to be able to coach them harder on the field. With him, it goes both ways. He earns his players' trust daily, they earn his.

“I tell my room (that) I am looking for a reason to play you, I’m not looking for a reason NOT to play you.”

“I check on my players in the strength room, and I check on them academically. I expect accountability in every aspect of my players. That is what I am looking for. A guy doing all phases of what it takes on and off the field to be a student-athlete. The reason for that is if you aren’t doing all you are supposed to be doing, you create distractions.”

“Show up on tape and I will put you in.”

Powerful words from a powerful personality. Coach lamented how much he loves guys with SEC experience because they already know what they are going to see on Saturdays. They already know what it is going to look like. What it is going to feel like. What it takes to win games. What it takes to beat the teams they are going to face. Experience will determine his linemen’s understanding of what defensive coverage they have behind them. Zone or man? This will affect their jobs dramatically. Doing their jobs correctly will directly determine their production. However, he reiterated that the last thing he wants is to have a player go out and lock-up because they are terrified of making mistakes.

“We are going to coach the mistakes, let’s go place fast and physical and have fun”

As far as his opinion on his line up to this point in Spring training, Garrett mentioned several times that he really likes this group. They are progressing well. Showing great effort and are ready to fix any mistakes. He likes the defensive schemes. There is a belief that the pieces are in place that if, right now, they had to go heavy against the run, Auburn could. If Auburn needs to go quicker against a spread offense, they have that ability as well. He is confident they will put it all together with defensive coordinator Ron Roberts and be good. They are perfecting their craft.

It should be noted that Garrett did list a few players specifically and where they were playing this Spring.

Defensive End: Marcus Harris, Jeffrey M’Ba

Nose and Tackle: Justin Rogers, Jayson Jones, Lawrence Johnson

End and tackle: Mosiah Nasili-Kite

When pressed further: “Just trying to cross-train a bunch of guys so that we can throw different rotations out there. Depending on who we are playing.”

Coach Garrett, like so many others, has really noticed Auburn Tiger newcomer Keldric Faulk. He was wide-eyed and impressed by Faulk’s speed and ability to rush.

“He is going to be “IT” at edge. The kid is going to be special. Really bright future as he progresses.”

That is high praise from a man that coached Myles Garrett.

In the end, Coach Garrett really wanted his players to know that they are getting an amazing opportunity to get a degree from Auburn University by playing here. He spoke about how much of a blessing that is and to just go have fun and do it.

“It doesn’t last long. It flies by” he warned. “I remember my playing days; they just fly by.”

It would be hard to find a better coach saying truer words. 

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247sports.com

 

'If I could do it again, I would': Transfers reflect on their Auburn journeys

Nathan King

4–5 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama — Of Auburn’s 14 pro day participants this year, half didn’t begin their careers on the Plains.

And their auditions and testing in front of NFL scouts last week will likely serve as the final time Auburn’s 2023 draft class will all be together on campus. The draft is in just over a month, as a handful of now-former Tigers will hear their names called and move on to the pros.

It was a final moment of self-reflection for many — most of whom have now graduated from Auburn. Some spent years with the program, and others got to experience the SEC for just one season.

“If I could do it again, I would,” pass-rusher Marcus Bragg, who transferred last offseason from Western Kentucky, said. “I just loved it. The atmosphere, the fans. Just to see my brothers again (at pro day) — it’s the last time we’ll all be combined together again. It was a great experience today.”

The day’s centerpiece ended up being former Heisman winner and national champion Cam Newton, who threw passes for his younger brother, Caylin, and teased an NFL comeback.

Caylin began his college career as a quarterback at Howard before playing receiver at Auburn from 2020-21, then spending his final season at William & Mary.

“It’s been one heck of a journey — six years, three different universities, three different prestigious universities that I’m proud of to attend and represent,” Caylin Newton said. “This was an amazing opportunity for me and a great way to cap off my collegiate journey.”

Even with players like Bragg and Memphis transfer Morris Joseph only being present for the 2022 season — in which Bryan Harsin was fired and the team had a losing record in the regular season for the first time since 2013 — the support of the Auburn fan base still shined through, in their opinions, and will be something they take with them moving forward into their professional endeavors.

“Just taking on the culture here at Auburn,” Joseph said. “Really, these are the greatest fans in the world. They had our back through thick and thin, even when we were having a losing season. They still showed out.”

Added Bragg: “You won’t get that same love on the next level as you do here.”

Other names like offensive tackle Kilian Zierer and defensive tackle Marquis Burks found a home at Auburn via the JUCO route, with both joining the program back in 2020.

Zierer started at left tackle last season, while Burks contributed 30 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two strip-sacks as a rotational piece along the defensive front. The Chicago native said his three years at Auburn taught him about accepting a role and approaching every day with the same enthusiasm, regardless of whether you’re a star player or a reserve.

“Everybody can’t be Superman,” Burks said. “It’s great to see the ones around me do their thing, and it’s great to have my moments to shine. But everybody can’t be Superman. That’s why you have to do your job. I’m big on doing your 1/11th.”

Auburn’s highest-rated transfer, in terms of draft status, is pass-rusher Eku Leota, who didn’t speak to reporters but participated in both the NFL Combine and the Senior Bowl last month.

Regardless of where the others end up professionally, the Tigers all said they were pleased with their transfer decisions and are thankful for their connection to Auburn.

“My overall experience is nothing short of amazing,” offensive lineman Brandon Council said. “It's just the family, the atmosphere, how they welcome you back here with open arms. There's no other place I'd rather be.”

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Transfer DL Justin Rogers 'a handful' early in Auburn spring camp

Justin Hokanson•about 12 hours

Article written by:Justin Hokanson

_JHokanson

Justin Rogers (Photo by Matt Rudolph/Auburn Live)

AUBURN — Coming out of Oak Park, Mich., Justin Rogers was one of the top-rated defensive players in the country. Rogers was the No. 44 overall player in the On3 Consensus rankings, and of the four major scouting services, the lowest Rogers was ranked was No. 123 overall.

Interestingly enough, he landed at Kentucky, where he enjoyed three pretty productive seasons. He racked up 61 tackles and three sacks in three seasons, including 35 tackles in his most productive season in 2022. But entering his senior season, Rogers wanted to make a change, and that change landed him at Auburn after entering the transfer portal.

Now, standing 6-foot- and over 325 pounds, Rogers is poised to anchor the Auburn defensive line alongside senior Marcus Harris.

“Justin Rogers is a football player,” Hugh Freeze said last week. “He’s a handful. He’s going to be somebody that Lord willing stays healthy, we depend upon to factor in the middle. But, he requires a double team, I think he will. I’ve been really pleased with how he works. He loves the game, he loves to practice and he’s got a joy about him that’s fun to be around. I’ve been really, really pleased with him.”

Those comments shouldn’t come as a surprise. Auburn Live spoke to defensive analyst Vontrell King-Willams this winter. King-Williams came to Auburn from Eastern Michigan, but recruited Rogers out of high school. The two remained in contact and King-Williams was a factor in landing Rogers on the Plains. King-Williams remembers “everybody in the country” being after Rogers out of high school, telling of the talent that Rogers possesses.

RELATED: JEREMY GARRETT LOOKING FOR EIGHT GUYS READY TO PLAY

And now, new defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett loves what he sees early in spring camp, but make no mistake, he wants more. The ability to play multiple positions, mainly nose tackle and defensive tackle, across the defensive line is of paramount importance to Garrett.

“He’s been great. He’s a fundamental guy, he’s very coachable, he’s explosive, he’s one of those leaders in the room also,” Garrett said. “He will call me at any time, ‘Coach, can we watch film, can we watch this, I’m going to come in at this time.’ He’s been a great addition to this team.”

And in addition to his talent, Rogers’ experience in the SEC is already paying dividends for Garrett and Justin Rogers’ teammates.

 

“It’s huge with his experience because he’s not shocked about what he’s going to see on Saturday,” Garrett said. “He knows what it’s going to look like, how it is going to feel. He knows what it takes to win games and what it takes to play these teams we’re trying to beat. It’s awesome.”

The Tigers will practice every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the most part leading into the April 8 spring game inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. Here’s the schedule of practices: February 27, March 1, 3, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, April 3, 5, 7 and 8. Auburn took the week of March 5-11 off for spring break.

 

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Nick Mardner brings 'another element' to Auburn's wide receiver room

Justin Hokanson•03/24/23

Article written by:Justin Hokanson

_JHokanson

Nick Mardner (Photo by Auburn Athletics)

AUBURN — Nick Mardner knows what new wide receivers coach Marcus Davis wants and expects. That’s a good thing for everyone involved as Auburn works to install a new offense and build a foundation during spring camp.

Marder played at Hawaii from 2018-2021, where the last year was spent with Davis as his position coach.

“It’s good for younger guys for expectations and everything you want to build the room around,” Davis said of having Mardner around. “It’s good in those areas as well, good to have a guy like that. You’ve been there and done that, and you have talented younger guys to bring along as well. It’s been a good mix so far.”

RELATED: ‘MINDSET AND APPROACH’ SETTING CAMDEN BROWN APART

During his one season at Cincinnati, Mardner finished with 19 receptions for 218 yards and three scores. Mardner played at Hawaii from 2018-21, totaling 62 catches for 1,270 yards and nine scores. Originally from Oakville, Ontario, the 6-foot-6 pass catcher brings a unique aspect to the Tigers’ wide receiver room.

“He brings you another element,” Davis said. “There’s room to grow, but he brings a bigger body and bigger target. That’s always good to have a target that can help you on the perimeter.

“It’s a new offense for everybody. There’s some progression that’s being made with everyone. It’s good that we have a bigger guy in that room. It’s a good mix for that room. You have some size and overall, it’s learning, but the more reps we get in general, the better we’ll be.”

RELATED: MARCUS DAVIS FOCUSED ON THE ‘LITTLE THINGS’ WITH HIS RECEIVERS

 

Davis feels the comfortability of having coached Davis in the past will pay dividends this fall, as Auburn looks for playmakers at the position.

“You know where a person is and where you need to get them to,” said Davis. “That’s always good. I think that’s going to help the room grow as well.”

The Tigers will practice every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the most part leading into the April 8 spring game inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. Here’s the schedule of practices: February 27, March 1, 3, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, April 3, 5, 7 and 8. Auburn took the week of March 5-11 off for spring break.

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flywareagle.com

 

Analyst on J’Marion Burnette’s Auburn football commitment: Cadillac ‘doesn’t miss’

Andrew Hughes

~3 minutes

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With 2024 recruit J’Marion Burnette’s Auburn football commitment official, Tigers running backs coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams was given his metaphorical flowers — with The War Rapport’s Ike Jones claiming that Cadillac just doesn’t miss.

Burnette, the No. 153 overall recruit and No. 10 running back in the 2024 recruiting cycle, credited Williams for making him feel welcomed on the Plains.

“It’s because they make their recruits feel like family,” the Andalusia product told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente. “It’s a great program, great coaching staff. Coach Caddy is amazing. He’s been going out of the way since Auburn first offered me a year ago. He’s just been keeping up with me nonstop.”

J’Marion Burnette joins Auburn football RB room ‘that could offer immediate playing time’

Williams’ Auburn football running back ranks lost a valuable piece in Tank Bigsby to the NFL draft over the offseason, but added transfer running back Brian Battie from USF, Montgomery Catholic’s Jeremiah Cobb for the 2023 class, and now Burnette for the 2024 class. This is in addition to Jarquez Hunter, who ascends to the RB1 role under Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery, and Damari Alston, who showed promise during his freshman season in 2022.

According to CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee, Burnette is joining a Tigers RB room with immediate opportunity in 2024.

“Burnette will join a program that could offer immediate playing time,” Sallee wrote. “Rising junior running back Jarquez Hunter will be eligible for the NFL Draft following the 2023 season, which will be his first without former starter Tank Bigsby on the roster.”

Why every Auburn football RB should take a step forward in 2023

The Tigers should see a significant step forward from Hunter and Alston in 2023 given the vast improvements along the offensive line that Freeze has made through the transfer portal through the additions of East Carolina’s Avery Jones, Western Kentucky’s Gunner Britton, Tulsa’s Dillon Wade. That’s in addition to flips like Connor Lew, Izavion Miller, and Tyler Johnson for the 2023 high school cycle.

If Battie can maintain a semblance of his production at USF in a decreased role on the Plains, and Hunter and Alston do make leaps, Auburn’s offense should thrive regardless of what happens at quarterback.

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