4/5/23 Football Articles

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theplainsman.com

Alston maturing and growing his skillset during spring ball - The Auburn Plainsman

5–6 minutes

Auburn football has undergone a massive change over the last several months, and many players believe the program has changed for the better. 

“I feel like it was kind of a blessing in disguise. You know, things happen, and it is what it is, but I feel like when coach (Hugh) Freeze came, a lot of coaches changed,” said running back Damari Alston. “I feel a change in the relationship that I have with coach Freeze than I had with the previous staff, and I feel like I can talk to coach Freeze anytime that I want to. That’s always been the way with Cadillac (Williams), and I’m happy that Cadillac is still here.” 

 

Although Williams was named interim head coach briefly, the running back coach’s approach to teaching his guys has not changed. 

“Cadillac is just gonna be Cadillac. You know, ever since I came in, he’s always coached us the same. He’s always been a real stand-up guy," Alston said. "He always kept it real on and off the field, and I feel nothing is going to change. He’s going to remain the same." 

Freeze plans to utilize all his running backs by rotating them throughout the game, and Alston, who was in a limited role last season, is excited about the chance to get more touches.

 

“I love that. Loved that. I want to be more involved in the offense this year and play a crucial role,” Alston said.

Former Auburn running back Tank Bigsby had a lasting impact on Auburn football and his fellow running backs. Although Bigsby is off to the NFL, his impact played a big role on Alston.

“I learned a lot from Tank. I was really close with Tank before I came in, so he always told me little pieces of advice,” Alston said. “You know, he was always texting me and facetiming me, telling me to ‘stay focused' and ‘stay ready.’”

With Bigsby headed to the NFL, Jarquez Hunter has taken the leadership role in the running back room.

“I feel like Jarquez is just always the guy that leads by example. The things that he does, you know, you want to follow him because he’s doing things right, and he’s doing it his way,” Alston said. 

During the offseason, Alston has spent a lot of time in the weight room, getting stronger and faster. 

“My thing was just getting bigger, stronger and faster. That was my whole thing this offseason, and I’ve been working my tail off to just improve in those areas because I’m playing some big boy ball in the SEC,” Alston said.

The sophomore running back caught new offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery's eye already.

“He’s got really good vision. I think he’s learning to be more patient within his running style. And then when he hits it, he’s got a really good gear,” Montgomery said. “I’ve thought from the start of spring camp, he’s the guy that’s probably surprised me a little bit more out of the running back room than anybody.”

The running back room welcomed USF transfer Brian Battie with open arms to its roster. Battie brings experience and speed to the field as the 5-foot-8 running back ran for 1,186 yards and eight touchdowns last season.

“We brought (Brian Battie) with open arms, and you know, ever since then, we’ve all just been going out and just competing, helping each other out on the field and off the field,” Alston said. “He definitely adds some speed and quickness. He’s a really quick guy. He can obviously take kicks back as well.” 

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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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al.com

 

Hugh Freeze: Jarquez Hunter ‘probably the best running back I’ve ever coached’

Updated: Apr. 04, 2023, 3:31 p.m.|Published: Apr. 04, 2023, 3:20 p.m.

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Hugh Freeze has yet to coach Jarquez Hunter in a game, but he has already seen enough from Auburn’s junior running back to make quite the proclamation this spring.

Hunter is in a tier of his own when it comes to running backs Freeze has coached during his career.

“I think Jarquez is special; I do,” Freeze said this week. “I think he’s probably the best running back I’ve ever coached, truthfully.”

Read more Auburn football: Hugh Freeze makes the case for replacing spring games with charity exhibitions against other schools

Don’t expect a typical game format for Auburn’s first A-Day of Hugh Freeze era

Auburn trying to strike right balance with new up-tempo offense this spring

That’s high praise for Hunter, the 5-foot-10, 210-pounder who is preparing to be thrust into the lead role in Auburn’s backfield after two years of complementing Tank Bigsby. Of course, it also come with a caveat from Freeze: He hasn’t coached many truly great running backs during his career at Arkansas State, Ole Miss and Liberty.

In his one season at Arkansas State, Freeze’s leading rusher was quarterback Ryan Aplin (588 yards and 10 touchdowns), while his top-two running backs in 2011 were Derek Lawson and Frankie Jackson. Lawson ran for 484 yards and three touchdowns as a senior that year, while Jackson had 355 yards and six touchdowns on 4.03 yards per carry.

Across four seasons at Ole Miss, Freeze’s most productive running back was Jaylen Walton, who had 1,957 yards and 17 touchdowns on 5.1 yards per carry from 2012-15 but never had more than 730 rushing yards in a season. There was also Akeem Judd, who had 1,251 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry during Freeze’s final two seasons with the Rebels, including 826 yards in 2016.

While at Liberty, Freeze had a 1,000-yard rusher in Frankie Hickson during his first year as head coach. Hickson averaged 5.6 yards per carry and had 12 touchdowns in 2019 while posting the most productive single season for a running back of Freeze’s head coaching career. Freeze also had Dae Dae Hunter, who last season ran for 854 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 6.6 yards per carry, which would have been top-25 among FBS rushers had he finished with enough touches to qualify.

None of those backs compares to Hunter, according to Freeze—at least from what he has seen on film the last two seasons and throughout this spring.

“I haven’t had a lot of great ones, but I think he’s a really, really good running back…. I think Jarquez is the best that I’ve coached thus far. (I’m) excited about his demeanor and the way he goes about his work. He keeps his mouth shut and just goes to work.”

In his first two seasons at Auburn, Hunter has been a highly productive running back while often playing second fiddle to Bigsby. As a freshman in 2021, he rushed for 593 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 6.7 yards per carry and fewer than seven carries per game. He followed it up with 668 yards and seven touchdowns on 6.4 yards per carry last season on less than eight touches per game.

“I’m fired up about Jarquez,” running backs coach Cadillac Williams said. “Since Day 1, when he stepped on campus, one of the things that truly stands out about Jarquez is just his humble approach to everything…. Just the way he works — relentless effort. He’s got a work ethic where he’s coming to work each and every day and being that same person whether he’s having a bad day or a good day, he’s always even keel. I love just his tenacity. I just love his grit. Love how he’s willing to learn each and every day.

“He’s always trying to find ways that he can get better. The sky is the limit for Jarquez. I think he has a chance to be a very, very special back.”

Auburn is counting on that this season, as the Philadelphia, Miss., native is stepping into the lead role in the backfield in Freeze’s system as he marries it with offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery’s offensive style. After learning behind Bigsby—who finished his career as the seventh-leading rusher in program history — Hunter is prepared for the spotlight this season in whatever capacity that role requires.

Hunter was at his most productive the last two years when he has taken on a larger workload against quality competition. Two of his best outings to date were last season against Texas A&M, when he averaged a 8.8 yards on a career-high 13 attempts while rushing for 114 yards in a win against the Aggies, and in the Iron Bowl, when he ran for 134 yards on 11 attempts, averaging 12.2 yards per carry against Alabama’s vaunted defense. It was Hunter’s third consecutive 100-yard performance to close out his sophomore season.

Now he’ll try to carry it over into his junior campaign as RB1 on the Plains.

“I don’t know if it’s going to be 1,000 (yards), 1,200, 1,500 or 2,000 — I have no idea, but if needed he can definitely be that workhorse back that we need,” Williams said. “The game is trending to getting other guys involved. I’m a firm believer on less tread on the tires, guys who have an opportunity to play on the next level, it’s the best. He will have that opportunity.”

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

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auburntigers.com

 

A-Day Weekend Activities and Information

Auburn University Athletics

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AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn's annual spring football game, A-Day, presented by Golden Flake is set for Saturday, April 8 at Jordan-Hare Stadium to anchor a full weekend of events on the Plains. Pregame festivities inside Jordan-Hare will begin at 12:30 p.m. CT with one of the greatest traditions in college football, the pregame eagle flight, while the start of the spring scrimmage is set to begin shortly after 1 p.m. CT.

The Auburn baseball team will also be in action beginning on Thursday, April 6, hosting Texas A&M at Plainsman Park, with the final game of the three-game series beginning at 3:30 p.m. CT on A-Day. Additionally, Auburn will honor National Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Thomas with a statue unveiling ceremony at the exterior entrance of Plainsman Park on Saturday at 10 a.m. CT. The Thomas statue unveiling is open to the public.

The full weekend will also feature the Auburn men's tennis team hosting Arkansas on Friday at 3 p.m. CT at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.

See below for more information to plan your weekend:

THURSDAY, APRIL 6
7 p.m.	Baseball vs. Texas A&M (Plainsman Park, Tickets)

 

FRIDAY, APRIL 7
3 p.m.	Men's Tennis vs. Arkansas (Yarbrough Tennis Center, FREE)
6 p.m.	Baseball vs. Texas A&M (Plainsman Park, Tickets)

 

SATURDAY, APRIL 8
9 a.m.	Punt, Pass & Kick Contest (Football Practice Fields) Vault Pop-Up Shop Opens (Plainsman Park Parking Lot)
10 a.m.	Frank Thomas Statue Unveiling (Outside Plainsman Park) Coca-Cola Fan Zone opens (Campus Green Space, FREE) Inflatables + meet with a variety of Auburn Partners! On To Victory Player Meet & Greet (Old Indoor FB Practice Facility) Members only, Join Here
11 a.m.	Jordan-Hare Stadium gates open
11:05 a.m.	Alumni Flag Football Game (Jordan-Hare Stadium)
11:30 a.m.	Tiger Walk
12:30 p.m.	Eagle Flight (Jordan-Hare Stadium)
1:20 p.m.	A-Day Game begins (Jordan-Hare Stadium, Tickets - $10)
3:30 p.m.	Baseball vs. Texas A&M (Plainsman Park, Tickets) Gates open at 2:30 p.m. First 500 fans will receive a FREE Frank Thomas pennant

TICKETS
Tickets to attend A-Day in Jordan-Hare Stadium are on-sale now through the Auburn Ticket Office for $10 to the general public and free for current AU students.  All $10 seats are general admission. Tigers Unlimited premium seat holders will receive information via email this week regarding tickets for their respective club spaces. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to avoid waiting in line on April 8. 

A-Day tickets can be purchased here on AubTix.com or in-person at the Auburn Ticket Office located at Neville Arena, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

While tickets for the Friday and Saturday baseball games versus Texas A&M at Plainsman Park are already sold out, a limited number of $10 Tiger Terrace tickets remain for game one of the three-game series on Thursday, April 6 at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets for Friday and Saturday may be purchased through our official secondary market partner, StubHub. 

PARKING | PARKING MAP
Parking is free for the 2023 A-Day game. In addition to the normal Auburn football gameday public parking, the following lots are available for the general public: SAND (AG Heritage Park), South Deck, B (Lowder Business lot), Utah (Hayfield).

The following lots will be reserved for permit parking: Z (Complex), EC (Coliseum), D (Stadium Deck), S (Arena), NS (North Stadium Lot), Handicap (CDV), A (Allison Lab Lot), W (McWhorter Building, Softball Field), Woltosz Football Performance Center

TIGER TRANSIT SHUTTLES
Tiger Transit shuttles will run both on and off-campus on Saturday, April 8 beginning at 10 a.m. and will conclude two hours after the conclusion of the spring game. Tiger Transit Shuttle service will run from the following off-campus locations: Auburn Airport, Auburn Mall, Duck Samford, Auburn City Softball Complex, Tiger Town, Facilities Management and GPAC/South Quad Deck. 

A-DAY FORMAT
Saturday's A-Day scrimmage will start at approximately 1:20 p.m., shortly after the Tigers warm-up on Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The scrimmage will consist of the offense versus the defense, with the defense being spotted a designated number of points ahead of time. If the offense scores more than the assigned point total, it will win the A-Day game, otherwise, the defense will be the winner. There will be no game clock and the scrimmage will involve offensive drives starting at designated yard lines on the field.

PREGAME EAGLE FLIGHT
New for A-Day 2023 is one of the greatest traditions in college football, the pregame eagle flight inside Jordan-Hare Stadium! At 12:30 p.m. one of Auburn's famed eagles will circle the field as it has done the past two decades prior to kick off during the regular season. 

PUNT, PASS AND KICK AND KIDS COMBINE
A Punt, Pass and Kick contest, 40-yard dash and field goal challenge will be held on the football practice fields beginning at 9 a.m. Participants must be within 1st through 6th grade to compete. Sign-ups will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 10 a.m. To speed up the registration process, please fill out this form and bring it with you to registration. Entrance to the field is off Biggio Drive.

VAULT POP-UP SHOP | PLAINSMAN PARK PARKING LOT
Get your retro and throwback Auburn gear for the last time until the new athletic year begins. The Vault Pop-Up Shop will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

COCA-COLA FAN FEST
The Coca-Cola Fan Fest will feature a family friendly area that will include a live DJ, inflatable games, food vendors and more will be located on the campus green space just East of Jordan-Hare Stadium beginning at 10 a.m. Admission is free.

TIGER WALK
Greet the football team and coaching staff as they head to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the A-Day game. Tiger Walk will begin at approximately 11:30 a.m.

RADIO AFFILIATES
The game will be broadcast on the Auburn Radio Network on the following affiliate stations as well as the official Auburn app:

Abbeville, Ala. WESZ-FM 98.7
Andalusia, Ala. WAAO-FM 93.7
Anniston, Ala. WFZX-AM 1490
Auburn, Ala. WTGZ-FM 93.9
Birmingham, Ala. WJQX-FM 100.5
Columbus, GA WVRK 102.9
Cullman, Ala. WKUL-FM 92.7
Decatur, Ala. WAFN-FM 104.9
Demopolis, Ala. WZNJ-FM 106.5
Dothan, Ala. WESP-FM 102.5
Florence, Ala WMSR-FM 94.9
Foley, Ala. WHEP-AM 1310
Fort Payne, Ala. WZOB-AM 1250
Guntersville, Ala. WTWX-FM 95.9
Mobile WAVH-FM 106.5
Montgomery, Ala. WMSP-AM 740
Oxford, Ala WTDR-FM 92.7
Roanoke, Ala. WELR-FM 102.3
Selma, Ala. WHBB-AM 1490
Tuscaloosa, Ala WJQX-FM 100.5
Vernon, Ala. WVSA-AM 1380 

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Josh Aldridge breaks down his plan for Auburn’s inside linebackers

Updated: Apr. 04, 2023, 5:27 p.m.|Published: Apr. 04, 2023, 4:53 p.m.

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Auburn Spring Practice 4/3: Coach Hugh Freeze looks to shake things up before A-Day

By

• Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com

Auburn inside linebacker coach Josh Aldridge wants to create a linebacker unit that is cerebral enough to understand the roles of every player on the defense. He is attempting to have linebackers who can switch between the three linebacker positions in defensive coordinator Ron Roberts’ defense.

“My priority early was to move them around and see what they’re good at doing,” Aldridge said. “And now you can focus more on I have a pretty good feeling of which spot those guys need to play. So now you’re fine-tuning those skills, letting those guys compete at those specific spots and things like that. So I’ve been pleased with the stress we’ve put on them.”

Freeze is noticing the fruits of the labor from the linebacker room. He pointed out how Aldridge’s plans are working through spring practice.

“Defensively, with the linebackers. It’s brand new,” Freeze said. “All the verbiage is new. Your installations are new. There’s a lot on them; sometimes, it takes reps, which will lead into fall camp.”

Freeze further detailed players he’s seen catch on to what Roberts and Aldridge want from a linebacker unit.

Read More Auburn Football: Don’t expect a typical game format for Auburn’s first A-Day of Hugh Freeze era

Auburn trying to strike right balance with new up-tempo offense this spring

What Hugh Freeze said less than seven days before A-Day game

I think, truthfully, when I look at the linebacker room, I believe Eugene (Asante) and Austin (Keys) and Cam (Riley) and Robert (Woodyard) and Wesley (Steiner), and, hopefully, (DeMario) Tolan can come along as a young kid, too, and Powell (Gordon), all those guys. But I think Eugene, Austin, Cam, Robert, and Wesley are solid players.”

Aldridge started spring by moving various linebackers to different spots in the group. Some have been working as strongside linebackers, some in the middle taking on a “quarterback of the defense” role.

The positions have very different purposes, but Aldridge is hoping the cross-training can provide a situation where the Tigers can rotate linebackers. Ideally, he’d want to keep the athletes fresh by cycling through first and second-stringers.

“I’ve always had the philosophy if you’re playing as hard as you can, you can’t play every snap,” Aldridge said. “I’m trying to have, you know, about five to six guys that can plan on playing about the same number of snaps in a game. I want us to be relentless on defense, and keeping guys fresh is important.”

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.

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What Cadillac Williams learned from his time as Auburn's interim coach

By Nathan King2 hrs

3

AUBURN, Alabama — Most days, the new name tag doesn’t feel any heavier to Cadillac Williams.

The Tigers’ running backs coach not only enters his fifth year on staff in 2023, but he’s now on his fifth month as the team’s associate head coach — a role Hugh Freeze said was a no-brainer after he was hired, and Williams had just concluded his four-game stint as the interim head coach, following Bryan Harsin’s ouster.

Freeze was so adamant about Williams’ importance to this staff that he took the stage with him during Freeze’s opening press conference. The room erupted into a standing ovation when Freeze made the new title official for the former Auburn running back.

Unsurprisingly, though, none of it has gone to Williams’ head.

“I forget that I even have that title to be honest with you,” Williams said with a laugh Tuesday. “I’m just trying to help in any way that I can help. I’ve got Coach Freeze and his staff’s back. Just trying to contribute in any way that I can.”

During the program’s coaching search in late November, Williams said he interviewed for the job at the tail-end of his re-energizing run as the interim head coach. When Freeze was hired, though, he told athletic director John Cohen and university president Chris Roberts that his very first decree was going to be making Williams his right-hand man.

Freeze saw from afar how the team responded to Williams as the interim coach, and how the fan base lit up with support for him.

“You're invaluable,” Freeze said during his opening press conference, reflecting on his message to Williams after being hired. “I need your wisdom. I need you to tell me about the players. I need you to tell me about the building. I need you to tell me who is really vital to us really getting this program back to SEC championships.”

Williams went 2-2 as Auburn’s interim head coach, including a loss at Mississippi State where the Tigers came back from down 21 points and forced overtime, and a home victory over Texas A&M in one of the loudest, most electric nights in Jordan-Hare Stadium in recent memory — for a game between a pair of 3-6 teams.

Named the interim coach in a team meeting the afternoon Harsin was fired on Halloween, Williams was the first to admit he was nervous about the responsibility. He confided in the team that he didn’t have a road map, and that all he could do was abide by his own code: “serve, discipline, believe.” That mantra hung from the banner at Tiger Walk while Williams was the coach.

Months later, Williams said the experience made him a more confident leader overall — confident not only in his abilities as a coach, but also that he’s truly tending to his life’s calling.

“Being thrown on that stage and having to address the whole team from staff and media a lot more, I just think the confidence part of it,” Williams said. “Also it just made me feel like the good Lord has me here for a reason. I think I have truly found my purpose in life. That’s to always give back, serve and help folks in any way I can. That is very fulfilling and empowering in itself, for me.”

Williams has spanned three head coaches at Auburn after being hired by Gus Malzahn in 2019. He’d like to think his relationship-first approach hasn’t been altered since he arrived — and that the bright lights last season only served to improve his reputation as a genuine leader who loves on his players.

“Cadillac is just going to be Cadillac,” sophomore running back Damari Alston said last week. “Ever since I came in, he’s always coached us the same. He’s always just been a real standup guy. He’s always kept it real on and off the field. I feel like nothing’s going to change. He’s going to remain the same.”

3COMMENTS

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#PMARSHONAU: Spring football games not what they once were

ByPhillip Marshall 7 hours ago

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The first Auburn A-Day game I covered was in 1971. Quarterback Pat Sullivan threw five interceptions. What did it mean? Just what head coach Shug Jordan said after the game. Nothing. Eight months later, Sullivan won the Heisman Trophy.

Spring games in those days and into the 1980s were quite different than they are today. There were far fewer limits then than now. Spring games didn’t count as one of the allotted practices. They could be fun.

In 1983, the writers “coached” one team and the TV guys the other. I coached tight ends. The late Bill Lumpkin was our head coach. We met with real coaches before the game. Bud Casey drew a play on the board. “How many times you call this play depends on how many times you want to score,” Casey told us. “They won’t be ready for it.”

When Lumpkin called the play, we watched with anticipation. Casey was right. It scored a touchdown. Jimmie Warren intercepted the pass and returned it for a touchdown.

During Ray Perkins’ time at Alabama, the real Alabama team played against former players in the spring game. The oldere guys' locker rooom was even open to reporters at halftime. It’s the only college locker room in which I have been that a number “players” were smoking cigarettes.

Even in more traditional A-Day games, often captains were chosen and they chose teams, like on the playground. You won’t see any of those things these days. I don’t remember exactly when it was, but everything changed when rules were put into place severely limiting the number of practices allowed in the spring and the number of scrimmages allowed. It was ruled that spring games would count as one of those practices and scrimmages.

Coaches, with 15 practice days allowed, aren’t usually interested in wasting the last one. Thus, spring games are more practices than games. They are usually televised or streamed, and coaches are always paranoid. So, they are not even good practices.

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze’s suggestion that an exhibition game between two teams would be better is not new. The  players would actually be excited about it. The fans would be more excited about it. Most coaches believe it would be a great idea. If they didn’t like the idea, no one would make them do it. Why not do it? No doubt, the reason given would be player safety. The truth is players get hurt playing and practicing football.

That brings us to Auburn’s Saturday A-Day game. The rules will be a little different. The defense will start out with 24 points and the offense will have to eclipse that number to win.

No doubt, we will see all three quarterbacks. Players with little to prove will probably not play a lot. It is not unusual for the game MVP to be a player who you might not see again until next spring.

Because Freeze is headed for this first season, there will some things to see. The offensive scheme will be quite different. The defensive scheme will be different, too, but not as different.

2COMMENTS

Before the game, a long overdue statue of Frank Thomas will be unveiled at Plainsman Park. That really is a big deal. It took much too long for the only former SEC player in the Baseball Hall of Fame to be honored in such a way.

Saturday should be an enjoyable day for Auburn folks as long as they keep in perspective what happens or doesn’t happen on the football field.

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Cadillac Williams continues to deliver for Auburn on the recruiting trail

Published: Apr. 05, 2023, 6:55 a.m.

AUBURN, AL - February 27, 2023 - Auburn Associate Head Coach & Running Backs Coach Carnell "Cadillac" Williams during spring practice at the Woltosz Football Performance Center in Auburn, AL. Photo by Austin PerrymanAuburn University Athletics

NEW!

By

Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

Auburn has endured a great deal of change in recent years, with the firing of two head coaches since the end of the 2020 season and staff overhauls along the way. One constant has remained during all the overturn, however — Cadillac Williams.

The Auburn legend has now served under three different head coaches — and on five separate staffs if you include Kevin Steele’s brief interim stint and Williams’ own turn in that role last November — providing a stabling presence within the program. Williams has proven his worth as a running backs coach during his time back on the Plains, and he has also consistently delivered on the recruiting front for his alma mater.

Read more Auburn football: Hugh Freeze calls Jarquez Hunter “probably the best running back” he has ever coached

Hugh Freeze makes the case for replacing spring games with charity exhibitions against other schools

Don’t expect a typical game format for Auburn’s first A-Day of Hugh Freeze era

The latest example came two weeks ago, when Williams helped Auburn secure a commitment from four-star Andalusia standout J’Marion “Phat” Burnette, the 10th-ranked running back in the 2024 class and No. 8 player in Alabama this cycle. Burnette is the fourth blue-chip running back Williams has landed since he joined Auburn’s staff four years ago, joining Tank Bigsby (2020), Damari Alston (2022) and Jeremiah Cobb (2023). The only running back rated below four stars that Williams has brought to Auburn in that span is Jarquez Hunter, a former three-star recruit who has been highly productive in his first two seasons and is set to take on the lead role this fall.

“I think recruiting is about relationships,” Williams said. “Me personally, I don’t have to sell myself. I don’t have to sell Auburn. Auburn has been great for myself, my family, as you all know has done for me. A lot of times, what I like to tell recruits and parents, man, is like, I am a walking testimony of once you buy into Auburn, you come into this environment, what could truly happen. For me, again, it’s just by getting to know people and see if it’s the right fit.”

So far, Williams’ track record has produced its share of right fits, as running back has been a position of little concern for the Tigers amid the constant changes throughout the program and in particular on the offensive side of the ball.

Bigsby was a three-year starter at running back and finished his career as No. 7 on Auburn’s all-time rushing list. Hunter has averaged 6.5 yards per carry over the last two seasons while emerging as one of the biggest positives from the disastrous Bryan Harsin era. Alston was the No. 28 running back in his class and has garnered praise this spring as he eyes a bigger role out of the backfield. Cobb was the ninth-ranked running back in the 2023 class and Auburn’s top offensive signee in its transitional class, while Burnette is set to be one of the early building blocks of Hugh Freeze’s first full recruiting class on the Plains.

Williams has been crucial to landing commitments from each of those running backs, as he has carved out an identity as a strong recruiter at Auburn — regardless of the head coach he’s working under. That’s an incredibly valuable trait in a college football landscape where the name of the game is talent acquisition. As Williams put it Tuesday, recruiting is the lifeblood of a program, and replenishing the talent pool is foundational to a team’s on-field success.

RELATED: Auburn trying to strike right balance with new up-tempo offense this spring

While Williams has come into his own as a recruiter over the last four years, he said his four-week run as Auburn’s interim coach provided valuable lessons and experience that have improved his ability in that facet of the job.

“It was big for me because those four weeks, just being responsible for staff, the players, even the recruiting department, leading the way,” Williams said. “Now there’s a lot of things I can pull from it, take from within those four weeks of recruiting a variety of guys, and you know, how to go about angles of just showing people our vision here and just, really, it gave me if nothing else, confidence that I can do an even better job.”

It has also helped that Freeze has prioritized recruiting since taking over as head coach, which has only further motivated Williams to get the job done on the trail.

The recent addition of Burnette, who became the fourth 2024 commit for Auburn late last month, won’t be the last for Williams. He said earlier this spring that Auburn hopes to add two running backs this cycle—something the program hasn’t done since 2018, when it added four-star running backs Mark-Antony Richards and D.J. Williams, neither of whom finished their careers on the Plains. (Technically, Auburn added two this cycle, thanks to the transfer portal, with Cobb joined by former USF running back Brian Battie).

“I am excited for this class,” Williams said in February. “It’s a really good class, deep class. The young men that I’m recruiting, having got a chance to get to know them and their families—wow. One thing that I’m big on is just character. We want to bring the right people in here.”

Fortunately for Auburn, Williams has been able to deliver on that again and again. As Freeze described him the day he was introduced as head coach and promoted Williams to associate head coach, the Tigers’ legendary player has developed into an “invaluable” asset for the program.

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

[aubiefifty 18,259]

saturdaydownsouth.com

 

Robby Ashford might have the most pressure on him of any spring game player, but what will that yield?

Connor O'Gara

6–8 minutes

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I get the sense that Hugh Freeze is frustrated, and I can’t say I blame him.

In theory, now is when he should be getting a full look at Robby Ashford to evaluate if he can be his first QB1 on The Plains. After all, Ashford held that title for the majority of a lost 2022 campaign, though the sample size came amidst a midseason coaching change and Auburn essentially shifted into a modern day service academy with its rushing volume (the Tigers averaged 46.5 rushing attempts per game under interim coach Cadillac Williams).

One would think that given the way the transfer portal window now works for potential post-spring additions, Ashford should have plenty riding on Saturday’s A-Day performance.

In reality, though, we should probably temper our expectations because of the limitations in play.

Hence, Freeze’s frustration.

The basic setup of a spring game, wherein a quarterback isn’t live, doesn’t really play to Ashford’s skill set (Freeze would get blasted if he made quarterbacks live and 1 of them got hurt). He doesn’t have to worry about sensing pressure from the blindside and if he takes off with his legs, the play essentially has a 3-second shelf life in a game of 2-hand touch. While Ashford impressed in that setting last year, how he reads defenses and operates in the intermediate passing game is the most important thing for Freeze’s evaluation.

Perhaps that explains why the first-year Auburn coach banged the drum for teams to be playing real exhibition games against opposing programs instead of hosting intrasquad scrimmages (via AL.com).

“I’m going to cry again for the solution,” Freeze said. “The solution is: Allow us to scrimmage somebody on A-Day. Another team. I think everybody would get out of it exactly what they want.”

(For what it’s worth, I don’t think Alabama wants 4 months worth of overreaction to a potential slow start against UAB. Alternatively, I don’t think Nick Saban wants to answer questions about why a starting offensive lineman suffered a significant knee injury in a spring exhibition game.)

What Freeze wants is to actually see if his quarterback can handle game situations, and not just benefit from the parameters in place. Or alternatively, he’d probably like to see his quarterback’s true mobility and not just what he does against 2-hand touch.

Freeze makes a fair point. It can feel like, as he said, “a wasted day” to host an intrasquad scrimmage that doesn’t help in the evaluation process as much as we might think it does, especially when you have 2 starting quarterbacks at opposite ends of the spectrum with their pocket presence.

TJ Finley, who opted to stay at Auburn instead of transferring, is battling Ashford and trying to improve his statuesque ways in the pocket. How can a coach really tell if Finley is developing in that area if his mental clock isn’t being sped up by the thought of taking a shot to the ribs?

Go figure that Ashford actually looked like the better player in last year’s spring game and it was Finley who earned QB1 honors to start the season. In other words, take Saturday for what it is.

Also remember that this might not be the final group of pass-catchers that Freeze’s QB1 will be working with. Reports out of camp have been, um, let’s say “underwhelming.”

That wasn’t necessarily a revelation. Last year, Auburn didn’t have a single pass-catcher hit 500 receiving yards, and the offense ranked No. 122 in FBS with 9 passing touchdowns. Leading receivers Ja’Varrius Johnson and Koy Moore are back, but neither truly established himself as a prolific SEC receiver. On top of that, it’s a new offense for them, too. Being on the same page is by no means a given, especially when they’re working with several quarterbacks getting first-team reps.

It’s not crazy to think that Auburn’s leading receiver in 2023 isn’t even on the roster yet. Nobody would be surprised if Freeze dipped into the portal to add some much-needed depth at the position. The addition of Cincinnati wideout Nick Mardner should help. The 6-6 wideout has 1,488 receiving yards at the FBS level, 913 of which came at Hawaii, where he worked with new Auburn receivers coach Marcus Davis. More recently, however, Mardner had 218 receiving yards at Cincinnati.

In other words, it’s perfectly fair to have limited expectations for Auburn receivers on Saturday.

That really feels like it’ll be the case for the Auburn passing game as a whole. That shouldn’t be an issue for a fan base that hasn’t seen a top-40 passing offense in the 21st century (the Tigers’ lone top-50 passing offense in the 21st century came in 2004).

But Freeze doesn’t care about that. He cares about establishing some offensive roots at his new job. It’s hard to establish much of an identity if the quarterback position is in flux heading into the regular season. More pressing is if the quarterback situation is in flux heading into the spring transfer portal window.

Grayson McCall and Spencer Sanders didn’t line up after there was reportedly mutual interest, but that’s not to say Freeze is committed to the idea of a post-spring addition. We don’t know what the market will look like. Yes, we’ve seen post-spring transfers like Joe Burrow, but given all the movement we saw in the post-regular season window, it’s hard to imagine the quarterback market will have more potential options than it had a few months ago.

Then again, all it takes is 1. Freeze is searching for his 1. That figures to be the case well after Saturday’s festivities conclude. Whether that includes some new blood remains to be seen.

For now, though, all Ashford can do is continue to try and win over his frustrated new coach.

[aubiefifty 18,259]

https://fb.watch/jJaALu5Mdn/

[aubiefifty 18,259]

247sports.com

Auburn, Troy, UAB want spring exhibition games in college football

Brandon Marcello

6–7 minutes

Hugh Freeze wants to shake up the format of spring practices across college football.

The first-year Auburn coach has long been a proponent for ditching intrasquad scrimmages and adopting two-team exhibition games in the spring, but his idea has not gained much traction since he first presented it a decade ago as Ole Miss' head coach.

That changed Tuesday.

Troy head coach Jon Sumrall doesn't just like the idea, he's ready. Heck, if asked, he'd pack up his team on a bus, travel an hour north on Highway 231 and suit up his Trojans one week from today to play the Tigers inside Jordan-Hare Stadium in a spring exhibition.

"I wouldn't have a problem with it. I'd go play," the second-year coach told 247Sports.

Freeze voiced frustration Monday with intrasquad spring games, which he believes can be a "wasted day" for programs allotted 15 practices in the spring. He believes exhibition games would lead to fewer injuries because fewer players would be on the field compared to an intrasquad scrimmage with 22 players from the same team playing simultaneously. Plus, after hitting teammates for 14 grueling practices, it breaks up the monotony.

"For the life of me, I don't understand why we haven't gotten to the point where we can pull that off," Freeze said. "... Until that happens, I think all of us (coaches) are going to be very guarded (in spring games)."

FBS programs are not allowed to conduct scrimmages against other teams, but the door could be opening. Division II college football teams will be allowed to conduct scrimmages against other teams starting in the spring of 2024, according to a proposal adopted by legislators at the NCAA's convention in January.

The argument certainly has merit. College basketball programs conduct closed-door scrimmages against other teams in the fall and also host preseason exhibitions, and college baseball coaches weighed whether to allow fall scrimmages against other teams in 2017. UAB coach Trent Dilfer is on board with the idea, too. His daughters played college volleyball at TCU and Liberty, and both participated in uncountable scrimmages to help prepare them early in their careers. He believes the same benefits would hold true for college football should it allow exhibition games in the spring.

"Pretty, pretty, pretty please," Dilfer told reporters Tuesday. "Yes, yes, of course. Hugh's right. Whether you're Auburn or Alabama, you're looking for live competition, you're looking to not play yourself. If you're UAB or Troy, you're looking hopefully to play people that are perceived to be much better than you so you can use it as a test to see where you're program is at."

High school football programs conduct scrimmages against other teams in the spring and also host jamborees with two or three other teams at the end of preseason workouts.

Sumrall would play a spring game, he said, but believes a better format is a joint practice session in the spring, much like the NFL allows between teams during preseason camp. Exhibition games could negatively tap into the competitive nature of coaches, who might spend most of their allotted practices in the spring preparing for the exhibition rather than developing players.

"Do you get caught up in preparing for the game more than just using spring as a developmental time for individuals -- and for experimenting, adapting and growing within your systems on offense, defense and in the kicking game?" Sumrall said. "Those are the only drawbacks I see."

After all, could you imagine sports talk radio and message boards in Alabama if the Crimson Tide lost to UAB or Troy, even if it was in a spring exhibition?

The prospect is understandably enticing for the Group of 5 schools in Alabama, where football is king on every level of the sport. Troy won the Sun Belt championship in Sumrall's first season and rival South Alabama, which recently opened a new on-campus stadium, finished 10-2 in 2022. Jacksonville State, which nearly upset Auburn in 2015, moves from the FCS to the FBS as a full member of Conference USA this year. North Alabama owns three national titles and West Alabama also claims a national title on the Division II level. UAB moves to the AAC in 2023 after winning Conference USA titles in 2018 and 2020.

Alabama hasn't played an in-state team other than Auburn during the regular season since 1944.

Auburn has only played UAB once in its history and is scheduled to host South Alabama in 2025. The Tigers hosted in-state FCS programs Alabama A&M, Alabama State and Jacksonville State within the last decade.

Alabama and Auburn have played a combined 151 games against Sun Belt and Conference USA opponents from outside the state, so why not schedule the four schools from those conferences that already reside in Alabama? Only one such matchup has been played: UAB vs. Auburn in 1996.

"I don't know what the interest level is for anybody else, and I don't think anyone is really interested in what my opinion is. Nobody really cares, I'm the head coach at Troy, so they don't really care," he said. "But if I was at [Alabama or Auburn], why not?"

Alabama coach Nick Saban said in July 2022 he is "very much in favor" of scheduling a game against an HBCU school such as Alabama A&M or Alabama State, but the university maintains it will not play an in-state FBS school outside of Auburn.

10COMMENTS

The simple argument against the in-state games stems from pride, Sumrall said. What happens if Troy upsets Auburn? What if Alabama stumbles against UAB as it did in a loss to Louisiana-Monroe in 2007?

"Regardless of what happens in one game, they're gonna have a bigger budget and more resources," Sumrall said. "... Maybe your pride would be hurt, but the trajectory of what you could become long term, that doesn't get hurt. Recruiting is driven by money, especially now. Holy smokes, the world we live in now, it's on a whole different scale."

">247Sports

[AUGoo 2,703]

21 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

But I think Eugene, Austin, Cam, Robert, and Wesley are solid players.”

Tolan struggling to pick up the D?

[aubiefifty 18,259]

2 minutes ago, AUGoo said:

Tolan struggling to pick up the D?

i have been posting and have not had time to read the articles but from earlier reports i believed he was doing well. can anyone help us out here?

Edited April 5, 2023 by aubiefifty

[aubiefifty 18,259]

i checked the weather forecast and it is still rain rain rain for A day.

[alabastertiger 637]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

i have been posting and have not had time to read the articles but from earlier reports i believed he was doing well. can anyone help us out here?

I think that quote from Freeze may have been meant to "movitate" Tolan

[AUpreacherman22 3,945]

3 hours ago, AUGoo said:

Tolan struggling to pick up the D?

I haven’t gotten a clear answer yet, but either he’s struggling or some other guys have really stepped up.   My guess is it’s a combination of both.  But when it clicks for him, that will give us a dependable 3 deep at LB.   That’s very encouraging!

[IronMan70 3,322]

6 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

i have been posting and have not had time to read the articles but from earlier reports i believed he was doing well. can anyone help us out here?

4/5/23-Demario Tolan a 'vital piece' to the linebacker room says Aldridge (on3.com)

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