4/7/23 Football Articles

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Hugh Freeze, Auburn reveals unique A-Day format

Taylor Jones

2–3 minutes

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Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has not been shy when it comes to sharing his thoughts about spring games because it gives fans a false sense of what to expect from the team.

“Unrealistic expectations lead to frustration,” Freeze said this week. “I don’t want anybody to be frustrated. Don’t want to show too much of what we think we might be really good at. There’s nothing on tape of what this new staff is exactly like.”

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He has even gone as far as saying that he hopes to one day schedule a spring scrimmage against an in-state team rather than pitting teammates against themselves.

He can not do that just yet, so he will do the next best thing… alter the current model.

This season’s spring game, which will take place on Saturday, April 8 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, will feature a format with a running 60-minute clock with no quarters. The concept seems fun itself, but the kicker is even better.

The defense will begin the game with a 24-0 lead.

Freeze calls it “the best format I know,” and says it provides motivation for each side of the ball to win the game.

“If the defense can hold the offenses to under that number of points the defense wins the spring game and they’ll get to eat steak and the losers will eat a hot dog,” Freeze said.

In addition to the unique format of the game rules, Freeze says that fans will see more contact in this season’s A-Day game as opposed to years past.

“They’re going to see us hit, they’re going to see us tackle, they’re going to see people run the ball and throw the ball,” Freeze said. “Will it be exactly the same that they see this fall? I sure hope not. I hope it’s better and probably a little different. I want to prepare the Auburn family that we’re going to do the best we can to hopefully give them a game I hope they can enjoy.”

RELATED: Taylor Jones’ top 10 players to watch at A-Day

RELATED: JD McCarthy’s top 10 players to watch at A-Day

A-Day 2023 will begin at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday afternoon at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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si.com

 

Can the Auburn quarterback question be answered on A-day?

Matthew Jacobs

9–11 minutes

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The stage is set. Auburn’s defense, which should be one of the most elite defenses in the country, will spot the Auburn offense approximately twenty-one points. The winners will eat steaks. The losers will eat hotdogs.

There are lots of moving parts that go into putting a quality football team on the field. We refer to them as “rooms” now. Running back rooms, offensive line rooms, so on and so forth. There are a ton of unknowns about this new Auburn team that might begin to take shape on Saturday. We will get better looks at the young freshmen that we have heard great things about such as Keldric Faulk, Kayin Lee, and Connor Lew. We might get to see Rivaldo Fairweather catch a ball and realize how much potential he has. Brian Battie might show his legendary one-cut speed.

When that dust has settled, and everyone heads home, and in spite of all we might see, the first question most everyone will ask come Sunday will be about who Auburn’s quarterback is going to be.

Is it one of the three?

Robby Ashford was penciled in as the starter by nearly every “expert” I met during the offseason. He has been hampered by a shoulder issue this Spring. Even if that weren’t the case, he really cannot showcase his running skills in these no contact on the quarterback sessions. When you cannot throw and cannot run, you cannot impress. When you cannot impress you are in limbo. That doesn’t impress a new coaching staff. By all accounts, he is nowhere.

T.J. Finley has already been named the starter of Auburn once, under a different staff. Can he do it again? Highly unlikely. Coach Freeze has spoken about how he can tailor this offense for any quarterback. While that might give everyone the warm fuzzies, Finley is a traditional passer. Yes, he has a monster arm. Yes, He outstanding height and looks like a tight end who can sling it. However, I am not sure anyone believes that there is any shred of truth in the thought he can be successful running an RPO offense such as this as it is designed. He just isn’t that guy.

Holden Geriner has gotten all the hot press this Spring. He seems to have turned a corner. In high school he was very much a dual threat quarterback. There probably aren’t a lot of defenses in the SEC terrified of his speed, but with his arm, rumored football IQ, and a no wasted motion tuck it and run ability, he might be the best choice of the three. Does that equal getting handed the keys of an SEC football team? Time will tell.

Time to break out the crystal ball

Coach Freeze has been a breath of fresh air in press conferences. He states continuously that he wants to be transparent and comes across as willing to tell the truth about the state of the Auburn football team. It doesn’t take a profiler to see his physical demeanor change whenever the quarterback room comes up. He has not once looked happy about their performances or comfortable with what he has to work with. Can he build the offense around who he has? Yes. Does he want to? We should know as soon as the Spring portal opens up. With that in mind, a little peak into the future of what might won’t hurt anything. If the 2023 starting quarterback isn’t currently on the team, who might it be?

Jules

Jules is a French word derived from Latin that translates directly into “youthful.” It is a word that is stuck in my mind tonight. It pops into my head every time I see Hank Brown. He personifies “youthful”. He IS one of Hugh Freeze’s picks and comes highly touted after serving under former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer. His high school stats are stuff of legend. Many have prognosticated that he will redshirt. That would run him directly up against another phenom quarterback commit Walker White. That is a scenario that most likely would lead to losing a good quarterback the first time the portal opens or a de-commitment. Brown has all the size, arm, and ability of the current quarterbacks on the roster. He could come this Autumn and light a fire in the room that may have already lost one or possibly two quarterbacks. Plus, did I mention he is Hugh Freeze’s pick? It deserves to be mentioned twice. A freshman starting in the SEC isn’t unheard of. Is Brown “that dude?”

Jewels

Back to the world of realistic possibilities. It is very likely that at least one of the current quarterbacks exit via the portal at the end of April. (The portal timeframe changed yesterday). It is also just as likely to see a quarterback come in through the portal. Now, there are some names that could fit both the mold of being Coach Freeze’s “guy” and have the requisite skills to turn this Auburn team into something very competitive. These guys are the possible jewels in all of this. It would be impossible to play out every scenario that could happen here, but there are some athletes that immediately jump out as good fits.

Just to name a few

Any quarterback Georgia currently has that doesn’t feel like he is the number one guy after Spring. Georgia has a stable of SEC-caliber quarterbacks that have been sitting behind Stetson Bennet for a while. There is also a serious redshirt freshman that can ball and wants to now. It seems silly to type such a thing, but there are several guys that could be leaving the Bulldogs depending on Kirby Smart’s choices. ANY of which would be an outstanding addition to Auburn. Not to mention, add to the rivalry.

Spencer Sanders. Ole Miss ended up with three quality quarterbacks. Sanders Is the one of the bunch that is a grad transfer and could transfer out if he doesn’t win the job. He would be no slouch in Freeze’s scheme and could easily slide into the starting role and be productive. Winning football, no waiting.

By this point, some of you are screaming at your screens wondering how a quarterback that didn’t make it on an SEC team could start at Auburn. Tighten your chinstrap friends: None of our current quarterbacks could start for any other SEC team right now. Whoever transfers out will be taking a ride down to somewhere they could start. So, while you are good and irritated, wait, there is one more SEC team that could provide Auburn with a starter.

That team across the state whose name we do not mention has a few very viable options that might be hitting the portal if a decision is made in Spring practice. Jalen Milroe or Ty Simpson will more than likely get the nod. The one that doesn’t may bolt. If they both stay, there are three more guys there with SEC-caliber skillsets. Much like Georgia, someone is going to want to leave and play. Think of THAT rivalry boost.

Casey Thompson would be a wish list jewel. A sixth-year senior with a ton of experience. He is in a tough situation right now at Nebraska, where he is sitting out after a shoulder procedure and watching a new coaching staff that is very fond of the “new guy” they have. Thompson is a moonshot as he and his father both committed in the media to the idea of working through the Nebraska off-season. However, if things go south in Spring ball, he is a grad transfer and would be a perfect fit for Auburn.

Evan Prater is another interesting prospect. He is in a battle with the Cincinnati Bearcats' starting quarterback that was injured most of last year. Prater showed promise and toughness in the backup role that would translate wonderfully to Auburn, and he might just want a way out if he isn’t QB1 come the end of Spring.

The never-ending story

There are too many more to list. The real choice, if there is one, more than likely isn’t on that list. Rest assured that while I didn’t provide my exhaustive list, the coaches at Auburn have a better one.

Here is the caveat to this entire story: Does it even matter? If we waved a magic wand and have an injury-free off-season and Fall camp, Auburn will have an elite defense that will be schemed beyond belief and will keep offensive coordinators up at night. Auburn will have a really, really good running back room. One of the best in the country. They are stacked fairly deep at receiver and have more than can see the field. The offensive line, while needing depth, should be one of the better ones that have been on the field in years for the Tigers. Tight ends that can do what is asked of them, led by one that might be one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the country (Fairweather). And just for kicks, a kicker that should be solid as well. Why do we all feel as if we need a dynamic quarterback to win games? Maybe we shouldn’t. The NFL has rarely had an interest in most of the game manager quarterbacks, yet there were quite a few that have won a lot of college football games over the years. Either way, A-day will only lead to more questions. One-hundred and forty-nine more days' worth of them.

Isn’t it great?

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247sports.com

 

25 quotes of note from Auburn players and coaches this spring

Nathan King

12–15 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama — With just one more walkthrough practice to go Friday before A-Day, Auburn's first spring under Hugh Freeze are coming to a close. The Tigers will finish off their 15 practices with what looks to be a rainy spring game Saturday afternoon in Jordan-Hare Stadium (1 p.m. CST, SEC Network+).

In all, 15 different Tigers, along with all 10 assistant coaches, chatted with local reporters this spring about the coaching change, goals for 2023, standout players in the spring, freshmen, quarterbacks and more.

In position order, here's one standout quote from each over the past five weeks of spring ball.

RB Jarquez Hunter, on Auburn’s new offensive line additions: “They work harder. I see them every day in the weight room, working hard on the field, conditioning and running. They're going to play their butts off. They go out there on the field and they work. They're much faster and quicker type of O-linemen, and they move better.”

RB Damari Alston, on the new coaches: “I feel a change in the relationship that I have with Coach Freeze than I had with the previous staff. I feel like I can talk to Coach Freeze anytime that I want to. That's always been the way with Cadillac.”

WR Camden Brown, on the offensive tempo: “I’m not going to lie, it brings me back to St. Thomas (Aquinas) ... going back to the fast stuff. Going back to last year, I had never been in a huddle before. It’s kind of weird because it was slowing down my play. I love going faster and faster and faster everyday. Last year at some times when we started going fast we were getting them, and when we started going slow we were giving them rest.”

TE Rivaldo Fairweather, on switching sports in high school: “It’s a funny joke: My basketball coach used to tell me, because I was always the biggest and the strongest on the basketball court, I used to get fouled out a lot. So, my coaches, they just told me, ‘Hey, like you should try to play football.’ I used to always play around with football, but I never took it serious. I really locked in on playing football and focused and perfected everything. My trainers and stuff, they really helped me with that.”

TE Luke Deal, on his role as a veteran: “Each and every year you just kind of find your role and try to develop through a team every year. Being one of the older guys, it’s nice to be one of the guys that people come and talk to, ask about. I value that a lot. I’m just trying to be a leader every day in our room, outside of our room, especially with everybody learning a new offense.”

OG Jeremiah Wright, on sticking on the offensive line of scrimmage: “I talked, prayed with my mom and grandmom and gone through everything and just felt in my heart that's what I wanted to do — stay on the O-line and just get my footwork, technique, everything down. I want to be one of the greats to do it.”

OG Kameron Stutts, on the offensive line’s strong couple weeks to close out spring: “It’s really big. We’ve had some struggles on offense recently, so to come out this spring and to be doing as good as we are towards the end, I know we all really want to finish and have a last good couple of practices. Going into A-Day, finish strong there. It really helps going into the summer with confidence and everybody having a good feeling about it.”

DT Marcus Harris, on the depth of this year’s defensive line: “If you're really a dog, you want competition. You've got somebody else competing next to you that you know is not going to just allow somebody to come take his spot. You feel me? Like, he's competing. He wants to be that guy. Competition, that's the best thing I think could happen to this D-line room.”

DE Jeffrey M’ba, on the coaches’ plans to rotate more on the D-line: “Last year we didn’t play a lot of D-line — and I know we were gassed at times. So to have some people that can go in and play and stuff, and I feel like the way the coach designed the D-line, they want to play a lot of players. And I like this idea because last year I feel like it was complicated.”

JACK Elijah McAllister, on what it takes to have a successful coaching change: “You can have new facilities, new uniforms, new coaches — everything can change around you. But it's about what's inside that locker room that produces the best product on the field. That comes with language, interaction with people, how you carry yourself every single day, practice habits which will eventually turn into gameday habits, which will allow you to hopefully have success. I think it all comes down to the players — not negating the impact the coaches have on people, but they can only do so much.”

LB Cam Riley, on the culture shift this offseason: “I would say the biggest change was everyone came together. I know you hear that a lot, but I actually kind of feel like everyone actually came together this year. I feel like there were a lot of things going on last year within the team that brought a lot of adversity and things like that, which caused a lot of division. But I felt like everyone actually came together and wants to play as one. We preach everyday about Auburn and getting back to what it used to be with winning games.”

LB Wesley Steiner, on the new defensive scheme: “I don’t see it much differently. It’s just the way we kind of speak it. Obviously, there’s a few things that are a little different, but just for me, concept-wise I think things are the same, so it’s not too hard to learn.”

CB D.J. James, on his decision to return for another year: “This school is a family. They have treated me like family since I got recruited here. I trust Auburn. I feel like my best interest and the best situation for me was to come back to school for another year.”

DB Keionte Scott, on the team’s attitude carrying over from last season: “When Coach Caddy got the job, that was a little flash of how we react with our backs against the wall. I definitely liked how everyone reacted to it. Now with more adversity with a new coach coming in and everyone’s slate being clean — and Coach Freeze letting everyone know they’ve got a chance, it puts everyone’s back against the wall. Everyone gets a chance to battle adversity again. It’s definitely something that everyone is looking at in a positive light.”

S Zion Puckett, on his future: “A lot of coaches have been telling me they can see a coach in me. I feel like once you try to drive yourself away from the game, I really think the game will bring you back. I feel like, going down the road, I might be a coach somewhere. I feel like I can impact children and also other people around me the right way.”

OC Philip Montgomery, on the group that’s stood out to him: “Offensive line, I think, has been a real positive surprise throughout the spring. I think the guys that we've been able to add to that room have made an impact. I think we're more athletic than what we've been, I think those guys are moving well. I think they understand what we're doing up front. I love the way they're approaching practice every day, that has been one of our strong suits throughout spring ball.”

RB coach Cadillac Williams, on what he learned from his time as Auburn’s interim coach: “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. 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.”

WR coach Marcus Davis, on the emergence of Camden Brown: “He’s a younger guy who wants to do it right. His approach to it is super. I love his approach. I was just talking to them about it this morning and I think that’s what separates him is his mindset and his approach. You see the steady growth every day. I think that is a big part of how he approaches the game.”

TE coach Ben Aigamaua, on Hugh Freeze’s recruiting prowess: “Coach Freeze is a machine when it comes to recruiting. We love it as coaches because we go as he goes. So, we're out there in the middle of practice, FaceTime with recruits, showing them what we have to offer, showing them practice. And the recruits love it. … Recruiting is the lifeline of this program. I've always said, if you're not doing it, somebody else is.”

OL coach Jake Thornton, on rebuilding an inconsistent offensive line from the past few seasons: “It's certainly exciting. To do it at a place like Auburn is something that I've always wanted to come and do. As far as the pressure, this is the SEC. So any situation, any team, any game — everything is pressure-filled. But that's why we as competitors do that, and that's why we accept these challenges. I'm excited about it. I couldn't ask for a better group as far as work ethic.”

DC Ron Roberts, on how many players he needs in his defensive rotations: "I think we're probably in the 16-17 category (right now), and I think you have to be somewhere in the 24-25. So, there's about nine players or so where we're saying, you've got to come along. We need you to develop to either be ready to go — whether it be for limited reps, whether it be for 10 reps, spotting through a game if it comes time to step up, somebody goes down and we can fill a spot without taking a major drop-off. And that's the biggest thing.”

DL coach Jeremy Garrett, on the leadership of Marcus Harris: “What I enjoy about Marcus is the accountability that he takes in his play and for the room and his work ethic. I check on the strength coaches, how’s he doing in the weight room. I check on him academically how he’s doing. He’s a guy that’s putting it together for us in all three phases of what we want, being a great student-athlete and just doing his job on and off the field. That’s important to me because you don’t have any distractions.”

LB coach Josh Aldridge, on why his group has impressed this spring: “Regardless if you were to say we had the most talented room — that might not be the case — but I believe we have the most guys with similar traits. So we have the most competition, I think, on our team. Probably. It's fun to watch those guys practice.”

CB coach Wesley McGriff, on returning for his third stint at Auburn: "I walked right back into my home. It's good to be back home. In this profession, you move a lot. But it's been one transition where I didn't have to make a lot of adjustments. You know where everything is when you walk back into your house, and it's a blessing."

S coach Zac Etheridge, on Jaylin Simpson’s full-time move to safety: “I think Simp has found himself a home. I think he's an elite player — that if he holds onto everything that goes in football off the field, he can be a Sunday player. Just seeing his range, his athleticism, his ability to play man-to-man in the slot, the things that he can do, he can tackle well. So, his upside at that position is through the roof if he embraces it and studies the game like he should, I think he'll be a Sunday pick.”

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Ole Miss transfer Austin Keys 'everything' Auburn thought he'd be at LB

Published: Apr. 06, 2023, 11:27 a.m.

5–6 minutes

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Josh Aldridge knew the situation he was stepping into with Auburn’s linebackers room when Hugh Freeze brought him over from Liberty in the weeks after the took over as head coach on the Plains.

Auburn was losing its most productive linebacker — four-year starter and leading tackler Owen Pappoe, who also played the most snaps among the group — and was only returning to players who saw significant action last season: Cam Riley and Wesley Steiner. Auburn’s linebacker room was in need of depth, and if it could add some experience as well, that was even better. So, Auburn hit the portal and emerged with a pair of SEC transfers in LSU’s DeMario Tolan and Ole Miss’ Austin Keys to bolster the room.

Read more Auburn football: “Disruptive” Maryland transfer Mosiah Nasili-Kite one of Auburn’s top risers this spring

Cadillac Williams continues to deliver for Auburn on recruiting trail

Hugh Freeze calls Jarquez Hunter “probably the best running back” he has ever coached

While Tolan, a freshman who appeared in 12 games (mostly on special teams) for LSU last season, is still coming along in his first spring at Auburn, Keys has been a revelation for his new program.

“Austin Keys has been everything I thought he’d be,” Aldridge said this week. “He’s got to clean some detail stuff up. But I think we definitely did not miss on him by any means.”

Keys has been working alongside Riley for much of the spring as the first two linebackers in a rotation that Auburn hopes to get to five or six players by September. Steiner and redshirt freshman Robert Woodyard Jr. have typically been the second tandem in what has been a fluid depth chart over the last five-plus weeks of practices.

The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Keys has been focusing on the Mike position within Auburn’s defense, with Aldridge noting that the Taylorsville, Miss., native has the ideal build for that position. While he could see some time at the Will linebacker spot down the line, as Aldridge works to cross-train his guys at the two inside linebacker positions, the Tigers’ assistant wants Keys to focus solely on fully mastering what’s asked of him at Mike this spring.

“He’s got the SEC experience,” defensive coordinator Ron Roberts said. “He’s big. He’s physical. He runs exceptionally well. He’s intelligent. He’s very smart. He’s picked things up really fast.”

Keys has managed that responsibility well throughout the spring, which wraps up with Saturday’s A-Day game at Jordan-Hare Stadium, as he has brought a level of “consistency” to the room while adjusting to a new system and new program.

“He brings a great approach to just kind of accepting coaching as it comes,” Steiner said. “I think he does a great job of just taking coaching as we get it. That’s been something that we’ve been harping on in the room — just hearing the message, not the tone. Everyone knows coaching can get a little heated sometimes, but Austin’s done a good job of just taking coaching and just being consistent.”

It has been a veteran approach from Keys, just as Aldridge anticipated would be the case when he recruited him out of the portal this offseason.

A former three-star prospect in the 2020 class, Keys was a three-year contributor at Ole Miss, where he redshirted as a freshman while appearing in four games as a special teams contributor in his first season. In 2021, he saw his role increase, playing in six games and making his first career start before his season was cut short due to a knee injury. He returned last season and played in all 13 games for the Rebels while making six starts, totaling 39 tackles on the year before hitting the portal.

He was one of six transfer portal additions for Auburn on defense this offseason with prior Power 5 experience, joining Tolan, edge rusher Elijah McAllister (Vanderbilt) and a trio of defensive linemen: Justin Rogers (Kentucky), Mosiah Nasili-Kite (Maryland) and Lawrence Johnson (Purdue). As one of four transfers with SEC experience — which Aldridge put a premium on when exploring the portal — Keys has acquitted himself well with his new surroundings this spring.

“He’s not been too haughty, so it’s always good to have guys that are not trying to do anything too crazy but just do their job and earn the trust of the players around them,” Steiner said.

The biggest thing for Keys moving forward, Roberts said, is getting to a point where he’s more comfortable as a vocal presence in the middle of the defense. Roberts requires a lot of his inside linebackers, and while he understands it takes some time — between learning a new system and acclimating to a new environment, with new coaches, teammates and a new town — he hopes to see Keys come into his own in that regard this offseason.

That aside, spring practice has only affirmed what Aldridge believed back in February: Auburn hit a “home run” with the addition of Keys from the transfer portal.

“I can definitely say Austin Keys got a spot,” safety Zion Puckett said. “I feel like he’s going to be pretty good for us.”

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

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guys this one starts at 9 AM which is in less than an hour. it does not get any fresher than that.............

Edited April 7, 2023 by aubiefifty

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this is a repeat but i love it .thos first three words."what an honor} !  wow

 

 

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